An Answer To A Question

That we are to have a peace, or that the peace is made, what sort of
peace, or how it has been brought about; these are questions the world
begins to have done with, they have been so much, so often, and to so
little purpose banded about, and tossed like a shuttlecock, from one
party to another; the parties themselves begin to want breath to rail
and throw scandal. Roper and Ridpath, like two Tom T--men, have thrown
night-dirt at one another so long, and groped into so many Jakes's up
to their elbows to find it, that they stink now in the nostrils of
their own party. They are become perfectly nauseous to read; the
nation is surfeited of them, and the people begin to be tired with
ill-using one another. Would any tolerable face appear upon things, we
might expect the people would be inclined to be easy; and were the
eyes of some great men open, they may see this was the opportunity
they never had before, to make the nation easy, and themselves safe.
The main thing which agitates the minds of men now, is the protestant
succession and the pretender. Much pains have been taken on both sides
to amuse the world about this remaining dispute; one side to make us
believe it is safe, and the other to convince us it is in danger.
Neither side hath been able to expatiate upon the part they affirm.
Those who say the protestant succession is secure, have not yet shown
us any step taken, since these new transactions, for its particular
security. Those who say it is in danger, have not so clearly
determined, even among themselves, from what particular head of public
management that danger chiefly proceeds. Both these uncertainties
serve to perplex us, and to leave the thing more undetermined than
consists with the public ease of the people's minds. To contribute
something to that ease, and bring those whose place it is to consider
of ways to make the people easy in this case, this work is made
public. Possibly, the question propounded may not meet with a
categorical answer. But this is certain, it shall show you more
directly what is the chief question which the substance of things
before us is like to turn upon; and to which all our questions seem to
tend. Were the great difficulty of the succession brought to a narrow
compass, though we might spend fewer words about it, we should sooner
come to a direct answer. Before I come to the great and chief question
upon which this affair so much seems to turn, it seems needful to put
the previous question upon which so much debate has been among us, and
let that be examined. This previous question is this: Is there any
real danger of the protestant succession? Is there any danger that the
pretender shall be brought in upon us? Is there any danger of popery
and tyranny, by restoring the son, as they call him, of abdicated King
James? This is the previous question, as we may now call it. It is
well known that there are some people among us, who are so far from
allowing that there is any such danger as the said question mentions,
that they will have it to be a token of disaffection to the government
to put the question, and are for loading whoever shall offer to start
such a question, with characters and party-marks odious to good men,
such as incendiary, promoter of discontents, raiser of faction,
divider of the people, and the like: names which the writer of these
sheets, at the same time, both contemns and abhors. He cannot see that
he is any enemy to the queen, in inquiring as diligently as possible,
whether there are any attempts to depose her, or dangerous prospects
of bringing in the hated rival of her glory and dominion. It is so far
from that, that it is apparently the duty of every true subject of her
majesty, to inquire seriously, whether the public peace, the queen's
safety, her throne, or her person, is in any danger from the wicked
design of her, and her people's enemies. Wherefore, and for the joint
concern every protestant Briton has in this thing, I shall make no
difficulty, plainly and seriously to state, and to answer this
previous question, viz., Whether there is any danger of the protestant
succession from the present measures, and from the present people
concerned? I am not ignorant of what has been said by some, to prove
that the present ministry cannot be suspected of having any view to
the pretender in any of their measures. The best reason which I have
seen given upon that subject, is, that it is not their interest; and
that as we have not found them fools that are blind to their own
interest; that either do not understand, or pursue it. This we find
handled sundry ways, by sundry authors, and very much insisted upon as
a foundation for us to build upon.