"A MILK white Hind, immortal and unchang'd,
Fed on the lawns and in the ofrest rang'd;
Without unspotted, innocent within,
She fear'd no danger, for she knew no sin."
Dryden chooses the hind to represent the Roman Catholic Church, to which he has recently converted. He describes her as pure and innocent, but perhaps naive. The hind is a creature designed for flight instead of fright. In the same way the Catholic church is harmless and pure in Dryden's opinion.
"The wretched Panther crys aloud for aid
To church and councils, whom she first betray'd. . ."
Dryden takes no pains to mask his disagreement with the formation of the Church of England, her symbolized by the panther. He does interpret this establishment's existence as a betrayal, as a deliberate departure from the purity of Catholicism for the sake of political power. Oddly enough, he gloats, the Church now struggles and appeals to the Roman Catholic Church for aid, despite her dubious and potentially traitorous origins.
"Prove any Church, oppos'd to this our head,
So one, so pure, so unconfin'dly spread,
Under one chief of the spiritual state,
The members all combin'd, and all subordinate."
Dryden appeals to the unity of the Christian Church, with no regard to denomination or sect, under the leadership of Jesus. He views the bond between churches first and foremost as devoted to Christ, so the differences must be considered inferior to the elite calling of the Church as a whole. He identifies that all the denominations are subject to Jesus and His teachings before they can consider themselves so different from the other churches because the religion exists exclusively to serve Jesus.
"They say the schism of beds began the game,
Divorcing from the Church to wed the Dame.
Though largely prov'd, and by himself profess'd
That conscience, conscience would not let him rest:
I mean, not till possess'd of her he lov'd"
Dryden recalls how the origin of the Church of England was Henry VIII's jealousy. Because he desired to marry Anne Boleyn and was not permitted to divorce his current wife, Catherine, under Catholic authority, he established his own religion. He took it upon himself to change the course of history in order to allow for his own exception and desire. As Dryden points out, this action seems motivated by compulsion and guilt which prevented the king from restoring his marriage and remaining in harmony with Catholicism.
