British Ecclesiastical History; Including the Religion of the Druids, the Introduction of Christianity Into Britain, and the Rise, Progress and Present State of Every Denomination of Christians in the British Empire (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: and character of the British Christians, there seems reason to believe, that in the " churches of wattles," which, if any reader pleases, he may denominate cathedrals, there were many who "believed to the saving of their souls"?who were taught by the Spirit, as well as by the Word of God, and who lived to " adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all thing." CHAPTER VI. CONSTITUTION AND DOCTRINE OF THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN BRITAIN. Importance of the subject?Mosheim's testimony?Worship?Reading?Singing ? Preaching?Prayer?Baptism?The Lord's Supper. British Ecclesiastical History will be thought to require more than a passing notice of the constitution of the primitive churches in this country, and of the mode of public worship observed in them. This is rendered necessary for the information of the young reader; not only by the consideration of the statements of ancient monkish historians, and of some in our times; but especially by the differences which exist between the Catholics and Protestants, and between the two national churches of England and of Scotland, and the numerous Dissenters in Britain. "It is natural to inquire," says Dr. Henry, "in what manner the clergy were maintained, churches built, and the other expenses of religion defrayed, in the ancient British church, as well as in other primitive churches, in the first centuries, when they received no favour, protection, or support from the state. The apostles, their fellow-labourers, and perhaps some of their immediate successors, were supported partly by the work of their own hands, and partly by the grateful contributions of the faithful. In these primitive times, when a competent number of persons were converted to the Christian religion in any place, sufficient to constitute a decent cong...