it being revengeful and ambitious. You sliall see in all such like cases, where man is very ready to practise, tlie scripture is very spar- ing in licensing or requiring. We all desire to sin ctim privilegio, with a warrant from heaven ; and to say as those in the prophet, ' Thou hast deceived us,' Jer. iv. 10 ; or this we do by divine warrant. There- fore the scripture in many matters useth great silence and reservation, lest, by frequent injunctions, it draw out our natural cruelty and re- venge, which it seeketh everywhere to restrain. (6.) There are seve- ral other reasons why Christianity should be so sparing in directions and alterations concerning war. Partly to take off the scandal of being a makebait, the usual consequent of the gospel being a sword through the corruption of the world. Partly to keep people patient, and in a peaceable cohabitation, as long as equity and common safety may per- mit, and that there may bean exercise for faith, expecting the recom- penses of God for all the wrong done to us ; and of thankfulness, for- giving for Christ's sake. Partly to restrain cruelty and delight in war. That is a character of profane men, how lawful soever the quar- rel maybe : Ps. Ixviii. 30, and cxx. 7, ' They are for war,' &c. It is a barbarous and beastly disposition.^ Partly to show that peace must not be broken but upon urgent necessity. Every discontent with pre- sent affairs will not warrant so desperate a remedy ; a thing so highly penal and afflictive should be the last refuge. Partly to prevent un- lawful wars. But you will say. What wars are unlawful ? I answer — To make a war lawful there must be a concurrence of several things : there must be offensio patientis, the merits of the c?iuse— J urisdidio judicantis, the Avarrant of authority — intentio finis convenieiitis, the uprightness of intention — and cequitas j)^^oseqt(€7itis, the form of pro- secution. (1.) When there is not a good cause, the assailed may cry, as David, ' Lord, they hate me without a cause.' Every slight pre- tence will not warrant it, nor every real cause, till other means are tried ; for war, being the highest act of vindictive justice, must never be undertaken but upon weighty reasons. It is good to look to this circumstance; if the cause be good, and you are moved with other par- ticular reasons, you sin. (2.) When there is no good authority to warrant it. The power of the civil sword is committed to magistracy, though for the people's good : it is not for every one that is discontented with the present government to take up arras at pleasure; that layeth a ground of all disorder and confusion. But now what authority is necessary may be gathered from the particular constitution of every kingdom: distinct societies have their distinct forms and administra- tions ; in most, the supreme power doth not consist in one, but more persons. (3.) When there is not a right end in those that raise the wars, and in all that engnge in it, which must be not only the glory of God in the general, but those particular civil and righteous ones which are proper to war, as the just defence of the community, or the punishment of such enormous offences as cannot otherwise be redressed. In short, the end of all war should be a righteous peace ; not to en- large territories, to revenge affronts, to weaken a growing power ; ^ not
^ 'Quern discordia?, quern ctedes civium, qtiem bellum civile delectat, eum ex numero
houiinum, ex finibus humaiisc naturce exterminandum puto.' — M. TuV. Clc. Philip. 13.
* Therefore Alex-^-nder was called Totiua orhis prcedo—ihe public robber of the world.
330 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [JaS. IV. 1.
to feed a depire of gain, not to give vent to pride by a discovery of our force and ])uissance, not to royl the waters that we may fish tlie l)etter, not to work public changes and innovations for the accom])liKhing of such things as our covetousness and ambition desireth ; not for honour, pay, but in obedience to the higher powers, and a sense of the com- mon good. (4.) When it is not managed in a righteous way, as with, cruelty and oppression. Before engagement there should be treating, Deut. XX. 10, they were first to ' proclaim peace ;' so 2 Sam. xx. 18, ' They shall ask at Abel, and so make an end.' We should not run upon one another like beasts, not staying for any capitulations. In the battle you must shed as little blood as possibly may be ; after the battle you should take nothing from the vanquished but the power of hurting. Briefly, nothing should be done but what suiteth witii the just ends of the war, nothing tliat violateth the law of nature or nations.
j\Iany things might be spoken to this purpose, but I would not dwell upon the discourse. One scruple I shall but touch upon, and that is, whether religion be to be dei'ended with arms or no ? I answer — Spiritual things are best defended with spiritual weapons. Christ's warfare is not carnal ; but yet sometimes the outward exer- cises of religion and worship may be established and secured by laws ; and among other privileges and rights, the liberty of pure worship may be one, which, if it be invaded by violence, may be defended with arms. So a magistrate may arm his subjects against an invading idolater. The estates of a kingdom may maintain their religion against the tyranny and malice of the prince, if, after faith given to maintain the laws and the religion established, he should go about to violate it: but if the prince be absolute, and not under former obli- gations, we have no other remedy left but prayers, and tears, and meek defences.