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made a Province of France, the train of Popish Princes is fo great, that if one thould not compleat the utter Extirpation of our Religion, Laws and Liberties, the reft would certainly do it.

And here I cannot but add what is still of more Importance, and ought to be the most prevalent of all Arguments, that should there be the least Hopes given to a Popish Succeffor, the Life of her Majefty will certainly be in moft imminent Danger; for there will never be wanting bloody Zealots of that Perfwafion, that will think it meritorious to take away her Majefty's Life, to haften the Acceffion of fuch a Succeffor to her Throne.

The only Prefervation against these Terrours are the Laws before-mentioned relating to the Settlement of the Imperial Crown of Great Britain. Thanks be to Heaven for that Settlement. The Princess Sophia, and the Heirs of her Body, being Proteftants, are the Succeffors to her prefent Majefty, upon her Demise without Iffue. The Way is plain before our Eyes, guarded on the Right Hand, and on the Left, by all the Sanctions of God and Man, and by all the Ties of Law and Confcience. Let those who act under the prefent Settlement, and yet pretend to difpute for an Abfolute Hereditary Right, quiet themselves with the Arguments they have borrowed from Popery, and teach their own Confciences the Art of difpenfing with the most folemn Oath to this Establishment, whilft they think themfelves bound only till Opportunity thall ferve to introduce another. Goa be thanked neither we, nor our Caufe, ftand in need of fuch deteftable Prevarication. Our Caufe

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Caufe is our Happiness. Our Oaths are our Judgment and Inclination. Honour and Affetion call us, without the Solemnity of an Oath, to defend fuch an Establishment; but with it we have every Motive that can influence the Mind of Man. The Terrors of God, added to the Demands of our Country, oblige and conftrain us to let our Hearts and our Hands follow our Wishes and our Confciences; and out of Regard to our Queen, our Religion, our Country, our Liberty and our Property, to maintain and affert the Proteftant Succeffion in the Illuftrious Houfe of Hanover: It is no time to talk with Hints and Inuendos, but openly and honeftly to profefs our Sentiments, before our Enemies have compleated and put their Designs in Execution against us. As divided a People as we are, thofe who are for the Houfe of Hamover are infinitely fuperior, in Number, Wealth, Courage, and all Arts Military and Civil, to thofe that are in the contrary Intereft; befides which, we have the Laws, I fay the Laws on our fide. And thofe who by their Practices, whatever their Profeffions are, have difcover'd themfelves Enemies to the Confti'tution, and Friends to the Pretender, cannot make a Step farther without being guilty of Treafon, without standing in broad Day-light, confeffed Criminals against their injured Queen and Country.

When the People were in a Ferment, when Faction ran high, with irreflible Prepoffeffions against every thing in its former Channel, fanguine Men might conceive Hopes of leading them their own Way. But the_Building erected upon that Quickfand, the Favour of

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the Multitudey will fink, and be swallowed up by that treacherous Ground on which the Foundation was laid. dr shu'.

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Atis leafie to proje& the Subversion of a People, when Men fee them unaccountably turned for their own Deftru&tion; but not fo cafie to effect that Ruin, when they are come to themfelves, and are fenfibly and reafonably affected with Thoughts for their Preferva tion. We cannot help it, if fo many Thoufands of our brave Brethren, who laid down their Lives against the Power of France, have dyed in vain; but we may value our own Lives dearly, like honeft Men. Whatever may befall the Glory and Wealth of Great Britain, let us ftruggle to the laft Drop of our Blood for its Religion and Liberty. The Banner under which we are to enter this Conflict, whenever we are called to it, are the Laws mentioned in this Difcourfe; when we do not keep them in Sight, we have no Colours to fly to, no Discipline to preferve us, but are devoted, and have given our felves up to Slaughter and Confufion.

While we a& manfully under them, we have Reason to expect the Bleffing and Affistance of Heaven on its own Caufe, which it has fo manifeftly acknowledg'd to be fuch, by our many wonderful Deliverances, when all Human Affi stances and ordinary Means of Succour feemed irrevocably removed. We have no Pretenfions to the Divine Favour, but from our firm Adherence to that Settlement, which He has, by fo many Wonders and Bleffings, after fuch great Difficulties and Misfortunes, beftowed upon us, and which we have in his Sight, and with the Invocation of his Sacred Name, after preparing

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our Selves at his Altar, fo frequently and fo lemnly Sworn to defend. This plain, unperplexed, unalterable Rule for our Conduct, is vifibly the Work of his Hand to a favoured People. Her Majefty's Parliamentary Title, and the Succeffion in the Illuftrious Houfe of Hanover, is the Ark of God to Great Britain, and, like that of Old, carries Death to the profane Hand that fhall dare to touch it.

A

A

LETTER

ТО А

Member of PARLIAMENT

Concerning the

BILL

For Preventing the

Growth of SCHISM.

Printed in the YEAR MDCCXV.

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