Exposition of Isaiah 9, Part 7
And truely eueryevery battell of the warriour is with noyse, and with tumbling of garmētes in bloud: but this shal be with burning and consuming of fire.
That Christe obtained his victorye without the sworde & bodily power, the Prophet hath alredy declared by the example of Gedeon: now he prophesieth yt there shal be a newe maner of making war in the kingdome of Christ, wheras no outward or bodily war shalbe made, neither shal one fight for another, for eueryevery one must for himself through faith and the spirite, ouercome death, sinne, & the lawe, like vntounto Christ, neyther must any repose his hope in any other than in Christ alone. EueryEvery one must stand for himselfe, for as muche as it can not be knowen, who beléeueth, and who beléeueth not.The fight of Christians. Wherefore the fighte in Christianitye is altogyther marueylous, where one Christian must fight against the Diuels, againste the whole world, against Death, Sinne, and the Lawe, and obtaine the victorie. The meaning therefore of Esay here is this: There shall not be suche warre among Christians, as is made with tumulte & weapons, wherein bloude is shedde, and garments are made bloudy, but there shalbe a spiritual warre, so that he meaneth the same here that he doeth in hys 2. and 11. chapiters, where he saieth: One shall not any more lift vp a weapon againste another, neither shall they learn to fight from henceforth, but they shall breake their swords into mattocks, and their speares to make sithes. For the kingdome of Christe shall be a kingdome of peace, as it foloweth.
Nowe when as the Prophete sayeth Euerie battell of the warriour is with noise, and with tumbling of garments in the bloud &c. he hath respect vntounto two sortes of battels,Tvvo sorts of battels. wherof one is made with slaughter and crying, wyth tumulte and violence, and on both sides wyth shedding of bloud, and this is a carnall battayle. The other with susteining, suffring, and nothing mouing himself, no not so much as by opening his mouth, like vntounto the shéepe that is brought to the slaughter. For by those wordes: The battel of the warriour is with noyse, he declareth and setteth before our eyes as it were the very slaughter, where all things are in a tumult and vprore: here the drum, there the trumpet is heard: here is crying, there is great neyghing of horses: here one kinde of noyse is hearde, there an other: here shineth the sword, there glistereth the speare, and weapons ful fiercely togyther: here at the last bloude runneth down their garment, and al things appeare horrible and dreadful. But such violent sturre and making of war shall not be among Christians, for all these thyngs shall be wasted and consumed by the fire of the spirite, so that nothing shall remaine among them but onlye peace.Christiane imitate their head Christ in patient suffering. If there shall be contention they shall not rayse it, but they shall patientlye suffer it being raysed of others, so imitating theyr heade Christ, who also hath made warre spiritually, that being quiet outwardly, he might beare patientlye that whatsoeuer, wherewith he was hurt, and yet notwithstanding he got the victory ouer all, and ouercame death, Sathan, Hel, and whatsoeuer euyll. Neyther is there anye cause that we shoulde maruel at thys manner of spéech, wheras the Prophete sayth that suche corporall warre shall be burned and consumed wyth fire. For by these wordes hee will declare howe and by what meanes this outward warre must bee taken awaye from among Christians.
Wherein he plainely followeth Dauid, who of the same things sayeth also in this sorte, Psalme. 46. Come and behold the workes of the Lord, what desolations hee hath made in the erth. He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the speare, and burneth the chariots with fire. The fire whatsoeuer it burneth, it so consumeth it, that it commeth no more, so can neyther the water, nor ayre, nor anye other creature do, if any thing must be throughly purged and purified, fire is vsed therevnto, so that God himselfe shall purge and purifye the whole world,The force of the fire to purge & purifie. in the last day wyth fire. After the same sorte the fyre of the holy ghost, that is Christian louelove, muste vtterlye take awaye and abolishe all warre and the causes of makyng warre, so that there shall no more warre, nor causes therof remain, neyther for euer any come againe.
Not that warres and contentions are inhibited by commaundemente,VVars are not quite taken avvay, neyther can be. or quite taken from among men, for that is not so, neyther can bee, foras muche as the myndes of menne that are gyuen to warre and contention, are not changed.
There is alwayes sounde time and place for contention and warre, vntyll such tyme as power can inhibite it. Wherefore in worldly administration and policie, warre and contentions can not eyther be consumed wyth fire, or quite taken awaye, so that peace shoulde be sure and continual, according as it is said: I cā hope for peace no lōger thā my neighbour wil permit. Howbeit this is an excellent meane to kepe cōtinual peace,Hovv Christ taketh avvay al occasion of vvar in his kingdome. which Christ vseth in his kingdome, namelye whereas hée maketh the heartes of one affection, neither doth represse the hande only, & take away weapons by commaundement or force, but altereth & changeth the minde that is giuen to warre and contention. Whiche when hee hath done, hee hath mightily pretended and taken away the cause of fighting and vsing weapons. For why should Christians make war and contende, when as they are so affected, that they wil al patiently suffer all things one of an other, when they will willingly leaue goods, honour, bodye and life, if occasion so require.
The magistrate must fight for the defence of the subiects.So they hauehave no cause to make war. In déede the Magistrate must fighte, that hée maye defende the goodes, honoure, and bodyes of the Subiectes, and preserue them in peace, and for this cause is there warre, but not among Christians. Howbeit how it is lawefull for one to fyght for an other, I hauehave sufficiently declared in my boke which is entituled. Of ye higher powers of the world.