Produced by Stephen Hutcheson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net THE CHURCH, THE FALLING AWAY, AND THE RESTORATION BY J. W. SHEPHERD Editor of “Handbook on Baptism,” “Queries and Answers,” “Salvation of Sin,” “What is the New Testament Church?” GOSPEL ADVOCATE COMPANY Nashville, Tenn. 1961 Copyright 1929 By F. L. Rowe Gospel Advocate Co., Owner Nashville, Tenn. CONTENTS Preface 3 PART ONE The Church What Should the Church of the Present Be? 5 The Church and the Temple 9 Infant Baptism 16 Conditions of Membership 25 Conditions of Admission 25 Agencies 28 Conditions 28 Conditions of Continued Membership 29 The Worship 32 The Apostles’ Teaching 36 The Fellowship 38 Breaking Bread 39 Prayers 40 Singing 40 Polity 42 The Word of God 42 Names 43 Congregational Independence 44 Elders 45 Deacons 47 Evangelists 47 PART TWO The Falling Away The Falling Away Predicted 49 The Falling Away 54 The Confessional 63