The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-20
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH.
PICTURES OF THE EARLY CHURCH
BY REV. c. IL. STRONG.

An Interesting Series of sermons
Begun at st. Johns Church Last
Night-The Rock Upon which
christ Said His Church should Sc
Built Not st. Peter. Hut the Truth
Uttered by Him-Thc same Conn
missions Given to the other ApOs-
Ties as to st. Peter-The Work OF
the Church Begun by ST. Peter,
Carried ON by 81. Paul and Conn
pletcd by st. John.
Rev. Charles II. Strong began his series
Of Sunday night sermons on Pictures of
Early Church History" last night. In his
discussion Of church history Mr. Strong
began at the beginning. Christ he said,
left upon earth an ecclesiastical kingdom
much more complete than is generally sup
posed by the ordinary reader of scripture.
The kingdom of Heaven. which is frequent
ly referred to by Christ should be inter-
preted, he said, to mean the Church of
Christ on earth. ana not the reign
of Christ hereafter. When so understood
it gives much clearer idea of Christs in
tentons as to his church. Christ he said
spent forty days on earth after his resur-
rection, speaking to his disciples of things
pertaining to the kingdom of Heaven. He
concluded. therefore, that the Lord did
leave definite. organized church on earth
at the time of his ascension.
The first phase of the apostolic church.
Mr.. Strong said. was when st. Peter open
ed the church, first to the Jews and after
wards TO the Gentiles. During the time An
which the gospels were written there is
no evidence that st. Peter was ever in
Rome. st. Peters letters, evidently writ
ten during the latter part of his ministry,
are dated from the Church in Babylon.
There Is nothing to justify the belief that
by Babylon he meant Rome.
Mr.. Strong spoke of Christ's charge to
Peter The words Thou art Peter and
upon this rock l will build my church, I"
were not meant to imply, he said, that
Peter was the rock upon which the church
should be built, but referred to the truth
previously expressed by Peter in reply to
the question of Christ's as to whom his
disciples thought him 10 be. Peters ans
wer was Thou are Christ, the Son Of the
living God" Chrsts charge to Peer
upon this occasion, he said, applied equally
TO the other apostles present
Christs. injunction to Peter, Feed my
lambs, feed my sheep" thrice repeated
upon the occasion of his meeting with the
apostles after the resurrection was not
a commission TO Peter as the head of the
church, Mr.. Strong said but was simply
a three-fold restitution imposed upon him
for his thrice-repeated denial of Christ
upon the night of his trial. The same COM
mission was given TO the other apostles
as to st. Peter TO go forth into the world
and preach the gospel. st. Peter took uT
the first part of the work and carried i,
out to the time of the opening of the
church to the Gentiles. Then st. Pau
took up the work and carried the church
to the Gentiles. Sc. John then concluded
the work by fuslng the Jewish and Gen
tile churches into one.
Mr.. Strong contended that the early
church continued steadily In the apostolic
doctrine until well in the second century
The apostles creed, he said, had its origr
in the words of Christ, GO We into al
the world and preach the gospel unto ev-
cry living creature in the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost" As
early as the second century the apostles
creed was known throughout the entire
Christian church, and was the main test
of their faith. The cult of the virgin, tho
doctrine Of transubstantiation and other
doctrines had sprung up in that time, but
had not then been Incorporated into the
church
Mr.. Strong dwelt upon the apostles
creed as a fundamental basis upon whicf
all Christians can agree, and the only
basis upon which It Is possible for then
to agree. II simply sets forth the funda-
mental principles of the Christian faitt
without deduction or argument.