Sermon of Master John Calvin, on the history of Melchizedek Wherein is also handled,…Sermon of Maister Iohn Caluin, on the historie of Melchisedech Wherein is also handled,…

For it is impossible but that in such a mixture there must be a great number of innocents slain, many houses, fatherless children, and widows sacked and spoiled: and that the goods of such as are most impotent, shall be taken from them, according as the soldier shall find himself to want: and over & besides all this, if they shall want munition, & that the belly thinketh it shall suffer famine, they will spare nothing. Thus we see how war it self bringeth always with it confusion. Moreover, they that go a warfare, although they have never so lawful titles, and can show great reason and cause, to induce them thereunto, yea and be enforced as it were of necessity to follow it: yet notwithstanding they will not stick to take liberty enough and dispense with themselves in whatsoever they do: for thus they will say, If mine enemy had vanquished me, what would he have done? Do you think that he would have spared either me or mine? Out of doubt if he had conquered me, he would have put to sack all that I had had, all had gone to havoc: and sith it is so, why should not I do the like? ⟨p. 80⟩Thus we see how they which make war dispense with themselves & take such liberty, as that they think they do no hurt when as they spoil and scrape together whatsoever cometh next to hand: and yet we see that Abram dealt not so. True it is, that when the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, they sacked the whole country before them. But why? because the Lord had so commanded them, and therefore they could none otherwise do: yea they were also most rigorously plagued, because they spared the inhabitants of the land. And besides, God threatened them, that if they left any one of them alive, that they should be as goads in their sides, and as thorns or pricks in their eyes. But in this case there is a particular reason: for Abram was not appointed by God to put on Arms to purge the City of Sodom & the neighbour Cities, of their inhabitants, nor yet to have rule over them. For he went not only to recover his Nephew Lot: although by that means God had also compassion of the Sodomites & their neighbours, because he would for a little while defer the vengeance which he had prepared for them:

For it is impossible but that in such a mixture there must bee a great number of innocentes slaine, many houses, fatherles children, and widowes sacked and spoyled: and that the goods of such as are most impotent, shall be taken from them, according as the souldiour shall finde himselfe to want: and ouer & besides all this, if they shall want munition, & that the belly thinketh it shall suffer famine, they will spare nothing. Thus we see how warre it selfe bringeth alwaies with it confusion. Moreouer, they that goe a warfare, although they haue neuer so lawfull titles, and can shew great reason and cause, to induce them thereunto, yea and be enforced as it were of necessitie to follow it: yet notwithstanding they will not sticke to take libertie inough and dispense with themselues in whatsoeuer they do: for thus they wil say, If mine enemy had vanquished mee, what would hee haue done? Doo you thinke that hee would haue spared either me or mine? Out of doubt if he had conquered mee, hee woulde haue put to sacke all that I had had, all had gone to hauocke: and sith it is so, why should not I doo the lyke?