The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1906-05-28
ANNIVERSARY SERMONS.
ABLE UNITERSALIST DIVINES At
CHURCH OF MESSIAH.

In Celebration OF 10th Anniversary
Church Unity the General Theme of
Diseourse-Rev. Frank o. Hall of
New York Principal Speaker in the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Hamilton of
Tufts College Present-Rev. David
Levy and DIR. w. L. Phillips Express
I Congratulations.
The announcement that the seventh
eth anniversary of the Church Of the
Messiah parish organization would be
observed at the church on Sunday
morning and evening drew a large au-
dlenee at both services. In the morn
ing the pastor, Rev. Theodore A. Flsch-
er, preached an admirable discourse,
basing his remarks on Acts 28:15,
When Paul saw the brethren he thank
ed God and took courage" After tell
ing how Paul entered Rome, and know
ing that every step he took was plac-
ing his life in jeopardy, was met by a
number Of Christian brethren, who
cheered his heart and gave him new
| courage, the speaker dWelt on the sew
enty years of labor in the Master S
vineyard, of the few in numbers but
valiant in spirit who organized the So
ciety and carried on the church work
from year to year. The church history,
he said, is grand one, and its labors
have been productive of untold good.
But we must not indulge too much in
"reminiscences. We must look forward
and press on. Our glorious faith is the
hope of the world, and until the fa-
therhood of God and the brotherhood of
man are the governing principles which
shall actuate each life and purify and
ennoble the race, we will, as servants
of the Most High, continue to spread
The glad tidings Of great Joy, and never
relinquish our efforts in behalf Of our
brother man,
| Despite the disagreeable weather
there was large audience at the even
I ing service. Seated on the platform
were, besides Rev. Theodore A. Fdsch-
er, Rev. DR.. Frank o. Hall, pastor OF
the Church of the Divine Paternity in
New York city, Rev. David Levy Of
Mishkan Israel church, Rev. Dr. Wat
son L. Phillips of THE Church Of the
Redeemer and Rev. w. F. Dickerman.
PRAYER was offered by the Rev. w.
VI. Dickerman, former pastor OF the
church. and McDougal's Jesus Lover
of My Soul" was rendered by Miss
Irene Foote, the soloist at the Howard
avenue Congregational church Charles
C. Treat was organist.
In introducing DR.. Hall as the prin-
cipal speaker of the evening, Rev. Mr.
Fischer said that the function OF she
church was not to teacha religious bias,
but an inspiration, and he was glad TO
present DR.. Hall to his people as one
of the leading divines Of the denonina"
ton
After referring to his baptism In the
Universalist church in this city forty
five years ago, DR.. Hall entered into a
consideration Of uniting church creeds.
/ He said In part: I'VE live in an era
Of consolidation. Railroads combine,
and trusts are formed. Why should
churches be behind. Why should not
Umversalists unite with other churches
or they with us. The fact Is that every
denomination is ready on condition that
every other church come under its BAN
ner. The old mother church, the Rom
an Catholic, would gladly welcome US.
So would the Presbyterian. We as
Universansts are willing to do the same
and will not impose such hard condi-
tions. We have wanted to do so for
hundred years. But 1t seemedto us as
though the hard headedness and OBJ
stinacy of the other denominations
had prevented it. But on the other
hand why should not we unite with
them? So we see Church unity is far
away.
The reason we are faithful to the
Uniyersalist church is the same as the
reason why we are faithful to our in
diviiual homes. The church was born
of necessity. The church Is the larger
home.
An old fried said to me that he would
get me a Baptist church If / turned
Baptist. But / don't change because
I was born in the Universalist church.
I'm Halifax, Boston and Brooklyn
YOU will find no name better known
than Gunnson. In newspaper circles
and schools there is no name better
known than that of Horace Greedy. In
Cambridge the name of Alonzo Greeley
is widely known There are the wide
Nv known names of DR.. Page and
George Bicknell. Our church has ac-
complshed something.
"If dropped into the Baptist or any
other denomination we would not make
much of disturbance. But the Uni
versalist church has hammered out
ideas that are being proclaimed by
other churches to-day. 1t has cttme tc
stand for the highest Interpretation o1
religion. 1t came into existence as a
protest against the doctrine of eternal
, punishment Our fathers had no idea
that their opinions would necessitate
the rewriting of all theology,
| "What does any other church offer
that we do not? 1t has been said that
] our religion has been set up on mega
tive foundation. In reality 1t is the
great affirmative faith. We love oui
|, church because there is something tc
/ it,"
DR.. Hall said that the good news tt
/ men was that God loved them and
sent His Son to save them and also
! that God loved them SO well that He
did not want them to sin.
After the singing of Lead Kindly