The Reformed and Presbyterian world is currently enjoying a steady stream of recently-translated sixteenth- and seventeenth-century treatises and writings heretofore only available in Latin—texts written by luminaries like Theodore Beza, Caspar Olevianus, William Ames, Robert Rollock, Francis Turretin, and Johann Heidegger, to name a few. The English divine, John Arrowsmith (1602–59), and his recently-translated volume, Plans for Holy War: How the Spiritual Soldier Fights, Conquers, and Triumphs, can now be added to this list. Published by Reformation Heritage Books, translated by David C. Noe, and introduced and edited by Chad B. Van Dixhoorn, this work is a must-own and must-read for all gospel-ministers, scholars, students, and laypeople interested in diligently digesting the best of what the seventeenth century offers.
Audience
Arrowsmith served as professor and college master at Cambridge, and was also one of the English divines presiding at the Westminster Assembly. He had Christians, generally, and ministers, particularly, in mind when he penned this work near the end of his relatively short and tragedy-filled life (ministers refers both to those who wielded the sword of civil authority and those who drew forth the sword of the Spirit in their preaching and teaching). As Van Dixhoorn writes in his introductory essay to the volume, John Arrowsmith: A Theological Life, “[The central] thesis is that error needs to be resisted by all Christians, including civil magistrates. . . . It is clear that he wants ‘Christians, generally, and ministers, in particular,’ at a time when almost all academics were ministers, to own the theologian’s task of identifying and refuting error” (59).
Style
Arrowsmith’s overall style, which he himself called “Scholastic-pastoral” (114), is especially impressive. He is able to smoothly shift from exegeting Scripture to citing Seneca to support his points. He moves flawlessly from a scholastic-polemic method to preaching the warmth of the gospel in the death, resurrection, enthronement, and return of Christ. He transitions carefully from debasing his heretical opponents to staunchly defending justification by faith alone and the assurance it affords. He does all this while keeping the reader entertained with seemingly endless illustrations, quotations, and poetic verse from classical Greek and Latin authors, biblical texts, and theologians from throughout church history. In his polemical battles, predominantly with Roman Catholics, Arminians, Socinians, and Weigelians (enthusiasts),[1] he quotes generously from the ancients (Homer, Seneca, Ovid, etc.) the Fathers (Augustine, Cyprian, Chrysostom, etc.), the medieval church (the Cappadocians, Bernard, Aquinas, etc.), and the Protestant Reformation (Luther, Calvin, Beza, etc.). Not only does he cite in support of his case, but he also steel mans his opponents by citing them extensively as well. Moreover, his theology has notable traces of the recently minted Westminster Standards throughout.
Substance
Arrowsmith divided his Plans for Holy War into three books. The first contains foundational biblical-theological material regarding spiritual warfare—namely, its necessity, its belligerents, its enmity, the who, what, and duties of this warfare, and the need for spiritual armor. In classic Arrowsmithian fashion, by merging his mastery of history, Scripture, and theology together, he called his readers to battle thus:
Now then, the spiritual soldiers who must form up for battle against the aforementioned enemies are Christians more than other men, and ministers more than other Christians. The Romans were careful that no one engaged in war before he had sworn to do promptly everything his commander ordered and that he would never desert his post or refuse to die for the republic. They memorialized this oath-taking procedure with the dignified title sacrament. The church adopted that very word and wished to apply it to her baptismal rite. Thus, they sought to show that each and every one of those washed in the sacred font were, by that very act, enlisted as soldiers, and so it was their duty, for as long as they lived, to bear arms under the command of the most Holy Trinity, into whose name they were baptized. (179)
Each and every baptized Christian has therefore been called to take up arms and do battle. What are these arms? This is the task of the second book in Plans for Holy War, a detailed, piece-by-piece exposition of the spiritual armor provided by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:14–18.
This is the meatiest and perhaps most profitable portion of the volume. In this reviewer’s opinion, this section of Arrowsmith’s work is worth the price of admission. Most particularly of value are his four chapters on the shoes [greaves] of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. Having already preached through Ephesians twice in my short career, I am looking forward to doing it a third time, if only to be able to use these pages in my preparation. Although they are heavily polemic and systematic, the devotional quality carries these chapters. For example, consider his graphic warning to ministers as they walk the tight rope of maintaining peace while promoting truth as they preach the gospel:
Peace and truth exist in the church as veins and arteries in the physical body. Truth supplies it with energy and blood; peace with life-giving humors. The veins must be opened to care for the church’s salvation. But be careful, whoever you are, surgeon of souls, that while you are wisely opening the vein, you do not foolishly split an artery. Be on your guard not to outrage peace while you are nurturing truth. (292)
And his poetic address to saving faith,
How can I extol you, Faith, most noble of the virtues? You are the hinge upon which the gate of heaven turns, the channel through which the water of life is drawn up, that little wedding band by which the mind is betrothed to God. You are the holding vessel for Christ’s blood, the sole condition of the new covenant, and the most important part of the new creation. They who find rest through you are safe, and they who receive certainty of their salvation are happy. You are the eye of our souls, the hand, the mouth, and all things. (312–13)
The third and final book concludes the exposition of the Christian’s spiritual armor, addressing prayer, and includes an exposition of several pertinent texts including Revelation’s Letters to the Churches, Romans 8:35–37, and Revelation 7. In his encouragement to prayer—or what he calls “holy exhortations”—Arrowsmith gives us this beautiful illustration with respect to the necessity of relying on Scripture in our prayers:
In all our speaking to God, we must look to the Scriptures. In fact, all sacred exhortation is like a building that requires lumber and stones for its construction. The sacred Scripture is the forest where the lumber is felled, the quarry where the stones needed for the building’s structure are unearthed. This is why the saints, while praying, usually recall the examples, promises, and other sayings of the sacred Scriptures, or at least refer to them. (378)
This is an encouragement and reminder that all Christians need to hear and take heed to, especially those who pray publicly in the church or as leaders of their households, as Arrowsmith reminds the reader.
Gratitude and Recommendation
Of all the books I have had the opportunity to recommend, Arrowsmith’s Plans for Holy War is at the top of the list. I am grateful to Reformed Heritage Books for making this book available (and affordable) as part of the larger series, Writings of the Westminster Divines, of which Noe and Van Dixhoorn are both editors. Thanks to the translator, David Noe, whose efforts are greatly appreciated. He will be glad to hear that Arrowsmith too has become my friend and teacher, and that he has encouraged me greatly. This reader judged the translated Latin poetry of Arrowsmith to be pleasing to his ears. Thanks also to Chad Van Dixhoorn for his editing and helpful historical introduction. Plans for Holy War is highly recommended for thoughtful pastors, scholars, students, and laypeople alike.
Note
- Included in this volume are three lectures against the Weigelians, who in the mid-seventeenth century caused controversy in England by disregarding and deriding the academic learning of theologians and churchmen.
© Scott McDermand II. All Rights Reserved.
John Arrowsmith, Plans for Holy War: How the Spiritual Soldier Fights, Conquers, and Triumphs, trans. David C. Noe, ed. Chad Van Dixhoorn (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformed Heritage Books, 2024).
©R. Scott Clark. All Rights Reserved.
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Scott McDermand II
Scott McDermand II is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Bad Axe, Michigan. He graduated from San Diego State University (BA, History) and earned masters degrees at Westminster Seminary California (MA, Historical Theology; MDiv). He serves on the board of directors of the Heidelberg Reformation Association as secretary. He has a passion for preaching and teaching the Word of God, Biblical theology, Church History, and enjoys fellowshipping with the saints. In his free time, he also enjoys baseball, reading, classical music, eating whatever his wife cooks for him, and walking their two dogs.
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