The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1902-03-10

1t Is today. Those who have gone about
dissuading some of our brethren from
joining in this days worship need to
be told that, II Is a serious and danger
Gus thing to triae with those things
that belong to the Lord our God. 1t
Is not the servant whom they are dis
honoring by their absence, but the
Lord and Master Himself, who has
said, Them that honor Me 1 will
honor, and they that despise Me shall
be lightly esteemed"
Then, next, this cathedral stands as
a witness of unchanging faith. Times
from century to century, human optn-
change manners and customs change
ions change, but. the faith once deliv-
cred remains unchanged from age 10
age, for Ii Is faith In Him who Is the
same yesterday and today and forever.
Yet the adversary of the faith Will
never cease his efforts to undermine
this faith, and loosen mems grasp upon
it, There must be heresies, writes the
Apostle that they that are approved
may be made manifest among you.
And what is a heresy but q choice.
choosing the opinion of this man or
that in place of the doctrine OF the
church resting on the Word OF God.
These shifting opinions are ever being
offered to your acceptance, and the
trial is made of you whether you will
your ears from the truth, and be turn
ed to the fables of spiritualists or the
| osophists, or other falsehoods of those
who lie in wait to deceive. With these
winds of falsehood blowing around
| you, these pillars and arches testify by
| their enduring character that the truth
| of God continues unchanged from age
| to age; call upon you not to be Hike
| him who built his house upon the sand,
but like him who built his house upon
| the rock, which neither winds ner
| floods were able to overturn, for II
was founded upon the Rock-JeTus
| Christ the same yesterday and today
| and forever.
3. This Cathedral stands as a witness
| to an unchangng morality. The will
| of God in regard to human conduct,
| first written on the human conscience,
was delivered from Mt. Sinai in ten
| commandments by the voice of God
| Himself, and then inscribed by the
| finger of God on two tables of stone.
Those ten commandments delivered by
| the word of God are not less the rule
| Of life under the Gospel than they
| were under the law. II am not come
| to destroy. but to fulfill" said our
| blessed Lord. His mission was not to
do away with the moral law, but to
| teach fuller and wider application of
| it. For with God sis no variableness,
neither shadow of turning" Though
heaven ard earth pass away, His word
| shall not pass away. This cathedral,
| built in the faith of Him who Is the
same yesterday and today and forever,
stands witness to the immutable OBJ
legation of the ten commandments, and
| every one of them without exception.
| No change of time can relax that obli-
| CATION The laws of States may cease
to be based upon Divine law, but the
49,. IL
who is the same yesterday and today
and forever has declared the marriage
of divorced persons to be adultery, no
human legislation can make 1t other
wise. Nor again can law or custom
alter the immutable obligation Of the
sanctity Of the Lords day. The rest
of one day in seven Is a God-given
right to the sons of toll, of which capi-
tai cannot deprive them without sin.
Capitalists who in their greed for
wealth keep their mills running from
midnight on Sunday to midnight on
Saturday need to be reminded that
they are robhng God Of the honor that
he demands, ana their fellowmen of
their most sacred rights. They may
say we keep the letter of the law;
our machinery is still for a seventh of
the week. But how about the living
souls who attend to the machinery,
engineers, sugar boilers and laborers?
Have they twenty-four hours rest?
Are they free 20 attend to their relig-
ous duties on the sacred day? If the
answer to these questions Is no, then
may this cathedral ever be witness
to these Islands that their prosperity
depends on. obedience to the will OF
God, and though they who transgress
the laws of God In their haste to he
rich may prosper for time, but pres
emily they will find, to use the language
of the prophet Haggai to his own gen
GRAFTON, that their dividends are put
Into a bag with holes"
And finally consider that in setting
apart this cathedral for the worship OF
God, we have acted not for ourselves
alone, or for this generation, but fol
generation after generation Of tn,
faithful who within these walls vii
offer their prayers and praises to Hin
who is the same yesterday and today
ana forever
In the prayer for the whole state o.
Chrlst's church, after the words, DE
, parted this life in Thy faith and fear,
the following was added: Especial!
, for Thy servants, King Kamehameh,
Nv and Queen Emma, for whose bene
factions to Thy church we this da.
give Thee thanks" The Gloria in Elk
eelss was sung, and the services wer
brought to close by the following
prayer said by the bishop.
20 eternal Lord God, who holdest al
souls In life, wo heseech Thee to shet
forth upon Thy whole church in Para
disc and on earth the bright beams u
Thy light and heavenly comfort, ant
| grant that We following the good tx