But, good Christian Reader, don't too hastily pass thy Judgment on me. Suspend awhile; it may be, that I may unexpectedly vindicate my self. The Matter as yet is under Debate, whether my _Adversaries_ or I are the grand Misrepresenters and Falsifiers of Authorities. One would think, that my Adversaries, who were bent on the Accusation of me for the foresaid Crime, should have kept themselves clear of it: But the _Bishop_ of _St. David_'s[360] is such a resolute _Misrepresenter_, that he could not find in his Heart faithfully to transcribe the _Three Heads_ of my _Discourses_; but by a Suppression of some Words, and the Change of others, has given them an odious and invidious Turn to my Disadvantage: And he has studied so hard to pervert the Sense of the Fathers against me, and so tortured his Brain to make me a Misrepresenter of them, that I should not wonder, if he had labour'd under a Pain in his Head ever since, and is unable to write more. Tho' my Word should not be taken for all this at present; yet in the Sequel of these _Defences_, it will be made manifest. It is a great Temptation to our _Bishops_ falsely to accuse and misrepresent their Adversaries; because they know their Writings don't equally spread and go together among all their Readers. A _Bishop_'s Writing going more by itself amongst the _Clergy_, and other Friends to his Side of the Question, he is tempted to misrepresent his Adversaries, knowing his prejudiced Readers will take his Report of them, and credit it. For this Reason, and no other, did the _Bishop_ of _Litchfield_[361] falsely charge the _Author_ of the _Grounds_ with odious Assertions, to which there is nothing akin in the Places seemingly referr'd to, nor in all that Author's Work. However, the _Rule_ in Controversy before laid down is a good, useful and necessary one. I pray God we may all be religious and conscientious Observers of it, or we shall retard the Discovery of Truth, and render our Attainment of it difficult, if not impossible.