The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-03
THE REVEREND J. w. DAY
ON UNITY OF THE CHURCH.

The subject of the sermon at the Church
OF III" Messiah was Church Unity" and
the pastor. tho Reverend J. W. Day took
for his text the words of Paul. in | Cor
81:
when one saith am of Paul and an
other ] am of Apvlios, are ye not men,
In part he said:
''Th" tendency Of present humanity t.
ward church unity WAS described as having
ToctS far in the past. even the divisions OF
Professionalism being part of the cvoiutiori
of deeper unity. The propositions from dif-
fCrcnt churches are sign OF progress.
though they tail in effect because they
either T' peat doctrines which have. brought
division, ar tnry minimize differences %
as to leave ont of account the Things people
have most AT heart. Church unity is mOre
likely to com" 10y protecting indep"ndc MT
conviction than by determining II. The
great advance is that denominations are
comparing notes. More than the mutual
respect and fraternity of people who We
mann in their place. we cannot expect. Htr-
money throUgn digeSttn is not any more
dttractiv" to the lambs who are invited {"
il" down with IN" ipnS Under Tho title cf
church unity. than 1T was under the title
ot church authority.
Men may Keep Iheir lines OF difference
and Yet do more and more To- realize union.
III" ua,U Ural opportunities OF Int.rdenonina-
tiunal intercourse may be utilized. The
stronger tho faith in man, or body of men,
the more can il afford 70 extend a hand
over the merely docJrinaI limits of follow =
ship. There are. il is true. necessities Of
unwcicumc they raay be. Iut when il is
necessary in religious organization. as il ia
III political organization. Ju avoid cntanciiny
alliances, the necessity should not be nllie
eternal. Those whose position is assured
should use their security L" open additional
means OF communication. Christian fellow
ship should grow broader rather than mar
rover. CONSISTENCY should not become of
the quality Of small minds. Religion Sps-
cially snould he free from prOvincialism.
NagnanmIty should he one rule of fidelity.
And It should he remembered that words
more often than ideas le behind division.
Where the differences are of vocabulary and
not OF essence il is no injury TO dig under
words TO ideas.
Ought Gemni;ions of Christ's nature pre-
vent those who have equal love and rev.
erence and loyalty toward him from COM
Ecnces hinder those who pray to Gcd with
the same words and with equal piety from
meeting in fellowship? Among those who
rely on his SPIRIT and acknowledge mis-
Fatherhood and attribute To his Son all
that he ever claimed for himself surely
there might be more of the unity OF the
spirit in the bonds of peace
In fact. this is already in large measure
true- lnterdenominational exchanges in
SINE parts of the country express such
fellowship between churches widely sepa-
rated in belief. Unitarian clergymt.n have
again and again exchanged with Trinitari-
ans with no loss of self-respect and with
no embarrassment to their hosts. Not long
ago the pastor of the Old South Church
in Boston. which remained Trinitarian gave
of the pastor of the First Church which.
early eSpouSed the Unitarian ral1sc
The cause of Christian unity had an oh
ject lesson more valuable than amy exnres-
SION under circumstances that give il no
emphasis or meaning. Such inst tnces have