And he allow'd to be the better man,

In virtue of his holier Alcoran.

True, said the Panther, I shall ne'er deny
My brethren may be sav'd as well as I:
Though Huguenots condemn 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 needful points is only plain.
Needless or needful, I not now contend,
For still you have a loop-hole for a friend,
Rejoin'd the matron; but the rule you lay
Has led whole flocks, and leads them still, astray
In weighty points, and full damnation's way:
For did not Arius first, Socinus now,

The Son's eternal Godhead disavow?

And did not these by gospel-texts alone
Condemn our doctrine, and maintain their own?
Have not all heretics the same pretence

To plead the Scriptures in their own defence?
How did the Nicene council then decide
That strong debate? was it by Scripture try'd?
No, sure; to that the rebel would not yield;
Squadrons of texts he marshal'd in the field:
That was but Civil war, an equal set,

Where piles with piles, and eagles eagles met.

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With texts point blank and plain he fac❜d the foe,
And did not Satan 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,

Provided still it were apostolic?

170

Friend, said the Hind, you quit your former ground, Where all your faith you did on Scripture found: Now 'tis tradition join'd 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 true,
I set 'em by the rule, and as they square,
Or deviate from undoubted doctrine there,
This oral fiction, that old faith declare.

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}

HIND. The council steer'd, it seems, a diff'rent course:
They try'd the Scripture by tradition's force;
But you tradition by the Scripture try;
Pursu'd by sects, from this to that you fly,
Nor dare on one foundation to rely.

The Word is then depos'd, and in this view,
You rule the Scripture, not the Scripture you.
Thus, said the Dame, and, smiling, thus pursu'd:
I see tradition then is disallow'd.

190

When not evinc'd by Scripture to be true,
And Scripture, as interpreted by you;
But here you tread upon unfaithful ground,
Unless you could infallibly expound :
Which you reject as odious Popery,

And throw that doctrine back with scorn on me.
Suppose we on things traditive divide,

And both appeal to Scripture to decide:
By various texts we both uphold our claim,
Nay, often ground our titles on the same:
After long labour lost, and time's expence,
Both grant the words, and quarrel for the sense.
Thus all disputes for ever must depend,
For no dumb rule can controversies end.
Thus, when you said tradition must be try'd
By sacred writ, whose sense yourselves decide,
You said no more but that yourselves must be
The judges of the Scripture sense, not we.
Against our church-tradition you declare,
And yet your clerks would sit in Moses' chair:
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,
Reply'd 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 foll'wing her, reply'd the Dame,
To whom deriv'd from sire to son they came;

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to be true,
you;
ful ground,

bund:

pery,

with scorn on me.

divide,

o decide:

ld our claim,

on the same:

ime's expence,

uarrel for the sense.

ust depend,

oversies end.

ion must be try'd se yourselves decide, yourselves must be fe sense, not we. ation you declare,

ld sit in Moses' chair:

st your argument,

here all dissent.

n we be sure,
dition's pure?

w for old :

› not gold.

eply'd the Dame,
son they came;

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