(1)
A TRVE CHRISTIAN
Subiect under a Heathen Prince;
or TERTVLLIANS plea for Allegiance, argued
in time of the sixth Persecution under the Emperor
SEVERVS. Ann. Dom. 204.
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recantes su-
mus semper
pro omnibus
Imperatori-
bus, vitam illis prolixam,
Imperium securum, domum
tutam, exercitus fortes, Se-
natum fidelem, populum pro-
bum, orbem quietum, quae-
cunque hominis & Caesa-
ris tota sunt. Cap. 33.
Imperatorem Dominus no-
ster elegit: ut merito dixe-
rim, noster est magis Cae-
sar, ut á Deo nostro
constitutusm itaque ut meo
plus illi operor in salutem.
Cap. 36. Iidem sumus Im-
peratoribus, cui & vicinis
nostris; malè enim velle,
malé facere, malé dice-
re, malè cogita e de quo-
quam ex aequo vetamur.
A |
e always pray
for all Empe-
ors that they
may enjoy a long Life,
secure Empire, safe mansi-
on, strong Armies, faithfull
Counsell, good Subjects
quiet times, and whatsoe-
ver may be his wish as a
man, and as a Caesar: it is
our Lord who hath chosen
the Emperour: and I may
justly say, Caesar is more
ours then yours, as being
constituted by our God: and
therefore I doe more la-
bour for his safety, he be-
ing my King. We are the
same to the Emperours,
as we are to our own neigh-
bours, for wee are equally
forbidden to wish ill, do ill,
speak ill, think ill of any ma.
Quodcunque |
(2)
Quodcunque non
licet in
imperatorem, id nec in
quenquam:quod in nemi-
nem, eo forsitan magis
nec in ipsum qui per De
um tantus est. Hester-
ni sumus, & vestra om-
nia implevimus, Vrbes,
Insulas, Castella, Munici-
pia, Conciliabula, Castra
ipsa, Tribus, Decurias, pa-
latium, Senatum, Forum,
sola vobis relinquimus
Templa. Cui bello non ido-
nei, non prompti fuissimus,
etiam impares copijs, qui-
tam libenter trucidamur?
Si non apud istam disci-
plinam magis occidi lice-
ret, quàm eccidere. Potui
mus & inermes, ne Re
belles, sed tantummodo
discordes solius divertii
invidia adversus vos di-
micasse. Si enim tanta
vis hominum in aliquem
orbis remoti sinum abru-
pissemus a vobis, suffidis-
set utique Dominationem
vestram tot qualiumcun.
que amissio civium, imò |
Whatsoever is not
lawfull a-
gainst the Emperour, is unlaw-
full toward any other: what
may be done unto no man,
so much the rather may
not be done unto him, who
through God is so great a man,
We are but of yesterday, yet
have wee filled all places a-
mong you, Cities, Islands,
Citadels, Boroughs, Assem-
blies, your very Campe, your
Tribes of the common peo-
ple, Decuries of the Iudges,
the Palace, the Senate, the Iu-
dicatories, we onely leave to
you your Temples. For what
Warr are not wee fit and
ready, though wee were
fewer in number. who so
willingly are put to death? But
that wee are taught that it is
more lawfull to be slaine then
to kill. Wee ( even without
Armes, and without Rebel-
ling) if wee differed from you
in the ill will of a Division on-
ly, could fight enough against
you. For if we (so great aforce)
should breake from you into
any remote corner of the
world, so great a losse of Citi-
zens (such as wee are, whatso- |
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etiam |
(3)
etiam &
destitutione
punisset. Procul dubio
expavissetis ad solitudi-
nem vestram, ad silenti-
um rerum, & stuporem
quemda quasi
mortuae
urbis quaesissetis quibus
in ea imperassetis. Plures
hostes quám cives reman-
sissent. Nunc enum pau-
ciores hostes habetis prae
multitudine Christiano-
rum penè omnium civi-
um, penè omnes cives
Christianos habendo. |
ever you thinke
of us) would
undermine your Empire: I, and
punish you enough even with
a meer desertion. Without all
doubt, you would have started
at your owne solitude, at the
dumbnesse of things, and in a
certaine amazement as of a
dead City, you would have en-
quired for people over whom
to reigne. You would have
found more enemies, than Ci-
tizens. For, even now you have
the fewer enemies, by reason
of the multitude of Christian
Citizens, having almost all
Citizens Christian among you. |
--------------------------------------------------------
Application to the Citizens of fa-
mous LONDON.
Thus Tertullian, from the very Principles
of our
Christian religion, doth plead the harmlesse innocency,
the willing obedience, and due subjection of primitive
Christians, even to irreligious heathen, & to persecuting
Kinges. Is Religion changed? or have our Princes leste
duty owing unto them then the Heathen had? Is Buchan-
an wise, & Tertullian a foole; Is Machiavell true,
and Ter
tullian false? Are Iunius Brutus, Burrowes, Parker,
Pryn,---
good subjects.and was Tertullian a Traytor? will you
value
(4)
value seditious Pamplets, and despise the ancient when
they speake Orthodoxe? Are we lesse bound to the sa-
cred Text then our Fathers were? Is our Charter of Li-
berties more than God gave to his first Saintes? Have
we leave to be lesse Christian, then they were? Is Charles
a
Persecutor, or was Severus a Pious Prince? It is a shame
to plead so plaine a cause, Noe salve can cure a willfull
distrust, Three things there are, which once (deepely)
infected, are never fully cured: Heresy, Lunacy, and Iea-
lousy, But God confound their Purposes, who not being
doubtfull in themselves, do yet create and nurse up the
Iealousies of others, wherewith to work their owne
darke ends. Miserable are the people who Resolve to see
onely with their eares. Demonstration will not con-
vince them. Their eare is tickled that here is an Army
of Papists, when yet we go to the Protestant Church,
and there performe all the opposites to papall supersti-
tion. Awake, and see how your soules are sotted, by
giveing them up to these delusions. Ease your selves and
us by owning the goodnesse of our King, who glady
would owne your love in a due subjection. Spare your
selves, your wives, your fortunes, and your children. All
are now ready to be exposed for that which may be
given you without a stroke; Nay which is offered to
you, and is onely hindered by the wicked mis interpre-
tation of a few false men about you. Do not say you de-
sire peace, but give it to us and to your selves by leaving
impeached Traytors to stand or fall alone. What is Pym
what are Hollis, Hampden, Haselrig, and Strode, what Kim-
bolton, and a few men more that they may not undergoe
the tryall of our Lawes? Aske any one of them alone,
and if hee have not innocency enough to offer himselfe
to
(5)
to the tryall, yet he will have shame enough to say,
hea
is not affraid to be tryed: Hee hath not brasse enough to
say, I will not be tryed by the Law of the Land. whether
these men (and others) be guilty or innocent, will you
forever undoe this Kingdome, rather then let us know
whether they be innocent or no? what have they deser-
ved that you and thousands more must feele the sword,
for them that were the cause to un-sheath it? who ever
did tread downe all that is deare unto us so, as they have
done? who ever laboured to raise us up into our just li-
berties, as the King hath done? The King doth plead
our Lawes for us, and they pay him againe with Votes.
The King doth owne our true Religion, whilst a faction
among you, doth cherish and multiply Schismes with
good allowance. His majesty doth argue the Subiects
Liberty, whilst wee are by fellow Subjects rifled and
imprisone. Hee thought to have enjoyed his owne
property in Hull, and was denyed; but Prophecied then
that these men next would invade your property also,
as now is done. Looke to the twentieth part, which is
but a setting dogge to shew where the covey of nineteen
are, what hopes have you of prevailing in this warre so
full of doubts, changes, necessities, feares, distrusts; and
so many among you (even of your Leaders) truer to the
King, then you wish or are aware of? I speake the free-
dome of a friend, Do not put us to winne the King his
right againe with our swords: perhaps the concequen-
ces may reach farther then we wish, or you do yet feare.
And what would you do, if you should ince prevaile?
how often must you fight again and and again: how many
victories upon victories must you get, and yet fall short
againe?
againe? for our Gratious King, and our deare black Prince
shall still revive with new strength to subdue you. God
cannot leave the King in this the justest waare (on his
side) that ever Christian drew a sword in. Give up
those
few traytor citizens among you. Lay down your armes,
and give the labd no farther cause to wish our best City
a heape of stones.
Your friend, more than
they who Vote for Warre,
IRENAEVS PHIL
OPOLIS.
FINIS
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