The Bible Battles, Chapter 8
VIII. CHAPTER. Of Preſſe-men, and Ʋoluntaries.
OF ſuch as goe to warr, there are two ſorts; ſuch as be commanded, and ſuch as offer themſelves. The former wee call preſſed; Deut. 33. 5who without enforcement would not goe, Moſes was as King in Iſrael; and he waited not for Voluntaries, but commanded Ioſua to chuſe out of every Tribe a thouſand, to make an Hoſt of twelue thouſand to goe againſt Midian. Saul threatned revenge vponupon thoſe that would not come foorth to warre at his command;1 Sam. 21. 6, 7. and God did ayde his authority by ſtriking the people with feare of him. That authority was in David to aſſemble and gather a power of his Subiects for warre; without which command Princes2 Sam. 20. 4 could not hauehave waged battells ſo, as they then did. And the Lords command to Officers to give ſome leave to depart, argueth their power otherwiſe, to have reteined them.
The other ſort are tearmed Voluntaries, Deu. 20. 5.which are either Natiues or Foreigners. That men may offer themſelues to the warres, and enter into the profeſſion of a ſouldier, its not to be doubted. Ehuds ſouldiers were all Voluntaries at the ſound of a Trumpet, So were the three ſonnes ofIud. 3. 27. & 5. 2. Ieſſe, and ſuch were Davids worthies which came and offered themſelves▪ and ſo was Ittai the Gittite. Againe, Deborah the Propheteſſe praiſeth the Voluntaries which came to help Baruk▪ beſides ſhe complaineth of ſuch1 Sam▪ 17. 13. as following their ow…e private buſineſſe neglected the war…es▪ and withall curſed Meroz for▪ not coming toIud. 5. 14, 15, 18. helpe the Lord.
Moreover, that which may bee lawfull by preſſing and compulſion, may as well be lawfull for Voluntaries, if there bee not very iuſt cauſe or impediment to hinder theſe. It is the iudgement of Churches reformed beyond the Sea; among whom ſome are trained vp for warre, to goe as Voluntaries. We know that Princes doe helpe their aſſociates voluntarily, what hindereth, but that others in their due place, and within their power may alſo freely offer themſelves? A lawfull calling may bee as well vndergone freely, as by compulſion circumſtances and other conſiderations well weighed aforehand. And to conclude this, how ſhould Princes and States doe, that hauehave not power to preſſe, if Voluntaries might not in good conſcience offer themſelves.
But here Voluntaries muſt know, and be reſolved of ſome things.
1. Of the calling of a ſouldier, that it is lawfull, and that a man may therein live, and as well receiue wages▪ as men doe for diſcharge of their duties in any other lawfull vocation. Be content (ſaith Iohn Baptiſt) withLuk. 3. 14. your wages, ſpeaking to ſouldiers; therefore may they ſerve for wages.
2. Of the iuſtice and lawfulneſſe of the warre into which hee thruſts himſelfe, ſeeing hee goeth not by command of ſupreame authority, for this is another caſe, when men goe not of their owne pleaſure and will; but when any ſo doth, if the warre be iuſt, a man may ſerve with a good conſcience of his owne accord: but if it be apparantly vniuſt, let men beware that they embrew not their hands in bloud, going Voluntaries. If Princes command, the caſe is altered, for private perſons may not ſit and iudge of Princes actions, not notoriouſly vniuſt as it was when Chriſtian ſouldiers vvould not draw their ſwords againſt Chriſtians vnderunder Iulian the Apoſtate; though they ſerved him vvillingly againſt others. Sauls ſervants vvould not fall vponupon the innocent Prieſts of the Lord toLiv. 12. contra Fauſt. man▪ ca. 7. ſlay them. But vvhere the fact, as in ſuch caſes, is not notorious, a good man (ſaith Saint Auguſtine) may ſerve vnderunder a ſacrilegious Prince: for the vniuſt command ſhall bind the Prince, vvhen the duty of obedience ſhall make the ſouldier free.
3. They muſt conſider of vvhat religion thoſe be, that doe make the vvarre, and whom they goe to ſerve vnderunder: for Iehoſophat vva… in danger of his life, and reprooued by a Prophet of God for helping Ahab an Idolater, who was an hater of God as all Idolaters be, though they themſelves thinke better of themſelues.
4. They muſt hauehave the leaue of ſuch as have ſoveraigne authority ouer them; for a ſubiect to one, cannot diſpoſe of his owne perſon to2. Ch. 19. 2 to the ſervice of an other Prince without leaue: but he may put himſelfe voluntarily into the ſervice of his owne Soueraigne, whoſe ſubiect he is.
5. Voluntaries are to weigh with themſelues what ſpecial impediments they hauehave to vvithhold from going, in reſpect of ſome particular calling, requiring their owne perſon for diſcharge of the duties thereof: or ſome charge of a family, vvife and children depending vponupon their perſonall being neceſſarily among them; or vvhether apparently their being at home may doe more good to their countrey, then their ſeruice in vvarre.
6. Their end muſt be good, Pro lege & grege Chriſti, as one ſaith, for defence of religion; & of the Church of God, for releeuing the vniuſtly oppreſſed; for maintenance of right, and ſuch like, and withall to learn… experience for the good of their country, but not to runne in vnaduiſedly, out of male contentedneſſe, nor of an idle humor, nor of fooliſh vainglory, nor of a bloudie diſpoſition, nor of a baſe mind for prey and booty; but as a man of valour, for more praiſe-worthy and better ends.
Laſtly, that Voluntaries put themſelues vnderunder the command of authority to doe ſeruice, and to be ſubiect to rule and diſcipline, obſeruing order, keeping their places; from which they may not in certaine caſes depart without leave of ſuch Commanders as they have ſubmitted themſelves vntounto. For though they enter voluntarily; yet being vnderunder authority, they may not think themſelues then free at all times to depart at their pleaſure: For if they ſhould, vponupon neceſſarie ſervice, ſuch wandering ſtarres would fall of and ſuch ſtraglers would vtterly faile the expectation of their Commanders.
Thus with theſe conſiderations▪ men may be Voluntaries, and put themſelues into military ſeruice and authority may admit of them as David did of Vriah, of Ittai the Gittite, with his followers▪ And as others hauehave done, as hiſtories▪ ſhevv. But here yet the Generall and others with him muſt be ca…telous, and weigh what voluntaries they entertaine.
I. Beware of ſuch as flye from the Enemy▪ let them be tryed before they be truſted: for we may reade in ſtories, that ſuch ſomet…mes have bin ſent of the Enemy …o doe miſchiefe. Two Spaniards fained themſelves fugitiues…i…iard. to the Venetians with a purpoſe to kill Alvian their Generall. SoHiſtory of Scanderbag did certaine Turks with an intent to kill Scanderbag. The Munidians which ſeemed to forſake Han…ibal, and to fall to the Romans in the battle of Canna, were a great helpe to Hannibal to get the victory in turning againſt the Romans vponupon a ſodaine: This wiſedome was in the Philiſtims 1. Ch. 12. 19.going to battell againſt Saul, they would not admit of David and his comp…nie.
II. Not to goe too farr in admitting of friends and aſſociates; but only to entertaine ſo many as the Natiues and naturall ſubiects are able to command and ouerrule; leaſt they take advantage of the Natiues fewneſſe, and hauehave them in contempt; and truſting to themſelues, make good their owne ſecret deſignements and revolt from them, as the Gaules did from the Romans, becauſe they ſaw no ſtrength in the Romane Army,T… cit. 3. but that which was of ſtrangers.
III. Never to hire, or receiue any of a contrary religion, Amaziah the2. Ch. 25. king of Iudah was reprooued for hiring of Idolaters the Iſraelites to goe with him againſt Edom, whom hee was commanded to caſhiere, for God is not with ſuch as the Lord by his Prophet told him.
Before I end this chapter, it mayA queſt. be here asked, whether going into warres may ſpoyle the people of that State againſt whom they goe to war, ſeeing many thouſands of the people and families there liue harmeleſly at home, and deſire to be there in peace and ſo forth? I anſwer; in a iuſt andNum. 21. 24, 25, & 31. 10, 11. neceſſary warre the conquered are in the hands of the Conquerours, lands and goods are then at their diſpoſition, whatſoeuer they hauehave taken or won is iuſtly theirs. God allowed Iſrael to take what they did wi…n then iuſt wars; therefore2 Sam. …. 11, 12. they poſſeſſed the kingdome of Si…n, and of Ogg; they tooke the Midianites P…oners, carryed away infiſpoyle, and burnt their townes and Cities with f…re. David ſpoyled the Nations which he ſubdued. It is accounted by the law of Nations a lawfullLib. de Offi… 3. purchaſe and the practiſe of all people in time of warre. For nothing is proper by nature, but either by ancient poſſeſſion or ſeiſme, or victory, ſaith the Heathen Orator; The Enemy, & that State can no otherwiſe be weakened, but firſt in their Subjects; the hands of all which, though they be not in warre, yet are they in heart and in contributing: but if not, neuertheleſſe, they are one body, and therefore muſt bee content to ſuffer together till their Head make peace, and ſatisfie for that, which the iuſtice of the warre doth require, and for which it vvas begun. But if any be,1. Sam. 15, 6. as were the Kenites among the Amalakites conſideration is to bee had of them, as Saul had of theſe for their preſeruation and ſafetie.