Such an appellation as this, methinks, may sufficiently justify the lawfulness of bearing arms, and drawing the sword in defence of our civil and religious liberties. For if GOD himself is pleased to stile himself a man of war, surely in a just and righteous cause (such as the _British_ war at present is) we may as lawfully draw our swords, in order to defend ourselves against our common and public enemy, as a civil magistrate may sit on a bench, and condemn a public robber to death. Our excellent reformers, sensible of this, in the thirty-second article of our church, after having declared “that the laws of the realm may punish christian men with death for heinous offences;” immediately subjoins, “that it is lawful for christian men, at the commandment of the magistrate, to wear weapons and serve in the wars.” And therefore, what Bishop ♦_Sanderson_ says of study, may be likewise said of fighting: “fighting without prayer is atheism, and prayer without fighting is presumption.” And I would be the more particular on this point, because through a _fatal scrupulosity_ against bearing arms, even in a defensive war, his Majesty hath been, and is not yet out of danger of losing that large, extensive, and but lately most flourishing province of _Pensylvania_, the very centre and garden of all _North America_. But whilst I see such very scrupulous persons grasping at every degree of worldly power, and by all the arts of worldly policy labouring to monopolize, and retain in their own hands all parts both of the legislative and executive branches of civil government; to speak in the mildest terms, we may honestly affirm, that they certainly act a most inconsistent, and if not prevented here at home, to thousands of their neighbours, I fear a very fatal part. For, say what we will to the contrary, if we search to the bottom of things, we may soon be convinced, that civil magistracy and defensive war must stand or fall together. Both are built upon the same basis; and there cannot be so much as one single argument urged to establish the one, which doth not at the same time corroborate and confirm the other.
♦ “Saunderson” replaced with “Sanderson”
Far be it from me, who profess myself a disciple and minister of the Prince of peace, to sound a trumpet for war: but when the trumpet is already sounded by a perfidious enemy, and our king, our country, our civil and religious liberties, are all, as it were, lying at stake, did we not at such a season lend our purses, our tongues, our arms, as well as our prayers, in defence of them, should we not justly incur that curse which an inspired _Deborah_, when under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit, once uttered, “Curse ye _Meroz_, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty?” Known unto GOD, and GOD alone, are all our hearts. Daily and repeated experience convinceth us, that the greatest talkers are not always the greatest doers. How therefore any of us may behave when put to the trial, the trial itself can only prove. But, for my own part, whatever my future conduct may be, (and I know it will be downright cowardly, if left to myself) yet, upon the maturest deliberation, I am at present so fully convinced of the justice of the _British_ cause, that supposing it should be said of me, as it is of _Zwinglius_, “_Cecidit in prœlio_, He fell in battle;” I hope, if whilst the silver cords of life were loosing, and I should be attended by any who may be bewailing mine, as the friends of _Zwinglius_ did his misfortune, I should like him cry out, “_Ecquid hoc infortunii?_ Is this a misfortune?” And not only so, but with my expiring breath add, as he did, “_O faustum infortunium!_ O happy misfortune!” For, surely, it is far more preferable to die, though by a popish sword, and be carried from the din and noise of war by angels into _Abraham_’s bosom, than to be suffered to survive, only to drag on a wearisome life, and to be a mournful spectator, and daily bewailer of one’s country’s ruin.