Reformed Religion, Part 8
Now this Chriſtian Souldier,
Firſt, (which is to be ſuppoſed) He is o… whoſe Conſcience is perſwaded of the La… fulneſs of Chriſtians to take up Arms. So… have denied it; as the Manichees of Ol… and ſo do ſome ſtill at this Day; but ſu… ſcruples and ties upon the Conſciences of m… may be very injurious, in this time of p… lick diſtreſs and neceſſity. Our Saviour inde… forbids private Revenge, and requires patie… …uffering for private Wrongs in the caſe of …erſecution, and bad Peter put up his Sword, …ut no where declares the Unlawfulneſs …f all War. We know how God trained …p the Iſraelites in Martial Diſcipline, Com…anded, Commended, Aſſiſted, and Bleſſed their …artial Enterprizes; tho' private Revenges …ere then Unlawful as well as now; but Na…ional War in a good Cauſe was Lawful then, …nd ſo it is ſtill. When the Soul…iers came to John the Baptiſt, he Luk. 3. 14.…ids them uſe no Violence, &c. but …equires them not to lay down their Arms. When Peter Preached to Cornelius the Centu…ion, and Converted him to the Chriſtian Faith, …e Baptized him, but required him not to …ay aſide his Sword and Military Office, Act. 10. …s not our Saviour neither, the other Centu…ion mentioned Matt. 8.
And we read of Chriſtian Souldiers called …he Thundering Legion, in Aurelius his Roman Army. And when Tertullian in his Apology …or the Chriſtian Religion, pleads, That they Pray'd for the Roman Emperors, and that their Councils Exercitus fort…s, Senatum fidelem, &c. cap. 29.and Armies might be proſperous; ſurely he did not think all National Wars Unlawful. And though he ſpeaks againſt the Uſe of their Idolatrous Crowns and Garlands, in his Book De Coronâ militis, yet not the Uſe of the Sword i… War.
And the light of Nature doth teach all Men▪ yea all Creatures Self-preſervation; and Chriſtianity doth not extinguiſh the Light an… Laws of Nature; and hereby Chriſtian Common-wealths▪ will be more expoſed than any other. So that this is ſuppoſed of the Chriſtian Souldier; for being a Chriſtian, he will no… practiſe what is not allowed by the Laws o… his Religion.
Again, He looks upon his Employment not only as Lawful but Honourable, the Honour of moſt Noble Families being raiſed firſt in the Field; and therefore ſeeks to put on that true greatneſs of Mind, whereby on a right principle, he can look upon Dangers and Difficulties ſo below him, as that he is able to Encounter them.
Further, He hath a general Satisfaction, at leaſt, of the juſtneſs of his Cauſe. Tho' he knows not the ſecret Councels and Reaſons of State, or of every particular Command, which may not be fit for him to know; yet he believes in general, that the War he ingageth in, is not upon any wicked deſign, meerly to ſatisſie the Ambition or Revenge of Men, but for the defence of Liberty, Property, or true Religion, againſt ſuch who do invade them. For what is not of Faith is ſin, is a General Rule in the Chriſtian Religion.
He will not make uſe of his Sword for any unjuſt Violence, either to Mens Perſons, Goods or Eſtates, or to uſurp that which is not his own, becauſe he hath power in his hand, but is Content with his Wages, and makes no Mutiny: And the Power of his Sword is under the reſtraint of his Conſcience, and Religion.
He will be faithful to his Cauſe, and his Prince, that intruſts him with the Sword; And abhorrs to be treacherous and perfidious, as that which is below a Man, much more a Chriſtian. For as the Heathen did deteſt it, ſo they honoured Fidelity even in an Enemy: And if in any thing he is diſſatisfied, he will rather lay down his Arms, than uſe them in Hypocriſie, and Treachery to the Power that doth both pay and truſt him.
He counts not his Life dear that he may ſerve his Countrey, the Welfare of the Nation, and the Publick good: He knowing that he was not born for himſelf, and that his Strength, his Spirits, his Skill and Life are well improved when they are Sacrificed to the good of Mankind, eſpecially in any Chriſtian Service, either at Home or Abroad. And that he may pay a Tribute to God, the King, and his Countrey, when he pays his Tribute to Nature.
And ſeeing that Courage is neceſſary to his Warfare, and that it is the gift of God; he looks up to Heaven for it, that he may not turn back in the day of Battle, and by baſe Cowardiſe betray his Cauſe, open the way to a deſtroying Enemy, and expoſe or diſparage himſelf: Having in his Thoughts the Speech of Joab in the Head of his Army, Be of Good Courage, and let us play the Men for our People, and the Cities of our God, and the Lord do that which ſeemeth him good, 2 Sam. 10. 12. True Chriſtian Courage.
He knows he carries his Life in his hand, when he goes forth to War, and therefore doth intruſt it in the hand of that God who gave it him, and hath appointed its Bounds; And he knows that God can as well preſerve it abroad as at home, in the Field as in the Chamber; and being in his way, he may hope for Gods Keeping and Protection over him in his Warfare, as well as in any other Employment: And if an eaſie Death be deſireable, thoſe that are Slain in the Field have commonly the advantage of thoſe that die in their Beds.
He truſts not in his own Strength, Skill or Courage, or in the Numbers of Horſe or Men; but he knows, as a Chriſtian, that Victory is in the hand of God: And therefore after the beſt improvement of Martial Skill, and notwithſtanding all advantages that are before him, he makes the Lord his only truſt, and commits all Succeſſes into his hand, as becomes a Chriſtian.
He is content in the Station wherein he is ſet; whether in higher or lower Command, or under Command; and is careful to be found in his proper Duty, and diſcharge of the Service of the place he ſtands in; whether of Commanding, or Commanded; that there may be no breach upon Military Order, or through the Irregularity of any one Wheel, the motion of the whole may be diſcompoſed, and prejudiced: And to be content and diligent in our own Place and Station, is, we know, a Rule enjoyned in Chriſtanity; and if he deſires after an higher Station, he ſeeks to raiſe himſelf to it, by his Courage and Faithfulneſs in the place where at preſent he ſtands.
He is willing to deny himſelf in his outward Accommodations, and to endure hardſhip in the attending his preſent Warfare; and eſpecially when the Cauſe of Liberty and Religion is in Jeopardy: In which Caſe he ſaith with that brave Man Ʋriah, The Ark, and Iſrael, and Judah abide in Tents, and my Lord Joab, and the Servants of my Lord are Encamped in the open Field, ſhall I then go into my Houſe to eat and to drink, and lye with my Wife, &c? When the publick All ſeems to lye at Stake, he expoſeth his Fleſh to hardſhip, as well as his Life to hazards; and ſhakes off an Effeminate Temper of Mind.
He alſo carefully avoids thoſe Sins and Impieties which uſually attend the Camp; as Drunkenneſs, Rapes, Swearing, Curſing, Quarrelling, horrid Imprecations, Blaſpheming, &c. and all ſuch Debauchery, which is diſhonourable to humane Nature as well as Chriſtianity. And as God required the Iſraelites, when they went forth to War, to remove all Ceremonial Uncleanneſs out of the Camp, that he might not forſake it; ſo the Chriſtian Souldier will avoid thoſe moral pollutions which may be diſpleaſing and provoking to the Eyes of that God from whom he knows comes all Succeſs and Victory; and for the cauſe of which, great Armies have been often defeated, and rebuk'd from Heaven; as Chriſtians well know.
And if he meet with Succeſs, and his Arms Proſper, he gives not the Glory of it to the Valour, Strength, or Skill of Men, but, as a Chriſtian, he gives all Glory to God himſelf, well remembring the Wiſe Man's ſaying, The Race is not to the ſwift, nor the Battle to the ſtrong, &c. Eccleſ. 9. 11. And if the Light of Nature led the Heathen to offer Gratulatory Sacrifices to their Gods, for their Victories, much more doth the Light of Chriſtianity teach Men to give Glory to God: And if the Romans, would aſcend the Capitol in their ſolemn Triumphs, to pay their thanks to Jupiter, much more is …t becoming a Chriſtian to aſcend with his Thankſgivings to God.
He will not ſeek to prolong the War for …rivate advantage, ingageth in it rather out of Neceſſity than Choice, and the uſual Mot…o, Pacem Bello quaerimus, if not painted in his Colours, yet is written in his Heart.
Laſtly, The Hazards of Life which he En…ounters, make him to ſecure his Peace with God, that he may dye both honourably and …appily; that tho he hath bin a Man of Warr, …et may dye in Peace, and live triumphantly in …eaven, when his Warfare is finiſht here on …arth. And as his Religion directs him for this …nd, both Repentance towards God, and Faith …owards the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, ſo he is found …n the daily practice of it, as becomes a Chri…tian; whereby that old Latin Verſe is Con…uted:
Nulla fides, pietaſque viris qui Caſtra ſequuntur. And when we ſee Faith and Piety, Valour an… Virtue attending the Camp, eſpecially in the Commanding Part of it; we may then ſay with King David, that Man of War; God hath given a Banner to them that fear him, to be diſplayed, becauſe of the Truth. Pſal. 60. 4.
Not that I think it is Eſſential to a goo… Souldier to be a good Chriſtian, or tha… Church-qualifications are neceſſary to th… Camp, yet this I ſay, that whatever natura… or moral goodneſs, or acquired accompliſhments are found in any Man, the ſuperadding of true Chriſtianity to them, will put a farther Excellency and Uſefulneſs upon them both in the Service of God and Men, and wil… put the Bleſſings of Heaven upon them alſo: An… tho I pretend not to Skill in Martial Affairs▪ whereby to ſpeak as a Souldier, yet I do to ſome Knowledge in the Rules of Chriſtianity, whereby to ſpeak as a Chriſtian.
Thus I am come to the End of my Line; and have endeavoured to make good the Title o… this ſhort Diſcourſe, by ſhewing the Excellency of Right Chriſtianity, and its Uſefulneſs in the whole Life of Man: And thereby to attain … true Reformed Religion.
FINIS.