But you, who fathers and traditions take, And garble fome, and some you quite forfake, Pretending church-authority to fix, And yet fome grains of private spirit mix, Are like a mule made up of differing feed, And that's the reason why you never breed ; At least not propagate your kind abroad, For home dissenters are by statutes aw'd. And yet they grow upon you every day, While you, to speak the best, are at a stay, For fects, that are extremes, abhor a middle way. Like tricks of state, to stop a raging flood, Or mollify a mad-brain'd senate's mood: Of all expedients never one was good. Well may they argue, nor can you deny, If we must fix on church authority, Best on the best, the fountain, not the flood; That must be better still, if this be good. Shall she command who has herself rebell'd? Is antichrist by antichrist expell'd? Did we a lawful tyranny displace, To fet aloft a bastard of the race? Why all these wars to win the book, if we Must not interpret for ourselves, but she ? Either be wholly slaves, or wholly free.

1 4

For purging fires traditions must not fight;
But they must prove episcopacy's right.
Thus those led horses are from service freed;
You never mount them but in time of need.
Like mercenaries, hir'd for home defence,
They will not ferve against their native prince.
Against domeftic foes of hierarchy
These are drawn forth, to make fanatics fly;
But, when they fee their countrymen at hand,
Marching against them under church-command,
Straight they forsake their color, and disband,
Thus the, nor could the Panther well enlarge
With weak defence against so strong a charge;
But faid: For what did Christ his word provide,
If still his church must want a living guide ?
And if all-faving doctrines are not there,
Or facred penmen could not make them clear,
From after-ages we should hope in vain
For truths, which men inspir'd could not explain.
Before the word was written, faid the Hind,
Our Saviour preach'd his faith to human kind:
From his apostles the first age receiv'd
Eternal truth, and what they taught believ'd.
Thus by tradition faith was planted first ;
Succeeding flocks fucceeding paftors nurs'd.

3

This was the way our wife Redeemer chose, (Who fure could all things for the best dispose, dispose, To fence his fold from their encroaching foes.

}

He could have writ himself, but well foresaw
Th' event would be like that of Mofes' law;
Some difference would arise, some doubts remain,
Like those which yet the jarring Jews maintain.
No written laws can be so plain, so pure,
But wit may glofs and malice may obfcure;
Not those indited by his first command,

A prophet grav'd the text, an angel held his

hand.

Thus faith was ere the written word appear'd,
And men believ'd not what they read but heard.
But fince th' apostles could not be confin'd
To these, or those, but severally design'd
Their large commission round the world to blow
To spread their faith, they spread their labors too.
Yet still their absent flock their pains did share;
They hearken'd still, for love produces care.
And as mistakes arose, or discords fell,
Or bold seducers taught them to rebel,
As charity grew cold, or faction hot,
Or long neglect their lessons had forgot,

For

For all their wants they wisely did provide,
And preaching by epistles was supply'd :
So great physicians cannot all attend,
But some they visit, and to some they send.
Yet all those letters were not writ to all;
Nor first intended but occafional,
Their absent sermons; nor if they contain
All needful doctrines, are those doctrines plain.
Clearness by frequent preaching must be wrought;
They writ but feldom, but they daily taught.
And what one faint has faid of holy Paul,
"He darkly writ," is true apply'd to all.
For this obscurity could heaven provide
More prudently than by a living guide,
As doubts arose, the difference to decide?
A guide was therefore needful, therefore made;
And, if appointed, fure to be obey'd.
Thus, with due reverence to th' apostles writ,
By which my fons are taught, to which submit;
I think, those truths, their sacred works contain,
The church alone can certainly explain;
That following ages, leaning on the past,
May rest upon the primitive at last.

Nor would I thence the word no rule infer,

But none without the church-interpreter.

Because, as I have urg'd before, 'tis mute,
And is itself the fubject of dispute.

But what th' apostles their successors taught, They to the next, from them to us is brought, Th' undoubted sense which is in fcripture fought. From hence the church is arm'd, when errors

}

rife

To stop their entrance, and prevent surprise; And, fafe entrench'd within, her foes without

defies.

By these all festering fores her councils heal,
Which time or has disclos'd, or shall reveal;
For difcord cannot end without a last appeal.
Nor can a council national decide,
But with fubordination to her guide :
(I wish the cause were on that issue try'd.)
Much less the scripture; for suppose debate
Betwixt pretenders to a fair eftate,
Bequeath'd by some legator's last intent;
(Such is our dying Saviour's teftament:)
The will is prov'd, is open'd, and is read;
The doubtful heirs their diff'ring titles plead :
All vouch the words their int'rest to maintain,
And each pretends by those his cause is plain.
Shall then the Testament award the right?
No, that's the Hungary for which they fight;