The field of battle, subject of debate;
The thing contended for, the fair estate.
The sense is intricate, 'tis only clear
What vowels and what confonants are there.
Therefore 'tis plain, its meaning must be try'd
Before some judge appointed to decide.
Suppose, the fair apoftate faid, I grant,
The faithful flock some living guide should want,
Your arguments an endless chace purfue :
Produce this vaunted leader to our view,
This mighty Mofes of the chosen crew.
The dame, who saw her fainting foe retir'd,
With force renew'd, to victory aspir'd;
And, looking upward to her kindred sky,
As once our Saviour own'd his Deity,
Pronounc'd his words--" she whom ye seek am I."
Nor less amaz'd this voice the Panther heard,
Than were those Jews to hear a God declar'd.
Then thus the matron modeftly renew'd :
Let all your prophets and their sects be view'd,
And fee to which of them yourselves think fit
The conduct of your confcience to submit :
Each profelyte would vote his doctor best,
With absolute exclufion to the rest:
Thus would your Polish diet disagree,
And end as it began in anarchy:
Yourself the fairest for election stand,
Because you feem crown-general of the land:
But foon against your superstitious lawn
Some prefbyterian sabre would be drawn :
In your establish'd laws of sov'reignty
The rest some fundamental flaw would fee,
And call rebellion gospel-liberty.
To church-decrees your articles require
Submiffion mollify'd, if not entire.
Homage deny'd, to censures you proceed:
But when Curtana will not do the deed,
You lay that pointless clergy-weapon by,
And to the laws, your sword of justice, fly.
Now this your sects the more unkindly take
Those prying varlets hit the blots you make,
Because some ancient friends of yours declare,
Your only rule of faith the scriptures are,
Interpreted by men of judgment found,
Which every sect will for themselves expound;
Nor think less rev'rence to their doctors due
For found interpretation, than to you.
If then, by able heads, are understood
Your brother prophets, who reform'd abroad;
Those able heads expound a wiser way,
That their own sheep their shepherd should
But if you mean yourselves are only found,
That doctrine turns the reformation round,
And all the rest are false reformers found;
Because in sundry points you stand alone,
Not in communion join'd with any one ;
And therefore must be all the church, or none.
Then, 'till you have agreed whose judge is best,
Against this forc'd fubmiffion they protest :
While found and found a diff 'rent sense explains,
Both play at hardhead till they break their brains;
And from their chairs each other's force defy,
While unregarded thunders vainly fly.
I pass the rest, because your church alone
Of all ufurpers best could fill the throne.
But neither you, nor any fect befide,
For this high office can be qualify'd,
With neceffary gifts requir'd in such a guide.
For that, which must direct the whole, must be
Bound in one bond of faith and unity :
But all your several churches disagree.
The consubstantiating church and priest
Refuse communion to the Calvinist :
The French reform'd from preaching you restrain,
Because you judge their ordination vain ;
And so they judge of yours, but donors must
In short, in doctrine, or in discipline,
Not one reform'd can with another join :
But all from each, as from damnation, fly;
No union they pretend, but in Non-Popery:
Nor, should their members in a synod meet,
Could any church presume to mount the feat,
Above the rest, their discords to decide;
None would obey, but each would be the guide ;
And face to face dissensions would increase;
For only distance now preserves the peace.
All in their turns accusers, and accus'd:
Babel was never half so much confus'd:
What one can plead, the rest can plead as well;
For amongst equals lies no last appeal,
And all confess themselves are fallible.
Because a trust so sacred to confer
Now fince you grant some necessary guide,
All who can err are justly laid aside :
Shews want of such a fure interpreter;
And how can he be needful who can err ?
Then granting that unerring guide we want,
That such there is you stand oblig'd to grant:
Our Saviour else were wanting to fupply
Our needs, and obviate that neceffity.
It then remains, that church can only be
The guide, which owns unfailing certainty;
Or else you flip your hold, and change your side,
Relapsing from a necessary guide.
But this annex'd condition of the crown,
Immunity from errors, you difown;
Here then you shrink, and lay your weak pre
For petty royalties you raise debate ;
But this unfailing universal state
You shun; nor dare succeed to fuch a glorious
And for that cause those promises detest,
With which our Saviour did his church invest;
But strive t'evade, and fear to find them true,
As confcious they were never meant to you:
All which the mother church asserts her own,
And with unrivall'd claim ascends the throne.
So when of old th' almighty Father fate
In council, to redeem our ruin'd state,
Millions of millions, at a distance round,
Silent the facred consistory crown'd,
To hear what mercy, mixt with justice, could
All prompt with eager pity, to fulfil
The full extent of their creator's will.
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