prejudice and neglect of due consideration we should condemn these Practices as contrary to the Laws of God and injurious to mens Souls though they were not so I grant even this may be called Misrepresenting for 't is to call good evil and evil good light darkness and darkness light and whoever is guilty of this kind of Misrepresentation is guilty of a very great Sin and does great mischief in the World not by falsifying matters of Fact but as much as in him lies by changing the nature of things And upon these terms the dispute of Misrepresenting may be easily accommodated Let him plainly confess that we are not Misrepresenters in the first sense that we do not falsly charge any Doctrines or Practices on the Church of Rome which she disowns that we do not teach our People that the Church of Rome believes or practices otherwise than she does and we will give him leave to call us Misrepresenters still if he can shew that we charge their Doctrines or Practices with such guilt as they do not deserve But it is by no means a sufficient answer to this Charge to call us Lyars which for ought I can see is all we are like to get in Answer from this man Of all the several projects for ending Controversie the most effectual that I ever yet heard of is that which our Author hath set on foot for he would now insinuate that he has vindicated the Church of Rome from our Misrepresenting not onely matter of Fact but the guilt we charge them with upon those matters that are confessed by themselves Now I have shewn him as well as I could that some of their confessed Doctrines are false and some of their confessed Practices are unlawful and that their best Apologies for them are insufficient What says the Accomodator to all this He answers that all this is Misrepresenting as that signifies Lying But how the dispute should be carried on upon these Terms otherwise then by giving him the Lye back again I do not comprehend And therefore because neither true Religion or good Breeding will suffer me to carry on a Dispute at that rate the Controversie should seem even upon this account to be at end and I give him joy of the honour that he is like to get by it And yet I think an indifferent Reader may observe that his fastning the Lye upon us for Misrepresenting them in the less-proper sense as he pretends we do is but an after-game to which he is reduced by the extremity of a bad Cause The design of our Author in his Twofold Character of a Papist was to perswade our People that we were Misrepresenters in the first and most proper Sense that we had belyed the Church of Rome with imputing such Doctrines to her as she did not own and this all men that ever I met with understood to be the design of it But since he cannot make good his Charge against us he will now make good his Title of Misrepresenting in a less-proper Sense not that we misreport the Doctrines and Practices of their Church but that we unjustly condemn them and though we will rather allow him to call this Misrepresenting than dispute about a word yet if this be all he intended to acquaint the World that Protestants think worse of Popery than Papists do it was a wonderful discovery and he took as notable a way to rectifie such mis-apprehensions He disclaims all disputing and thinks to confute Protestant Misrepresentations by giving onely a true Character of a Papist with reference to his Faith and Practice out of the most authentick Records of their Church Now if the Misrepresentation does not concern matter of Fact but only mens judgments and opinions about such matters how can a meer Character rectify such Misrepresentations When we know what the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome is and yet think very ill of it Can the meer relating what the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Rome is cure our ill opinion of it And yet this is all the business of a Character to tell us what a Papist is which might indeed reconcile us to Popery had we disliked Popery onely because we did not understand it or took it to be something more formidable than it is but cannot cure such dislikes as arise from a true understanding of Popery He appeals to the Definitions of the Councils of Trent and the Bishop of Condom's Exposition c. to vindicate Popery from the Misrepresentations of Protestants that is to show us what the genuine Doctrines of Popery are And how can this confute our Misrepresentations unless by Misrepresenting he understood Misrepresenting matter of Fact charging such Doctrines on their Church as were never decreed by their Councils nor owned by their most authentick Expositors For the Authority of the Council of Trent is nothing to us any otherwise than as we own it to be the Rule and Standard of the Romish Faith and therefore he can prove nothing against us out of the Council of Trent but onely that those are not the Doctrines of the Church of Rome which we say are and this cannot confute Protestant Misrepresentations of Popery unless our Misrepresentations consist in charging them with such Doctrines as their Church and Councils do not own And therefore though he is now willing to grant that we are not Misrepresenters as that signifies down-right Lyers who charge the Church of Rome with Believing and Practising what she does not yet it is apparent that this was what he intended in his Title of a Papist Misrepresented to accuse Protestants of charging Papists with such Doctrines and Practices as they do not own and if this be not the intent and design of his Book there is a great deal less Sense in it then I thought there had been For if by Misrepresenting he only meant that we reproach and calumniate the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome and charge them with such guilt as they do not deserve not that we charge them falsly with such Doctrines and Practices as they do not own as he now would have it though I grant this may be called Misrepresenting if the charge be false yet it is not such a Misrepresenting as is confuted only by a Character or by true Representing it is wholly matter of Dispute as I have often told him for he must not think that we Protestants shall believe ever the better of Popery because he professes to believe very well of it in his Character of a Papist Represented If he will vindicate the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome from that guilt which Protestants charge on it if he will justifie the Worship of Saints and Angels and Images Transubstantiation the Adoration of the Host half Communion Prayers in an Unknown Tongue c. and prove us to be Misrepresenters he must quit his retreat of Character-making and fairly dispute the points in question which is the way the
Friend of Publicans and Sinners unless he will say that our Saviour was all this for if he were not then they did belye him in matter of fact and so they did the Apostles and Primitive Christians when they accused them as Troublers of the City and Movers of Sedition that they murdered Infants and eat their Flesh that they Worshipped the Sun and adored an Asses head for God for I suppose he will grant that the matter of fact was false But still says the Accommodater they had some matter of fact whereon their Accusations were grounded and which gave some colour and pretence to them Sometimes they had and sometimes they had not But is not this a pleasant inference that because those who tell onely a piece of a story may misrepresent therefore those who faithfully relate the whole matter of fact with all the particular circumstances of it may be Misrepresenters also If he can give any one example of this nature I will onely desire him to tell me the difference between Misrepresenting and true Representing Men who have wit and malice enough may put very spiteful constructions upon the most innocent and virtuous Actions by altering or concealing some circumstances or the end and intention of doing them but this is to misrepresent the fact to represent a thing done otherwise or for another end than really it was but if a man who tells the whole truth not onely what was done but the end why and the manner how it was done can be a Misrepresenter the honestest man in the world may be a Misrepresenter When an action is truly and fairly Represented men may still pass a false judgment upon that action may think that evil and forbidden by God which God has not forbid or that allowed and approved by God which God abhors but this is not properly Misrepresenting but judging falsly which differ just as matter of Fact and matter of Law do in Civil Affairs In all Causes Criminal and Civil there are two distinct questions what the Fact and what the Law is what is done and what judgment the Law passes on such Actions To falsifie in matters of fact is to Misrepresent the person and the action to give a wrong judgment is to Misrepresent the Law and thus it is in our case We are first to enquire what the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome are and then of what nature they are whether true or false good or evil If we affix such Doctrines or Practices on them as they do not teach or alter any material circumstance relating to them then we are Misrepresenters in a proper sence as misreporting matter of fact and this we utterly deny and they can never prove that we do thus misrepresent them that as our Author misrepresents us we usher in with they teach this they believe that they say this they affirm that and under these preambles charge the Papists for asserting and believing such Blasphemies which they would sooner loose their lives than assent to Which he has boldly affirmed without giving one instance of it but as for judging of their Doctrines and Practices we do indeed pass such a judgment on them as I doubt not but they will call Misrepresenting but whether it be so or no is matter of Dispute and must be decided by appealing to Scripture and Reason and we are not ashamed of being called Misrepresenters by them when that signifies no more than censuring and condemning their Faith and Practise But he has one example more of this Misrepresenting and that as he thinks a very nicking one and that is the Fanatical Misrepresentations of the Church of England To this end he brings in a Dissenter charging the Church of England with Popery and several other ill things which is intended to serve more purposes than one Had he first proved us to be Misrepresenters it had been a very proper way to make us sensible of the evil of it to appeal to our own resentments of such usage But what if Dissenters Misrepresent the Church of England does this prove that the Church of England Misrepresents the Church of Rome If we indeed Misrepresent the Church of Rome we have less reason to complain that the Dissenters Misrepresent us but if we are no Misrepresenters we have reason doubly to complain both for being charged with Misrepresenting and for being Misrepresented And therefore the Answer to this long harangue is very short and plain however the Church of England be Misrepresented whether by Papists or Fanaticks we justifie our selves either by denying matter of Fact when that is false or by confuting the Charge We are not afraid of Disputing with our Adversaries when that is needful but justifie the Doctrines and Practices of our Church by Scripture and Reason which is a more generous way than meerely to complain of being Misrepresented without daring to right our selves which is the case of our late Character-makers If the World will be moved by their complaints to believe that they are Misrepresented all is well and they have what they desired but if you will be so perverse as not to believe that they are Misrepresented though they tell you they are and will needs be a disputing the point with them they have done with you for their business is not to Dispute but to Represent The difference between us in this matter is no more but this We are not afraid of Misrepresentations because we know we can defend our selves whereas they find they cannot defend themselves and therefore have no other remedy but to complain of being Misrepresented And yet I must confess this is as artificial a way of saying nothing as I have met with Our Accommodator is very sick of this talk of Misrepresenting and knew not how to get rid of it but by diverting the Dispute and therefore though it be nothing to the purpose instead of proving that we are Misrepresenters he desires us to consider how the Dissenters Misrepresent us but we have considered that enough already and when there is occasion for it will do so again our business at present is not with Dissenters but Papists and we are not for pursuing every new Game but will keep to our old scent It would be a pleasant Scene could he at this time of day engage the Church of England and Dissenters in a new Quarrel but thanks be to God many of our Dissenters are grown wiser now and I hope more will every day whatever they have formerly suspected of our inclinations to Popery they find now that they were mistaken in us and whatever defects they may charge our Worship with I believe they will call it Popish and Antichristian no longer to be sure they will never think us the more inclined to Popery because a Papist says so While these Gentlemen lay behind the Curtain and acted the part of a Zealous Brother under several disguises there was much more danger of them than now They have
Papist must believe but does he say The Church says thus or only Stapleton Stapleton might be a Misrepresenter in delivering this as the Faith of the Church That we must simply believe the Church of Rome whether it teach true or false but the Arch-Bishop does not Misrepresent the Church in saying that Stapleton saies so What is the Authority of private Doctors is not the Dispute but whether Protestants be Misrepresenters for saying That such Doctrines are taught by such Doctors of the Church of Rome The Case of Mr. Sutcliff another of his Misrepresenters is somewhat different For besides what he cites from their own Authors which is set down by the Protester without taking notice that he quotes his Authors for it he many times charges them with the Concequences of their Doctrines and Practices not that he charges them with owning such Consequences but proves such Doctrines on them from what they do profess and own and such sayings as these the Protester sets down as charged on the Church of Rome in the first instance as her avowed Doctrine When Mr. Sutcliff only alledges them as the just interpretations and Consequences of her Doctrine which differ just as much as Misrepresenting and Disputing as saying what a Church professes to believe and what the consequence of such a Faith is As to show this by an instance or two The Protester sets these Propositions down as Mr. Sutcliffs Misrepresentations That Papists speak what they can in disgrace of the Holy Scriptures That they give the Office of Christs Mediation to the Virgin Mary to Angels and to Saints That by the Doctrine of Papists the Devils in Hell may be saved Now indeed had he said That the Papists teach this in express Words he had been a Misrepresenter in a proper Sense for they teach no such thing but Mr. Sutcliff never charges these Doctrines Directly upon them but saies That they say the Scriptures are obscure and hard to be understood and this is to speak in disgrace of the Holy Scriptures That they teach that by the merits of Saints Christians obtain their desires and are delivered out of Purgatory And this is to give the Office of Christs Mediation to the Virgin Mary and to Saints That they teach that the Devils in Hell may have true Faith and yet our Saviour saith Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life So it follows by the Doctrines of Papists That the Reprobrates and Devils in Hell may be saved So that he expresly distinguishes between what the Papists teach and what himself concludes from such Doctrines and therefore he does not Misrepresent the Papists for he charges them with owning no Doctrines but what they do own but if he be guilty of any fault it is in reasoning and Disputing and there is no way that I know of to confute such Consequences but by Reason and Dispute the very Name of which is very uneasie to the Representer and there is good reason why it should be so And this I suppose may satisfie the Accommodator Why I charged him with setting down these sayings of Mr. Sutcliff seperated from the Reasons of them for how little soever he may think himself concerned in his Reasons yet it is of great Consequence in the matter of Representing to distinguish between the Doctrines of Papists and what is charged on them only as the Consequence of their Doctrines To charge them with teaching such Doctrines as they do not teach is Misrepresenting and therefore had these sayings which he Transcribed out of Mr. Sutcliff been charged upon the Papists as their sayings it had been Misrepresenting and this was the design of the Protester in quoting these sayings without giving an account upon what occasion they were said to perswade his Readers that Mr. Sutcliff had directly and immediately charged these Doctrines upon Papists as expresly taught by them and then he had been a Misrepresenter indeed But since it is otherwise it is plain Mr. Sutcliff was Misrepresented by the Protester but he did not Misrepresent Papists as that signifies charging them immediately with such Doctrines as they do not own In the next place he charges me with translating dishonestly for not rendring proper Deum or for Gods sake in English in the form of consecrating the Cross. Now I confess why this was not translated I cannot tell and knew nothing of it till I was informed by him had it been in a dispute about the nature and reason of that worship which they pay to the Cross these words had been very considerable but it relating only to the manner of consecrating the Cross they signified nothing as any one will see who consults the place Especially considering that the whole design of that Discourse about the Worship of Images against which he has not one word to object but this Omission was to show the evil of Image-worship tho they gave no Worship to the material Image but only worshipped God or Christ or the Saints by Images and therefore I had no occasion at all to conceal the English of propter Deum In my Answer to Papists protesting against Protestant-Popery I took occasion to examine the Bishop of Condom's Exposition in two very concerning Points viz. The Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images our Accomodator it seems could see no reason why he should engage in this Dispute and therefore thinks it sufficient to show that my Reasons for this Dispute are not cogent and he names two such as they are 1. That I know no reason for all this Dispute But this saying related to the Dispute about the Bishop of Condom's Authority not about his Exposition of the Catholick Faith 2. His second Reason is like the first Because I said He was not satisfied with my bare telling him That I was not satisfied with his Religion and therefore now I would give him my Reasons for it which he huffs at and says he was never concerned with my not liking his Religion What pretty Reasons will serve to excuse a Man from Answering a Discourse which he knows he cannot answer The plain case is this The Representer made his Appeals and put great confidence in the Bishop of Condom's Authority whose business is to put the softest sense he can upon the Doctrines of the Council of Trent and such Interpretations of the Catholick Faith as have been condemned by other very Catholick Doctors In my Reply to the Reflections I considered what this Bishops Authority is and in my last Answer I examined what the Protester had returned in the defence of it which our Accommodator now says not one word to But yet I told him I knew no reason for this dispute Whether the Bishop of Condom's Exposition were to be the standard of the Roman Catholick Faith for if we should allow this yet Popery is a very corrupt Religion tho the Bishop of Condom were the Authentick Expositor of it And to show that it is so I undertook to examine that Bishops Exposition in those two great Articles of the Romish Faith the Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images and how this should be a Reason for our Accommodator to take no notice of it I cannot imagine Had he any zeal for his Religion and could have answered that Discourse I believe all that I could have said would not have hindred him To conclude this whole matter He peremptorily adheres to his first Title of a Representer and declines all manner of disputation tho in vindication of the Bishop of Condom's Exposition to which he so often Appeals The only point he sticks to is That to assent to the Catholick Faith as expounded in his Character and by the Bishop of Condom is sufficient for any Man to be received into the Communion of the Church of Rome But both he and the Bishop of Condom do not meerly Represent but Reason and Argue also and I should have thought they had been a little concerned to justifie their own Representations and Reasonings But whether this Reasoning and Disputing were agreeable to his design or not it was very necessary to ours For when they endeavour to soften the Doctrines of their Church and to abate a great deal of Bellarmin's Popery to reconcile our people to them it is necessary for us to warn them of the snare and to show them what an ill thing Popery is in its best dress and therefore I as little desire that he should answer what I have said to this purpose as he cares for doing it I never writ a Book with a desire to have it answered but to inform those who otherwise might be imposed on And I suppose our people will think never the worse of any Book because Papists decline the dispute who were never known to avoid Disputing when they thought they could get any thing by it And thus I take a fair leave of the Representer for this matter I think is driven as far as it will go We have by his own confession cleared our selves from being Misrepresenters in the true and proper sense of the Word for we have not falsly charged them with any Doctrines and Practises disowned by their Church and as for their Character of a Papist Represented tho' it falls very short of what some great Divines among them of equal Authority with the Bishop of Condom have thought to be the Doctrine of the Council of Trent yet we are willing to joyne issue with them upon their own terms and to shew them our Reasons why we cannot comply with this refined and new-modelled Popery But this is to dispute and that does not agree with a Representer whose business is to make Characters without any concern to defend them And I am not so fond of disputing as to dispute with him whether he will or no. FINIS Amicable Accommodation p. 6. P. 7. P. 8. 22 Josh. 1 Sam. 1. 13. P. 12. See Foxes and Firebrands P. 25. P. 31. P. 35. P. 36. P. 37. P. 38.