A LETTER TO A Person of Quality, Occasioned by the Burning of Sir John Presbyter, In the Deans Yard WESTMINSTER, Novemb. 5. 1681.  
To the L. B. R. D. W.  
My LORD,  
THe eminent Character which you bear in the Church, and those personal Accomplishments, which, I have been informed, you are Master of, have formerly engaged me to a very great Reverence for your Lordship's Name, and Person. But that late scandalous Action in Deans-yard on the 5th. of November, which could never have been done without your Countenance, and Permission( as every one must conclude, who knows any thing of your Relation to that Society) hath now given me( as well as many others) too just an occasion of entertaining different Sentiments concerning you, from what I had hitherto received. However, my former Respects have now engaged me to sand your Lordship these few lines, and thereby to acquaint you with those Censures, which are generally past upon that Action. I hope you● Lordship will peruse them without Peevishness and Passion; since it is a happiness, which few great Men enjoy; to be faithfully enform'd of that judgement, which the World makes concerning them.  
Briefly then, My Lord, all sober persons of all persuasions were greatly surprised with regret, and grief, to red so scurrilous a story triumphantly proclaimed to the World by Tompson in his Tuesdays Intelligence, and to find upon Enquiry so little of his wonted forgery in that Relation. Especially, since it was acted on that day which is by Parliament set apart for the commemoration of our great Deliverance from a Popish Conspiracy; and at such a juncture too of time; when we are All equally in danger of becoming a prey to those merciless Enemies, who will not only wish( as Tompson tells us your Scholars did) that the Person of him who was represented, and all his followers were burnt like that Image, but really effect it, when they have an Opportunity; and that not only upon one party, but on all, who will not readily submit themselves to that Antichristian Yoke, and Tyranny. It is said hereupon,  
That your Lordship by encouraging this, hath confuted that opinion of your Moderation towards Dissenters, which was so commonly entertained and believed; and that there is too much cause to fear, if you still retain any thing of Temper, the Papists are the principal objects of it.  
That we may now perceive the great Prudence of our late Parliament in repealing the Statute De Haeretico Comburendo, and abridging the Hierarchy of that Exorbitant power they thereby enjoyed over such, as they pleased to brand with the odious Name of heretic; since even one of our Bishops hath in so public a manner expressed his willingness to have it executed on his Fellow-Protestants.  
That it is to be feared, a late Popish Pamphlet entitled The Vindication of the English catholics hath too just ground to speak with so much respect of your Lordship, while in the mean time it accounts the Pious and Learned Bishop of Lincoln to be scarce a Christian. And,  
That doubtless your Lordship expects some extraordinary Reward under a Popish Successor, for manifesting already so Fiery a zeal against those whom that Party esteem( if not their ONLY, yet) their greatest Enemies.  
That by thus burning the Presbyteri●●● in Essig●e you seem to reproach His Majesties great Kindness, and to condemn many worthy Persons charity to the poor distressed French Protestants, who are all of that persuasion, and therefore, according to the Doctrine taught in your School, deserve rather to be burnt, then relieved.  
That if any Man can think it worth his pains to inquire into the lives of many of the Actors in that spiteful Scene, he may thence too justly conclude( as one did of the Christians in Nero's time) that they must certainly be very good Men, who are so mortally hated by Persons of such profligate Conversations. But however,  
That the Dissenters are not conscious to themselves of any Crimes, that might deserve so severe a treatment, unless it be that one of dissenting from the Established Church in things not necessary to salvation; which tho it be an unpardonable sin with some sorts of men, yet will assuredly prove more Venial with the Almighty hereafter, then the Excessive Drinkings, Pledging of Scandalous Healths, and Preposterous unnatural Loves of some, who account every expression of their malice against them, to be an acceptable piece of service to God, and an eminent Signal of Loyalty to their Earthly sovereign.  
London Nov. 11. 1681. O. Q.