The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-03
ROOSEVELT ON RELIGION
President Discusses Practical
Christianity at Oyster Bay.
Tells Clcrgyr1en and Laymen He
Regards Belief rs an Essential
Part of Good Citizenship.

Oyster Bay, N. I.-Preslcent
Roosevelt participated in the t"o
hundredth anniversary celebration Of
Christ Episcopal Church. which he
attends during his summer stay at
Oyster Bay.
The keynote of the Presidents
speech, which occupied half an hour,
and concluded a series of four ad-
dresses, was that the wealth Of the
nation must not be disregarded, but
looked upon as the basis for spirit
ual development, clean living and
civic virtues.
The celebration was held in the
church edifce, which bears the date
l705 on it's cornerstone. Admission
was by card and limited to the
church membership and the clergy.
1t was followed by a collation. in the
parish hall, of which the President
partook. and where he chatted freely
with the visiting clergy and church
members.
The speakers preceding the Presi-
dent, and to whom he made frequent
reference, were the Rev. H. H. Wash
burn, pastor of the church, who gave
a historical sketch of the organiZa-
tion; the Right Rev. Frederick Bur-
CESS, DID,, Bishop of Long Island,
who predicted one church for future
generations in America. and that the
Episcopal; the Rev. W. Montague
Geer, of Manhattan; the Rev George
R. Vandewater, of Manhattan.
The President said, in part:
II cannot understand any Ameri-
can citizen, who has the faintest feel
Ing of patriotism and devotion to his
country, failing to appreciate the alb
solute essential need of religion in its
broadest sense to the welfare Of this
country.
"If it were not that in our villages
and towns as they have grown up the
churches have grown in them, SYM
boiling the fact that there were
among their foremost workers men
whose work was not for the things Of
he body, but for the things of the
soul, this would not be nation to-
lay, because this country would not
be an abode fit for civilized men.
1T is the conduct of the average,
Christian, not on Sunday, but on
week days; not in the church alone,
but in his family and in his relations
to his neighbor and to the State, that
will more than anything else deter
mine in the eyes of the general SUBJ
lie the worth of the creed that man
processes. If man treats going to
church or mere devotion in word to
mis- creed or to the outward forms Of
his creed, not as an incentive to de-
cent action, but as substitute for de-
cent action, he is in very truth an
enemy to the creed he processes; he
Is a drawback and not help to the
church.
Whenever we read in the news
papers that some man, esteemed to
De a pillar of the church, has been
guilty of business dishonesty, or poll
iical dishonesty, of offences against
The moral law in any shape or way,
all who are members of the churches
should feel a far greater disappoint-
nent, should feel greater regret by
lar than those who are not.
1
who has attended to all the outward
,bservances of Christianity, with no
matter what scrupulous care, who
nevertheless embezzles trust funds,
who is a disgrace in business, in poll
lies, or in home life, has sinned
against the light, and is more, not
less, blameworthy than If he had
never made profession of belief.
each of us, layman and clergyman
alike, must strive in our actual con-
duct day by day with the people
among whom we live to make them
understand that what we expect from
Christian folk, if they are sincere
In their devotion to Christianity, is.
the highest standard of conduct.
"All men in public life come IN
contact with much that is base, with
much that is renal or cowardly, or
dishonest, and if they have in their
hearts any appreciation Of what is
really not necessary to true national
greatness they must feel the need Of
every force for good in this country
being multiplied and strengthened to
the utmost possible extent. We can
not continue as Republic, we can
not rise to any true level Of great
ness, unless that greatness is based
upon and conditioned by high and
brave type Of spiritual life.
Men Of wealth generally are not
4 harm but good to the community,
If they appreciate that they are trus-
tees for that wealth, that the use OF
1t must also be a use which tells for
decency in private life, for honesty
and courage in business and in public
life. No man is going to be of any
real use to others until first of all he
Is able to carry his own weight, and
lf a man entirely disregards the
things of the body it means that come
one else has to regard them for
him.
HE cannot be factor for good IN
the community at large unless he is
first able to support himself and those
dependent upon him. That is
fundamental, basic duty for every
man, and if he does not fulfil it he is
not only doing wrong to those who
are near him, but he is depriving him.
self of the chance to do decent work
for outsiders. So we need material
we'll being in this nation as founda-
lion u,itbort which no SIlDerStruCtllr6