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their camp it would be with a design to carry off his calf or pig, and to kill himself if he refifted. Whatever diftinction the laws of this unhappy kingdom may make between Proteftant and Papift, a conqueror's fword makes none. War levels and confounds all religions, where their profeffors are fubjects of a monarch whofe kingdom is invaded.

When the French joined the Americans, it was not from love for the Presbyterian religion. If they landed here, it would not be with a defign to promote the Catholic caufe. When Óliver Cromwell beheaded Charles the first, brother-in-law to the king of France, and iffued a bloody decree, whereby all the English Catholics were commanded to quit the kingdom in the space of two months, the French, far from refenting the injury offered to the blood-royal and to the Catholic religion, fided Cromwell against Spain; and ordered the dutchefs of Savoy to promote and protect her Proteftant fubjects, whilft the English Catholics. were finarting under the fcourge of perfecution, and threatened with total extermination. *

Thus all religions are alike to a political people, whofe only aim is intereft and conqueft. Hence, in France, Proteftants of all denomina

Leti's Life of Cromwell.

tions are promoted in the army. Proteftant generals command her forces. The order of Military Merit is instituted for Proteftant officers. It is equal to them whether a foldier prays or curses,--whether he handles a bead or a prayer book,-provided he can manage a fword and a gun. And if thirty thousand men, under the denomination of French troops, landed in Ireland, fifteen thousand Proteftants, from France, Germany, Switzerland, &c. would make up half the number.

Neither are you to confide in their promife of protection. The hiftory of their own nation informs us, that a French king banished his mother at the request of the English. The most part of yourselves can remember, that in the war of feventeen hundred and forty-five, they prevailed on the Pretender to invade Scotland. This adventurer, after fuffering more hardships than any romantic hero we read of, no fooner returned from this chimerical expedition to Paris, than, at the folicitation of the English ambaffador, he was forced to leave the kingdom of France. He died, about two months fince, without iffue; and by his death has rid the kingdom of all fears arifing from the pretenfions of a family that commenced our deftruction, and completed our ruin. Of this I think fit to inform you, as, in all likelihood, if the French landed here, fome might give out

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that he might be in their camp, in order to deceive you by an impofture that would end in your deftruction. For all those who would join the French, would be ftrung up after the war, and give occafion of charging the whole body. of the Roman Catholics with the treachery of some of its rotten members. Or what protection could you expect from people who would facrifice the ties of kindred and friendship for the good of their ftate ?

Expect then nothing from the French on the score of religion, but remain peaceably in your cottages. Mind your business as usual, and be free from all groundless apprehenfions. Work for those who employ you: for it is against the laws of war to moleft or hurt any but fuch as oppose the enemy, fword in hand and the world must allow that the French are not strangers to the laws of war, or the rules of military difcipline. The foldier himself in the rage of flaughter, feels the impulfe of humanity. He is bound to fpare the fupplicant who cries out for quarter, and to protect the town or city that furrenders for want of power to refift. Secure your lives, which run the risk of being loft by the fword in fighting for the foe, or by the rope if you chanced to escape the danger of the field: but above all, fave your fouls, which would be loft without refource: for among the

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crimes that exclude from the kingdom of Hea ven, St. Paul reckons " fedition :" and what greater fedition than to rife up against your king and country, and to defile your hands with the blood of your fellow-fubjects.

Should the king and parliament adopt the policy of France, that rewards the foldier's valour, and leaves his religion to God,-should they enter on the liberal plan of the Proteftant powers of the continent, who level the fences, and make no diftinction between religious parties,-should the Catholic gentry, descended in a long line from warlike chieftains, and animated with the fame courage and magnanimity that crowned with laurels their relations and namefakes on the banks of the Rhine, the walls of Cremona, in the fields of Germany, and the plains of Fontenoy, where hands difqualified from using a gun in defence of their native country, have conquered cities and provinces for foreign kings,-fhould the Catholic gentry, I fay, be empowered by parliament to join their Proteftant neighbours, and prefs to the standard of their country, at the head of a fpirited and active race of men, preferved by labour from the weakness of indolence, enured by habit to the rigours of manly exercife, and, like the Spartan youth, already half difciplined from the very nature of their fports and diver

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fions, then join the banners of your country: fight in fupport of the common caufe. If you die, you die with honour and a pure conscience. The death of a plunderer and rebel is infamy and reprobation.

I repeat it you have nothing to expect from the French. Ireland they will never keep; or if they kept it, is it a reason that you fhould forfeit foul and confcience by plunder, treachery, and rebellion? St. Paul lays it down for a rule, that "the damnation of those is just "who do evil that good may come." What muft not be the damnation of those who do evil for the fake of mifchief? And Chrift declares, that "it availeth a man nothing, if he gain the "whole world and lose his foul."

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But by the coming of the French, your gain would fall short of your expectations, if any amongst you would be mad enough to entertain any expectations of the kind. When the French take a Roman Catholic captain, do they ever return him back his ship or restore him his liberty, in compliment to his religion? Are we to expect more from them by land, than by fea? If then in compliment to the Catholic religion, they would not return a fishing-boat to our diftreffed families, who would imagine they would give us all the estates in the kingdom? Or is it *Romans, chap. iii. H 2

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