Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-07

Declared Sunday That High Moral
Character Is Real Essence Of
Christian Life.

Inc orSdHtz3tiOH OeIOre WHICH the IrcSi-
dent spoke is non-sectarian body COM
posed principally Of the male members Of
the several local churches. The meeting
was held in the Sunday school room Of the
NJ. E. Church. OF which the Rev. W. 1. Bow
man is pastor. Mr.. Bowman Is also the
president Of the Christian Brotherhood
Several weeks ago an invitation was ex-
tended to the President to address the
brotherhood. and he promised the Rev.
Charles B. Wightman. chairman OF the COM
mittee, to accept the invitation at some
later time. He notified the committee Sat
urday night that he would make the
promised address Sunday. STIMULATING that
no previous announcement should be MADE
of his intention to speak.
About 100 persons attended the meeting
and practically all of them were surprised
when President Roosevelt appeared on the
platform and was introduced by Mr.. Bow
man.
President Carried His Own Bible.
The President carried his own Bible, and
in beginning his address. read selections
from the Sixth Chapter of Matthew. the
Epistle to the Corinthians, and the Epistle
to James. No verbatim report of the ad-
dress was made. but the President tonight
dictated the following as the substance of
his remarks
Brother Bowman has spoken of the
fact that have had a large experience. /
think that each one of US who had a large
experience grows to realize more and
more that the essentials of experience are
alike for all of us. The things that move
most, the things of the home. of the
church, the intimate relations that knit
man to his family, to his close friends, that
they make hiiu try to do his duty by his
neighbop. by his God, are in their essentials
just the same for one man as for another,
provided the man is in good faith trying to
n n dc 1r,ty fool hot of an
country really depends upon the sum Of the
efforts OF the individuals acting by them
se-ves. but especially upon the sum of eff
forts of the individuals acting in associa-
lions like this for the betterment Of them
selves. for the betterment of the communi
ties in which they dwell. There is never
any difficulty about the forces of evil be-
ing organized. Every time that We get an
organization of the forces that are pain
fully striving for good an organization
like this. are doing our part to Offset.
and little more than offset, the forces Of
evil.
Texts With Bearing on Brotherhood.
II want to read several different texts,
which 1t seems to me have especial bearing
upon the work of brotherhoods like this,
upon the spirit in which not only all of US
who are members of this brotherhood. but
all of us who strive to be decent Christians,
are to apply our Christianity on week days
as well as on Sundays. The first verses l
want to read can be found in the seventh
chapter of Matthew. the first, sixteenth,
seventeenth and eighteenth verses:
First-'Judge not, that We be not judged
'Sixteenth-'Ye shall know them by their
fruits Do men gather grapes or thorns. or
figs thistles?
''Seventeenth-'Even so every good tree
bringeth forth good fruit. but a corrupt
tree bringeth forth evil fruit
- 'Eighteenth-A good tree can't bring
owl frlJit n, rtnt
bring forth good fruit
Judge not that ye be not judged-that
means treat each of his brothers with
charity. Be not quick to find fault Above
all. be not quick to judge another man who,
according to his light. Is striving to do his
duty as each of us here hopes he Is striving
to do his. Let us ever remember that not
only we have divine authority for the state
ment that by our fruits We shall be known,
but that also II Is true that mankind will
tend to judge us by our fruits. 1t Is an
especially lamentable thing to see Ill done
by any man who from his associa tons with
had the priceless benefits of the teachings
of the Christian religion. should be ex-
pected to take position Of leadership in
the work for good.
1.-The next quotation / wish to read to you
IS found In Matthew. XIV, 37-40. inclusive:
Then shall 1.-The righteous answer Him,
saying, Lord. when saw we Thee, an hun
gered and fed Thee? Or thirsty and gave
Thee drink? When we Thee stranger,
and took Thee in, or naked and clothed
Thee? Or when saw We Thee sick or in
prison. and came unto Thee? And the
King shall answer and say unto them,
Verify L say unto you. inasmuch as ye have
done 1t unto one Of the least of these my
brethren. We have done it unto Me-
That is what this brotherhood means. by
trying to worship our Creator. by acting
toward his Creator. as He would have us
act. to try to make our religion a driving
force in our lives to do unto others we
would have them do unto us.
Great Need of Tolerance.
1.-The next text l wish to read Is found In
I Corinthians, 18th chapter. beginning with
the 1st verse:
Though I speak with the tongues OF
men and of angels, and have not charity, l
am become as sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal. And though / have the gift of
prophecy, and understand all mysteries and
all knowledge, and though l have all faith.
so that could remove mountains, and have
not charity, / am nothing: and though /
bestow all my goods to feed the poor; and
though l give my body to be burned, and
have not charity. it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long and is kind: charity
envieth not: charity vaunteth not Itself. is
not puffed up.
And now abideth faith, hope, charity.
these three: but the greatest OF these is
charity
Let each of us exercise the largest toll
erance for his brother who Is trying, though
In a different way, to lead decent life.
who is trying to do good In his own fashion;
let each try to show practical sympathy
with that brother, not be too quick to crit
icise.
In closing 1 want to read just few
verses from the Epistle of james, from the
LIST chapter. 9th verse:
Pure religion and undefled before God
and the Father is this, to visit the father
less and widows In their affiiction, and to
keep himself unspotted from the world
IF man will try to serve God the Father
by being kindly to the many around him
who need such Kindness and by being up
right and honest himself then we have the
authority of the Good Book for saying that
We are in honor bound to treat him as
good Christian and extend the hand of
brotherhood to him
AT the conclusion of his address the
President shook hands with the members of
the brotherhood. After brief call at the
residence of Mr.. Bowman, adjoining the
church, he returned to Sycamore Hill.
Monument to Be Dedicated.
Some time during the coming fall a monu-