Anglican Misrepresentations: a Reply to "Roman Misquotations." By W. E.
Addis. (Barns and Oates.)—We have not had the advantage of seeing the pamphlet to which this is a reply, nor if we had seen it should we have cared to discuss the questions in dispute. In Anglican Misrepresentations two points seem worthy of notice. The first is a common enough characteristic of theological controversialists, though it is here developed to an unusual extent. Father Addis is aggrieved at the "rude and violent language" of his opponents. Here are specimens of his own courteous and gentle manner of speaking,—" Unscrupu- lous audacity," "dishonest suppression of the truth," "hypocrisy," "palming-off an interpretation." Might not Father Knox, who says " nihil obstat," and Archbishop Manning, who says "imprimatur," have suggested to their zealous subordinate that this is not the usual language of English gentlemen. The next point is really important. Anglicans have accused Roman controversialists of "scandalous misquotation," in that they have quoted St. Augus- tine of Hippo as saying "Roma locate eat: causa finite eat," when he actually did say, "Jam enim de lute canal duo concilia missa sant ad sedem apostolicam : inde etiam rescripta venerunt. Cause finite eat; ntine.m aliquando finiatur error ! " Father Addis thus defends them :—" Catholic controversialists have often quoted the words of the saint entire ; sometimes they have given what they thought, or pro- fessed to think, a summary of his words. If St. Augustine considered that the transcripts from Rome finally decided a case which was not decided absolutely before, the summary is accurate." Now the facts may be dismissed from consideration. What we want to ask Father Addis is this :—A writer sums up in his own words what he thinks—we will say with perfect honesty and on the best possible reasons—to be the meaning of the author whom he cites, and quotes them as the author's words. Is that right? Our own impression is, that it is emphatically " mis- quotation ;" and if Father Addis thinks otherwise, we should always wish, though with the utmost confidence in his honesty and ability, to see his originals.
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