The Penn's Grove record., 1923-01-19
BED ROCK FOUNDATION FOR
CHRISTIANITY
Not st. Peter, "a PICKLE Man, But On
His Confession That Jesus
Was The Christ

Rev. Francis +. Purcell, last Sun
day night, preached a most enlighten-
ing sermon on The Church and the
Keys of the Kingdom. lie SAID in
part that the Roman Catholic Church
claims to be the only true Church.
Since America has been made great
by our Puritan ancestors who fled
from Europe, where the interpreta-
ton of the Bible by the Latin Church
mostly prevailed, to gain that freedom
for a different Interpretation and
method Of worship and living it IS
well to consider the different 1ounda-
tiOns. The Catholic Church authOri-
ties seek to control the State and
use it for the Church. Political
power is aimed at with little regard
for the spirituality in religion. The
American people need to be wider
awake to retain our inference and
freedom of speech and government.
A Senator last winter introduced d
bill in the Legislature to make it a
criminal offense To efiticlse any.
Church or religion. Freedom u mind
and speech Is on. inference of which
we need to maintain.
Matthew 1G.15-19 says: Jesus said.
TO them, But whom do they say | am ?
Simon Peter answered and said:
Thou art Christ, the Son of the living
God. Jesus said to him: Blessed art
thou Simon, because flesh and blood
hath not revealed it to thee, but my
Father VINO is in heaven. | say to
thee: Thou art Peter; and upon this
rock | viii build my Church and the
gates of he'll shall not prevail against
- ,.fIi gf--, +b-r 4h1 bow af
heaven, 10. l will give thee the keys
of the kingdom of heaven
The Roman Catholic Church claims
that the word Peter means q rock
and the Church is founded on Peter
and the Pope is the legal successor
of Peter, who founded the only true
Church in Rome where he was cruel
fed with his head downward. This is
found not in the Bible but on tradi-
ton.
The P~rotestants take the Bible as
their guide Of faith and moral prac-
tice and reject traditions.
The Greek word petros is translated
Peter. The word petra is translated
rock. Petros is masculine and means
a movable pebble. Petra is fiminine
and means the bed rock, the solid
fundamental foundation, the confess
sion of Peter by spiritual discernment
that Jesus was the Christ.
The M~ethodists take men from
business and workshops to become
ministers after they have received
that spiritual discernment, like Peter,
altho they may be uneducated like
most of Christ's disciples were. They
are required to take a four year
course of study before being admitted
to full ministerial orders.
The Roman Catholic priest is edu-
Gated in Greek and Latin and thor
oughly trained and he knows the false
Interpretation his Church puts on the
Greek word petros to make people
believe the Church is founded upon
Peter the man rather than Peters
spiritual discernment of Jesus being
the Christ.
st. Peter says in Chapter 2:6:
"Behold lay in Zion a chief corner
stone elect, precious. He that be-
lieveth in Him shall not be confound-
ed"
Surely Peter did not mean that
people should believe on himself.
st. Paul told the Ephesians (2:29):
"Jesus Christ himself is the chief
corner stone"
Jesus formed a society whose prin-
ciple aim was to make men good. His
creed was the Sermon on the Mount,
the greatest and highest standard ever
uttered by a man, so high and spirit
ual that it makes him the God for US
to worship and seek to initiate and
follow.
Whoever and wherever people meet
in his name there he has promisd to
be with them who earnestly seek him.
1t was not until the Council of
Trent, November 25, 1851, that the
Roman Catholic Church was declared
to be the only true Church and that
to Peter and his successors, the popes,
were the only heavenly door keepers.
The keys to heaven are the words
of God as found in the Bible. He who
has a Bible and reads it faithfully
and earnestly has the key to heaven.
Therein will every one find hope, joy,
freedom, forgiveness, remission of sins
after repentance.