The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-07-07
@ The Judgment

The Rev. Cruzan's sermons are always
lively, often eloquent, and sometimes ex-
tremcIy original. All Of these character
istics distinguished his address last sun
day evening. The reverend gentleman in
PRODUCED his remarks on The Judgment -
by reading some passages from Revelation,
which he unhesitatingly pronounced
highly figurative." He proceeded to
cite some Of he prophetic u~tterances OF
| Christ az recorded in the New Testament,
and briefly SHOWED how they had been full
filled. Jesus had told his disciples that the
Temple at Jerusalem would be so entirely
destroyed that not one stone should
be left upon another. And in 20
a. D., the Holy City had been
aiken by Titus; a soldier threw a fire
brand into the sacred structure. 1t was con-
sumed by fire, and one of the subaltern of
ficers OF the %conqueror plowed up its very
foundation in his quest of molten gold that
had run into the crevices of the rocks.
But these facts are merely illustrative of
the general name in which the prophesies
Of Christ had been fulfilled. The learned
divine reminded the audience that he had
seldom corrected the ordinary English
translation of the Bible in his public adj
'N 5 VIZ H'hAca W" -
Honolulu, but he found occasion for noting
an error in calculating a passage where
Jesus speaks Of the destruction of the
material world. In this instance, instead of
the words material world,'' 1.-THE age" or
"dispensation of things" was clearly the
meaning of the original Greek. There is
nothing in the Bible, he said, which indi-
Gates that the entire material world will be
annihilated, except in a single passage,
which he cited, and then adduced ample
arguments to show that even that was
probably not to be taken as indicating the
absolute humiliation of the universe, or its
total destruction 10y fire. After thus show
ing instances of error in translation and
pointing out the euarkably figurative ma
ture of the Scripture in many places, Mr..
Cruzan came to the immediate subject of
his discourse, and brought forward sam
pies of the exceeding contradictions"
of the Bible in regard to the Judg-
ment and the Judgment Day. He
mentioned the notions of ancient divines
in even fixing the place where the judg-
ment was to take place, as absurd In his
opin Oh, Judgment is passed upon men
when they do right or wrong; when they
place themselves upon the right or left of
Christ. among the sheep or among the
goats. As to judgment after death, people
in the next world will only be what they
have been in reality in this world. The
good and bad are separated in the hereafter
by their own choice just as they are here.
4 mans characters his Heaven or his hell,
and whichever he chooses be will carry
with him wherever he goes.
These aud other similar liberal interpre-
tations Of the Scriptures were the striking
features of Mr.. Cruzan's sermon last Sab
bath evening. Only a few years ago such
opinions would not have been considered
orthodox by any considerable Christian or
ganizatiOn, nor would they ave been re-
ceived by u Christian audience as anything
short of actual skepticism. And the fact
that they are not only enunciated here by
a prominent minister, but apparently ac-
by an orthodox congregation, illus
trates the great change that has taken
place i'm matters of religious belief. The
great scientists, reasoners and free think
ers, considered unbelievers, aud the pro-
gressive leaders of modern orthodox Chris
appear to be approaching unity of