The Bible Battles, Chapter 23 – Chapter 24
CHAP. XXIII. Of ſuch lets and impediments, as are to bee avoided and preuented, which may either overthrow the attempt, or hinder the ſucceſſe.
AS there are many furtherances of good enterpriſes, ſo there may bee not a few hinderances of the ſame, which are carefully to be taken heed of and prevented.
I. And chiefly take heed of ſin and rebellion againſt God. This God warned his people of, when they went to warre, when the hoſtDeu. 23: 9. goeth forth againſt the enemy, then keepe thee from every evill thing ſaith the Lord. Such ſinnes as beforeIer: 10. 2. in Chap. 15, are recorded; as alſo beware here of all heatheniſh feares, ſuperſtitious obſervations of dayes luckie and vnluckie, of the flying and crying of birds, beware of divinations, inchantments and charmes; abhorre Wi…ards, Figurecaſters, Southſayers, Sorcerers, Fortune-tellers, Stargazers, Aſtrologers, Prognoſticatours, Interpreters of good and ill ſucceſſe by caſuall accidents: weare no ſuperſtitions vanities,Deut: 18. 10, 11, 12. aa conceited hallowed croſſes, Amulets, and ſuch like heatheniſh trumperies. For God hath ſtraitly forbidden all theſe abhominations; they are the practiſes of the Heathen Idolaters. All ſuch as vſe them, areEſa: 19. 3, 4. & 47: 12, 13 & 8. 9. Eze. 21. 21 abomination to the Lord, ſaith Moſes: And he hath puniſhed it in the practiſers. Saul ſought to a Witch; but did not hee then thriue theDeu. 18. 12. 1 Sa: 28. 3. & 31, 3. 1 Ch. 10. 13. worſe? did it not then coſt him his life? Pompey by conſulting with wizards, made way for his overthrow, for Caeſar deſpiſing ſuch things, made vſe of his enemies ſuperſtitious feares and came vponupon them at ſuch times; what got Inulia the Apoſtate, or Richard the third of England, or Iames the third of Scotland, by taking adviſe of witches and wizards, and following their counſells? Certaine Iewes in Machabeus his hoſt, hoped by ſome ſuperſtitious vanities2 Mac. 12. 4. which they wore vnderunder their garments ſecretly, to hauehave auoyded death: but they were deceived, they died in battle. … In the yeare 1502. when the French went againſt Geneua ſome of them had gotten charmed Amulets about their neckes to ſaue them, but their truſt deceiued them, for they were found dead in the field. Scipio though a Heathen man, of whom you hauehave before heard, hee baniſhed Diviners, and Figure-flingers out of his campe, and when he landed in Africa, it was his hap, as ſoone as he came on ſhore, that he ſlipt and fell forward on the ground, which his company held to be ominous, and a ſigne of ill lucke, but he turned it another way, and willed them to be merry, becauſe hee had therby taken poſſeſſion of the country.
II. Great care muſt be had, to prevent all diſcord in the whole hoſt, eſpecially betweene Commanders, and to effect this the ſpirit of pride, enuie, vaine-glory, boaſting, wrath, ſecret grudge, and whatſoeuer elſe may cauſe diſſention, muſt be vtterly layd aſide: eueryevery one being ready to heare one another, to be counſelled one of another good; and no man to thinke himſelfe at this time his owne; but now his countries; but now the cauſes for which the warre is vndertaken: not now to doe after his owne will, but what ſound reaſon, true religion, the honour of his King, the neceſſitie and fitneſſe of time and place, and the authoritie of the Generall vponupon deliberat: aduiſe and counſell requireth. Singular was the praiſe of vnitie1 Mac: 8. 14, 15, 16. among the Romane Senators in the dayes of the Machabees; For though there were 320 which ſate in counſell, yet was there neither enuy nor nor emulation among them; nor any one in pride overtopping another, but all conſulted for the generall good, and proſpered. But after through Caeſars pride, and the evils that hapned through civill diſſention, the Empire grew weake, and at length was overthrowne. Its an old ſaying, Vi… vnita fortior, at partes in plures ſecta peribit, of which many examples are given before.
III. To prevent danger of death to the Generall to have care of his life, for the head cut off, the body is but a trunke. Ahad raſhly going into the hoſt to fight was wounded to death, and ſo the people left the field1 Mach. 7: 43, 44. … and went home; Abſolom ſlaine, the hoſt was ſcattered; when Nicanor was cut off, preſently his hoſt caſt away their weapons and fled. On the Generall the life and motion of the Army dependeth. For Davids worthies2 Sa. 18. 3. had ſpeciall care of his ſafetle; ſometimes not to let him goe into the field, holding him to be worth 10000. of them, and if he did goe into battle and was in danger, rather… Sa 21. 16, 17. then he ſhould be ſlaine, Abiſhai will ſtep betweene death and him: ſo precious was the life of a Generall among the Romans, that when Q. Petili…s the Conſull was ſlaine in fight againſt the Ligures, the Senat decreedFront. li. 4: ca. 7. … that the legion in whoſe front hee was ſlaine, ſhould hauehave no annuarie ſtipend, and there armes ſhould be broken.
IV. To beware of conceit of ſtrength with contempt▪ of the enemy, ſuch ſeldome or neuer proſper:1 K. 20. 2 Mac. 11. 4, 11, 12. & 12, 13, 16. this overthrew Benhadad, alſo Lyſias going againſt Iudas, and this brought the Citizens of Caſpis to confuſion. Antiochus E…pater, though he had a dreadfull Army, yet through light reckoning of his enemies & haughtines of mind in his owne ſtrength, had ill ſucceſſe. The inſolency of Senacherib, … Mac. 13, 12, 9, 15, 16.his blaſphemy againſt God, and baſe eſteeme of Hezek…ah was puniſhed by God from heaven.
V. Not to bee provoked to fight by any inſtigation of a ſubtle enemy, for he ſurely knoweth his owne advantages, as Themiſtocles did; who incitedPlutarch de Themiſt: the Perſian by his ſons Tutour, called Sicinus, vnderunder the ſhew of ſecret friendſhip, to come and hemme in the Grecians, as fearefull, readie to run away, which he, which he accepted of v…aduiſedly, and ſo was overthrowne at Salanus. But if a heady, and proud enemy puffed vp vainegloriouſly will needs ptovoke, as Apollonius 1 Mac. 10. 69: 82.Demetri…s his Generall did, Ionathan may wiſely encounter him, and humble his pride with his overthrow, as did alſo Hannibal proud Flaminius.
VI. Not to be circumvented bySee exam: for ſome of theſe in Dr: Succl: his hooke of warrs: ca 14. of Stratagem… ſlights and policies of the Enemy, by falſe rumours of more ſuccours comming to them, by feigned re…ait, or counterfeit, flying away, by ſeeming to intend ſome other courſe, by feigning ſicknes, by pretences of feare, by colour of ſecret friendſhip, by treaties of peace, by vaine ſhewes, by falſe fugitiues; by ſecret intelligen. geneers, and ſuch like, which Scipio and other Romans, and Harnibal alſo1 Mac. 1. 10. 27. 2 Mac. 14. 22. 1 Mac. 12. 43, 46. & 13. 23. practiſed: Bachides and Nicanor vſed deceits; and vnderunder ſhew of friendſhip ſought to have betraied Iudas, but he was aware of them, and alſo ſtood vponupon his guard: but honeſt Ionathan was ouertaken by Tryphons ſubtlety, in feigned louelove, and ſlaine.
VII. To take heed of an hyred Iſmael, Ier. 40: 14. 2 Mac. 13 24.by whom good Gedaliah was cruelly and traiterouſly murthered: ſo alſo beware of hauing any Rhodocus that giueth ſecret intelligence to the enemy.
Laſtly, make no delay vponupon good reſolved grounds to execute deſign: ments, for nothing is more hurtfull then delayes, when aduantage is offered and neceſſity calleth on. Ioſua made no delay to helpe the Gibeonites, nor Saul Iabeſh Gil…ad. And David vponupon Bichri his rebellion. held2 Sa. 20▪ 6: B…. Gal: 2. 7 delay very dangerous. C…ſar his expedition prevented the Belgians in their conſpiracy, ſo did it the French at another time by his ſpeedy comming among them. On the contrary, the Romans delaying to preuent Hannibals comming into Italy, made them feele the miſery of their …olly and ſlacknes▪ 16 yeares together afterwards▪ To looſe faire aduantages, which are not alwayes offered, may bring great loſſe to themſelues, which being taken might preſſe downe an Enemy. Delay is a traytor to oportunity: and ſuch as either of purpoſe, or of careleſnes, or perſuaſions of others, do make delaies, may be blamed much, and iudged ſometime the ſale-man of proſperous ſucceſſe, and purchaſers of much loſſe and ſorrow. All theſe things are to be carefully auoided, if we deſire to thriue in our attempts.
CHAP. XXIV. Of going foorth▪ and ioyning battle.
AT the preſent going forward to charge the2 Ch: 13, 14. Num. 10. 9 Iud. 7. 2 Chr. 13: 1 Mach. 4. 13. & 5. 31 & 7, 45. 2 Sa. 2. 28, & 20: 22. trumpets did ſound. This by God was appointed the onelyonly inſtrument; and theſe they vſed in on ſets, as did Gideon, Abiiah, Machabeus in the time of the battle; in purſuite of the flying enemies, and in a retreat to call back from purſuing. The Heathen Romans alſo vſed trumpets; but ſome other Nations, as the Indians vſed Cymbals and Drummes; The Saracens drums, the Lacedemodians, the flute and trumpet, the Cretans the harpe.
Beſides the trumpet, they vſed their voyces, as ſhouting in the very ſight of the Enemy, and firſt charge, vttering words ſometime, as the hoſt of Gideon did, ſaying, The 1 Sa: 17: 20. & 4, 5: 2 Ch. 13. 15:ſword of the Lord and Gideon. They did ſhout at the rooting of the enemy, and when they thought the enemy was come into their hands. Thus the Philiſtims ſhouted when Sampſon 1 Sa: 17: 5. 2was brought bound to them: andWarres of the Iewes. Iud: 15. 14 2 Mac: 15, 26. the Romans when they ſaw Ioſephus taken taken and brought priſoner into their ſight. In the on-ſet they alſo cryed with prayers for helpe vntounto the Lord, when the Trumpets ſounded. When they went towards the Enemy before they came to charge they would ſing Pſalmes, till they came neere him, as Iehoſophat 2 Chr. 13. 14. 1 Mac. 4. 13, & 5: 33 2 Ch 20.did, and Iudah with: him, yea the Heathen vſed to goe forward with trumpets and ſongs. And leaſt this might ſeeme a mockery of a too ouer religious Iehoſophat, who was foretold that he needed not to fight, and therefore might well ſing, or that it might be iudged an act of an addle-headed Nicanor not to be regarded,2 Mac: 15. 25. the renowneſt Lacedemonians vſed it, the King after a ſacrifice offered, commanded all his armie to crowne their heads; and the flutes to ſound the meaſure of Caſtor, then he the King himſelfe, began the Paean, a ſong proper to Apollo, and ſoCap. Bing. on Elians Tacticks. pa. 70. went they on, as one keeping meaſure in a ſtayed pace cheerefully, and without aſtoniſhment.
It is to be obſerved, that Ioſua in all his Battles, gave the firſt charge, and ſo did Saul, Dauid, and Ioab his Generall. It was the vſe of the Romans commonly to begin the battle, as doth appeare in the warres ofHiſt. of the troub. of France. Caeſar in France, and Scipio in Spain, and one noteth it of the Proteſtants in France, that they alwaies preuailed more, charging firſt the Enemy, then abiding to be charged: which courſeDr. S…ctel. his booke pa. 177. ca. 22. as one ſaith, is the beſt, if there be a reſolution to fight. It argueth in thoſe that begin the more courage; They may the more eaſily take the advantages before mentioned, and ſet vponupon …he Enemy, where he is weakeſt; yet this firſt charging muſt ever be conſidered thus, as that the army be able to wage battle with the Enemy, els by firſt charging, they may iuſtly be charged with folly, and pay well for their raſhneſſe.