is nothing better nor worse than an Absolute Falshood 't was therefore set down in the Advice to the Pulpits as an unjust Character and a Misrepresentation of the Papists and Caution given of it upon that score as a thing to be avoided by all Honest Sincere Christian Preachers who desire to speak nothing of themselves nor against their Neighbors but the down-right Truth However the Apologizer for the Pulpits in his Answer pag. 11. being resolv'd to Vindicate and bring off all that has been said in those Chairs as if never any thing had been rashly bolted out there comes with a Let us try what ground the Preacher had for such Assertions And then as to that where the Preacher says Their Orders among the Papists are so many Sects that is says the Answerer So many distinct Bodies that having different Founders Rules Habits and often Opinions by which an Emulation is begot betwixt Order and Order they become divided among themselves Would not a School-boy have been Scourg'd for such a sleeveless frivolous Excuse The Preacher without mincing it says That the different Orders of Religion amongst the Papists are neither better nor worse than so many Sects that is says the Apologizer So many distinct Bodies c. How low are we fall'n below the Pulpit-Character As if Divisions in Religion and different Sects were nothing but so many distinct Bodies having different Founders Rules c. If a Preacher of the Catholic Communion should in the like terms positively declare in a Sermon That the Two Vniversities and every Colledge in them wherein are generally Educated and fitted for the Pulpit all the Parsons in England are neither better nor worse than the Seminaries of so many different Sects and several Casts of Religion and the Fellows are so many Fanatics pack'd up in an Enclosure under Rule I don't question but the Town would soon be fill'd with the News of such an Impostor for being so Impudent in infusing such False Notions into his Hearers And would not he have an Excellent Apologizer to help him out if another to vindicate the Passage should Print in his behalf say That by the Members of the Two Vniversities being so many Sects and different Casts of Religion the Preacher only meant So many distinct Bodies that having different Founders Rules Habits and often Opinions by which an Emulation is begot betwixt Vniversity and Vniversity Colledge and Colledge they become divided among themselves and when occasion is offer'd do actually war one upon another in their way What would the World say of such Doings as these but only condemn the Preacher for rashly aspersing such Bodies of Men and the Vindicator for a vain Trifler in publishing such an Idle Apology And yet this is our Case it being well known to any one that has but a grain more of Truth than what he has learn'd from the Pulpits that those several Religious Orders amongst Catholics notwithstanding their different Founders Rules Habits School-Opinions and Emulation do live as entirely within the Communion of the same Church embrace and teach all the same Articles of Faith say the same Creed Preach Pray and Administer the Sacraments in one anothers Churches and are every way in as perfect a Union as the Two Vniversities which with their different Founders Rules Habits School-Opinions and Emulation are yet Members of the same Communion and subject to the same Church of England And then let the World judge what a great Truth that was of this Preacher asserting These to be so many Sects and different Casts of Religion Dr. Sherlock could have told him That Schismatics or Sectaries in the Church are just as Rebels in a Kingdom not as part of it but as open and profess'd Enemies and consequently that the different Corporations and Bodies of Men here in London under different Founders Rules and Practices might with the same colour of Reason be Preach'd up for so many Rebels as the Religious Orders for so many Sects whilst These are only so many different Parts of the Church as Those are of the Kingdom But now for the Fanatics in Convents The Preacher declar'd that in the Church of Rome they have Fanatics too but they take care to shut them up in Convents By what is already said the Reader may perceive that such as are in Convents in the Church of Rome are Men who embracing a Retir'd Life dedicate themselves to the Service of God in Praying Fasting Mortification and the other Exercises of a Pious Christian some according to the Institution of S. Benedict others of S. Francis others of S. Dominic c. which however different in the Practice of a Religious Life yet are all in perfect Obedience to the same Church-Authority and of the same Belief as may be seen here in England where there are Monks of S. Benedict's Order Friers of S. Francis c. and yet These are so far from making any Divisions in the Church of which they are Members that they all acknowledge one and the same as their Common Mother and are only as different Parts not dividing but making up the Whole This may be seen in Queen Dowager's Chappel at Somerset-house in which Officiate Monks Friars Dominicans Jesuits and Clergy that is so many different Orders of Men and yet without any difference in Religion or disagreement in Faith. Now how unlike is this to what the Preacher delivers How different are These from what is commonly here understood and the Church of England calls Fanatics But however the Apologizer is to bring him off And therefore Fanaticism says he is a general Name and comprehends in it Superstition and Enthusiasm So that Religious Men in Convents are Fanatics forsooth because they are acted by some suppos'd Revelations Visions Raptures and unaccountable Impulses What Controversial Stuff is this Why at this rate he might make Fanatics of all the Patriarchs and Prophets of S. Joseph S. Peter and S. Paul and the rest of the Apostles and most of all of S. John whose whole Book of Revelations is nothing now it seems but so much Fanaticism Marry well-fare such Fanatics I wish the Church-of-England-men were such Fanatics too and were acted a little more by such Visions Revelations and Divine Impulses instead of those we have seen of late Years when the Visions of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey and the Suggestions of Parson Tong and Oats with some other Helps not altogether Divine mov'd the Pulpits as strongly and Fanatically as if all had come directly from Heaven But see now whither we are driven by the Conduct of a close Vindicator The Preacher told his Auditory 1. That in the Church of Rome there are really more Divisions than they charge Ours with 2. That their Religious Orders are neither better nor worse than so many Sects and several Casts of Religion 3. That they have their Fanatics pack'd up in Convents And now upon the management of the whole Matter by the Vindicator 't is all sunk into
Salvation And of this I desire the Defender of the State of the Controversie to take notice that in this I answer his Challenge and here do declare to him that these Doctrins as here set down by his Fellow Ministers and charg'd upon the Papists I do detest and abominate and that since to be a Papist according to the Notion of the Pulpits is to believe according to the Form asserted in their Characters I would be a Turk as soon as their Papist This Declaration I make for his Satisfaction since he desires it and if it be the thing I ought to have done as he says I here do it now if this will end the Controversie but I must caution him to be a little more Reasonable than when he made the late Resolution of thinking nothing to be detestable amongst all the Doctrins laid to us besides such as I expresly reject since 't is impossible I should ever sum them up there being scarce a Sermon or Book of theirs but what furnishes fresh Matter and like ill Weeds grow every day however if he 'll but send me word when the Guides of his Church are become such Lovers of Sincerity and Truth as to leave off Calumniating and throwing Dirt against us I shall then be in some hopes of bringing the Detestable Doctrins into Number but till then he must never expect to see it And in the mean time I desire him to draw me up an exact Catalogue of all and every Sin by which the Commandments are broken if he 'll but offer at this he may fall something into the account of the unreasonable Task he has put upon me By this time I hope the Reader is satisfi'd that 't is not without Reason the Papists complain of being Misrepresented and tho' some have had the Confidence to pretend that we have not produc'd One clear Instance of it yet that now we have Many and Many more they may have if it be requir'd And this I hope is sufficient to put an end to one half of the Controversie which was the Subject of the First Book to wit that the Papist is Misrepresented And if any make Exceptions against the Character of him thus disguis'd as 't was drawn there I 'll never quarrel upon that score let that be ras'd out and these others take the Place which 't is likely are more Authentic As for the other Part to wit of the Papist Represented I here own it again that it is the Papist I am and whoever assents to that Character in that very Form has done what is requir'd as to those Particulars to be made a Member of our Communion This Offer may be said to have been Answer'd over and over But the Matter of Fact defeats all those Answers and is a Demonstration that they are nothing but Shuffling For whilst a Man may be receiv'd upon those Terms and yet cannot be receiv'd unless he assents to the Faith of the Church 't is evident that in that Character the Faith of the Church is Truly Represented Our new Adversary has one Cavil here to put in viz. That the Character of the Papist Represented is not a good Character because the Faith of a Papist as stated under each Article is not All his Faith. And may not he upon the same score reject the Gospel of S. John for being no True Gospel because it do's not contain All that Jesus did or spoke If it be true as far as it goes and rectifies the most Considerable of those Mistakes and prejudic'd Opinions which are either designedly or ignorantly laid against Catholics it do's as much as was intended by it but to think that it ought to reach to every Particular was more than ever I could pretend to And to this Difficulty I desire this Answerer to let me know his Opinion of the Exposition of the Doctrins of the Church of England whether it contains under each Article All that is of Faith in that Church and whether if any thing be omitted it is to pass for a Misrepresenting Trick as 't is here term'd But this Man has still another Scruple pag. 33. That if he should come into our Church upon the Terms I have propos'd whether I will be Security that he shall not be press'd to profess and practice that Popery which I have either deny'd or conceal'd Marry if he means by that Popery the Pulpit-Popery a part of which is set down in the Characters above I 'll give him the same Security I have my self viz. the Assistance of the Holy Ghost promis'd to his Church which will never permit it to lead her Members into such Abominations he may have the Security too of a good Conscience which cannot be press'd to the profession of so much Evil. And in this he may see his other material Question Answer'd pag. 34. Whether he may be admitted into our Communion with that which he calls Old Popery For if his Old Popery be the Pulpit-Pulpery he sees we reject it and I tell him that whatsoever Church would receive him with the Profession of all those Scandalous Doctrins the Pulpits charge against us I would be sure to be no Member of it and if there were no other but that Church amongst Christians I would then begin to look towards Turky And here this Answerer may now begin to perceive how unsuccessful he is in his last Trick of endeavoring to make a Difference betwixt me and the Learned Vindicator of the Bishop of Meaux whilst he now sees that the Popery I detest and abominate is this Pulpit-Popery as describ'd by the Parsons in which there is so much of Insincerity and Passionate Deductions with other worse sort of Dealing that I again own it to him that I cannot but declare against it I meddle not here with the Different Opinions of School-Divines I leave them exercising their Wits in Speculations but when a Parson designedly enters amongst those Niceties and picks out such of them as he knows will look absurd to his Auditory and having play'd with them a while in the Pulpit shewing all Sides but the Right displaying them into most Monstrous Consequences leaving the People to take all according to their own Vulgar Notions without expounding to them the Sense of the Schools and after all concluding Do you see what the Papists Believe Do you see what they Teach Here I step in and cry out Misrepresenting whilst 't is by these Means insinuated into the People as if to be a Papist were to believe all as they have laid it out in their Pulpits And for the rendring these kind of Religious Frauds Unsuccessful I in my First Book presented the Reader with a View of the greatest Part of our Doctrins as Receiv'd and Profess'd in our Church And in assigning Matters of Faith I observ'd not a different but the same Rule with the Vindicator whilst I have declar'd nothing as an Article of our Belief but what has been thus positively determin'd by the
Pride and Rebellion infected such vast numbers of those Celestial Spirits a Traitor too we know was found in the very School of Christ and as long as the Church Militant is made up of Men 't is not to be expected that a Right Faith shall so privilege them as that none shall be Tempted and Misled to Evil. All that I pretend to is that the Papists are not so infamously worse than all other Christians as the Pulpits seem generally to render them that they live as Conscientiously as Vertuously as fearful of Offending as solicitous of Repenting c. as any other Division who pretend to have Reform'd them and consequently that their Doctrins and Principles by which they regulate their Lives are not such as they are Represented Neither do I expect that amongst such an infinite number of Writers whose Works are extant of that Communion there shall be nothing found obnoxious to Exceptions of the Reader and which may not easily by the help of a wrested Interpretation be made appear in seeming Inferences plausibly drawn from it as Unchristian as the Text of the Alcoran All this I am sensible may without difficulty be found But this do's not reach the Point since if this were a just Method of setting forth any Body of Christians 't is certain there is not at present nor ever was any Society embodied under that Name whose Writings are in every Particular so Exact and cautiously Penn'd but that by the Artifice of Envious Critics they might be easily defam'd as Prophane and Impious I don't question but if those very Heads and Hands that have been so industrious for these Hundred and fifty years in sifting and raking the Books of Catholics had apply'd themselves with the Encouragement of a like Malice and Interest to the Writings of the Holy Fathers nay of the very Apostles themselves they had as certainly before this time have made them as Black as the Papists and convinc'd their Followers Men of an Implicit Faith of the Christian Obligation they were under of hating all alike When once Men come to Raise up themselves by Running down their Neighbor and work their Ends by Finding fault Censuring Condemning Exposing Ridiculing and Railing at others 't is easie to conceive how Ingenious Corrupt Nature will be in such an Undertaking especially too when a pretended Duty strikes in with this Vicious Inclination and spurs it on in its own course 't is then Down-hill all the way and 't is hurried along impetuously carrying all before it Now what will not Ten thousand Pulpits open every Week do in this Case What Lives so Holy what Doctrin so Divine what Writings so Orthodox as to stand this Test When the Business of so many Pulpits is chiefly to make Exceptions pick Holes Quarrel Ridicule and the more excellent they are at this Work the more they gain upon their Auditory the more they secure their own Interest and prepare themselves for Honors and Preferments A little Stock of Consideration will convince a Man how much may be done by this kind of Representing since whosoever will but take the pains to view the admirable Effects of it may be satisfi'd that there has not been any one thing so Sacred no Duty so Fundamental no Obligation so Indispensable but what has been vilely trampled on and expos'd under the blackest Colours of Infamy and Irreligion 'T is well known how even Innocence it self heretofore appear'd defil'd in Susanna by the wicked Contrivance of the Two Elders How the Lamb of God our Blessed Redeemer was expos'd under the Reproaches of a Deceiver and Seditious How the Apostles and Primitive Christians were made Odious by the malicious Policy of the Priests of the Jews and the Heathens From whence 't is certain there 's no Christianity no Piety no Perfection whether in Doctrin or Practice but what may be vilifi'd and made contemptible by this Art of Deceivers Since therefore as 't is evident the best of things may be thus disguis'd by Adversaries and made appear quite different from what they are in themselves which I call Misrepresenting and this we say is the Case of Popery and the Papists For the clearing of this Point I appeal from the Characters of Protestant Adversaries to the very Lives of Papists themselves This will be the fairest Decision of the Controversie and not subject to those many Frauds which Interest Ill-will and Ignorance are apt to make use of in the other way Which too besides other Inconveniences is never like to bring the Matter to an issue For whilst We in our Defence produce Instances on the one Side wherein we are Abus'd Calumniated and Misrepresented and our Adversaries on the other are Expounding Proving and Shifting the Charge what likelihood of an end Since he must be thoroughly dull even a seven-fold-skull'd Man who when he is accus'd of wronging his Neighbor in an Vnjust Charge can't find a plausible Pretence for what he has said and get off one way or another especially too when he has so many thousand Volumes and the Actions of ten thousand times more Professors to search into and make use of to his purpose 't is hard if amongst so many Writers and Livers there 's nothing for his turn In this Channel has this Controversie run hitherto and so it may to the Worlds end For if all be True Representing that may be brought off by such Shifts as I have met with in the Course of this Debate 't is impossible there should have been any Misrepresenters in the World ever since the Creation unless it be such who have only Malice enough to raise Calumnies but want Wit to Gloss upon the Report and Colour the Design Only such as these are Qualifi'd for the Character of Misrepresenting for as for all others who have but so much of Eve in them as to understand the Art of framing an Excuse they may boldly assert Falsities raise groundless Jealousies misconstrue the Actions and Doctrin of their Neighbors extend Particulars to Universals make what wrested Inferences they please yet 't is True Representing all the while as long as the Managers have but any thing to say in their own behalf tho' it be nothing but to Palliate and divert the Mind of the Reader Such Returns as these made to the most Evident and Vndeniable Charges of Misrepresenting with the Title of An Answer in great Characters and an Imprimatur to set it out are Demonstrations enough to the Crowd to pass Sentence upon the poor Papists for the worst of Men of whom they can hear or read nothing but they are prepar'd beforehand to believe all and pronounce them Guilty And then let but a Man who has a good conceit of himself come after all and call it an Impudence in the Papists not to make any Reply to such Answers which are only Answ to Repr Reflect upon the State of Controv. p. 52. too Impertinent to deserve any and then tell his Reader that after all
open Repentance to be improper in their Station but after so clear a Conviction of the Innocence of those whom they then accus'd they must needs conclude it a Duty and till they find a way to do it one way or another they must not take it amiss if as they were Misrepresenters then they are esteem'd Misrepresenters still since all that they asserted at that time in their Sermons as to them remains still in full force and with the Face of Truth till it be openly revok'd which was never done yet as I can hear of Second Character of a Pulpit-Papist THE Popish Jesuits had a Hand in that Horrid Plot of the Good Advice Murder of King Charles I. That Sacred and Royal Blood was not shed without the Concurrence and Assistance of the Papists From Rome those Dreadful Confusions were highly fomented The mischievous and busie Jesuit promoted the Design and was so Impudent as to boast of it The Priest is well known says one who when the Fatal Stroke was given flourish'd with his Sword and said Now the greatest Enemy we have in the World is gone The Church of Rome is justly accus'd of this Execrable Crime and 't is unjustly cast on those of the Reform'd Religion This is another Character of the Papists extracted out of Sermons 'T is as Foul and Barbarous as well can be and enough to make them odious in the sight of good Christians If it be True the Papists deservedly suffer but if False then certainly the Pulpits are Misrepresenters And how far it is from Truth I believe there are few even of Protestants who know how to think without Passion but have already concluded The Pulpits have a Groundless Story they produce in behalf of what they assert and we shew the contrary in an undeniable Testimony written in Characters of Blood of so many Noblemen Gentry and Commonalty who lost their Lives in defence of that Prince whom by the Pulpits they are accus'd to have Murder'd Strange that the Blood of so many Papists should be spilt and all under the Royal Standard and yet They to be the Murderers and their Church to be justly accus'd of that Execrable Crime 'T is well known that the Papists ventur'd All in the Service of the Father And the Challenge has been made to all sorts of Protestants to produce even Ten Papists I may say Two that in all that Confusion of Civil Wars ever drew Sword against him 'T is as well known that the Son our late Sovereign was shelter'd amongst the Papists that neither Promises nor Threats were powerful enough to move them from their Duty and that even a Priest too most Loyally hazarded his Life to save that of his Prince by whose Care he was secur'd from the Fury of his Enemies and preserv'd for the Crown This Evidence we have to attest the Loyalty of the Papists of those Times and yet the Pulpits still declare that the Papists had a Hand in the shedding of that Royal Blood. The Answerer has nothing to say here but that we ought to consult not the Preachers but the Authorities they went upon The Authority they have hitherto produc'd is that of the French Preacher which by sober Protestants themselves is reputed no better than a Fable If those that lay this Scandal upon Papists in their Sermons think it to be otherwise I wonder at least whether they can prove it to be so Great as even to let this single Authority by virtue of an Implicit Faith weigh down those other Testimonies of Sense and Reason visible in the Blood of those who lost their Lives in defence of their Sovereign Till they do this they only let weak Probability take place of Demonstration to the Defaming their Neighbor and how far this falls short of Misrepresenting I leave the World to judge Third Character of a Pulpit-Papist THE Papists we are satisfied were the Instruments in that Good Advice to Pulp Caut. 2. Judgment of the Fire of London and caus'd London to fall just then when it was expected Rome should this was for the Advantage of their Cause and we have too many Reasons to think they would pitch upon some such Counsel For such things as these are now become their last Refuge and the Arguments in which they expect most Success They find all Rational Attempts against us to be Fruitless and therefore despairing of ever convincing us like Men they are resolv'd to beat out our Brains if they can like Beasts This is a Character of Papists insinuated into the Honorable Magistrates of the City of London not in the time of that dreadful Fire when that general Consternation might have been a good Plea for an over credulous Accusation but almost Twenty years after when the whole Matter had been throughly consider'd And tho' there were no other Grounds whereon to build this Charge besides the Clamour and Affected Jealousies of the People and the Confession of a Distracted Man whose Religion was not much of any kind but still professedly Protestant Yet upon these Grounds are the Papists represented as the Instruments of that dreadful Judgment of the Fire of London a Wickedness so Execrable that 't is not easily to be suppos'd the Crime of Men but Fiends Yet the Pulpits are satisfi'd that the Papists did it for the Advantage of their Cause The People are persuaded that 't is from such Hellish Means the Papists expect most Success and that because they have nothing of Reason whereby to prevail upon Protestants rather than fail they are resolv'd to beat out their Brains like Beasts Strange Exaggerations from such weak Grounds And if this be not to pass for Misrepresenting they must have hard Foreheads that must even pretend to discharge it from that so deserv'd an Imputation But however to this are we forc'd by the Confidence of some Adversaries who after such Rash Assertions of theirs from the Pulpit and the loading us with so much Infamy and Popular Hatred upon such light Presumptions are notwithstanding so far from that Christian Duty of making the least Satisfaction for this so considerable an Injury done both to our Persons and Religion that they even continue to imprint the Infamy yet deeper in the Hearts of the People by condemning the Complaints of our having been thus unjustly Traduc'd and pretending that we cannot produce One clear Instance of our being Misrepresented Is not this to vouch for the Truth of all that has been ever said against us and to affirm in one Breath that whether as to Oat's Plot the Murther of Sir Edmondbury Godfrey the Firing the City and whatsoever else of this kind deliver'd out of the Pulpits 't is all True the Papists are Guilty of all and their Complaints of being Misrepresented is but Vain and Idle Are these Men are they Preachers can they be Christians in earnest that thus play with the Reputation of their Neighbors in the Pulpit blacken the greatest part of the Christian World with
this That the Religious Orders are distinct Bodies having different Founders Rules c. And that in their Convents some are acted by supposed Illuminations Raptures and unaccountable Impulses Who could ever have fall'n into this Account without the assistance of such an Expounder And do's he think in earnest that the Auditory understood it as he has now laid it out He knows they are not us'd to such favourable Constructions in things relating to the Papists they may make things worse indeed but seldom I fear take off from any thing they hear thus positively asserted in the Pulpit And therefore considering how different this Notion is from what those Words of the Preacher according to the general and vulgar acceptance do import he must give me leave to set down those Three Assertions of the Pulpit for so many Clear Instances of most Foul Misrepresenting Sixth Character of a Pulpit-Papist IN the Roman Church it the Sacrament must now be no longer a Representative but a Real Propitiatory Sacrifice Ibidem and Christ's Natural Body must be brought down from Heaven upon a Thousand Altars at once and there really broken and his Blood actually spilt a Thousand times every Day Thus is this Doctrin of Catholics render'd in a Sermon at Oxford 1679. and in these few words are Two things Falsly shewn 1. The Sacrifice of the Altar is made to be no longer a Representative Sacrifice whereas Catholics believe that it is Representative 2. That Christ's Body is really broken and his Blood actually spilt upon the Altar whereas Catholics are taught that this is done only Sacramentally or Mystically And what 's the Plea of the Apologizer Only that this is not positively asserted of the Papists Doctrin but only a Natural Inference and an Arguing against them upon their own Principles And this is apparent because says he the words Now and Must be shew what the Preacher meant To such a nice Point is the Vindicator reduc'd to bring off the Preacher so that to all such as at that Sermon did not understand the virtue of that Now and Must be there are these Two Falsities suggested of the Papists and Protestant awkward Reasoning is set out for True Catholic Doctrin which is as bad Misrepresenting as can be 'T is not my Province here to examin the Truth of such Reasoning and Inferences but yet I fancy there are few Men of Sense who don't see throughly the weakness of such Deductions whilst 't is so easily reconcileable with Reason and Scripture and so intelligible that Christ really Present in the Sacrament may be offer'd to God upon the Altar by the Hands of the Priest in Remembrance of the same Christ offering himself a Victim upon the Cross for the Redemption of Man and consequently that the Sacrifice of the Altar is Representative of that upon the Cross Mr. Thorndike never scrupled the least Epil to Trag. l. 3. c. 5. p. 11. at this expresly owning the Elements chang'd into the Body and Blood of Christ to be truly the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross and to be both Propitiatory and Impetratory and yet never deny'd it to be perform'd likewise in Remembrance of Christ Crucified The other is not more difficult to be conceiv'd viz. How Christ's Body may be Really present in this Sacrament and yet his Body not Really broken there nor his Blood actually spilt since 't is not Present there Corporeally but Sacramentally only which manner of Presence is no more consistent with real Breaking or Spilling than are Spirits or the Glorified Bodies of the Blessed which tho' real and substantial Bodies still are not withstanding not at all susceptible of those Corporeal Accidents But however this may be obvious to any unbiass'd Judgment yet we are it seems to be expos'd according to every Man 's Perverse Notions and every little-half-pac'd Divine is to set us out under all the Grossest Absurdities which he pretends are in our Doctrin but are really nothing but the rough thoughts of his own Inventive Brain and if this be to pass for True Representing in a Pulpit God defend all good Christians from the Edifications of such Truths Seventh Character of a Pulpit-Papist POpery puts out the Vnderstandings of those of her own Communion Good Advice to Pulp Caut. 3. and tears out the Hearts of all others whom she cannot deceive she will destroy The Absurdity of Auricular Confession is endless where a Man unlades himself of all his Sins by whispering them into Priests Ears Likewise Transubstantiation where Men must renounce all their Five Senses The Pope's Infallibility keeps a good decorum with the rest He alone cannot err and all others without some of his assistance cannot but err After this manner was Popery describ'd in a Preface to a Sermon at Guild-hall 1679. and so much to a Protestant purpose that were it such a Religion as is in these few Lines describ'd 't were nothing less than the Duty of every Reasonable Christian to protest against it But as long as these Deformities are only the Contrivances of her Disingenuous Character-making Adversaries they only serve as an Argument to confirm her Professors in their Religion whilst they behold it Attaqued only by the Unchristian Artifices of Passion and Imposture And let the Reader see how much these are concern'd in this Character in which there are as many Calumnies as Lines 1. It asserts That Popery puts out the Vnderstanding of those of her own Communion This is false since 't is certain that Catholics have the same liberty of using and improving their Understanding as the Members of any other Christian Society in the World and there are none of her Deserters whatsoever that have half so many Books Catechisms Commentaries Expositions c. for Instructing their Members in all the Mysteries of Faith and Practical Duties of a Christian as They and if this be putting out the Vnderstandings of those of her own Communion whilst it takes so much care for the making them understand their Religion then certainly those that help Men to see better may be as truly said to put out their Eyes There 's none certainly but knows that whosoever will be a Christian must submit his Vnderstanding to the Belief of such Mysteries as are above it this Catholics are taught to do and Protestants too if they have Christian Faith must do the like S. Paul read this Lesson long ago to the Corinthians 2 Ep. 10. 5. where he teaches them to Bring into captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ This captivity of our Vnderstanding to Christ and to the Mysteries he taught is an improving and illuminating the Vnderstanding and no putting of it out And if it be upon this score he lays this Scandal upon us let him but take a Jew along with him and upon the same ground he 'll see as much done for S. Paul. 'T is our comfort still that in all things touching Faith we have God and his Holy
Church Representative or is so acknowledg'd by the whole Body Diffusive which is still equivalent to it And the currant passing of the Book and general Reception of it amongst Catholics argued strongly enough that it was exact as to all this But because I design'd that Book for the Public I did not content my self with the bare stating such our Avow'd Doctrins or Articles of Faith but I likewise added short Expositions in relation to some Protestant Objections generally made to each Article of How can this be Wherefore is this c. And the Expositions I own to be no Articles of Faith but only some receiv'd Notions relating to the Articles of our Faith as they are oppos'd by Protestants or search'd into by the Curious And these were so far from being my Private Sentiments that the Reader may find the same in our Ordinary Scripture-Catechisms of which there has been Printed in this Nation in a few Years not less than Twenty thousand And I hope so general a Reception is sufficient to justifie them against all Cavillers and to convince any considering Men that to Assent to the Catholic Faith as so Expounded which is so contrary to what Protestants say or to the Pulpit-Popery is sufficient for any Member of our Church And if there be other ways of Expounding the same Articles there 's no Inconvenience in this since where the Faith is the same there may be variety of Opinions as to the How 's or the Whys And this I hope the Answerer will understand if he please but to review The Exposition of the Doctrin of the Church of England in which tho' the Author undertakes to propose That Form of Faith that is openly profess'd and taught without any Disguise or Dissimulation in the Church of England as he says Pref. pag. xvii yet I fancy amongst those Expositions he 'll find several Opinions of Private Doctors instead of Points positively so determin'd by that Church Let him but look over that a while and I believe he may have as much reason to call in question the Title of that Book as that of the Bishop and that according to his way I think it ought to bear thus An Exposition of Some bodies Private Sentiments concerning the Doctrin of the Church of England I leave him to consider this a while but I beg him to be Civil with the Author and use him tenderly for if he should deal roughly with him as he do's other his Adversaries and call him Madman or Fool he might take it unkindly and tell him this do's not agree with his Coat I believe 't is better advise him to take some other honest Employment as to Dig or make Almanacks rather than write Controversie for this Gentleman can tell him that to Impose upon Men in Books of Divinity and to take a convenient Stand near the Town is much alike for the Honesty of the Undertaking I expect he 'll take some pains with him since he is resolv'd to spend no more of his time with the Vindicator or Representer These he says are like to be Priviledg'd Persons as to him since he 's resolv'd to Answer them no more they are not it seems so Good-natur'd as to be Confuted by him and he takes it unkindly at their hands But however those who know how abusively he treats his Adversaries must needs take this for no small Privilege And therefore We cannot but thank him for this his Resolution tho' late of calling us Knaves or Fools no more Which in his Language is the short of his Making Replies FINIS THE CONTENTS THE Preface to the Reader  First Character of a Pulpit-Papist Pag. 13. Second Character of a Pulpit-Papist 15. Third Character of a Pulpit-Papist 16. Fourth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 19. Fifth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 25. Sixth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 27. Seventh Character of a Pulpit-Papist 29. Eighth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 34. Ninth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 35. Tenth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 38. Eleventh Character of a Pulpit-Papist 39. Twelfth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 42. Thirteenth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 45. Fourteenth Character of a Pulpit-Papist 50.