"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they all may be one: as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me." (John 17:21,22)

"To those of the churches of Christ who desire a plan for Unity, we submit the following for your consideration. We cry 'Unity,' and say that Unity can be obtained only on a New testament basis. Yet the New Testament is the Book we disagree on. If we can search out the things we agree on, and unite on them, and work together, we'll have Unity!

So, we submit the following items of worship which are necessary to a New Testament Church.

COMMUNION: The Lord's Supper must be kept every Lord's Day.

PREACHING AND MUTUAL EDIFICATION should be decided by each congregation for itself. It knows its own needs.

"PASTOR SYSTEM": Th ere are no New testament Pastors save Elders.

OFFICERS: Only officers recognized for religious work by the New Testament are Elders and Deacons.

SINGING: No instrumental Music, but honest endeavor to make the song-service as edifying as possible.

CONTRIBUTION: This is for the support of spreading the Gospel and taking care of the poor.

DISCIPLING: The course that is fair is the Scriptural plan every time. Conduct that brings reproach on the Church, and heresies, are matters of discipline if persisted in after due warning.

WORKERS: Safety of New Testament plan demands all such should be under supervision of Elders and mature members of the Church. Al Bible classes must be under the supervision of the Church--not a separate organization.

PREACHERS: Must be of good character. If they favor 'Bible Colleges' or not, let it be an individual matter. Their business is preaching the Gospel and building up churches, not other religious organizations.

BIBLE CLASSES: As they are not part of the worship, those not believing in them may stay away without censure.

LESSON-LEAVES: If a Bible-class uses lesson-leaves, those not agreeing may use their Bible without censure by those using lesson-leaves. (Most of us use commentaries of some sort, the place where we use them being the main point of difference. Some use New Testaments with extensive notes at bottom of each page without criticism, even in worship.) Bible classes are not a part of worship.

BIBLE COLLEGES AND ORPHANS HOMES: Supporting them is an individual matter--the Church Contribution is not for that purpose. We're saved as individuals, anyhow, not as churches. If anyone must take the risk, let that one do it as an individual. It's a matter of believing in the efficacy of the Church. If a preacher, or a brother talks to us privately about 'Bible -Colleges,' just inform him kindly, yet firmly, that you do not support them, and tell him why. We can't force them not to believe in them, but maybe we can reason with them.

FOREIGN MISSIONS: Individual work. There is plenty of work nearby to satisfy those who want to work.

SOCIETIES: These are all foreign to the Scriptural plan, and full of possibilities for departures. The Church is the only avenue through which to do religious work.

BROTHERLY LOVE: This is as much a command as 'repent and be baptized,' and, if exercised, would be the solution of many problems. 'Come let us reason together,' means reason, not quarrel. Ephesiasn 4:16 speaks of 'love' as a means of the church edifying itself. All can take part in this, and make it really 'mutual.'

Brethren, if the Church is as supreme with us as we would have people think, WHY NOT DO ALL OUR RELIGIOUS WORK THROUGH THE CHURCH, so the glory for such a work will go where the Book commands! If YOU wish to support a Missionary Society or an Education Society to do Church work, go ahead--that is between you and the Head of the Church. But, keep your hands off the Church Treasure! Don't touch a penny of that and send it to another organization to do Church work! Maintain purity of the worship! Couldn't we worship with the Christian Church if they'd cut out the mechanical music and not touch the Church funds in the interests of human societies to do church work? And raise money for the work by giving as the Lord has prospered. We can worship together with our College brethren if they will keep their hands off the church funds and do not try to divert them for the aid of a college to teach the Scriptures. For, that is the Church's work. Bro. Srygley, of the Gospel Advocate, says no organization other than the Church's elders and deacons is Scriptural for religious work. Bro. H. L. Boles, of late president of David Lipscomb College, says this president, secretary and treasury stuff in church work is wrong! So this brings us right back to the one institution through which the manifold wisdom of God is to be made known: the Church of Christ. We must jealously guard her worship.

Brethren, let us be just as jealous of her work! If you wish to support the Y.M.C.A., or a missionary or education society for preaching or teaching the Scriptures--go ahead; that's between you and the Founder of the one organization with Heaven's approval for making known the Gospel. You must settle with Him! But don't touch the Church's funds in the interest of any human religious society!

If the preacher we employ wants to give part of what we give him to aid a human society, that is his personal affair and risk! The Head of the Church will settle with him in the last day for helping a rival institution. But, retain the Church funds strictly for Church work, and we will have a glorious reunion! And our preachers, editors, and the whole ran and file can show the world what a people who put first things first can do--the Church before any other society for making known "the manifold wisdom of God." Then we all can joyfully and truthfully sing: 'For her my tears shall fall, For her my prayers ascend; To her my cares and toils be given Till cares and toils shall end.'

Brethren, are you with us for the Church supreme? Let us hear from editors, preachers and the employees.

This is a rough draft, but it is written in behalf of the thousands who desire to reach that Better Land, and who never will know, and can never understand 'the fine points' in our arguments for and against some things that have disrupted us. We desire very much to afford a place for such to worship after the New Testament plan. We solicit suggestions and close analysis of these items." -Review Publishers

In 1933 Daniel Sommer, then eighty-three years of age made a preaching tour of the South. He spoke at David Lipscomb College and at many churches in the Southland. The time was coming when Daniel Sommer was beginning to realize that he should not force his opinions on others. This is not to say that he changed his views on anything, only to say that he put them in their proper perspective.

In the '30's and '40's there were efforts made to unite the parties of the Restoration Movement. James DeForrest Murch and Claude Witty led theses. They held Unity Meetings in many cities. Daniel Sommer was among the speakers. In his old age he still had all his mental faculties, although he was blind. Allen R. Sommer, writing in the American Christian Review, dated January, February, March 1965, writes the following.

"He had attended a Witty-Murch unity meeting of several days in this city (Indianapolis, Indiana, 1939). Spoke along with Morris, Murch, Boles, Witty, Errett and McMillian. Jorgenson led some singing. No instrumental music. It was in a Christian Church building, too. Some free-for-all discussions livened the occasion. When one such seemed getting out of control, Don Carlos Janes brought order when he pleaded, 'Brethren, let us pray.'"

So, Daniel Sommer ended his long and fruitful life pleading for the unity spoken of in the New Testament. He died in 1940. Dr. Frederick D. Kershner, Dean of the College of Religion at Butler University, wrote the following in Shane Quarterly, dated April 1940.

"Daniel Sommer was the last of the great pioneers of the Restoration Movement. Born in 1850, only twenty years after the dissolution of the Mahoning Association, his life stretched back to the days of the Campbells and spanned almost the entire circle of the growth and development of the movement. As the successor of Benjamin Franklin in the editorship of the American Christian Review, he became a dominant protagonist of the Right Wing among the Disciples and was usually regarded as the very tip of the wing . . .

When we reflect upon the fact that Alexander Campbell died after Daniel Sommer was sixteen years of age and that both Thomas Campbell and Walter Scott were at least partially contemporary with Mr. Sommer, we can understand something of the extraordinary character of his life. Isaac Errett and Benjamin Franklin were full contemporaries of this pioneer and his career stretched back to within two decades of the Mahoning Association which marked the real beginning of the historic career of the Disciples. Daniel Sommer was, therefore, almost a living epitome of the history of his communion. The fact that he belonged to the extreme Right Wing has nothing to do with his importance as a historical representative of the Movement. Nobody would question his loyalty as a Disciple or his interest in the cause to which he devoted his life."