well

Since late among the Philistines you fell. The Toils were pitch'd, a spacious tract of ground

With expert Huntsmen was encompass'd round;

The Enclosure narrow'd; the sagacious pow'r

Of Hounds, and Death drew nearer, ev'ry Hour.

'Tis true, the younger Lyon scap'd the snare, But all your priestly Calves lay strugling there;

As sacrifices on their Altars laid;
While you their careful mother wisely fled
Not trusting destiny to save your head.
For, whate'er Promises you have apply'd
To your unfailing Church, the surer side
Is four fair Leggs in danger to provide.
And whate'er tales of Peter's Chair you tell,
Yet, saving Reverence of the Miracle,
The better luck was yours to 'scape so well.

As I remember, said the sober Hind, Those Toils were for your own dear self design'd, 19

As well as me; and with the self same throw,) To catch the Quarry and the Vermin too, (Forgive the sland'rous Tongues that call'd you so.)

Howe'er you take it now, the common Cry Then ran you down for your rank Loyalty; Besides, in Popery they thought you nurst, (As evil tongues will ever speak the worst,) Because some forms, and ceremonies some You kept, and stood in the main question dumb.

Dumb you were born indeed; but thinking long

The Test, it seems, at last has loos'd your tongue. 30

And, to explain what your forefathers meant, By real presence in the Sacrament, (After long fencing push'd against a wall,) Your salvo comes, that he's not there at all: There chang'd your faith, and what may change may fall.

Nor ever was, nor will be at a stay?

Tortures may force the tongue untruths to tell,

And I ne'er own'd my self infallible, Reply'd the Panther; grant such Presence

80

I then affirm that this unfailing guide
In Pope and gen'ral Councils must reside;
Both lawful, both combin'd; what one
decrees

By numerous Votes, the other Ratifies :
On this undoubted Sense the Church relies.
'Tis true some Doctors in a scantier space,
I mean in each apart contract the Place.
Some, who to greater length extend the
Line,

The Churches after acceptation join.
This last Circumference appears too wide,
The Church diffus'd is by the Council ty'd ;
As members by their Representatives 91
Oblig'd to Laws which Prince and Senate
gives:

Thus some contract, and some enlarge the

space;

In Pope and Council who denies the place, Assisted from above with God's unfailing

grace?

Those Canons all the needful points contain; Their sense so obvious, and their words so plain,

That no disputes about the doubtful Text Have, hitherto, the lab'ring world perplex'd: If any shou'd in after times appear, 100 New Councils must be call'd, to make the meaning clear.

Because in them the pow'r supreme resides; And all the promises are to the Guides. This may be taught with sound and safe Defence:

But mark how sandy is your own pretence, Who, setting Councils, Pope, and Church aside,

Are ev'ry Man his own presuming Guide. The sacred Books, you say, are full and plain, And ev'ry needful point of Truth contain ; All who can read, Interpreters may be: 110 Thus though your several Churches disagree,

Yet ev'ry Saint has to himself alone
The Secret of this Philosophick Stone.
These Principles your jarring Sects unite,
When diff'ring Doctors and Disciples fight.
Though Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, holy
Chiefs,

Have made a Battel Royal of Beliefs;
Or like wild Horses sev'ral ways have whirl'd
The tortur'd Text about the Christian
World;

Each Jehu lashing on with furious force, 120
That Turk or Jew cou'd not have us'd it

worse.

140

True, said the Panther, I shall ne'er deny My Breth'ren may be sav'd as well as I : Though Huguenots contemn our ordination, Succession, ministerial vocation, And Luther, more mistaking what he read, Misjoins the sacred Body with the Bread; Yet, Lady, still remember I maintain The Word in needfull points is only plain.

Needless or needful I not now contend, For still you have a loophole for a friend, (Rejoyn'd the Matron) but the rule you lay Has led whole flocks and leads them still

How did the Nicene council then decide That strong debate, was it by Scripture try'd?

No sure to those the Rebel would not yield, Squadrons of Texts he marshal'd in the field; That was but civil war, an equal set, 160 Where Piles with piles, and Eagles Eagles

met.

With Texts point-blank and plain he fac'd the Foe:

And did not Sathan tempt our Saviour so?
The good old Bishops took a simpler way,
Each ask'd but what he heard his Father say,
Or how he was instructed in his youth,
And by tradition's force upheld the truth.
The Panther smil'd at this, and when, said
she,

Were those first Councils disallow'd by me?
Or where did I at sure tradition strike, 170
Provided still it were Apostolick?

Friend, said the Hind, you quit your former ground,

Where all your faith you did on Scripture found,

Now, 'tis tradition joined with holy writ; But thus your memory betrays your wit. No, said the Panther, for in that I view When your tradition's forg'd, and when 'tis

209

At least 'tis prov'd against your argument, The rule is far from plain, where all dissent.

If not by Scriptures, how can we be sure, (Replied the Panther) what tradition's pure ? For you may palm upon us new for old, All, as they say, that glitters is not gold.

How but by following her, reply'd the
dame,

To whom deriv'd from sire to son they came ;
Where ev'ry age do's on another move,
And trusts no farther than the next above;
Where all the rounds like Jacob's ladder
rise,

220

The lowest hid in earth, the topmost in the skyes?

Sternly the salvage did her answer mark, Her glowing eye-balls glitt'ring in the dark, And said but this, since lucre was your trade,

Succeeding times such dreadfull gaps have made

'Tis dangerous climbing: to your sons and

Till when 'tis not sufficient to defame : An old possession stands, till Elder quitts the claim.

240

Then for our int'rest, which is nam'd alone
To load with envy, we retort your own.
For when traditions in your faces fly,
Resolving not to yield, you must decry :
As when the cause goes hard, the guilty man
Excepts, and thins his jury all he can ;
So when you stand of other aid bereft,
You to the twelve Apostles would be left.
Your friend the Wolfe did with more craft
provide

To set those toys traditions quite aside :
And Fathers too, unless when reason spent
He cites 'em but sometimes for ornament.
But, Madam Panther, you, though more
sincere,

250

280

Shall she command who has herself rebell'd?
Is Antichrist by Antichrist expell'd?
Did we a lawfull tyranny displace,
To set aloft a bastard of the race?
Why all these wars to win the Book, if we
Must not interpret for our selves, but she?
Either be wholly slaves or wholly free.
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 'em but in time of need.
Like mercenary's, hir'd for home defence,
They will not serve against their native
Prince.
291

Against domestick foes of Hierarchy
These are drawn forth, to make fanaticks fly;
But, when they see their country-men at
hand.

Marching against 'em under church-command,

Streight they forsake their colours and disband.

Thus she, nor cou'd the Panther well enlarge;

With weak defence against so strong a charge; But said, for what did Christ his Word provide,

If still his church must want a living guide?

300

And if all saving doctrines are not there,
Or sacred Pen-men could not make 'em clear,
From after-ages we should hope in vain
For truths, which men inspir'd, cou'd not
explain.

Before the Word was written, said the
Hind,

Our Saviour preached his Faith to humane kind;

307

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 succeeding Pastours nurs'd. This was the way our wise Redeemer chose, (Who sure could all things for the best dispose,)

To fence his fold from their encroaching foes.

He cou'd have writ himself, but well foresaw Th' event would be like that of Moyses law; Some difference wou'd arise, some doubts remain,

Like those which yet the jarring Jews maintain.

No written laws can be so plain, so pure, But wit may gloss and malice may obscure; Not those indited by his first command, 320 A Prophet grav'd the text, an Angel held his hand.

Thus faith was e'er the written word appear'd,

And men believ'd, not what they read, bu heard,

But since the Apostles cou'd 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 labours 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, 330
Or bold seducers taught 'em to rebel,
As charity grew cold or faction hot,
Or long neglect their lessons had forgot,
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 occasional
Their absent sermons; nor if they contain
All needfull doctrines, are those doctrines
plain.
341
Clearness by frequent preaching must be
wrought;

They writ but seldom, but they daily taught.
And what one Saint has said of holy Paul,
He darkly writ, is true apply'd to all.
For this obscurity cou'd heav'n provide
More prudently than by a living guide,
As doubts arose, the difference to decide?
A guide was therefore needfull, therefore
made;

360

Because, as I have urg'd before, 'tis mute,
And is it self the subject 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 Scripture sought.

From hence the Church is arm'd, when errours rise,

To stop their entrance, and prevent surprise;

And safe entrench'd within, her foes without defies.

By these all festring sores her counsels heal,

Which time or has discloas'd or shall reveal,

For discord cannot end without a last appeal.

370

Nor can a council national decide, But with subordination 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 estate, Bequeath'd by some Legator's last intent; (Such is our dying Saviour's Testament :) The will is prov'd, is open'd, and is read; The doubtfull heirs their diff'ring titles plead: All vouch the words their int'rest to maintain,

And each pretends by those his cause is plain.

380 Shall then the testament award the right? No, that's the Hungary for which they fight ; The field of battel, subject of debate; The thing contended for, the fair estate. The sense is intricate, 'tis onely clear What vowels and what consonants are there. Therefore 'tis plain, its meaning must be try'd Before some judge appointed to decide.

Suppose, (the fair Apostate said,) I grant, The faithfull flock some living guide should