But faid: For what did Chrift 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.
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 those 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 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 thefe, or thofe, but feverally defign'd
Their large commiffion round the world to blow ;
To spread their faith, they spread their labours too.
Yet ftill their abfent flock their pains did fhare;
They hearken'd ftill, for love produces care.
And as mistakes arose, or discords fell,
Or bold feducers taught them to rebel,
As charity grew cold, or faction hot,
Or long neglect their leffons had forgot,
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 those letters were not writ to all;
Nor first intended but occafional,
Their abfent fermons; nor if they contain
All needful doctrines, are thofe doctrines plain.
Clearness 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' apoftles' writ,
By which my fons are taught, to which fubmit;
I think, those truths, their facred 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 subject of dispute.
But what th' apostles 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 furprise;
And, fafe entrench'd within, her foes without defies.
By these all festering sores her councils heal,
Which time or has difclos'd, or fhall 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 fcripture; for fuppofe debate
Betwixt pretenders to a fair estate,
Bequeath'd by fome 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 differing titles plead:
All vouch the words their intereft to maintain,
And each pretends by thofe his caufe is plain.
Shall then the Teftament award the right?
No, that's the Hungary for which they fight;
The field of battle, fubject of debate ;
The thing contended for, the fair estate.
The fenfe is intricate, 'tis only clear
What vowels and what confonants are there.
Therefore 'tis plain, its meaning must be try'd
Before fome judge appointed to decide.
Suppose, the fair apoftate faid, I grant,
The faithful flock fome living guide fhould want,
Your arguments an endless chace pursue:
Produce this vaunted leader to our view,
This mighty Moses 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-" fhe whom ye feek am I."
Nor lefs amaz'd this voice the Panther heard,
Than were thofe Jews to hear a God declar'd.
Then thus the matron modeftly renew'd :
Let all your prophets and their fects be view'd,
And fee to which of them yourselves think fit
The conduct of your confcience to fubmit:
Each profelyte would vote his doctor beft,
With abfolute exclufion to the reft:
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 fuperftitious lawn
Some prefbyterian fabre would be drawn :
In your establish'd laws of fovereignty
The reft fome 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 cenfures you proceed :
But when Curtana will not do the deed,
You lay that pointless clergy-weapon by,
And to the laws, your fword of justice, fly.
Now this your fects the more unkindly take,
Those prying varlets hit the blots you make,
Because fome ancient friends of
yours declare,
Your only rule of faith the fcriptures are,
Interpreted by men of judgment found,
Which every fect will for themselves expound;
Nor think less reverence 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 wifer way,
That their own sheep their fhepherd should obey.
But if you mean yourselves are only found,
That doctrine turns the reformation round,
And all the rest are false reformers found;
Because in fundry 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 fubmission they protest :
While found and found a different fenfe explains,
Both play at hardhead till they break their brains
And from their chairs each other's force defy,
While unregarded thunders vainly fly.
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