N01237:59
A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of…
A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of that virtue for all Christians, is described. Delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England. June 5th. 1710. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from I Corinthians]A discourse concerning the grace of courage, wherein the nature, beneficialness, and necessity of that vertue for all Christians, is described. Delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England. June 5th. 1710. / By Increase Mather, D.D. ; [Two lines from I Corinthians]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Samuel Phillips, 1710
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. The Calling of a Soldier is a Lawful Calling. Otherwise that which is the Christian virtue of Courage could not be manifested in the Exercise of it. It is said that the Righteous is bold as a Lion, Prov. 28. 1. If there is not Righteousness in the Foundation, boldness in the Action, is not ⟨p. 38⟩a virtue. This may embolden Soldiers, their Calling is a Lawful Calling. They are not like those that live by Robbery, or Piracy, or by being Actors in Stage plays, or any other unlawful Calling. When the Soldiers demanded of John Baptist, saying, What shall we do? He did not tell them that they should cease to be Soldiers, which if the Calling had been unlawful he would undoubtedly have done, but he bid them do Violence to no man, and be Content with their Wages, Luk 3▪ 14. which implies that they ought to do the work of Soldiers. They might not take Wages for an unlawful Work. Was not one of the first Christian Gentiles a Soldier and a Captain? Captain, or rather Colonel Cornelius by Name, Commander of an Italian band, was among the first Gentiles that were baptised into the Name of Christ, Act. 10. 1. with Chap. 15. 7. Chronologers suppose, that the Lord Treasurer belonging to the Queen of Ethiopia was baptized two years before Cornelius; but he was in respect of his Religion a Jew incorporated into that Church which Cornelius was not, being only a Proselyte of that Gate, and not of Righteousness, as the Jews distinguish. But to proceed, All Wars are not unlawful. For God Himself is the Author of some Wars, but He is not, nor can he be the Author of that which is absolutely Sinful. Nor would he then be Styled a Man of War, as He is, Exod. 15. 3. And the God of Armies, Psal▪ 46. 7. The Scripture speaks of, The ⟨p. 39⟩Wars of the Lord, Numb. 21. 14. Such as He approves of and requires. He commanded the Children of Israel to Contend in battle with the Amorites,