The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-20
SPOKE ON CHRISTIAN UNITY.
REV. DE. RAIL DELIVERED AN
 INTERESTING SERMON.
Local ChurChes-AiIuded to Denomi- national Strife Com m ends Many Lib- eraI CnafnnS

 in Trinity Methodist church yesterday morning. A large congregation was in attendance and the remarks of the clergyman were given the closest atten- tion. Dr. Rall took his text from John IT. q: 'I pray that they all may be one: as Thou, Father. art in me and I in Thee! that they may also be one in us.''
 In opening his sermon the pastor spoke of the unity that existed between Christ and His disciples. The same aim and object had they all in view, namely, the establishment of Gods kingdom on earth. Then at the last supper their souls poured out blessings and thanks giving for the unity that had marked their work in the past and prayers for a continuance of the same were devout- iy offered. Since that time the work of spreading the truths of the gospel has been marked by many changes and from small company of twelve preach CTS the world has come to recognize a Y. vast army. of preachers in the form of denominations, all of them aiming at the same object, namely. the winning of the world to and for the Master.
 When we stop to ask ourselves as to whether Christ's prayer that the churches might all be one has been an- swered, we must humbly, sorrowfully and shamefully admit that His prayer has not been fulfilled. Elements of strife appeared long before the Reforma- tien and, while they are not so odious to-day as they were centuries ago, they are still of sufficient severity and an- noyance as to cause thinking people to wonder why and how such conditions can prevail in this day of ours. With the coming of Professionalism, the strife broke out afresh and with a .conse- quence which shocked the world, and shock us even as we think of them to- day. We would not ask that Luther had remained in the Roman Catholic church. The revolution that he started has been fraught with results which can never be measured when the good of all mankind is. taken into considera- tion. He suffered and hundreds of thousands suffered with him, but to- day we have the right to find God by personal search; we have access to His grace and forgiveness as individuals and we have the right to think for our selves.
 ' WlLl IIlG FlSHt tO tIlIk TUT ourselves and the development of this great pow CT of individualism, the world has come to recognize a vast number of denomi- nations. With the larger denomina- tions we are all acquainted, but there aresmany smaller ones which we seldom hear of hut which are striving in their own way to advance the cause and Kingdom of God, as they think the work should be carried on. The result of all this is that we present to the world in our battle for the right divided front. This fndiyiduaIism has been evidently carried to an extreme. We have more than 15O families in Protestantism. There are nineteen bodies of Method1sts in the Methodist denomination, thirteen bodies of Baptists within their fold, twelve sections of Presbyterians, eigh- feen ar twenty bodies of Lutherans, and so if goes on. Many of these divisions are brought about by geographical and territorial limits and boundaries, yet in many of them we will find that petty differences in faith and belief are the cause of their existence in this divided manner. 3taTn small communities these condl- lions are even more deplorable in their conseuuences than in the larger cities. Many a small village with population sufficient to properly support one or two churches and to carry on the Work or reconciliation has several churches' and each is struggling for an existence more for the sake of maintaining its ec- cIesiastical control than for the purpose of fighting for the Master"
 Dr. Rall then told of an instance in yrf1fch these conditions had existed and. one clergyman in his efforts to keep his church alive worked so hard that his health, broke down and. death resulted. pr Rall blamed the church and also the. system for the pastors death.
 Continuirg Rev. Dr. Rall advocated a more rnest~co-operation on the part Of all denominations. He said that 1t would be almost impossible to unite all denominations under one head, but that the union should be in spirit and in work. Some of those who are clamoring fl,e Ioudest for one denomination are the smallest among the denominations. and in some cases they are the young est. It remineded the speaker of con- solidating West Haven and New Haven and saving that New Haven was united to West Haven, instead of the natural saving. which would be that West Ha- men was united to New Haven.
 The open. communion service was earnestly favored by the clergyman who stated that the conditions in this regard to-day are most encouraging. The more frequent exchanging of pulpits by pastors of different denominations was urged and commended. The acceptance of members by one church when those members come from other denonina- tions, the acceptance being by letter, was also construed as a sign of the times. and pr. Rall spoke highly of this display of unity of spirit and purpose.
 pr. Rail gave it as his opinion that in city like New Haven it would be bet ter if Grace and the Howard avenue Congregational churches were united; if Dwight and Plymouth churches were one. and # Grace and Trinity churches had one head He cnn1111 andaE the FSniS-