For though his creed eternal truth contains,
'Tis hard for man to doom to endless pains
All who believ'd not all, his zeal requir'd;
Unless he first could prove he was infpir'd.
Then let us either think he meant to fay
This faith, where publish'd, was the only way;
Or elfe conclude that Arius to confute,
The good old man too eager in difpute,
Flew high; and as his chriftian fury rofe
Damn'd all for hereticks who durft oppose.

Thus far my charity this path has try'd;
A much unskilful, but well meaning guide:

Yet what they are, ev'n these crude thoughts were bred By reading that which better thou haft read.

Thy matchlefs author's work: which thou, my friend,
By well tranflating better doft commend:

Thofe youthful hours which, of thy equals moft
In toys have fquander'd, or in vice have loft,
Thofe hours haft thou to nobler ufe employ'd;
And the fevere delights of truth enjoy'd.
Witness this weighty book, in which appears
` The crabbed toil of many thoughtful years,
Spent by thy author, in the fifting care
Of rabbins old fophifticated ware

From gold divine; which he who well can fort
May afterwards make algebra a fport.

A treasure, which if country-curates buy,
They Junius, and Tremellius may defy:
Save pains in various readings, and tranflations;
And without Hebrew make moft learn'd quotations.
A work fo full with various learning fraught,
So nicely pondered, yet fo ftrongly wrought,

1 Francis Junius, and Emanuel Treme lius, two Calvinist minifters, who, in the fixteenth century, joined in tranflating the Bible from Hebrew into Latin. The latter tranflated the New Teflament from the Syriac, and father Simon criticifes on him in a masterly manner. They both left weighty comments on the fcripture.

As nature's height and arts last hand requir'd:
As much as man cou'd compafs, uninfpir'd.
Where we may fee what errors have been made
Both in the copiers and translators trade :

How Jewish, Popifh, interefts have prevail'd,
And where infallibility has fail'd.

For fome, who have his fecret meaning guefs'd,
Have found our author not too much a priest:
For fashion-fake he feems to have recourfe
To pope, and councils, and traditions force :
But he that old traditions could fubdue,
Could not but find the weaknefs of the new :
If fcripture, though deriv'd from heavenly birth,
Has been but carelesly preferv'd on earth;
If God's own people, who of God before
Knew what we know, and had been promis'd more,
In fuller terms, of heaven's affifting care,
And who did neither time nor study spare.
To keep this book untainted, unperplext,
Let in grofs errors to corrupt the text,
Omitted paragraphs, embroil'd the fenfe,
With vain traditions ftopt the gaping fence,
Which every common hand pull'd up with ease:
What fafety from fuch brufhwood-helps as these?
If written words from time are not secur'd,
How can we think have oral founds endur'd?
Which thus tranfmitted, if one mouth has fail'd,
Immortal lyes on ages are intail'd :

And that fome fuch have been, is prov'd too plain;
If we confider intereft, church, and gain.
O but fays one, tradition fet fide,

Where can we hope for an unerring guide?
For fince th' original fcripture has been loft,
All copies difagreeing, maim'd the moft,
Or chriftian faith can have no certain ground,
Or truth in church-tradition muft be found.

Such an omnifcient church we wish indeed;

'Twere worth both Teftaments; caft in the Creed:
But if this mother be a guide fo fure,

As can all doubts refolve, all truth fecure,
Then her infallibility, as well

Where copies are corrupt or lame, can tell;
Reftore loft canon with as little pains,
As truly explicate what ftill remains :
Which yet no council dare pretend to do;
Unless like Efdras they could write it new :
Strange confidence ftill to interpret true,
Yet not be fure that all they have explain'd,
Is in the bleft original contain❜d.

More fafe, and much more modest 'tis, to say,
God would not leave mankind without a way:
And that the fcriptures, tho' not every where
Free from corruption, or intire, or clear,
Are uncorrupt, fufficient, clear, intire,
In all things which our needful faith require.
If others in the fame glass better fee,

'Tis for themselves they look, but not for me:
For my
falvation muft its doom receive,

Not from what others but what I believe.

Muft all tradition then be fet afide?
This to affirm were ignorance or pride.
Are there not many points, fome needful fure
To faving faith, that fcripture leaves obfcure?
Which every fect will wreft a feveral way,
For what one fect interprets, all fects may :
We hold, and fay we prove from fcripture plain,
That Chrift is God; the bold Socinian
From the fame fcripture urges he's but man.
Now what appeal can end th' important fuit;
Both parts talk loudly, but the rule is mute?

Shall I fpeak plain, and in a nation free
Affume an honest layman's liberty?

}

}

I think, according to my little skill,

To my own mother-church fubmitting flill,
That many have been fav'd, and many may,
Who never heard this question brought in play,
Th' unletter'd Chriftian who believes in grofs,
Plods on to heaven; and ne'er is at a lofs:
For the ftreight-gate would be made ftreighter yet,
Were none admitted there but men of wit.
The few by nature form'd, with learning fraught,
Born to inftruct as others to be taught,
Muft ftudy well the facred page; and fee
Which doctrine, this or that, does beft agree
With the whole tenor of the work divine:
And plainlieft points to heaven's reveal'd defign=
Which expofition flows from genuine fenfe;
And which is forc'd by wit and eloquence.
Not that tradition's parts are useless here:
When general, old, difinterested and clear:
That ancient fathers thus expound the page,
Gives truth the reverend majesty of age:
Confirms its force by bideing every teft;
For beft authorities next rules, are beft.
And ftill the nearer to the fpring we go
More limpid, more unfoil'd the waters flow.
Thus first traditions were a proof alone;

Could we be certain such they were, so known:
But fince fome flaws in long descent may be,
They make not truth but probability.
Even Arius and Pelagius durft provoke
To what the centuries preceding spoke.
Such difference is there in an oft-told tale:
But truth by its own finews will prevail.
Tradition written therefore more commends
Authority, than what from voice defcends &
And this, as perfect as its kind can be,
Rolls down to us the facred hiftory:

Which from the univerfal church receiv'd,
Is try'd, and after, for itfelf believ'd.

The partial Papifts would infer from hence
Their church, in laft refort, fhould judge the fenfe.
But firft they would affume with wond'rous art,
Themselves to be the whole, who are but part
Of that vaft frame the church; yet grant they were
The handers down, can they from thence infer
A right t' interpret? or would they alone
Who brought the prefent, claim it for their own?
The book's a common largefs to mankind?
Not more for them than every man defign'd;
The welcome news. is in the letter found;
The carrier's not commiffion'd to expound.
It speaks itself, and what it does contain,
In all things needful, to be known is plain.

In times o'ergrown with ruft and ignorance, A gainful trade their clergy did advance: When want of learning kept the laymen low, And none but priests were authoriz'd to know: When what small knowledge was, in them did dwell ; And he a God who could but read and spell; Then mother church did mightily prevail : She parcel'd out the Bible by retail : But ftill expounded what the fold or gave; To keep it in her power to damn and fave: Scripture was fcarce, and as the market went, Poor laymen took falvation on content; As needy men take money good or bad: God's word they had not, but the prieft's they had. Yet whate'er falfe conveyances they made,

The lawyer ftill was certain to be paid.

In those dark times they learn'd their knack fo well, That by long ufe they grew infallible:

At laft a knowing age began t'enquire

If they the book, or that did them inspire:

And