But who fathers and traditions take, you,

And garble fome, and fome 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 diffenters are by ftatutes 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 ftop a raging flood,
Or mollify a mad-brain'd fenate'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 ftill, if this be good.
Shall he command who has herfelf rebell'd?
Is antichrift by antichrift 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
Muft not interpret for ourselves, but she?
Either be wholly flaves, or wholly free.

For purging fires traditions must not fight;
But they must prove epifcopacy's right.
Thus thofe 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 serve against their native prince.
Against domestic foes of hierarchy

These are drawn forth, to make fanatics fly; But, when they see their countrymen at hand, Marching against them under church-command, Straight they forfake their color, and disband.

Thus fhe, nor could the Panther well enlarge With weak defence against fo ftrong a charge; But faid: For what did Christ his word provide, If ftill his church must want a living guide? And if all-saving doctrines are not there, Or facred penmen could not make them clear, From after-ages we should hope in vain For truths, which men infpir'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.

This was the way our wife Redeemer chofe,
(Who fure could all things for the best dispose,
To fence his fold from their encroaching foes.
He could have writ himself, but well forefaw
Th' event would be like that of Mofes' law;
Some difference would arife, fome doubts remain,
Like thofe which yet the jarring Jews maintain.
No written laws can be fo plain, fo pure,

But wit may glofs and malice

may obfcure; Not thofe indited by his firft 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' apoftles could not be confin'd
To thefe, or thofe, but feverally defign'd
Their large commiffion round the world to blow
To spread their faith, they spread their labors too.
Yet ftill their abfent flock their pains did fhare;
They hearken'd ftill, for love produces care.
And as mistakes arofe, or difcords fell,
Or bold feducers taught them to rebel,

As charity grew cold, or faction hot,
Or long neglect their leffons had forgot,

For

For all their wants they wifely did provide,
And preaching by epiftles was fupply'd :
So great phyficians cannot all attend,

But fome they vifit, and to fome they fend.
Yet all thofe letters were not writ to all;
Nor firft intended but occafional,

Their absent sermons; nor if they contain
All needful doctrines, are thofe doctrines plain.
Clearnefs by frequent preaching must be wrought;
They writ but seldom, but they daily taught.
And what one faint has faid of holy Paul,
"He darkly writ," is true apply'd to all.
For this obfcurity could heaven provide
More prudently than by a living guide,
As doubts arofe, 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 facred works contain,
The church alone can certainly explain;

That following ages, leaning on the past,
May reft 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 itfelf the subject of dispute.

But what th' apoftles their fucceffors taught,
They to the next, from them to us is brought,
Th' undoubted fenfe 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 difclos'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 with the cause were on that iffue try'd.)
Much lefs the fcripture; for fuppofe debate
Betwixt pretenders to a fair estate,
Bequeath'd by fome legator's laft 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'reft to maintain,
And each pretends by thofe his caufe is plain.
Shail then the Teftament award the right?
No, that's the Hungary for which they fight;