c 8) praEtice cvas plainly continued in the days of Cyprian as we ¡hall fee afterwards, Neither Both it appear but that du- ring the firft too years of the Church, the whole Body of the Church didordinarily meet together in one place, for the folemn Adminftration of the Holy Ordinances of Wor- flaip, and the Exercife of Difcipline. Wherefore notwithftanding thefe and other the like Va- riations, from the Original Inftitution of Churches which came in partly by Inadvertency unto theRule, and partly were received from the Advantages and Accommodations which they pretended unto, the State of the Churches 'con tinued Congregational onely for zoo years, fo far as canbe gathered from the remaining Monuments of thofe times.On- ly we ulnayet add,that we are no way concerned inTeftimo- nies or fayings taken from the writings of thole in following Ages as unto the State, way and manner of the Churches in this feafon ; but do appeal unto their own writings one- ly, This is the great Artifice whereby Baronius in his An- nalls would impofe upon the Credulity of men, an appre- henfion of the Antiquity of any of their Roman Inventi- ons; he afiixeth them unto forne of the firft Ages ;andgiving forne Coante(lance unto them, it may be from fomefpurious writings, layes the weight of Confirmation on Teftimonies and Sayings of Writers, many years, yea for the molt part, Ages afterwards, for it was and is of the Latter _z1,°s of the Chrarch, wherein Ufe and Cuftom have wrefted Ecclefaflical -words to other lignifications than at tirfi they were applyed unto, to impofe the prefent State of things among them, on thefe who went before who knew nothing of them. I íhall therefore briefly enquire into, what Reprefentation is made of the State of the Churches by the Writers them - felves, who had in the feafon enquired after, or in the Age next. unto it, which was acquainted with their pradtice. That
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