Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part…

§. 39. The World being thus brought into the Church without the cure of the worldly mind, and the Guides being so strongly tempted to be the very worst, no wonder if the Worldly Spirit now too much rule the Church, and if those that are yet of the same Spirit, approve, plead, and strive for what they love and despise the business of the Cross, and Christian Humility, and Simplicity to this day: And if Bishops have done much of their work accordingly, ever since Constantine (and much before) it hath been the Devils Work to carry on his War against Christ and Piety, under ⟨p. 16⟩Christ's own name, and the pretence of Piety, as an Angel of Light and Righteousness and Unity, and to set up Pastors over the Church of Christ, that hate the Doctrine and Life, and Cross of Christ, that by pleading for Godliness and Concord, may be the effectual Enemies of both, and may fight against Christ in his own Livery, under his Colours, and with his own Arms. Whose God is their Belly, who glory in their shame, who mind earthly things, being Enemies to the Cross of Christ: The History of whom you will find in the following part of this Treatise.

§. 40. But here I must above all remember the Reader, that he is not for this Corruption of the Clergy, and Government of the Church, to think that the Church here ceased to be a true Church, or that the Ministry was lost, or that it became unlawful to hold Communion with any such Churches; much less to think hardly of Christianity it self, as if it were no better than false Religions, because so many of its Pastors were so bad. None of God's Counsels were frustrate by mans sin: None of his Promises to his Church have failed. For all this Christ is the Saviour of the World, the Prince of Righteousness and Peace, that came to destroy the Works of the Devil, and to save his people from their Sins; and all that are given him of the Father shall come to him, and he will cast none of them out, nor shall any take them out of his hands?