The Hawaiian gazette., 1881-12-07
Synopsis of inaugural Sermon of. a. Cru
ran as Pastor of Fort Street Church. Dec
Ath. 1851.

sUzIEc--The e Pulpi; Demanded BY the Tines"
Sunday morning a large audience vas present in
Fort Street Church 70 listen 10 the inaugural Ser
mon Of the new Pastor !. 4. Cruzan. The open
ing services were unusually impressive, The ser
vice OF song. Is always the this Church,
was very Inc, though We missed tie strong soprano
OF Mrs Halsurd. Mr. CruEau chose as his text
Cor. /: Is: For the preaching Of the cross 70
them that are psrlsLl1c fOoliSinsSs but 10 Us
who are being Slved Il Is the power OF God"
We can give only brief Outline Of the discourse
Never before have perishln9 men 50 lOadlv de-
clared the preaching Of the cross TO be foolshness
as In our oay. 8" The pIlpIt. we are told. lis 4
poor wooden thing Which should DC bundled into
the garnet Of the past is power over men Is
rapidly passing away. The speaker thea briefly
but poin:ediy gave facts and figures combating
this idea, and showed that the pulpit never Was
such power among men as Il Is to-day.
We need 10 make a broad distinction between
failures IN the pulp.t and the failure Of the pulpit
Itself Whatever weakness i hzs to-day. Is the
weakness OF the men IN H. and not the weakness
OF the pulpit Itself. 4 cook may be a failure but
the kitchen remains imperative necessity. How
ever many failures may stand II the pulpit AID
talk empty. sulceleSs nothia-s- the pulpit itself
n ms an imperative necessity. Il rests on the
wants Of man. No other institution hss such
breadth OF base and depth and sy.idity OF founda-
tion. A. long Is man endures the p1lpi; viii not
lose its power. The cross II upholds NAV seem
~fooishress 10 those who are perishing. but il Is
the PoEer Of God. and destined 10 rale the world.
the wants IF mankind. Il must Be adopted to the
soul-wsuts. 10 the SINS sarrows and temptations
of the men and women IN front Of l.
WAT KIND OF A FU1Frr Is NEE0E3 TO-DAY {?
/. An independent pulpit. One of tue crandest
signs OF the times Is the independence Of thO1ght
IN our day. Human authority everywhere Is chaI-
lsnced- The llfallibls Protestant PoPes Is years
ago every sect habits POpe, and the Congregation
alists \ good many Of them have gone ont Of
business Men no longer bow their heads az the
- ell ~ =
mildeE are no longer Infailible signs OF truth
The Church does not. by Its mere dicta forbid IN
Quiry- lie State / limited N lis functions Men
feel their night - discaSs, examine and investi-
gate Need ths pulpit fear this Independence OF
thorght No let Is rejoice n i. Il Is good time
IN which 70 live he who has lived forty years m
tins Nineteenth Century has already lived longer
than MefdUSelsh did. These gales Of thought viii
co no harm. II branches and trunks come crash
INC down II IS OILY the ruttel ones Any thought
Is better than none. A breeze with Wild waves Is
better than stzCuant SEA Tbs Church OF CHRIST
has nothing 10 fear from free thought. Bet its
prlpif uLSt respond 70 every cry for life and light.
il t-ust G-re 70 think all around the compass
Il must rot attempt % =. drive the winds OF
free tko1Eht o7ck TO their caves" IL must stand
with tins cid Bible In hand, and proclaim It,
motto: e Prove al things; hold fast that which Is
good. IL must not b. afraid Of the truth. thoush
L u1y lie outside OF L. own creed. OF may not
wear the orthodox label. In ordeT 70 be lbe-atUr
of men, the pulpit itself must be free independent
z Z
age n which we i've csuands s1EneihInC positive
-so1aethin- i car feel cut. chlszl. NegztiuH Is
noi what i wants L Is positive ideas . which
rasu weld allegiance Il 1 tke nE1 Of fore,
say We F~7f--- and therefore re sreak = who
move the world. bat do yol EHo-r about
release finn s5n ? e What Go YOU es0ar abouf
C-rzss IS Savior = 'iThzt do yoa know about tie
flgu-e = What do Won know about hOE 10 obtain
harmony with God .7-tsless burning questions
humanity asks o; the p1ipIt. And i Is no alsEer
VIXEN the pslpit becins 20 tel what i does ilot
kI0E. OF dos nos believe OF conrse, any p1lpit
winch 1ces thinking. Intelligent AM 7yIl-l.
il ]: dare 5e independent and positive, vii ire
cne1tly proclaim truths gl.h watch lis hearers
Rlli disagree The poorest compliment which c1n
b palG minister i for Els people 70 be able 10
sas ne LIS never uttered = single sentences 10
which could take exception :. In such case
either the p1lp:t OF the people have CEASED 10
think
5. TIE times demand Of The pulFit coara-
Ceuls- practical Application OF ClrIsts truth TO
every CAV lsfe. That vas Chrisss way lie laid
ks hand lovingly, but positively the sins Of the
men and women wl-h whom rr came IN contact
he did not cpne-all1e-ke p2rt1e7lzrlze-d- -
should every minister preach Ine minister q
Christ nus uoz heat he sane OLD bTUth with
which be vas served the Seminary, and lsdle II
oft N the Same old way Il be voEid more aud
save men He mEst show men themselves and
the way II WHICH they may cor-e1- tnelnselsee.
Whit do yua care abort e original an. - Or the
sins OF the Egyptians. Il j. sf9rr sn-the Sins Of
Honolulu n toe nids: Of the sea, IN the last
uI1rLET o. he N1lEEEElLl L--4alLs~ anu uuL inc
slrs OF Babylon on the Ezphrates centuries ago
with WHICH the pulpit mus deal # It would be
faithful. -Serm11s, says some one, :. ike letters
nus be direcsed. OF they Eiu never reach their
destination Al the foot OF too many p1ipits
there Is Dead Letter Once. God grant that there
maT never Be one az the fpos OF Fort Street pulpit
4 Most Of al the tunes G=mznd that the pelpit
shall be l=lper Of ms1- Ihe battle Is hard-
Men feel discouraged defeated, hopsless- II Is
tbs duty Of the p1lPit 10 make men feel this
Woe Be 10 the p1r5f that does not tel men OF the
shzckie and ths yoks and the dungeon and the PIT
which sln digs But tte puiplt also Is eornniis-
stoned 10 bring hope sl1 chez into the midst Of
sin's desolztiun. 70 proclaim liberty 10 the CAD
tFsss 70 tel that sin Is stripped Of iis power
bT Jesus Chriss, that the cospa Is good news
TO let down the cords on divine love into TIE deep
est pt and darkest dungeon; 70 declare that fhere
is reiszse for the visst-pzTIfy for the leprUused
and the sin-c1rssd; that there IS help and hope
for al.
The discourse vas listened TO With marked at
tention thro1ghOut- The closing prayer WIS an
ezrnes- petition for strength from God 70 make
Fort Stress Pulpit and ali others IN this kingdom
and thro1ehout TIE world, JUS s1ch Is the tunes
and the wants Of men demand