Return to the Old Paths: A History of the Restoration Movement

Too few members of the Lord's church today are aware of the Restoration Movement and the tremendous debt that is owed to those men who called us back to the New Testament pattern. In this book we tell the story of some of the spiritual giants who suffered and sacrificed in order to preach the pure gospel and restore the church of the New Testament. We owe it to these pioneers, as well as to ourselves, to honor and cherish their memory. As we read about their labors, sufferings, and sacrifices, we may feel a little embarrassed as we compare the ease of modern day preaching with that of the pioneer preachers. Much of our spiritual heritage came to us as a result of men who were willing to give their all. They did what had to be done, and their examples inspire us.

The stories about which we will read have the common thread of a plea for return. Return to the "old paths." Return to God and his Book. Return to the authority of Christ. Return to the church of Christ. Return to preaching and practicing the New Testament plan of salvation. Return to scriptural worship. Return to a life that honors Christ.

The men about whom we will study were by no means perfect. Indeed they were men with "feet of clay." They made mistakes. Many times they had to admit they were wrong and turn in a different direction. As they worked their way out of the darkness of denominationalism, they often stumbled. It is important, however, to emphasize that we do not recognize these pioneer preachers as our authorities in religion. The only authority that we are concerned about comes from the Lord by his Word. While we honor these men for their work, we do not justify our religious practices because of their teachings. If we cannot give a "thus saith the Lord," we have no business practicing it.