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<DATE>2014-08-27</DATE>
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<NAME>John Pas</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B140522.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B25903">
<STC T="W">L1693</STC>
<STC T="G">816.m.2[37]</STC>
<STC T="C">R233660</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99889169</BIBNO>
<VID>193688</VID>
</IDG><!-- alt.stc G816.m.2[37] --><!-- alt.stc CR233660 -->
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<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>A LETTER TO A Per&s;on of Quality, Occa&s;ioned by the Burning of Sir John Presbyter, In the <HI>Deans</HI> Yard WESTMINSTER, <HI>Novemb.</HI> 5. 1681.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">To the L. B. R. D. W.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My LORD,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THe eminent Character which you bear in the Church, and tho&s;e per&s;onal Accompli&s;hments, which, I have been informed, you are Ma&s;ter of, have formerly engaged me to a very great Reverence for your Lord&s;hip's Name, and Per&s;on. But that late &s;candalous Action in <HI>Deans-yard</HI> on the 5th. of <HI>November,</HI> which could never have been done without your Countenance, and Permi&s;&s;ion (as every one mu&s;t conclude, who knows any thing of your Relation to that Society) hath now given me (as well as many others) too ju&s;t an occa&s;ion of entertain|ing different Sentiments concerning you, from what I had hitherto re|ceiv'd. However, my former Re&s;pects have now engaged me to &s;end your Lord&s;hip the&s;e few lines, and thereby to acquaint you with tho&s;e Cen&s;ures, which are generally pa&s;t upon that Action. I hope you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Lord&s;hip will peru&s;e them without <HI>Peevi&s;hne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion;</HI> &s;ince it is a happine&s;s, which few great Men enjoy; to be faithfully enform'd of that Judgment, which the World makes concerning them.</P>
<P>Briefly then, <HI>My Lord,</HI> all &s;ober per&s;ons of all per&s;wa&s;ions were great|ly &s;urpriz'd with regret, and grief, to read &s;o &s;currilous a &s;tory trium|phantly proclaim'd to the World by <HI>Tomp&s;on</HI> in his <HI>Tue&s;days Intelli|gence,</HI> and to find upon Enquiry &s;o little of his wonted forgery in that Relation. E&s;pecially, &s;ince it was acted on <HI>that day</HI> which is by <HI>Parlia|ment</HI> &s;et apart for the commemoration of our great Deliverance from a <HI>Popi&s;h</HI> Con&s;piracy; and at <HI>&s;uch</HI> a <HI>juncture</HI> too of time; when we are <HI>All</HI> equally in danger of becoming a prey to tho&s;e mercile&s;s Enemies, who will not only <HI>wi&s;h</HI> (as <HI>Tomp&s;on</HI> tells us <HI>your Scholars</HI> did) <HI>that the Per&s;on of him who was repre&s;ented, and all his followers were burnt like that Image,</HI>
<PB REF="2">but <HI>really effect</HI> it, when they have an Opportunity; and that not only upon <HI>one</HI> party, but on <HI>all,</HI> who will not readily &s;ubmit them&s;elves to that Antichri&s;tian Yoke, and Tyranny. It is &s;aid hereupon,</P>
<P>That your Lord&s;hip by encouraging this, hath confuted that opini|on of your <HI>Moderation</HI> towards <HI>Di&s;&s;enters,</HI> which was &s;o commonly en|tertain'd and believ'd; and that there is too much cau&s;e to fear, if you &s;till retain any thing of <HI>Temper,</HI> the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> are the <HI>principal</HI> objects of it.</P>
<P>That we may now perceive the great Prudence of our late <HI>Parliament</HI> in repealing the Statute <HI>De Haeretico Comburendo,</HI> and abridging the Hie|rarchy of that Exorbitant power they thereby enjoy'd over &s;uch, as they pleas'd to brand with the odious Name of <HI>Heretick;</HI> &s;ince even <HI>one</HI> of our <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> hath in &s;o publick a manner expre&s;s'd his willingne&s;s to have it executed on his <HI>Fellow-Prote&s;tants.</HI></P>
<P>That it is to be fear'd, a late Popi&s;h Pamphlet entituled <HI>The Vindica|tion of the Engli&s;h Catholicks</HI> hath too ju&s;t ground to &s;peak with &s;o much re&s;pect of <HI>your Lord&s;hip,</HI> while in the mean time it accounts the Pious and Learned <HI>Bi&s;hop</HI> of <HI>Lincoln</HI> to be <HI>&s;carce a Chri&s;tian.</HI> And,</P>
<P>That doubtle&s;s your Lord&s;hip expects &s;ome extraordinary Reward under a <HI>Popi&s;h Succe&s;&s;or,</HI> for manife&s;ting already &s;o <HI>Fiery</HI> a zeal again&s;t tho&s;e whom that Party e&s;teem (if not their <HI>ONLY,</HI> yet) their <HI>great|e&s;t</HI> Enemies.</P>
<P>That by thus burning the <HI>Presbyteri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"></HI> in <HI>E&s;&s;ig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e</HI> you &s;eem to reproach His Maje&s;ties great Kindne&s;s, and to condemn many worthy Per&s;ons charity to the poore di&s;tre&s;&s;ed <HI>French</HI> Prote&s;tants, who are all of <HI>that</HI> per&s;wa&s;ion, and therefore, according to the Doctrine taught in <HI>your</HI> School, de&s;erve rather to be burnt, then reliev'd.</P>
<P>That if any Man can think it worth his pains to enquire into the lives of many of the <HI>Actors</HI> in that <HI>&s;piteful Scene,</HI> he may thence too ju&s;tly conclude (as one did of the Chri&s;tians in <HI>Nero's</HI> time) <HI>that they mu&s;t cer|tainly be very good Men, who are &s;o mortally hated by Per&s;ons of &s;uch profli|gate Conver&s;ations.</HI> But however,</P>
<P>That the <HI>Di&s;senters</HI> are not con&s;cious to them&s;elves of any Crimes, that might de&s;erve &s;o &s;evere a treatment, unle&s;s it be that <HI>one</HI> of di&s;&s;enting from the E&s;tabli&s;hed Church in things not nece&s;&s;ary to &s;alvation; which tho it be an <HI>unpardonable</HI> &s;in with &s;ome &s;orts of men, yet will a&s;&s;ured|ly prove more <HI>Venial</HI> with the Almighty hereafter, then the <HI>Exce&s;&s;ive Drinkings,</HI> Pledging of <HI>Scandalous Healths,</HI> and <HI>Prepo&s;terous unnatural Loves</HI> of <HI>&s;ome,</HI> who account every expre&s;&s;ion of their malice again&s;t <HI>them,</HI> to be an acceptable piece of &s;ervice to God, and <HI>an eminent Sig|nal of Loyalty</HI> to their Earthly Soveraign.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>London Nov.</HI> 11. 1681.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>O. Q.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
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