The phrase "early church" is used by many writers to refer to the church of the first few centuries of the of the Christian era. We are using it in this book to describe the church of the apostolic period - the New Testament church. We believe the church of that period, in its approved actions, should serve as a model or pattern for today. The various local churches did not always follow the instructions which they were given by the apostles, but there was uniformity of apostolic doctrine in the first century.