But may not this Countenancing of War ſeem a moſt prepoſterous and ſurprizing Doctrine for the Prince of Peace to deliver? How is this conſiſtent with his own Life and Converſation, which was nothing elſe but one continued Act of Suffering? How comes He that endured all the Barbarous Uſage, Buffetings, Spittings upon, Scourgings, that was led like a Sheep to the Slaughter, and like a Lamb that is Dummb? How comes He now to open his Mouth ſo angrily, and to breath forth nothing but War and Battel? How is it, that He, who at another time ſends out his Apoſtles without any Equipage or the leaſt Furniture, only with this poor Commiſſion, Go and teach all Nations, and lo I am with you, how is it that now he recommends to them the Inſtruments of War, and makes Swords ſuch uſeful, ſuch indiſpenſible Companions of their Travels, that, rather than want them, he bids them Pawn and ſell their very Cloaths to buy them? Nay, how comes our Saviour, here in my Text, to prefer Swords before Garments, which was juſt before he was betray'd into the Hands of his Enemies, and looked as if he intended ſome Oppoſition againſt them, yet preſently after, when he was ſiez'd by the High Prieſt's Officers, and Peter endeavoured to reſcue him, by wounding one of them, He there alters his Mind quite, and rebukes Peter for drawing his Sword with this ſevere Reprimand, Put up thy Sword into its Place, he that taketh the Sword ſhall periſh by the Sword.

Theſe two remarkable Sentences of our Saviour, that in my Text, and this to St. Peter, may at firſt hearing appear liable to contrary Interpretations; But if we rightly conſider them, we ſhall find they do not only not thwart or invalidate one the other, but agree very well, and taking them both together, we may learn from them the whole Chriſtian Doctrine of War, and what uſe of ſecular Arms the Goſpel permits, and what it condemns.

1. Firſt then, St. Peter out of an over-haſty Paſſion, and an unſeaſonable Zeal, when his Maſter was apprehended by the Miniſters of the Chief Prieſts and Elders drew his Sword and ſtruck a Servant of the High Prieſt, and ſmote of his Ear. This was done 'tis true, in defence of Chriſt himſelf, of the moſt Perfect Innocence that ever appeared in the World, it was too upon a Man that was performing a moſt unjuſt Act of Violence in it ſelf, but what he was Commiſſioned to do by Publick Authority; our Saviour therefore reproves St. Peter for ſtriking with the Sword without a ſufficient Warrant, and blames the Fact, as an illegal Attempt of a Private Man againſt a Publick Officer ſet on work by a lawful Magiſtrate: But we are not to conclude that our Bleſſed Saviour, by this Check given to St. Peter, did abſolutely prohibit all manner of uſing the Sword amongſt Chriſtians; if ſo, the Magiſtrate himſelf is prohibited the uſe of it, who we are told by the Apoſtle, beareth not the Sword in vain, but indeed he cannot be ſaid to bear it otherwiſe than in vain, if he may never have the liberty to draw it.

2. Secondly, We muſt conſider when our Saviour gave this charge to his Diſciples, they were then launching out into the wide World, where they muſt expect to meet with many Rubbs, and Dangers, therefore he adviſes them to ſtand upon their own Legs, and be continually upon their Guard, that they ſhould be Watchful and Cautious, able to repel any Injury or Violence offered to them, with Courage, and that therefore they ſhould provide themſelves of means neceſſary and requiſite thereunto; In the foregoing Verſe he appeals to them, and asks them, if they had any Complaints to make to him of his neglect of them, or whether they had wanted any thing in his Service, which they freely acknowledged they had not: He proceeds now he is leaving them, to bid them take all Care Men can of themſelves, to be ſure always to have their Purſes and their Scrips in good Condition, and above all, to be well furniſh'd with good Arms, not to act the leaſt Private Injury, but to defend themſelves as much as may be againſt all.

So that our Saviour by the Check he uſed to St. Peter, does no more than admoniſh all Private Chriſtians to abſtain from paſſionate, giddy, and unwarrantable Quarrels, and not to confront Publick Authority, leaving it nevertheleſs lawful for ſuperiour Magiſtrates to unſheath their Swords in Defence of General Rights.

And by the Words of my Text he intimates, that all Chriſtians may juſtly make Proviſion againſt all Difficulties and Dangers that may happen to be encountred with in this World, and conſequently againſt all wrongful Inſults, Incroachments, or Invaſions, upon either their Perſons or their Properties; ſo that theſe two Texts are ſo far from contradicting one the other, that both joyn'd and conſidered together, make up an excellent Rule for the uſe of the Sword.

The concluſion from both may be this; That although it is not lawful for every Private Man to revenge Perſonal Injuries, or to make his own Sword the Judge of Differences, which belong properly to the deciſion of the Magiſtrate, much leſs to reſiſt Publick Juſtice, whether in a wrong or a right Cauſe; yet a Man's Bodily Preſervation and Defence from ſuddain Attacks, God has in ſome meaſure committed to himſelf and his own Sword; And it is lawful, tho' not to offer Injuries, yet to reſiſt forcible Ones with Force; but chiefly it is lawful for Men▪ to draw the Sword againſt Publick Injuries, in aſſiſting the Civil State of which they are Members, whenſoever it calls for their Aid, being either openly threatned from Abroad, or ſecretly undermined at home.

It was therefore a wrong determination of one of the Ancient Fathers, to infer from our Saviour's Command to St. Peter to put up his Sword, that it is unlawful for Chriſtians at any time to draw theirs, and that all Military Employments are conſequently criminal. This is an Opinion not only not to be maintain'd by any Evangelical Writing, but it is really abſurd in it ſelf; for what would that be but to make Criſtianity a Prey to its inſatiable, and a Laughing-Stock to its inſolent Enemies? This were to proſtitute the Lives and Fortunes of Chriſtians, to the outragious Wills of their profeſs'd Enemies, Turks and Pagans; This were the readieſt means for Kings and Princes to become uſeleſs Creatures; This were to deprive good Subjects of Opportunities of exerting their Loyalty, and of rewards juſtly due to Them, who venture their lives for their Church and Country when under any Oppreſſion; Nay, this were to blacken the Honour of all thoſe ancient Warriours, who fought ſo valiantly for the ſake of Religion againſt Infidels and Barbarians.

If any Man ſhall object, that ſome of the Primitive Chriſtians were of Opinion that the uſe of the Sword was unlawful, and that therefore it is ſtill ſo.

1. It may be anſwered, that it was not the general and eſtabliſh'd Opinion of the Primitive Church, but of ſome particular Men, that affected an harmleſs kind of Life, and were fond of being reputed the Fathers of ſome extraordinary and more than Humane Opinions.

2. Some of the Primitive Chiſtians were ſo nicely Conſciencious, that they would not liſt themſelves Souldiers, nor take up Arms, becauſe ſome of their Emperours, tho lawful, were Heathens, and their Conſciences were ſo ſcrupulous, that that they could not ſerve them, whilſt others, and with as good a Conſcience, took the Military Oath, and did ſerve; with as good a Conſcience, I ſay; for the Military Oath at that time, tendered to thoſe that were willing to go into the Army, interfered not the leaſt with any Principle of Religion, it forced no Man to worſhip their falſe Gods, it was no Teſt of Conſcience, any farther than an Obligation to obſerve the Articles of War, to obey ſuperior Officers, to ſubmit to Words of Command, and whatever outward Services Martial Laws require.

We read, that ſome of the Jews deſir'd ſometimes an exemption from Military Employments, leſt their frequent being upon Duty might prevent their exact Obſervance of all the Niceties of the Law; and they might be compelled ſometimes to bear Arms upon the Sabbath, or in their Marches to exceed a Sabbath-Day's-Journey. So amongſt the Chriſtians, there were ſome perhaps, at the beginning of our Profeſſion, ſo very refined, that might upon a ſcruple of Conſcience, decline taking up of Arms: The Primitive Chriſtians were enflamed with a mighty Zeal to all Holy and Sublime Performances; the very Counſels of the Goſpel had with them the force of Poſitive Commands, and a great many of them, out of a Pious Weakneſs, rather than Sound Judgment, like ſome of our modern Sectaries, would do things that were never directly required in the Scriptures; thus ſome of them thought it a Sin to Marry, becauſe St. Paul prefers a Single Life; ſome again, becauſe our Saviour ſays, Swear not at all, choſe rather to looſe their Dues, than they would take an Oath in a Court of Juſtice to maintain them. But this is no Argument againſt the generality of Chriſtians; what a few out of their exalted, or perhaps diſtempered Judgments ſhall do, can never oblige all Mankind to the ſame Practice, without a poſitive Precept for the ſame; if a Sick-Brained Man ſhall, becauſe our ſaviour checked St. Peter for drawing his Sword, or becauſe it is written, unto him that ſmiteth thee on the one Cheek turn the other. If, I ſay, any wilful Perſon, ſhall, out of his own miſ-underſtanding of theſe Paſſages, reſolve to bear all Injuries and Abuſes that can be offered him, this can be no Rule to Mankind, we are prompted otherwiſe by the Law of Nature, and the Law of Chriſt did never aboliſh that.

I would not be miſtaken; the Law of Chriſt I aſſert, did never utterly diſannul and abrogate the Law of Nature; but this it does, it reſtrains and corrects the Viſciouſneſs of it: The Law of Nature, and the Dictates of Reaſon were Imprinted on the Hearts of Men by the Finger of God, and the Rules and Precepts of the Goſpel were drawn up by the ſame Hand, ſo that ſince the ſame God was the Author of both, they cannot contradict each other, tho the latter does govern and curb the Exorbitances of the former; every thing that Nature prompts or provokes us to, is not to be done; becauſe we have ſeveral Evangelical Precepts againſt the corrupt Inclinations of it; But whatever Nature directs, and the ſame is not only permitted, but to be maintained alſo, and juſtified by the Laws of Chriſt, that certainly is Lawful and practicable by Chriſtian Men.

The Reſult and Inference from hence is this, That the taking up Arms upon a juſt Account, and allowable Conditions, is Lawful, as a thing as well permitted by the Law of Chriſt, as we are inclin'd and directed to it by the Law of Nature.

And that Nature does direct Mankind to a Defence againſt all outward Annoyances, and an Offence of thoſe that manifeſtly declare themſelves Enemies to it, not only every Man's own Breaſt, but every Author in all Ages informs us. This is a Law, ſays Tully, Non Scripta, ſed Nata, &c. Not Orat. pro Tit. An. Mil. drawn up in Writing for us, but Born with us, which we have not learned or acquired by Reading, but it was inſtilled into our very Beings, That, whenever our Lives are in any Perils, either from treacherous Thieves and Aſſaſſines, or from open Enemies, then all means of freeing our ſelves and obtaining Safety, are Juſt and Honourable; This Principle was looked upon by the Romans ſo very Juſt and Reaſonable, that they transfer'd it into their Twelve Tables, and made it Authentick by Law.

I would not be miſ-apprehended; While I juſtifie the War, and taking up of Arms by the Law of Nature, I would not be underſtood to countenance all Acts of Violence, or Rapine, or Blood-ſhedding, or that it were Naturally Lawful for the Stronger Part of Mankind, to prey upon, or devour the Weaker; For this, tho Mr. Hobbs has been pleas'd ſo to ſcandalize it, is not any part of the Law of Nature, Humane Nature rightly diſpoſed and undepraved, is not of that fierce and brutal Temper, Do as you would be done by; Give every Man his Due, and ſuch like, are Laws of Nature; all which, tend to the Welfare and Quiet of Mankind: Humane Nature is Gentle, and Tractable, and Courteous, and is ſo far a-kin even to Chriſtian Charity it ſelf, that ſometimes it can ſuffer long; nor will it be eaſily provoked; But when the Man is juſtly provoked, and the furious Enemy breaks in violently upon him, then it is, that Nature reaches out the Sword to him, and Chriſtianity forbids him not the uſe of it.

Thus far my Firſt Propoſition ſtands good, and thus far the taking up of Arms is agreeable to the Doctrine of Chriſt.

II. Secondly, I will now enquire at what Seaſons and Conjunctures of Time, Arms may be moſt juſtly, and with trueſt Praiſe employed; and that

1. In reſpect of Private Perſons; A Private Man may unqueſtionably draw his Sword when aſſaulted and put in danger of his Life; Murder or the taking away a Man's Life upon deliberation and with a premeditated Malice, is both a very heinous Sin, and very prejudicial to the Government; and therefore it falls under the cognizance of the common Law; but if I am ſet upon unawars, and brought to the unavoidable neceſſity of either being killed my ſelf, or by killing my Adverſary to ſave my ſelf, here not only Nature and common Reaſon adviſes me to ſecure my Perſon, but the Law too acquits me of the Fact. In this caſe, ſays the Heathen Orator, the Law connives and is ſilent, nor does it expect Silent Leges inter Arma, nec ſe Expectari jubent, quum ei, qui expectare velit, ante injuſta Poena luenda ſit quam juſta repetenda. Pro Tit. An. Mil. to be refer'd to, when a Man, tho he is willing perhaps the Law ſhould be his Judge, may wrongfully ſuffer, before he can legally right himſelf. Whenever therefore any ſingle Man is ſo ſtreightned that his Sword muſt remove his Adverſary, before he can be ſure of himſelf, there the taking away of the Aggreſſor's Life, is as Commendable and Juſt as it is Natural. This is a Truth, ſays the ſame Author, that Men of Learning are convinced of by Reading, Uncivilized and Barbarous People are taught by the Power of Reaſon, all Nations Practice by Cuſtom, and even Brute and Irrational Creatures are guided to by Nature.

But for Revenge of Injuries received, it is not Lawful for a Private Man to have recourſe to his own Sword; that is a Privelege not to be uſurp'd by every Single Perſon: It is therefore nothing elſe but a perfect Invaſion upon Publick Athority, and an open treſpaſs upon Juſtice; That too common Cuſtom amongſt us of Mens doing themſelves Right, as it is falſly Phraſed, by Private Duels. It is not only a Violation, but a rude Contempt of the Government to which they belong, that Private Men ſhould take the Sword of Juſtice into their own Hands, and take upon themſelves to redreſs thoſe Grievances which they have recieved, the doing of which, is the ſole Buſineſs, as well as the undoubted Prerogative of the Magiſtrate; and then that Military Men ſhould upon every imaginary Pique, or trifling Affront, every Shadow of Honour hazard their Lives one among another, which might more Honourably be ventured in the Service of God and their King, that brave and gallant Men ſhould thus unprofitably fall, is not only a great pity, but a great Damage and Diſ-ſervice too to the Cauſe they are publickly engaged for; Julius Caeſar tells us of Two of his Officers that had a Quarrel, and that their way of ending the Diſpute, was not in a ſingle Duel behind a Hedge, but by challenging and defying one another in an open Engagement with the Enemy, who ſhould approve himſelf then the braver Man; This was Heroically performed and like true Romans: For they who were the moſt Victorious Nation of the Ancient World, never practiſed this miſtaken way of Honour, called Duelling: Nay, that very Nation of the modern World, that principally introduced it, has now quite forgot it. The Engliſh methinks ſhould not eſteem that a part of Bravery, which the Old Romans, whoſe greatneſs of Mind they do in other things come up to, never thought ſo: But let us learn from our very Enemies, for Vertues are to be appoved of even in them, as we follow them in other Faſhions, ſo to imitate them in this; but if that Conſideration will not take place with us, let us leave of this Vitious Cuſtome in very deſpight of them, that They may not by this have any Advantage over us.

2. As by Private Men for ſafety, tho not for revenge, the Sword may be juſtly drawn, ſo much more by all in a Publick Cauſe, and then not only for Safety, but for Revenge. The repaying of Vengeance is a Privelege God claims to himſelf, and to none in this World but to the Magiſtrate of Juſtice has God committed that Power: The right of Puniſhment is Originally inveſted in himſelf, tho he is pleaſed to commit the Execution of it to the Hand and Management of Man: And as the Sheriff does inflict the Puniſhment on a Malefactor, in the Name, and on the Behalf of the King, ſo does the King himſelf derive his Power and Right of Correcting Wickedneſs, and Exerciſing the Sword, from God: This is a Truth, that not only holds good in formal Proceſſes of Law againſt Murderers, Thieves, or any other Diſturbers of the Civil Peace and Societies of Men; but alſo in national Grievances and Oppreſſions: Whenever any People or Government is either invaded or threatened; when national Injuries are apparently deſigned or actually offered, when Ruine and Deſolation, like the Father of them, go about ſeeking whom they may devour, and nothing can ſatisfie them till they are glutted with the Poſſeſſions of their Neighbours round about them; in a Word, when the boundleſs Ambition of any one Potentate ſhall thirſt after nothing leſs than an Univerſal Dominion, then certainly to put a Hook into the Noſe of this rowling Leviathan, then to levy a War, and to endeavour to put a ſtop to this ſwelling Torrent, then to draw the Sword and to oppoſe this impetuous Furuy, is not only Lawful, but Neceſſary.