( 350) or without their Elders, which were frequént. They . met in thofe dayes, in Fields, in Mountains, in Dens anad Caves of Earth, inburying places, in houfes hired orborrowed, in upper Rooms, or Cellars, whereof a large ftory might eafily be given, if it were to our pre- pent purpofe. Dionyfius of.Alexandria fumms them up briefly xíeioe, âro,, eg i d > vats, MAX .670P Ar-1.44 VOP 5 a Field, a Defers, a Ship, an Inn, a `Prifon, were places of our Meetings: Eufib. lib. 7. cap. 22. but I fpeak ofHated Churches, with their Worship, Power, Order and Rule. But whether there were more fuch Churches in any one City ; is a matter ofFac`.1 that fhall be immediately en- quired into. All that I here affert and confirm from the words ofJufkice Hobart, is that the Churches in the days of the Apoftles were particular voluntary Congregations And the Dr. will find it a Difficult Task to prove that this overthrows my.Hypothefis. Our Author in the next place oppofeth what I affirm'd of the gradual deviation ofthe Churches after the Apo- files from the Rule oftheir firft Inftitution ; whichhath been"alreadyaccounted for. Sect: q.. p. 224. Upon an occafional Expreffion of mine, about the Church ofCarthage in Cyprians time, he gives us a large Account of the fiate of the Church of Carthage at that Time, wherein we are ndt much con- cern'd. My Words are, Vindic. p. 4t. Though many .Alterations werebefore that time, introduced into the Order 4vdRule ofthe Churches, yet it appears that when Cyprian was `I3ifhop oftheChurchofCarthage, that the whole Com- munity ofthe Members ofthat Church did meet together o determine of things that were of their common Interei , according
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