Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

Dure soldiers at these days, because they are far from religion, yea because they are enemies to true religion, do in stead of victory suffer overthrows abroad, and loss, and destruction of their cities at home. And worthily do common weals suffer such plagues, for trusting so much in such wicked soldiers: For to trust in them, is all one, as if they should put confidence in the very devils, whom these soldiers do (for the most part) exceed in all kind of filthiness, uncleanness, cruelty and villainy.

Dure souldiers at these dayes, because they are farre from religion, yea because they are enimies to true religion, doe in stéede of victorie suffer ouerthrowes abroad, and losse, and destruction of their citties at hoame. And worthilie doe common weales suffer such plagues, for trustinge somuch in such wicked souldiers: For to trust in them, is all one, as if they should put confidence in the verie diuells, whom these souldiers doe (for the most parte) excéede in all kinde of filthines, vncleannesse, crueltie and villanie.

But now the word of God doth set ¹before our eyes an innumerable sort of examples almost, of holy and upright wars, and of excellent kings and captains. Abraham our father setting forward with a very small army, pursueth the four most ⟨p. 216⟩puissant kings or robbers of the world, he overthroweth and putteth them to flight, and having recovered his people, and restored to them their substance again, he giveth the thanks to God as to the author of that unlikely victory. Moses and Joshua destroyed about 39. kings, they punished severely the unspeakable wickedness of all those nations, and planted the people committed to their charge, in the land which god had promised to give them. The Judges of the people of Israel had notable wars against the Heathens and infidels, whereby they brake the tyranny of those wicked men, unlawfully usurped among Gods people, restoring them again to their liberty and religion. The Prophet Samuel is here to be numbered among the notable Captains of Gods people. Jonathan Sauls son, was a worthy Captain, and a singular example of a godly man. Than David none was more excellent or worthy to be praised. In war he vanquished the Philistines, the Idumits, the Syrians, and a good part of the East beside, by war he revenged injuries, by war he maintained his liberty, and kept Gods people from a number of mischiefs: and yet notwithstanding, he that warred thus, is said to be a man according to Gods hearts desire, and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ touching his flesh or his humanity. In Davids posterity thou mayest find many excellent warriors and valiant Captains, Abia, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Amasia, Ofia, Hezekiah and other moe. Among these Judas Maccabeus hath not the last nor least place of all, who fought very stoutly for the law, religion, and people of God, and died at the last in the middest of the battle, in defence of religion and his country quarrel. I will not add to these the examples of Constā tine, Gratian, Theodosius, and other more that were excellent in feats of war. Of these and other writeth S. Augustine in the end of his fit book De civitate Dei, and Orosius very largely in the 7. book of his history unto the end of the 28. Cap. This is sufficient for godly magistrates.