The Bible Battles, Chapter 21
CHAPTER. XXI. Of ordering an hoſt in drawing neere to the Enemie, and what is elſe to bee done, and conſidered of before the comming of the battell.
DAvid ſending out an Army to ſubdue his proud rebellious ſon Abſolom, divided the whole hoſt into 3.2 Sa. 18. 2. parts, and ſet principall Commanders over the ſame. Ioab over one, Abiſhai over the other, and Ittai over the third. So did Iudas divide his Army into three Companies1 Mach 5. 33. 2 Mach: 8. 21. and ſometimes into foure parts. Againſt Cendebeus, he divided his men, and ſet his horſe in the midſt of the foote; becauſe the Enemies horſe were very many. Bachides in his battell againſt Iudas, divided his horſe into two troupes, and put his ſlingersCa. 16. 7. and Archers before the hoſt, and in the foreward were all the mighty men, and Bachides himſelfe in the right wing. Wiſe and experienced1 Mach: 9. 11, 12. Commanders, know how to order and embattaile their men. The Enemy, the place; the occaſion offered are in this matter ſeriouſly to bee weighed; Hanuibal ordered his Army, ſome time one way, and ſometimeLiv: 30. & 31. & 23. 29. another as reaſon led him; And ſo did the Romanes, Caeſar and others. Saul ſet his battaile in aray againſt the Philiſtims, but the manner how is not …et dovvne.1 Sa… … 7. 2. 23.
Before the joyning of battell foreſight and great vviſedome is required. For 1. here lyeth at ſtake the precious liues of men. 2. Theſe … errour may bring great damage. 3. The due commendarions of all former preparations, deliberations, and wary proceedings, is here reteined or loſt. 4. The victory procureth renowne, and cauſeth triumph and ioy. 5. But the overthrow bringeth ſorrow, diſgrace, and the priſoners taken captiue, to be at their enemies will; the very conceit whereof in ſome, hath beene ſo contrary to their minds, as they rather hauehave deſired death then to fall into an enemies hand. This made Saul to kill himſelfe, which he did (ſaith Ioſephus)In the wars of the Iews becauſe he was a faint-hearted coward. Zi…ri did burne his pallace over his owne head. And Razis acted2 Mach: 14. 42. 46. a deſperate part vponupon this ground. In Numantia, where 4000 ſouldiers, who held out …4 yeares againſt many thouſand Romanes; yet wearied at length they reſolved vponupon a ſtrange, and deſperate end, which was to gather all their Armes, monies and goods together, and to ſet them on fire, and to burie themſelues in the flame, that ſo Scipio might not hauehave any of them captiues to triumph over. This maketh many ſtout courages in battell deſperate, to fight like Lyons, and will not yeeld till the fatall wound come, and they be deprived of life.
Great conſideration therefore muſt be had before a Generall put all to hazard. 1. Of his owne number and ſtrength, and then of his Enemies. 2. Of the quality and condition of his ſouldiers, whether young and raw, or old and experienced; for its not number, but valour and skill which chiefly prevaileth. 3. Of their fitneſſe to fight, if it be after travell, when they be hungry, thirſt, andLiv. 44. weary, perhaps againſt freſh, liuely, and a well prepared Enemie.
Aemilius would not charge vponuponXen…ph: in exped. Cyr. Perſeus in Macedonia, becauſe of his ſouldiers vnfitnes by travell, though they deſired to fight, vntill the next day. Clearchus would not ſet vponupon his enemie, becauſe he perceived his ſouldiers to bee ſaint and hungry. Therefore the Romanes before theyLiv: 28, 21 entred battell refreſhed well their men with victualls, and reſt, as Veſpatian did when he encamped aboutWarres of the Iewes. Iorpata where in Ioſephus was. So Hannibal would hauehave his men dine well, to lye warme, and take reſt before they fought with the Romanes at Trebia; Such commonly as hauehave fought when their Army was wearied with travell for want of …eſt, or faint for food, hauehave miſerably periſhed. As did Aſdrubals army at Metaurus, and ſo the Gaules Hiſtoria de troubl. de Fra. l. 13.by the Romanes. Puigall…re his men were cut off by La Nove, when he would needes ſet vponupon the Proteſtants after two dayes and nights continuall march. 4. The Generall is to conſi…er, whether feare poſſeſſe the hearts of his ſouldiers: ItsLiv: 26. 37. a great hinderance to the victory: Its threatned as a puniſhment; fainting of heart ſeized vponupon the Canaanites, Ioſ: 2. 9. 24.and gaue courage and aſſurance of victory to Ioſua. A trembling through feare is a ſigne of deſtruction. We never reade of Sauls daunt of ſpirit, and fearfulneſſe in1 Sa: 28. 5: all his many battells, but onelyonly before the laſt, in which he and his were overthrowne; then its ſaid, that he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled. Some feare may poſſeſſe the heart of a Commander ſometime, but a ſodaine and vnwonted feare in a General as Saul, is an ill token, as it was in one of the Kings of Hungary, when he put on his helmet to goe againſt the great Turk: In which battell he loſt his life, and the chiefe City of the Kingdome; A great feare over a whole hoſt at the ſight of the Enemy, foretelleth their overthrow, as it happened with the hoſt of Timotheus conſiſting of 120000 foote and 2500 horſe at the ſight of Iudas 2 Mach: 12 20, 22.with a handfull: and as it hapned to the Army of Sigiſmund vponupon which fell a panick feare, when Ziſca was but comming neere. Till feare was removed Caeſar would not ſet forward againſt Arioviſtus and the Germanes. Iudas Machibeus would needs fight, when many of his company was in feare, and conveyed thē ſelues out of the hoſt, but it coſt him his life.1 Mach: 9. 6. 10, 18.
Therefore to prevent or remoue feare the Lord himſelfe ſpake to his Generals, exhorting them not to feare to Moſes, to Ioſua, to Gideon, yea he ſent his Prophet ſometime to encourageDeut: 3, 2 Ioſ: 1: 8. & 10: 8: & 11 6. Iud: 6: 4: 2 Cro: 20: Deut: 20: 3, 4: them; and appointed a ſermon or ſet ſpeech for the Prieſts to deliver before the hoſt went out. Hence it was that Kings made Orations to their Captaines and Souldiers, and ſo did other Generals. Hiſtories humane are full of them, and very many ſp…eches are recorded in the Bible, the ſcope whereof was to remoue feare, & to encourage them to fight. In Exod. 14. 13, 14. is Moſes ſpeech. In Deu. 20. 2, 3, 4▪ the prieſts: in Iud. 3. 28. Ehuds: in chap. 5. 14. Deborahs: in chap. 7. 15, 18. Gideons: in 2 Sam. 10. 12. 1 Chro. 19. 13. Ioabs: in 2 Chro. 20. 15. 17. 20. Iehaziel and Iehoſephats; in Eſai. 7. 4. Eſaiahs; in 2 Chro. 32. 7, 8. Hezekiahs: in 1 Mach 3. 18. 22. & 4. 8. 11. & 2 Mach. 8. 16. & 9. 44. & 11. 7. & 13. 14. & 15. 8▪ 10. Iu…as Machabeus his orations: in 1 Mach 9. 44. Ionathans: in ca. 13. 3. Simons. Out of which may be gathered good matter for a General to ſpeake vntounto his ſouldiers.