The San Francisco call., 1910-06-17
ROOSEVELT WITH
Them in SPIRIT
Letter From Former President
ArOuses Conference of
Missionaries

EDINBURGH. Scotland. June 16.-.
letter from Theodore Roosevelt ex
sympathy with the movemen
and regret at his inability to be pres
ent was read at today's session of tn
world missionary conference
The communication, which was ad
dressed to Silas McBee. an America
delegate. aroused much enthusiasm
Roosevelt wrote:
London, May s. 1910.
MY Dear Sir: 1t is a matter of
real profound regret to me that |
am lmperatively called away to
America, so that L am unable to be
present In person at the world mis-
Sionary conference. / regret it the
more as, il l had been able to be
present. it would have been as
delegate from the Dutch Reformed
church of America, to which l be-
long.
Nothing like your proposed con
ference mas ever hitherto taken
place From many nations and
from many churches your dele
gates gather on this great occasion
10 initiate movement which I not
only hope but believe will be
1raught with far reaching good.
For the first time in four CEN
turies, Christians of every name
come together without renouncing
their several convictions or Sacri-
hclng their several principles. TO
CONFER as to what common action
may De taken in order to make
their common Christianity not only
known to but a vital force among
the two-thirds of the human race
TO whom as yet it is hardly even a
Surely every man imbued. as
every man should be. with the
ethical teachings of Christianity.
must rejoice in such an effort to
comolne the strength of all the
churches in the endeavor to Chris
tlanize humanity and to Christian
lie 1t not merely in name, but in
very fact.
THE COMMON SALVATION
Your conference represents the
practical effort TO apply teachings
OF the gospel to what the epistle of
Jude calls the common salvation
An lnnnlte amount OF work remains
70 De done before we can regard
ourselves as being even within
measurable distance of the desired
soai' an lnnnlte amount at home in
the dark places which too often
closely surround the brightest CEN
ters or light, and an infinite amount
abroad IN those dark places of the
earth. where blackness is as yet
unrelleved by any light.
When such is the high purpose
to which YOU have dedicated your
selves 1T is eminently fitting that
TO all Christian churches in all
lands. | am sure that there will
pc general and. | hope, universal
response. In missionary work,
ABOVE all other kinds of Christian
work, it is imperative to remember
that divided Christendom can
only lmperfectly bear witness to
the essential unity of Christianity.
believe that without compromise
OF belief, without loss of the posi-
tive good contained in the recog-
milton of diversities of gifts and
dlnerences of administration the
christian churches may yet find a
way to cordial cooperation and
friendship as regards the great
underlying essentials on which as
a foundation all Christian churches
are built.
LESSON IN AFRICA
This is one of the lessons which
has been particularly impressed on
me by what | have seen of Chris
tian work in Africa. both in
heathen and Mohammedan lands.
believe that unity in spirit of
Christian brotherhood for such
broad Christian work will tend not
10 do away with differences of doe
tr1ne. but to prevent us from lay
ing too much stress on these differ
ences of doctrine 1t is written in
the scriptures that 'he that doeth
my will shall knoweth of the doc
trine." But the reverse of this
proposition can not be found in
molly writ Emphasis is to be put
on doing the will" If only we
can make up our minds to work
together with earnest sincerity for
the common good we shall find that
doctrinal differences in no way in
terfere with our doing this work
Wishing you all success | am.
very sincerely yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Rev. DR.. ]. B. Campbell Gibson c
the English Presbyterian church. IN
chairman. presented the report of th
commission on "The Church In IN
Mission Field