Should We Base our Christianity on the Early Church, the 5th Century Church, the 16th Century church or what?

John Edwards wrote on Facebook:

"The Church is to follow the Apostles' doctrine – not the doctrines of some later century"

I agree with this. So much of current church practice is still based on so-called St Augustine, who was the fountainhead of so much that is incorrect throughout the church – praying to Mary, the exaltation of church authority over the Scriptures, belief in unconditional election and reprobation, persecution to the death of other Christians, political Christianity, intellectualism, syncretism with Greek philosophy, practical denial of the gifts of the Holy Spirit – etc etc. Instead of following St Augustine, we should follow Jesus and the apostles.

If we preach and believe as the early church did, signs and wonders will confirm the preaching. If we preach the gospel fully believing that Christ is unlikely to confirm with signs following, we will also get what we expect.

John also wrote:

"In Bible times, signs and wonders didn't distract from preaching Christ crucified – they confirmed it; so, assuming signs and wonders can happen today, they needn't be seen as opposing the emphasis on the topic of Christ crucified – rather, signs and wonders can confirm that message – just like they did during the early Church. But to say signs have ceased is not an Apostolic doctrine – it's a doctrine that relies on a post-apostolic statement from an extra-Biblical source."

Now just today (at the time of writing), I spoke in a church and preached on the cross, and the importance of hearing and obeying Jesus' words. At the end after the message, I prayed for the sick and rebuked the devil. Three people publicly testified of being healed instantly and many others indicated they had been. Now how could this happen, if there are no demons to cast out, if there is no authority given to believers to cast them out, and if signs and wonders (if simple healings like this can be called such) are not to follow the Word.