The Bible Battles, Chapter 22
CHAP. XXII. Of many things to further the ſucceſſe in the battell.
THere are no… a few things which may greatly helpe to gain the day, if men muſt fight: but if thou dareſt not, then wiſely prevent it, or if the enemy will flye, give him leave; King Iohn of France found the miſchiefe in forcing the blacke Prince to fight; and ſo Charles the fift loſt his armie by intercepting our Henry the fift. Hereupon Themiſtocles would … permit the Grecians to breake the bridge over Holleſpent, which Xerxes cauſed to be made, leaſt the enemy having a deſire not to fight, might want a meanes to retire backe, and ſo bee forced to fight againſt their wills, which will make Cowards valiant.
But if it be reſolutely determined vponupon to fight. I. Foreſee the ſecret traps layd, and ambuſhments, which may in the fight ſodainely come vponupon the ſouldiers when they1 Mach, 10 79. 80. & 11-68, 60: be fighting. This Ionathan foreſaw, and ſo got the day, though at another time not wary enough, his hoſt was ſcattered by an Ambuſh. Hannibal by ſuch a ſubtletie overthrew the Romans at Trebia, and Thraſament bake, and was hereby much holpen in the battle at Cannas.
II. Not to truſt too much vponupon Aſſociates, leaſt they faile as the Celtiberians did the Scipio…s in Spaine, and the Albanes, Tullius Hoſtilius. The Swizers which came in the ayde of Lewis Sforza ſold them to his enemy Lewis the twelfth: ſecondly, doe not truſt fugitives from the enemies; for two Spaniards in the warres againſt the Venetians feigned themſelves fugitives with intent to kill the Generall of the Venetians called Alvia, as before is noted. And 500 Numidian Horſemen at the firſt encounter betweene the Romans and Hannibal, left Hannibal and fled to the Romans, leaped from their horſes, threw away their apparent weapons and humbled themſelves at the feet of the Romans, who gaue them credit and entertainment: but theſe not now miſtruſted having weapons ſecretly, when the Romans were buſie in fight, came vponupon them behind vnexpected, and ſo mightily furthered Hannibal to get the victory at Cannas. Laſtly, truſt not ſuch as may iuſtly be ſuſpected, the Lords of the Philiſtims had learned this, and therefore would at …o hand admit1 Ch. 12. 19. of David, and his companie, to goe into battle with them againſt Iſrael.
III. To ſtrive for advantages as much as may be, as 1. of the place; the Syrians imputed much to the… K. 20. place, making a great difference betweene the hils and the vallyes; our victory at Newport was much holden by the benefit of the place: ſecondly, of the wind behind them, as it was to Hannibals hoſt at Cannas, but on the faces of the Romans, which being Southeaſt and ſomwhat ſtrong carryed the duſt into the eyes of the Romans, and ſo did them much hurt. By the wind God helped Theodoſius againſt the Tyrant Maximus: thirdly, get advantage of the Sunne, if it be hot, and ſhining foorth, it is hurtfull to thoſe that have it vponuponTheod. hiſt. E…cl. Liv. 35 their faces; it fainted the Gaules fighting with the Romans. Fourthly, take advantage of the diſcord when it hapneth betweene Commanders and Captains in the Enemies camp. By this the Aequians prevailed againſt the Romans, This overthrewLiv. 4. Thucid 6. Sl…idan. the Athenian Army in Sicile: this gave the victory to Charles the fift over the Proteſtants, when the Duke of Saxonie, and the Lanſgrave of Heſſen could not agree. Through diſſention of Captaines, the French loſt Naples, and Amurathes the Turke got Nicopolis thorow the diſcord of the French and Hungarian Captaines. Fiftly, make advantage of the Army parted, or1 Mach: 4. 1. 4. not the whole met together; This advantage Iudas Machabeus tooke at Gorgius comming out from his campe. So the Romans ſet vponupon Aſdubal to prevent his ioyning with Hannibal in Italy. Sixtly, when the enemy is out of order: ſeventhly, when he is ſetting his men in array: Eightly, in the time of encamping, then to let vponupon them as many wiſe Commanders have done; Theſe and ſuch like advantages are to be obſerved, taken, and wiſely purſued.
IV. To vſe ſtratagems, ſo didIoſ. 8. 2 K: 3. 22, 23. Ioſua; yea the Lord himſelf wrought ſo a worke miraculouſly, as the hoſt of Iſrael was refreſhed thereby, and the enemy ſtrongly deceived, by the ſunne-ſhine vponupon the water: by ſtratagems Hannibal and Scanderbeg preuailed mightily, for inventing whereof they both were very ſubtle. But ſtratagems muſt bee ſuch as are not to the breach of oath, againſt godlineſſe, againſt the law of nature and nations.
V. To vſe meanes to make the enemy ſecure, that ſo they may bee ſurprized vponupon a ſodaine. Thus thoſe of Iabeſh Gilead did with Nahaſh 1 Sam. 11. 3. 10.the king of the Ammonites, till Saul came ſuddenly vponupon them, and vtterly diſcomfited them.
VI. To vſe good expedition, and ſuddenly to come vponupon an enemy, as Saul did upon Nabaſh, Ioſua, vponupon1 Sam. 11. loſ. 10. 9. & 11. 7. 2 Mach: 4: 1, 2. 2 Mach: 13: 1. the five Kings beſieging Gibeon; and ſo vponupon foure Kings at an other time. By this ſodaine ruſhing vponupon Iudas, Gorgius hoped to have prevailed, but was prevented. But Iudas by a ſodaine comming before day into the camp of Antiochus Eupater which conſiſted of an 110. thouſand foot, of horſe, 5300, Elephants 22, & 30 Charets armed with hookes, he went to the Kings Tent. and with his company ſlew 4000, men, and the chiefeſt of the Elephants, and ſo filled the campe with feare and tumult, returned with good ſucceſſe; Hannibal ſpeedy comming from far vponupon Flaccus, overthrew him at Herdonea. Sylanus by thisLiv: 26. 27 meanes chiefly vanquiſhed his enemies in Spaine.
VII. To be all of one heart, for God, for their King and Country, and the ſafetie of the whole hoſt, and ſo of themſelves, faithfully endeavouring to performe the truſt committedIud. 20. 21. 8, 11. 1 Sa, 11. 7. to them, every one in their place, to the helping of one another for obtaining the victory. The great hoſt of 400000 Iſraelites were gathered together as one man, and were knit together as one. Iſrael came out to goe with Saul againſt Nahaſh, Ioſ 2. 9. 2 Sam. 10.with one conſent, as one man. The Canaanitiſh Kings and ſeverall Nations of them could ioyne together as one, with one accord to fight againſt Ioſua, Ioab, and Abiſhai conſented to ſuccor one another ar need ſhould require. We never read that the Commanders iy Iſrael were at odds to hinder the good counſell of one another, but agreed as one man againſt their enemies. Of diſcord and the miſchiefes therof, you hauehave heard before. The Iewes, though their leader Ionathan was traiterouſly ſlaine, taken in a trap, by the falſe diſſembling Tryphon, yet they incouraged1 Mac: 12. 50. 2 Mac. 9, 10. one another, and went cloſe together to fight, being of Iudas mind rather to die manfully for their brethren, then to ſtaine their honor.
VIII. To have a watchword, as2 Mac 8. 23 & 13, 15. Iudas gave his bands, The helpe of God, and at another time, victory is of God.
Laſtly, be ſure of a place of retrait for the wearied, to refreſh themſelves Hannibal even in Afrike, neglecting this, was overthrowne by Scipio.