ECCLESIASTICAL H STORY. nj 



deacons; what was the ftate of the ancient 

 churches and their conftruftion ; what is meant 

 by the agapx, or feafts of charity, that were made 

 in the afiemblies of the faithful, during the time 

 ot the apoftles ; the eulogies^ which were fmall 

 pieces of bread that were fanftified by folcmn 

 prayers, to be distributed among the brethren in 

 fign of communion of faith and charity : the dip- 

 tycbs^ or regifters of perfons of greateft conle- 

 quence, who were to be publicly prayed for : the 

 degrees of public penitence * : and laftly, the 

 Eucharift, or holy fupper, whofe very name and 

 inftitution prove fufrkiently, that it was a folemn 

 fupper, which the faithful held among them in 

 order to celebrate the memory of our Saviour ; 

 that they made it in their houfes, and amidft 

 their families, and not in a church , that it was 

 held at night, and not in the morning, which 

 would have been abfurd; that it was never called 

 a facrament, which is a Latin word, that is not 

 to be found either in the Old or New Tefta- 

 ment, but is of modern invention -, that it was a 

 repaft in which they did not pretend to include 

 any thing myfterious, myftic or miraculous, any 

 more than the Jews did in their palchal lamb, in 



* We here difcovcr, in thefe early days, traces of human 

 invention ; for \vc find not one word of all thefc matters in 

 the holy (cripturc. So difficult is it for man to imitate the 

 admirable fimplicity of Irs Divine Matter, and to leave his 

 doclrinc unaltered, though he has denounced the moft ter- 

 rible imprecations againft thole who fliall add or diminUh 

 one word of hii go I 



the 



