... research into some of the experiences of certain churches of God which,
at different times and in various places, have endeavoured in their meetings,
order, and testimony to make the Scriptures their guide
and to act upon them as the Word of God, counting them as sufficient for all their
needs in all their circumstances.

There have always been such churches; the records of most have disappeared,
but what remain are of such volume that only a selection can be given.
...

Each of these churches stands in direct relationship to the Lord,
draws its authority from Him and is responsible to Him (Rev. 2 and 3).
There is no suggestion that one church should control another
or that any organised union of churches should exist,
but an intimate personal fellowship unites them (Acts 15.36).

The union of Church and State was in all times looked upon
by many of the Lord's disciples as contrary to His teaching;

but whenever the Church had the power of the State at its command,
it used it for the forcible suppression of any who dissented
from its system or in any way refused compliance with its demands,

and great numbers through indifference or interest or fear
yielded at least an outward obedience.
There were, however, always some who could not be induced to
do this, but who still endeavoured to follow Christ and keep
the teachings of His Word and the doctrine of the Apostles.

These were continually objects of persecution.

The history of the centuries which followed Constantine unfolds
the growth in worldliness and ambition of the clergy,
both of the Eastern and Western Catholic churches,

until they claimed entire dominion
over the possessions and consciences of mankind,

enforcing these claims with a violence and guile that knew no limits.

It also reveals vistas here and there of the path of tribulation
trodden by countless saints who, at all times, and in various places,
have suffered all things at the hands of the dominant World-Church,
rather than deny Christ or be turned back from following Him.

The true histories of these have been obliterated as far as possible;

their writings, sharing the fate of the writers, have been destroyed
to the full extent of the power allowed to their persecutors.

Not only so, but histories of them have been promulgated by
those to whose interest it was to disseminate the worst inventions
against them in order to justify their own cruelties.

In such accounts they are depicted as heretics,
and evil doctrines are ascribed to them which they repudiated.

They are called "sects", and labels are attached to them which
they themselves would not acknowledge.

They usually called themselves Christian or Brethren, but
numerous names were given to them by others
in order to create the impression that they represented many new,
strange, and unconnected sects,

opprobrious epithets being applied to them to bring them into disrepute.
It is therefore difficult to trace their history;

what their adversaries have written of them must be suspected;
words from their own lips wrung out by torture are valueless.

There is, however, in spite of these hindrances, a large body of
trustworthy evidence, continually being added to by further
investigation, which shows what they were and did, what they believed
and taught; and these their own records afford a safe guide to
their faith and practice.

Even in the first three centuries there were numerous bodies of
Christians who protested against the growing laxity and worldliness
in the Church,
and against its departure from the teachings of Scripture.

Movements of revival have never ceased to be repeated, and even
when no connection between one and another is visible,
the underlying cause is the same — a desire to return to
the practice of some New Testament truth.

In the early centuries Asia Minor and Armenia were frequently
the scene of such revivings,
as well as being the refuge of churches that had from the first,
in varying degree, maintained purity of doctrine and godliness of life.
(...)

The claim of these numerous congregations to be the true descendants
of the Apostolic churches
(not necessarily in a natural sense from father to son, though that
might often be the case, but as having maintained in unbroken succession
their spiritual characteristics)
is not invalidated by the large gaps in their history of which
at present we possess no account.

These are the natural consequence of the determined efforts that
were unceasingly made, first by the Pagan Roman Empire
and then
by the State Churches, to destroy the people and their histories.

These efforts had, to a large extent, their intended effect.

There can be no doubt that in many districts, and at different
times, such efforts were entirely successful,
and that priceless testimonies of saints and churches have been
utterly wiped out,
never to be known again until the Day of Judgment comes.

Rather is it a matter for surprise that so much has been preserved,
and the existence of these numerous bodies of Christians of
primitive doctrine and practice can be accounted for
only in the way they themselves explain it,
namely, by their adherence to the New Testament teaching.

The absence of organization among them
and of any earthly controlling centre,
with the fact that they recognised the independence of each
congregation, would lead to variety in the different churches.
Then the characteristics of prominent leaders among them would
also cause one generation to differ to some extent from another
in spirituality or in the particular line of teaching emphasised.

But they all claimed to draw their doctrine from the Scripture
and to continue the Apostolic tradition,
and this claim must be allowed, since nothing sufficient can be
urged against it, nor can the contrary be proved.