Show t. t CATHOLIC CHURCH ST PETER S KEYS i Pastor Russell Claims to toa Bet Be Bea t t a True Catholic Th The The Catholic Church Its Church Its Divine Foundation Foun Foun- r dation Apostolic dation-Apostolic Apostolic Authority Authority St. St. St Peters Peter's Keys Keys How How He Used Them How Keys of Kingdom What Kingdom What Power and Authority Given Apostles May Apostles May f Sins Be Absolved if So by Whom f Pastor Says He Is Nobody's Foe 1 14 i A Atlanta t I l n t a Gu Ga i March Of Pastor Pastor Pas Pus f- f r w tor Russells Russell's two twe 1 f. f l discourses here today to f rJ rs r r z v day clay we the report theun the one on un Matthew l iy e 1018 lJ W. Upon th this isis rock lock will ill 1 I Yf build My ly Church i nod and the gates of i I Hell nell Hades the thet t R grave grace rn e shall not s pl prevail ail against It In RUSSELL And nd I will givel give l oT t unto th thee e the keys of tit tit- i l of Heaven Heu The Past Pastor Pas Pas- I r. r t tor said a Id hi pol part It y J f For unaccountable lite reason nu eu numerous Catholics have hae gotten the y- y thought bt that I 1 am their foe Just as is 4 PI Presbyterians ans Methodists Episcopal Episcopal- ails ans Baptists etc tl have e gotten otten the Ira hn- lion that 1 I am their foe I 1 am a foe foe to tu ho nu no human being and aDd especially i yv to in III Christian I believe more fully than du ilo Methodists in Free Grace Grace- I that ultimately Gods God's grace leach each J-evory J every e. e r bei being I 1 believe e e mote more moret t t emphatically emphatic lIt thou thau do du most Presby Presby- x i term tl that tt thc tiu Church Is IR an especial especial- I ti f f 1 I eh et and i Is now being gath gath- J ar t f e. e era rl tl l out nut of of the world to be Gods God's L r a ap agents sins lits In III th the ultimate blessing of f all an 1 V the icon 1 I b belles bellevo with Baptists f w. ti s fi itt only link the El lied Elect ci the immersed will r.- r. t i me t t. t the I ue Kingdom i n I II of f G. G God Gd 0 d although a al- 1 I their claim that i. i though eny baptis bap bap- tim tJ lI in wi writer wetter Is the real reul real Immersion JL J i hold with fie lie Apostle that It i is bap bap- t bent III into Christs Christ's death Sla Similarly I 1 f i to f he till fie great r lt Catholic doctrine that i v r there is only one cue true Church founded if I b by t the hl Lord d Jl Jesus m Christ through His f Apostles I arl nearly nineteen n centuries ago IS- IS E Explains plains How Th They Deny T Their Catholicity Catho Catho- fv T r i i. i am aware aware that several churches h claim to to be e the Catholic Catholic olic- olic the he An Anglican r. r Catholic the Syrian Catholic the Greek Catholic lic and the Roman Homan Catho Cathu F. F lic lie Each claims to be the true Church and reprobates reprobates' es' es the others as' as heretical But I take the still broader cat catholic c v ground I hold bold that the word catho catholic iC ro means means' general and that any limitation r such such neb as Roman Catholic lie Ile etc to that extent denies their r 1 catholicity th Perhaps Perhaps- therefore 1 I am 4 v really saying that 1 am more catholic L tiL than that any of these brethren ti Ka I must prove my point or be misun misun- 1 I hold bold and few if any will k w dispute it it that the one or uni universal versal or general Church of Christ Is 11 t fIt arthe the one mentioned In the Bible the Bible the i Church of the First Firstborns written in p sH Heaven aven If this this' be admitted my next 4 proposition is that the Lord in Heaven 1 11 records as melD members members' berS' berS of His true Church I all nIl the saintly whether saintly whether Roman Cathou Catholics Catho Catho- u lies Anglican Cath Catholics Greek Catho Catho- 9 lies lies- Baptists Methodists Presbyterians Brians rians and etc and and none others t A. A Have we not here the one Church the Catholic Church Church tl the e universal the 1 i only Church which the Bible Mies In II the past past we we have Kaye been too narrow and have haye supposed that God was as narrow as ourselves It was wason on this account that In the past Presa Pres Pres- a Roman Catholics Anglicans Baptists and Iet 1 Methodists p persecuted i and were persecuted because each eft thon thought ht itself the true Church Ar Arwe Are e we We not all getting broader conceptions bf ot our God and of His Church Do Dowe Dowe Dowe we hot Dots Dot's see e that a part of our mistake r was In calling the outward 1 tion lion the Church of ot Christ Instead of phi remembering that the Lord alone writes the names of the Church that He lIe a alone lone reads the hearts that H He alone lone Is the Judge and that He alone 1 has bas the right to blot out oat the names o of f i ii those thole who become reprobates 1 kp 1 t Rectifying Past ast Errors St Ct t Paul wrote nci the spirit of ot o f r lm already manifest in hi his s tt day some a some flome saying I an am of Paul others others I am lm of Peter etc The Th e A Apostle asks Is Is Christ di divided videl 1 1 1 S Corinthians So today if with wit h Us us he Yo would ld ask Why y llo Romanists An An- ans Baptists Methodists etc I Ii Is pot not not- the name name of f Christ enough t H He i explains that th these se different names o of old si signified a sectarian spirit the spir spiro it of division that failed to recognize e i the true Head of the Church His true tru truex e hr x representatives and anet His true mem mom memo bEl bear bers The trouble is the same today The Tile entire foundation divided Christianity Christianity Chris h would disappear and all tb the e j s tr true e Church of Christ all Christ all real saints saints- saint would be speedily manifest if It tru true e catholicity w were re Acknowledged The one great obstacle to 0 to unity Is th the S r erroneous doctrine respecting the eter etc eternal r v nal torture of all not members of ot th thc the e SWi r c S r rb Church h We must open our eyes wf wid wid- d- d w iVr Pt er and see that many of our our theories e were acre erg bj by J Jesus 18 and the tit r t I v I 1 L' L j Apostles Re W t see SIC that the Church hutch Is il a o small com com- of saintly footstep followers of Jesus lesus Irrespective of lit sectarian lines that the Bible teaches nut not that th those these se III tit ure to tu look over oer the battlements of Heaven to all nil ft eternity and see ee all ali others oth 4 ers In III torment but bat that they fire to demonstrate their loyalty In unto anti death and ami III In due time be bl associated with Messiah in His great Millennial King dom dow which will bring knowledge and opportunity O to all an the families of th tb the earth the earth the living and the dead The Twelve Foundation Stones St St. Paul declared ti that at the saints ol of God the true Church are an built upon the foundation of the Apostles Apostles Apos Apos- ties and Prophets Jesus Christ Himself Him self bein being the Chief Corner Stone Ephesians 2201 The Twelve Apostles Apos ties are here referred to in the their r double double dou ble office office Apostles Apostles especially commissioned commis commis- commissioned by the Lord as His representatives nta tives and Prophets mouthpieces foi fot the proclamation of the Message to the Church Jesus referring to these same foundation stones pictures the Church of Glory as the New Jerusalem Jerusa Jerusa- lem em and its twelve foundations as twelve precious stones In which are arc the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb Lamb no no more morel no less less St. St Paul being be In lug ing Gods God's choice to take the place of ol Judas the betrayer To think of St St. Peter as the only foundation for th the Church would be to deny Christs Christ's teaching and St St. Peters Peter's own statement that statement that the entire Church Is Is symbolically represented as living stones built built together by the Lord through the Holy Spirit 1 Peter 24 Q It was a costly mistake when our forefathers forefathers fore forefathers fathers overlooking this well point of Scripture thought of 01 the bishops of the Church as Apostolic Apostoll Bishops and took their decisions in to councils assembled as the voice oice of God to and through the Church The voice of God to and through the Church came only through the twelve Apost Apostles es of ill the Lamb All An others so claiming are denounced by Jesus Himself as pseudo pseudo- Apostles false Apostles false Apostles Rev 22 Gods God's true saints of all denominations denominations should Ignore all an human creeds and return to the Bible and its declaration dee dec of one Lord one faith one ont baptism one God and Father of all I Ephesians 45 G G. Are we more lo loyal al alto to human organizations than to God Goll His Truth fruth His Church Church all all saints andone andone and andone one people imbued with one spirit the world around the around the catholic Church Power In Heaven andIn Earth As As' St St. Peter was only one of the twelve foundation stones of the Church so likewise he he was only one of The Twelve to whom the Lord de- de dared Whatsoever ye shall bind onearth on onearth onearth earth shall be bound in hi Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall hall be loosed in Heaven Matthew 1818 the the same statement exactly that on net another occasion H He made to St St. Peter only But He gave the keys key to St St. Peter alone Would it seem reasonable that Jesus should tell the twelve Apostles that God would do anything that they bade Him do taking do-taking taking to Heaven whom they pleased and excluding whom the they chose Would it be wise or safe to entrust to poor humanity such dicta dictatorial tonal powers respecting the eternal Interest interest In in- terest of even one individual Assuredly As not When we remember that these that they were men of like passions with others that St. St Peter himself dissembled on one occasion and on another denied his Master laster we are the more convinced that Jesus did not mean that God would abdicate His authority and wisdom wisdom wis wis- dom in ha favor or of any twelve men What then does docs the passage mean We answer It Implies that the Lord would so overrule the utterances and writings s of His twelve Apostles as as to tomake tomake tomake make them safe guides for His Ilis Church To these thes postles Apostles would be given en through the Holy Spirit at P Pentecost wisdom enabling them to understand which things of the Jewish Law were binding upon upon the Church and which not binding Their decision on would be absolutely right and the entire Church might have confidence that what the Apostles bound or loosed o on earth was wa equally bound or loosed In Hea Heaven en enA A As At an illustration of this binding and loosing see Acts 15 1528 28 20 29 To get back into r relationship with each other and rid of all sectarian secta sects rian Tian systems Gods God's people must recognize recognize nize that only the words of the New I Testament Apostles and Prophets are authoritative properly representing the Divine mind Other things men have e bound and loosed on earth without recognition In Heaven The things necessary to the Church are found only In the Bible as St St. Paul 2 declares 2 Timothy 17 The Church Upon the Rock Other Foundation can no man manlay lay laythan laythan than that which Is laid Jesus Christ t. t 1 Corinthians lI In the Divine arrangement arrangement ar ar- Jesus Christ is the Foundation Founds Founds- tion the Rock upon which i is built the entire sup superstructure of His Church Church- the one Catholic world wide Church ChurchOn On this Rock Christ Jesus as St St. Peer Peter Peter Pe Pe- ter er declares declares all the Church is being built as a Temple of God 1 Peter 24 The New Jerusalem th the Church In glory had bad twelve foundation founds founds' tion stones built upon the one Foundation Foundation Foun dation Rock the Lord Lore lesus Christ It would manifestly rt rr ther therefore fore to to suppose sUPpo t I tour our Lord abdicated d His own place in to th the Ch Church ChurchIn t ch In tu favor of ot St St. Peter mac much as HII He HI c I i L I loved ved him What then did Jesus lesus mean mcm n He lIe called St. St Peter a n stone spoke o II of building His Church upon this rod ruck and declared that the gates of Hell liell H lI Hades the tho gravel grave would not against It We reply Jesus went down Into the prison house of death tho Hades the tomb but on the third day the gates of Hades Hodes Il des were opened and He Lie came forth These gates will not prevail against the Church as they did not prevail against her Lord This Is an assurance assur ance ante of the resurrection o of the To understand St St. Peters Peter's connection n with the Rock Foundation of th the e Church we should read th the preceding g context The disciples had told Jes Jesus nc the common talk respecting Himself Himsel Ho Bo io then asked them Who say ye t that af lam Iam St St. Peter answered Thou art the Christ the Son of the living li God This was the first public declaration of Jesus' Jesus Even the disciples dis disciples had only now come to recognize their Teacher as the promised long Messiah J Jesus sus answered Blessed art thou Simon son of ot Jonas for flesh an and blood hath not re revealed this unto thee but My Father In Heaven Thou art Peter a stone ready for the spiritual spir spiro spiritual Temple the first one line to publicly acknowledge Jesus and amI upon this rock the Truth Just lust declared that Iam I 1 am Messiah I will build My ly Church In the Hie Greek the word Peter signifies signi signi- fies flee a stone of moderate size while the word here rendered rock signifies amass a amass amass mass o of stone stone stone-a a foundation Oui Out Lord Jesus Christ evidently e meant that St St. Peters Peter's statement was a recognition recognition rec rec- of Himself as the great Foundation Foundation Foun Foun- dation of the thc Divine Plan Plan Messiah Messiah Upon that foundation truth that Jesus is Christ the Church would be built and St St. Peter was the first living stone to build himself upon that foundation by believing and confessing Christ St St. Peter himself gives gi us the same name thought thought that that he and all others of the Church ar are living st stones being build ed ld together as a holy Temple of God This entire entire Gospel Age ge has been devoted devoted de de- voted to the building of lIf if these stones upon that great Foundation Rock Christ Jesus As soon as the great T. T Temple of God shall be completed this Gospel Age will end and the New Dispensation Dispensation Dis Dis- be inaugurated The Keys of the Kingdom To fo St St. Peter our Lord said I I will give thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven What did He mean We shall Rhall not suppose that any who hear hearm m my voice or are sUfficiently intelligent to read this discourse In the newspapers pers are stupid enough to think Jesus meant that Heaven Is locked Op tip and that that nobody could get iti hi in except as St. St Peter would open the door door or gate True True some soine have voiced such fantastic notions But But we ve refuse to believe that I intelligent people could be in ha earnest earnestin in any such view What th the Lord meant Is very simpie simple sim sim- pie very beautiful aDl and we we see exactly how it was wag fulfilled He lie indicated that St. St Peter the first to confess Him was to have a a special honor in hi connection with the Inauguration of the Church Churchon on earth By the expression D Kingdom Kingdom Kingdom King dom of Heaven Heavrin Is meant the Church a class being called out of the world to become with Christ the ruling power pow pow- I er of the world world during the Millennium Millennium Millen Millen- through the great grea resurrection change See ee 1 Corinthians 1542 54 Jesus meant that St St. Peter would be honored In being permitted to do an opening |