And fathers too, unless when, reason spent, He cites them but sometimes for ornament. But, madam Panther, you, though more sincere, Are not so wise as your adulterer; The private spirit is a better blind, Than all the dodging tricks your authors find. For they, who left the scripture to the crowd,} Each for his own peculiar judge allowed; } The way to please them was to make them proud.} Thus with full sails they ran upon the shelf; Who could suspect a cozenage from himself? On his own reason safer 'tis to stand, Than be deceived and damned at second-hand. But you, who fathers and traditions take, And garble some, and some you quite forsake, Pretending church-authority to fix, And yet some grains of private spirit mix, Are, like a mule, made up of different seed, And that's the reason why you never breed; At least, not propagate your kind abroad, For home dissenters are by statutes awed. And yet they grow upon you every day, } While you, to speak the best, are at a stay, } For sects, that are extremes, abhor a middle way:} Like tricks of state, to stop a raging flood,} Or mollify a mad-brained 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 rebelled? Is antichrist by antichrist expelled? Did we a lawful tyranny displace, To set 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. } For purging fires traditions must not fight; But they must prove episcopacy's right.[158] Thus, those led horses are from service freed; You never mount them but in time of need. Like mercenaries, hired 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 forsake their colours, and disband.--} Thus she; nor could 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? And if all-saving doctrines are not there, Or sacred penmen could not make them clear, From after-ages we should hope in vain For truths which men inspired could not explain.-- Before the word was written, said the Hind, Our Saviour preached his faith to human kind: From his apostles the first age received Eternal truth, and what they taught believed. Thus, by tradition faith was planted first,