A TRUE CHRISTIAN SUBJECT Under an Heathen PRJNCE:  
OR TERTULLIANS' Plea for Allegiance, argued in time of t●e sixth Persecution, under the Emperor SEVERUS. Ann. Dom. 204.  
With a Brief Application, to the Citizens of LONDON,  
Written by a MEMBER of the HOUSE of COMMONS.  
Feb: 21 1642 OXFORD, Printed by Henry Hall An. Dom. 1643.   

A TRUE CHRISTIAN Subject under a Heathen Prince; or TERTULLIANS' plea for Allegiance, argued in time of the sixth Persecution under the Emperor SEVERUS. Ann. Dom. 204.  

PRecantes sumus semper pro omnibus Imperatoribus, 
Apol. ca 30.  vitam illis prolixam, Imperium securum, domum tutam, exercitus fortes, Senatum fidelem, populum probum, orbem quietum, quaecunque hominis & Caesaris vota sunt. Cap. 33. Imperatorem Dominus noster elegit: ut merito dixerim, noster est magis Caesar, ut á Deo nostro constitutus, itaque ut meo plus illi operor in salutem. Cap. 36. jidem sumus Imperatoribus, qui & vicinis nostris; malè enim velle, malé facere, malé dicere, malè cogitare de quoquam ex aequo vetamur. Quodcunque non licet in Imperatorem, id nec in quenquam: quod in neminem, eo forsitan magis nec in ipsum qui per Deum tantus est. Hesterni sumus, & vestra omnia implevimus, Vebes, Insulas, Castilia, Municipia, Conciliabula, Castra ipsa, Tribus, Decurias, paelatium, Senatum, Forum, sola vobis relinquimus Templa. Cui bello non idonei, non promptifuissemus, etiam impares copijs, quitam libenter trucidamur? Si non apud istam disciplinam magis occidi liceret, quàm occidere. Potui mus & inermes, nec Rebelles, sed tantummodo discordes solius divertii invidia adversus vos dimicasse. Si enim tanta vis hominum in aliquem orhis remoti sinum abrupissemus a vobis, suffudisset utique Dominationem vestram tot qualiumcun. que amissio civium, imò etiam & destitutione punisset. Procul dubio expav●ssetis ad solitudinem vestram, ad silen●ium rerum, & stuporem quemdā quasi mortuae urbis quaesissetis quibus in ea imperassetis. Plures hostes quám cives remansissent. Nunc enim pauciores hospes habet is prae multitudine Christianorum penè omnium civium, penè omnes cives Christianos habendo.   

WE always pray for all Emperors that they may enjoy a long Life, secure Empire, safe mansion, strong Armies, faithful Counsel, good Subjects, quiet times, and whatsoever may be his wish as a man, and as a Caesar: it is our Lord who hath chosen the Emperor: and I may justly say, Caesar is more ours than yours, as being constituted by our God: and therefore I do more labour for his safety, he being my King. We are the same to the Emperors, as we are to our own neighbours, for we are equally forbidden to wish ill, do ill, speak ill, think ill of any man. Whatsoever is not lawful against the Emperor, is unlawful 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 we filled all places among you, Cities, Islands, Citadels, Boroughs, Assemblies, your very Camp, your Tribes of the common people, Decuries of the judges, the Palace, the Senate, the judicatories, we only leave to you your Temples. For what War are not we fit and ready, though we were fewer in number, who so willingly are put to death? But that we are taught that it is more lawful to be slain, than to kill. We (even without Arms, and without Rebelling) if we differed from you in the ill will of a Division only, could fight enough against you. For if we (so great aforce) should break from you into any remote corner of the world, so great a loss of Citizens (such as we are, whatsoever you think of us) would undermine your Empire: I, and punish you enough even with a mere desertion. Without all doubt, you would have started at your own solitude, at the dumbness of things, and in a certain amazement as of a dead City, you would have enquired for people over whom to reign. You would have found more enemies, than Citizens. 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 famous LONDON.  
Thus Tertullian, from the very Principles of our Christian Religion, doth pled the harmless jnnocency, the willing obedience, and due subjection of primitive Christians, even to irreligious heathen, & to persecuting Kings. Is Religion Changed? or have our Princes less duty owing unto them than the Heathen had? Is Buchanan wise, & Tertullian a fool; Is Machiavelli true, and Tertullian false? Are junius Brutus, Burrowes, Parker, Pryn,— good subjects. and was Tertullian a Traitor? will you value seditious Pamphlets, and despise the ancient when they speak Orthodox? Are we less bound to the sacred Text than our Fathers were? Is our Charter of Liberties more than God gave to his first Saints? Have we leave to be less Christian, than they were? Is Charles a Persecuter, or was Severus a Pious Prince? It is a shame to pled so plain a cause, No salve can cure a wilful distrust, Three things there are, which once (deeply) infected, are never fully cured: Heresy, Lunacy, and jealousy, But God confounded their Purposes, who not being doubtful in themselves, do yet created and nurse up the jealousies of others, wherewith to work their own dark ends. Miserable are the people who Resolve to see only with their ears. Demonstration will not convince them. Their ear is tickled that here is an Army of Papists, when yet we go to the Protestant Church, and there perform all the opposites to papal superstition. Awake, and see how your souls are sotted, by giving them up to these delusions. Ease yourselves and us by owning the goodness of our King, who gladly would own your love in adve subjection. Spare yourselves, your wives, your for unes, 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 only hindered by the wicked misinterpretation of a few false men about you. Do not say you desire peace, but give it to us and to yourselves by leaving impeached Traitors to stand or fall alone. What is Pym what are Hollis, Hampden, Haselrig, and Strode, what Kimbol●on, and a few men more that they may not undergo the trial of our Laws? Ask any one of them alone, and if he have not innocency enough to offer himself to the trial, yet he will have shame enough to say, he is not afraid to be tried: He hath not brass enough to say, I will not be tried by the Law of the Land. whether these men (and others) be guilty or innocent, will you for ever undo this Kingdom, rather than let us know whether they be innocent or no? what have they deserved that you and thousands more must feel the sword, for t●●m that were the cause to unsheathe it? who ever did ●e●d down all that is dear unto us so, as they have 〈◊〉 who ever laboured to raise us up into our just li …, as the King hath done? The King doth pled 〈◊〉 … ves for us, and they pay him again with Votes. 〈◊〉 King doth own our true Religion, whilst a faction … ng you, doth cherish and multiply Schisms with good allowance. His Majesty doth argue the Subject's Liberty, whilst we are by fellow Subjects rifled and imprisoned. He thought to have enjoyed his own Property in Hull, and was denied; but Prophesied than that these men next would invade your property also, as now is done. Look to the twentieth part, which is but a setting dog to show where the covey of nineteen are, what hopes have you of prevailing in this war so full of doubts, changes, necessities, fears, distrusts; and so many among you (even of your Leaders) truer to the King, than you wish or are ware of? I speak the freedom of a friend, Do not put us to win the King his right again with our swords: perhaps the concequences may reach farther than we wish, or you yet do fear. And what would you do, if you should once prevail? how often must you fight again and and again: how many victories upon victories must you get, and yet fall short again? for our Gracious King, and our dear black Prince shall still revive with new strength to subdue you. God cannot leave the King in this the pr●se●t war (on his side) that ever Christian drew a sword in. Give up those few traitor citizens among you. Lay down your arms, and give the land not farther cause to wish our best City a heap of stones.  
Your friend, more than they who Vote for War, IRENaeVS PHIL●OPOLIS.   
FINIS.