The Bible Battles, Chapter 4
IV. CHAPTER. Of a right ſouldiers Honourarable calling and imployment.
A Right ſouldier in his vocation: well qualified, and behauing himſelfe worthily like a true ſouldier indeed, liveth in a courſe of life worthy Honour, and his employment in warrlike affaires is very honourable: for,
1. God himſelfe is pleaſed to carry the name of a ſouldier; God is a man of Warre, ſaith Moſes; andGen. 15. 3. Ioſ. 5. 14, 15. the Sonne of God profeſſed himſelfe to be a Captaine of the Lords hoſt; Now titles which great perſonages beare, graceth much that calling which theſe titles imply though formerly that vocation had beene never ſo meane and baſe in eſteeme.
2. The moſt renowned in holy Writ, and in humane ſtories have attained to great fame and glory by their valiant Acts and …eats of armes; as we may ſee in Ioſua, in Gideon, Ehud, Baruc, Sampſon, David, and his Warriours. What ſpeeches are there of the Nine worthies, whereof Ioſua, Dauid, Iudas Machabeus are three▪ is it not all for their valour and victories in battell? By warres the fame and memorie of Iulius Caeſar, of great Alexander, of Pirrhus, of Themiſtocles, of Scipio, and Hannibal, of Scanderbag, of Charles the fift remain immortall, with innumerable other both in prophane and diuine ſtorie.
3. VVhence came all thoſe ſo greatly affected titles now in the world? roſe they not from valour, proweſſ, militarie …ployments and exerciſe of Armes? whence came Eſquire, but by being Armiger of bearing weapons of warre, an armorbearer. VVhence came a Knight of old? not by ſcraping of wealth, and buying the title, but by being Miles a ſouldier: whence a Noble man Eques? but from a generous ſpirit and being a man at armes. The title of an Earle Comes was a Lieutenant or Prouoſt Marſhall. A Duke, Dux came of leading a Company, a chiefe captaine in the field: yea whence came the higheſt name of dignity the name of Imperator Emperour, but from honour in the field beſtowed vponupon him that knew how to rule and command an hoſt of men? And if I may gueſſe at the name of our yeomen in Latin valecti, what were they but ſtout men ob valorem electi, choſe for their valour and courage to doe their country ſeruice.
4. Salomon the wiſeſt King that euer2 Ch. 8, 9. was, held ſuch as were men of warre, to be more honourable then to be imployed in ſeruile work, ſuch as he imployed ſtrangers in, and the people of Canaan the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hevites, & Iebuſites. Theſe accurſed and baſe people were not worthy to be men of warr, the function was too honourable for for them, as it is for to many admitted now into it, more fit for Stocks, Bridewell, Gaole, Gallies, or the very Gallous, then to bee enrolled among the honorable, and men truly worthy the name of ſouldiers, if the wotth of a true ſouldier were well weighed.
5. In old times the beſt in Nations, as Kings, Princes, Nobles, were men of warre: the beſt in ſtature, the propereſt and talleſt men, as the three1. Sam. 14. 52. ſonnes of Iſhai; the beſt that ſurpaſſed other in excellencies, in courage, valour and ſtrength, ſuch as Saul choſe, were commonly men of war.
6. By the profeſſion of armes many have attained from meane conditions, to great honour; Dauid from a ſhepheard to be a King of Iſrael, was not Iephte baſe of birth yet by valour became a Iudge in Iſrael? Iſicrates the Athenian who was Lieutenant to Artaxerxes was hee not a Coblers ſonne? Eumenes one of Alexanders Captaines was a Carters ſonne, Servius Tullius, who triumphed three times, was the ſonne of a poore ſeruant, whence he was called Servius. Diocleſian though a bloudy perſecutor of Chriſtians, yet a valiant man, who obtained the Empire by his proweſſe and valour, and yet but a Scriveners ſon. Nicholas Pi…hinnino the great Captaine and Commander of the Armies of the Potentates in Italie was but a butchers ſon, Ochiali of a poore Marriner for his valiant ſervice, became Admirall of the Turkes Nauy, and one of his Counſell. It were too long to relate the number that have riſen and have become renowned by warrs.
7. The famou…eſt Nations of the world, the Romans, who ſubdued Kingdomes, never held any profeſſion worthy ſo great honor, nor ever rewarded any ſo much as they did, valiant men, generous-ſpirits, noble courages, adventuring their liues, & obtaining therby praiſes to thēſelves & glory to their Nation, as their hiſtories do ſhew.
That Calling muſt needs be honourable which requireth ſo many honourable parts and praiſe-worthie endowments requiſite to make a man deſerving to be admitted into militarie profeſſion, as to be a man of vnderſtanding, of ſharpe and quicke apprehenſion; of a ſtout and vndaunted courage, and yet not foole-hardy but prudent and patient; of an able body, yet no lubber of a luſkiſh and ſluggiſh Diſpoſition, but nimble and liuely, to execute deſignments, and crowning all this with true religion and zeale towards God, with a loyall and faithfull heart to his King and Country.
9. For the honour of this profeſſion, how great volumes are written of men of warres, their valiant deeds & memorable acts hauehave cauſed them to be regiſtred to all poſterities; by the pen of the learned, which cannot be read, but with both great delight, and great profit, even to make valarous and couragious ſpirits emulous of their fame and glory.
Laſtly, what profeſſion procured more honour to people and Nations, then men of warre hauehave done? How famous was Greece for her Achilles, Diomedes, Themistocles, Pericles, and others? what praiſes everlaſting did Epirus that little Country obtaine by her peereleſſe Pirrhus, and that terrour to the Turks Scanderbeg? Remaineth not Macedonia aliue by her great Alexander, Troy, by her valiant Hector, Rome, by Caeſar, Pompey, Scipioes Horatii, Fabii, and the reſt: Lacaedemon by Simon and Leonidas, Carthage by her Hannibal, and ſo other places by their valiant worthies, well exerciſed and experienced Cheiftaines? And in a word who is more worthily honoured in the hearts of all vertuous men, then a man of courage, ſo be it he be otherwiſe well qualified, that by ſome baſe condition he wrong not himſelf, which true generoſity of ſpirit will vtterly diſdaine to doe.