IT hath been said of War, that it is Malum, an evil, but it may be Necessarium, a necessary evil. It is good sometimes to hunt the Wolfe, though it is better to fodder the Sheep. They speak of a drowning man, Etiam ad Novaculam, that he will rather take hold of a knife, then of nothing. A very coward will catch the edge of a naked sword, to save his life; though it cut his fingers. Man being cast out of Paradise, and that Paradise guarded with a sword in the hand of a Cherub, durst not attempt a re-entry, because he was guilty. But Commonwealths that have lost any part of their Territories, or just Privileges, by foreign invasion, and hostile violence, ⟨p. 2⟩may justly venture upon the sword, and fairly hope for a recovery, because they are innocent; & hanc picem amolire gladio. Irene signifies Peace; Yet the Turk could sacrifice his beauteous Irene to the God of War. If War in it self were utterly unlawful, God would never have accepted this Title, The Lord of hosts. Yet in this stile he takes such delight, that he is oftener called the God of hosts in the former Testament, then by any other Title. In those two prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, it is given him no less then an hundred and thirty times.
IT hath been said of Warre, that it is Malum, an evill, but it may be Necessarium, a necessary evill. It is good sometimes to hunt the Wolfe, though it is better to fodder the Sheep. They speake of a drowning man, Etiam ad Novaculam, that he will rather take hold of a knife, then of nothing. A very coward will catch the edge of a naked sword, to save his life; though it cut his fingers. Man being cast out of Paradise, and that Paradise guarded with a sword in the hand of a Cherub, durst not attempt a re-entry, because he was guilty. But Commonwealths that have lost any part of their Territories, or just Priviledges, by forraign invasion, and hostile violence, ⟨p. 2⟩may justly venture upon the sword, and fairly hope for a recovery, because they are innocent; & hanc picem amolire gladio. Irene signifies Peace; Yet the Turke could sacrifice his beuteous Irene to the God of Warr. If Warr in it self were utterly unlawfull, God would never have accepted this Title, The Lord of hostes. Yet in this stile he takes such delight, that he is oftner called the God of hoasts in the former Testament, then by any other Title. In those two prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, it is given him no lesse then an hundred and thirty times.
