14 The Preface. the part ofmen, were thole afíigned by St. Ambrofe it1 one Inftance of it, namely, the : egligence ofthePeo ple, and the ./innbitionofthe Clergy. I ¡peak asunto the State, Rule, Dilcipline and Order ofthe Church ; for as unto the Doctrine and Worfhip of it, therewere many other caufes andmeans of their Corruption,which belong not unto our prefent purpofe. But as unto the Alterations that were begun and carried on in the State, Order, and Rule ofthe Church, they arofe from thofe fprings of Negligence on the one hand, and ./4mbition on the other, with want ofskill andmifdom to mannage outwardoccurrencesand incidencies, or what Alteration fell out in the outward {fate and conditionof the Church in thisWorld.Forhence it came to pafs,that inthe Accef- fionof theNations in general unto the Profeffion ofthe Gofpel, Church Order was fuited and framedunto their feecular State, when they ought to have been brought into the fpiritual State and Order of the Church, leaving their Political State entireunto themfelves. Herein I fay did the Guides ofthe Church certainly miß their Rule and depart from it, in the dayes ofConfiantine the Em- perour and afterwardsunder other Chriftian Emperours, whenwhole Towns, Cities, yea and Nations offeredat once to joyn themfelves unto it. Evident it is, that they were not wrought hereunto by the fame Power, nor in- duced unto it, on the fame Motives, or lead bythe fame means with thofe who formerly under Pei ecution were converted unto the Faith ofour Lord Jefus Chrift. And this quickly manifefted itfelf in theLives and Converfa- tions of many, yea ofthe molt of them. Hence thofe which were wife, quickly underftood, that what the Church had got in multitude and number, it had loft in theBeauty and Glory of its holy Profeffion. Chryfo,fiorne in
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