( 33) 48. AS the Prelacy thus fwelled, fo the Churches grew fuddenly more corrupted with all mannerof Vice. The Bifhops began with forrow to confers unto the Hereticks ; that the greater number in the Churches were naught. When they fhould chufe their Bifbops they could feldom agree ; but frequently inftead of holy peaceable Votes, did turn to De. vilifh rage and blood-fhed, and covered the Streets and Church-floors with the Carkaftes of the flain ; (efpeciallyin the Cafe of Damafsu and others at Rome, and oft at Alexandria and Conflantinople.)- . Frequently they fell into fewds, and fought it out, and murdered people by multitudes : E. Yen the ftritt holy Monks of the Egyptian Defarts, were as forward as o- thers to fighting, blood -fhedand fedition : Even in their ignorance, for fuch a paultry and fottifh an Opinion, as that of the Anthropomorphites, as that God bath the fhape and partsof"a man : fo that they forced that de_. ceitful treacherous Bifhop Theophilus Alexandr. to flatter them, andcorle the Booksof Origen (not for his errours, but for the oppofite truth) and to take on him to holdas they did. When God tryed themwith a Ytelian (who did perfecute them very little,) they reproached him to his face, and tryed his patience as well as he did theirs. The Antiochians fcorn- socratl.;. fully bid him (have bis Beard and make Halters of it. In a word, when e is. Conflantine had brought the World into the Church, the Church grew quickly too like the World. 49 But it was not the peopleonly, but the Paltors, both Prelates and Presbyters, that grew licentious, wicked, proud, contentious, turbulent, and the fhame of their Order and Profefíion, and the great difturbers and dividers of the Churches: except here and there an Ambrofe, an Au- gnf-tine, aChryfoftome., a Bäfil, a Gregory, anAtticus; a Proclus, and a few fuch that fo fhined among a darkened degenerate Clergy, as tobe tingled out for Saints. Abundance got there great and tempting Prelacies by Si- mony, and more by making friends toCourtiers : Andnot a few by Car- nal compliances with the people: what abundance ofmolt (harpEpiftles did IfedorePelufiota write toEufebius the Bithop, and to Sofitnus, Martia- nus, Eo(tathius, &c. ofall their horrible wickedlives, and yet could never procure their Reformation? What abundance of Epiftles did he write againft them to other Bithops, and yet could not procure their correfti- on or removal? What a fad charafter doth Sulpitisu Severas give of the Bithops that profecuted the Prifeilianifts, and inparticular of their Leader Ithacius, cf hisown knowledge ? What abundance of' Prelates are fhame- fully ftigmatized, bySocrates, Sozomen, Theodoret, Euagrius, &t? When a Rebel role up againft his Prince, and got but the ltronger party, and poflèlìon, how quickly didthey flatter him and own him. I find but one Bifhop betides St. Martin in all France and that part of Germany, that dif- owned Maximus that murdered Gratin's : The 'eft applauded him for their own ends: Nor in that part of Italy i find not any befides Ambrofe and one Hyginus that difownedhim : (Not that l think it my part to con- demn all the holy BifhoRs who profeffed fubjeftion toUfurpers in poftef_ flout
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