The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-09
ROOSEVELT OIL CHURCH WORN
.prSIDENT TALKS on VALUE OF
True CHRISTIANITY.
Address at the 1OOth Anniversary Of Oyster
Ra,'s Episcopal Church-The Need Of
Living ones Greed In Daily Life
-~Standards All should Observe.

-ornlng nc the celeDrAJlon OF Gno TWO
Il'ndreJtb anniversary Of the founding Of
rS-,st Church parish. The President spoke
~ he duty Of Christians in the world.
~ Roosc.elt is not a member Of the Epis-
sonsl church, Of which the Rev. DR.. H. H.
Hyasbhl-n is rector, but as there IL no
D.,,cb Reformed Church in Oyster Bay
=. Is a regular attendant at Christ Church
4rring the summer. The President was
lie, on a hist Of Ave speakers and did not
give until the middle Of the service.
In rbe pulpit with DR.. Washburn were
Aa Right Rev. DR.. Frederick Burgess,
pisbop Of Long Island; the Rev. Mr.. Mon
tague Geer and the Rev. DR.. George R. Van
No Water, the last two having been pastors
n the church in the past. The Rev. Mr..
Uashburn read a historical sketch cover
irg the chronology Of Christ Church from
;s founding While he wa speaking
president Roosevelt arrived and was
usbered 10 the pew in which his wife was
sitting.
.Dr. Washburn: Let me arst say again
that has been said before, and that Is a
xord Of special welcome to our old friends
hrs. Geer and Van De Water, who are here
today. and | trust they realize how much
4 means 70 US TO see them back again.
Il have only a word or two to say on
this celebration Of the two hundredth ami
versary Of the foundation of the church
hare AZ OYSTER Bay. l cannot understand
any American citizen who has the faintest
feeling Of patriotism and devotion to his
country failing to appreciate what DR..
Gaar out so we'll, the absolutely essential
need Of religion. using 1t in its broadest
and deepest sense, to the welfare OF this
country. II il were not that in Dur villages
and towns as they have grown up the
churches have grown in them, symbolizing
the fact that there were among their fore
most wor iers men whose work was not
FOR the things Of the body but for the things
of the soul, this would not be a nation to-
day. because this country would not be an
abode fit for civilized men; If it were not
true that we put our material civilization,
our material prosperity, as the base only
"a necessary foundation, a necessary base,
but only as the base, as the foundation,
upon which to build the superstructure Of
the higher spiritual life.
Speaking here to-day as a layman, who
Is not expected to go into any question OF
dogma. any question Of ceremonial, l wish
10 emphasize the vital Importance to this
nation of our people being taught to realize
that the highest value Of Christianity mani
tests itself in the conduct Of those who pro-
fess il.
Il shall read four or five verses from the
end Of the first chapter OF the Epistle OF
St. James.
But be We doors Of the word, and not
bearers only, deceiving your W selves.
For if any be a hearer Of the word,
and not a docr, he is like unto a man be-
holding his natural face in a glass.
"'For he beholdeth himself, and goeth
his way and s~traightway forgetteth what
manner Of man he was.
But whose looketh into the perfect
law Of liberty. and continueth therein, he
being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer OF
the work, this man shah be blessed in his
deed.
III snv man among you seem 10 be
religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion
10 vain.
Pure religion and undefled before God
and the Father is this, To visit the father
less and widows in their affection, and to
keep himself unspotted from the world
l ask you remember in this connection
these words:
For as the body without the spirit il
dead so faith without works is dead also
And again to remember the insistence
Of the Saviour himself upon the thesis that
by their fruits ye shall know them
Even so every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth
forth evil fruit
"A good tree cannot bring forth evil
fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit
1t is true that in many things the ten
denotes at work among us to-day are evil,
but It is true also that there are plenty OF
other tendencies at work among US that
are good. | do not know that l am pre-
pared TO assent to the statement that we
are 50 much worse than we used to be.
out II is not Of any importance, whether as
q matter Of academic belief we hold that
things have grown better OF have grown
worse. What Is Of vital importance is that
We should be resolved to do all in our power
now at this present moment, as well as i n
the future, TO make them better, and il we
are a unit in that belief it is open TO US to
differ a. regards the other matter.
do feel that there has been a real growth
IN broad Christian charity, the growth
that produces just such incidents as those
OF (which DR., Van De Water spoke. doubt
very much whether a couple OF centuries
PRIOR 10 that Episcopal gathering in the
Enends meeting house it would nave been
possible for your and their spiritual an
cestors to come together on such ar occa-
SION and il is a mighty good thing that
It is possible now.
Il do believe that the different creeds
are IN the essentials, in really vital things,
coming closer and closer together all the
time, because ! think that they are grasp
ing the fact that the way in which they
can best serve the Lord is not by warning
against one another, but by joining hand
IN hand, by standing shoulder to shoulder
IN the great struggle against Unrighteous-
ness, m the great var for decency, for
honesty, for clan living In the home no
ess than in the nation.
The worth of any creed must in the
long run be judged largely by the conduct
Of those who profess il. The most effective
service for Christianity that can possibly |
Oe gwen i to show in actual life hat those
VINO profess II do give in their conduct an
approximate expression to the faith that
v m them. | doubt IL any Of us will be
Aole 10 give more han such approximate
expression Of hat faith. Nevertheless we
can each Of US strive in our conduct TO show |
mat the word is alive In US, that we are
surviving 10 live up to the essentials of Chris
PANTY, Of the fatherhood Of God and the
Urothrrhood Of man as they are taught in
cue Ilble and as they are preached TO US
sunday after Sunday.
- "a