Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-16
Addresses Letter to Edinburgh
Conference Regretting That He
Cannot be Present.
A DIVIDED CHRISTEN00M.
Can only imperfcctIy Bear Witness to
The Essential Unity of
Christianity.

Edinburgh, scotland, June IA let
ter from Theodore Roosevelt express
ing sympathy with the movement aud
regret at his inability to be present Was
read at today's session of the world
Missionary conference. The communi-
cation which was addressed to silas
McBee, an American delegate aroused
much enthusiasm.
Mr. Roosevelt wrote:
London, May G, 1910
MY Dear Sir-lt is matter Of real
profound regret 10 me that am i'm
perstively called away 10 America 50
that l am unable 10 be present IN per
son at the world Missionary conference.
| regret ID the more as. " / had been
able to be present, II would have been
as a delegate from tho Dutch Reformed
church OF America. to which ] belong
Nothing like your proposed confer
euce has ever hitherto taken place.
From many nItions and from many
churches your delegates gather on this
great occasion to initiate movement
which | not only hope but believe VIII
be fraught with far reaching good.
For the first time In four centuries
Christians OF every name come to
gether without Ienouncing their seVeral /
convictions or sacrificing their several
principles, TO confer a. to what COM
mon action may be taken in order 60
make their common Christianity not
only known TO, but a vital force among
the two-thirds Of the human race TO
whom as yet 1t is hardly even name.
surely every man imbued, a. every
man should be, with the ethical teach
ings of Christianity, must rejoice In
such an effort to combine the strength
or all the churches in the endeavor tu
NNatafes Ia al moi
In very fact
WHAT CONFERENCE REPRESENTS
Your conference represents the
practical effort to apply teachings 10
the gospel 10 what the epistile OF jude
calls The common salvation An in
finite amount OF work remains to be
done before We can regard ourselves
as being even within measures Bile dis
lance OF The desired goal; an infinite
amount At home IN the dark places
which TOO often closeR SURROUND tht
brightest oenters Of light and an In
hnite amount abroad in those DARK
| places Of the earth where blsckness IL
! as Vet unrelieved by any light
/ when such Is the high purpose 70
| which you have dedicated yourselves
II is emlnently fitting that your invi-
! tation should have gone to all Christian
! churches In all lands. I am sure that
| there will be general and ] hope q
| universal response. In missionary work
| above all other kinds or Christian
| work. il is imperative 20 remember
| that a divided Christendom can only
| iunperfectly bear witness 20 the essen
| DIAL unity Of Christianity. I believe
! that without compromise Of belief
without loss OF the positive good con
| tanned I'm the recognition Of diversities
Of gifts and differences OF adminlstra
| ton the Christian churches may yet
| ind q way 10 cordial cooperation and
| friendship as regards the great under
| living essentials on which. as founda-
ton all Christian churcheg ere built
NEED OF UNITY.
"1'hls H. one OF the lessons which
has been particularly impressed on me
! bv what | have seen Of Christian work
| in Africa both In heather and Mo-
| hammcdau lands. | believe that unity
! in a spirit OF Christian brotherhood
| for such broad Christian work will
| tend. not to do away with difference
| Of doctrine, but to prevent MS from
| LAYING too much stress on these diff
| fcrences Of doctrine II Is written "
| the Scriptures that he that doth my
| will shall know of the doctrine
| But the reverse of this proposition
| cannot be found in Holy writ Emphs-
| sis is to be put on doing the will
| II only we can make up our minds Il
| work together with earnest sincerity
| for The common good we shall int
| that doctrinal differences w no way
Interfere with our doing this work
wishing YOU all success
Il am, very sincerely, yours