Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-09
He Delivers an Address at Oyster Bay
to Episcopalians.
so1EE VERSES FROM THE BIBLE
Reads Them and Delivers an Address
Apropos- Different Creeds in
the Essentials, He Declares.

coupled with some of his popular
citizenship themes, to some distin-
guished clergymen and numerous
Episcopalians at the little Episco-
pal Church at Oyster Bay. Mr..
Roosevelt read some verses from
the Bible, and some of the CORE
spondents refer to his address as a
sermon. He dwelt upon Christian
ity as something of the highest
value.
OYSTER BAY. September s-President
Roosevelt participated today in the Booth
anniversary celebration of Christ Episcopal
Church which he attends during his sum-
mer stay in Oyster Bay.
The keynote of the Presidents speech,
which occupied half an hour and concluded
a series OF four addresses, was that the
wealth of the nation must not be disre-
garded, but looked upon as the basis for
spiritual development, clean living and civic
virtues.
The celebration was held in the church
edifice, which bears the date 17O5 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 par
! took, and where he chatted freely with the
visiting clergy and church members. The
speakers preceding the President and to
whom he made frequent reference were
Rev. H. H. Washburn. pastor of the
church, who gave an historical sketch of
the organizations; Ri. Rev. Frederick Bur-
CESS. DID,, bishop Of Long Island who pre-
dicted one church for future generations in
America and that the Episcopal; Rev. w.
Montague Geer of New York and Rev
George r. Vandewater of New York
The President opened his speech with a
confederation of the words previously ut
tered by DR.. Geer, on the absolutely essen
tfal need of religion. in it's broadest and
deepest sense to the welfare Of the coun-
try.
This country would not be an abode mt
for civilized men," he said, eff 1t were not
true that we put our material civilization,
our material prosperity, as the base only.
upon which to build the superstructure of
the higher spiritual life. Speaking here to-
day as layman. who is not expected to
go into any question of dogma, or ceremo-
NAL. / wish to emphasize the vital impor-
lance to this nation of our people being
taught to realize that the highest value of
Christianity manifests itself In the conduct
of those who profess 1t.
| shall read several verses from end
of the first chapter of James: But be We
doors of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves For If any be
a hearer of the word and not a doer he
Is like unto man beholding his natural
faca in glass.
For he beholdeth himself and soeth his
way and straightway forgetteth what
manner OF man he was
Pure religion and undefiled before God
and the Father,
The Nominal Christian,
1.-The nominal Christian, the man who
has attended to all the outward obsery-
ances of Christianity with no matter what
scrupulous care. who. nevertheless, en-
bezzles trust funds, who is a disgrace in
business, in politics, or in home life is
more. npt less. blameworthy than If he
had never made professions of belief
I'VE cannot continue as a republic we
carnot rise to any true level of greae-
ness, unless that greatness is based upon
and conditioned by high and brave type
OF spiritual life.
than the telling of an untruth, whether
conventional untruth or not, and 1 would
on no account be understood affecting
to depreciate material well-being To tell
men to disregard riches entirely Is to
preach to them not only a doctrine which
it is impossible for them to live up to- Re-
gard the things of body, but put them be-
low the things of the soul. Give to the
body what the body is entitled to- but do
not give it more than 1t is entitled to-
1.-The multi-millionaire, the man of
wealth, generally, is not harm. but
good to the community If he appreciates
that he IS trustee for that wealth. that
his use of 1t must also be use which tells
for decency in private life, for honesty and
courage in both private and 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.
Need Material Well Being.
eve need material well-being in this ma
ton as foundation, without which no
superstructure can be raised.
But upon that foundation we must see
to it that we build the superstructure of
high individual and national conduct, so
that each man in his relations to his fell
lows shall actually be Influenced by the
ethical standards which teach us that the
thing in life best worth having will prove
in the end to be the sense of having lived
that others are better and not worse OF
because We have lived.
Tendencies for EVIL.
'Tt Is true that in many things the ten
denotes at work among us today are evil;
but 1t is true also that there are plenty
Of other tendencies at work among us that
are good. I do not know that am pre-
pared to assent to the statement that we
are SO much worse than We used to be, but
1t Is not of Importance whether, az a mat
ter OF academic belief. we hold that things
have grown better or have grown worse.
w nat IL OF Fltal importance Is that
should be resolved today In all our power
noW-at this present moment az well as in
the future-to make them better; and IL we
are a unit In that belief It is open to us to
differ as regards the other matter. feel
that there has been a real growth in broad
Christian charity. believe that the differ
emit creeds are In thu essentials. In really
vital things. coming closer and closer
together all the time: because think that
they are grasping 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 strug-
gle against unrighteousness, In the great
war Tor decency. for honesty. for clean
living in the home no less than in the ma
ton.
'sThe worth OF any creed must In the long
run be judged largely by the conduct OF
those who profess 1t. The most effective
service for Christianity that can possibly
be given Is to snow in actual life that those
who profess It do give in their conduct an
neutrality-suspicious. to the faith that is |
In them.
Strive In Good Conduct.