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Show THEGOSPEL Roosevelt Tells How to Christianize the World Edinburgh, Scotland. June 16. A letter from Theodore Roosevelt, expressing ex-pressing sympathy with the movement move-ment and regret at his Inability to be present, was read at today's session of the world missionary conference. Tho communication, ' which was addressed ad-dressed to Silas Mclieo. an American Hnl.rrulr. firr.nurt.l nmrli onl hilulnmn Mr. Roosevelt wroie; "I3ndon. May C, 1910 My Dear, Sir: It Is a matter of real profound I regret to me that I am Imperatively I callod away to America so that 1 am unable to lie present In person at the wcrld missionary conference- I regret It tho more as, If I had been able to bo present. It would have as a delegate del-egate from the Dutch Reformed church of America, to which I belong be-long "Nothing like your proposed conference con-ference has over hitherto taken place. From many nations and from many churches, your delegates gather oa this great occasion to initiate a movement which 1 not only hope, but j bclioe, will be fraught with far-roachlng far-roachlng good. ' For the first lime in four centuries, centur-ies, Christians of every name come logether without renouncing their several sev-eral convictions or sacrificing their several principles, to conf?r as to what common action may be taken In order to make their common Christianity not j only known to, but a vital forco , among, the two thirds of the human race to whom as yot it is hardly even a name. "Surely every man imbued, as r-ery r-ery man should be, with the ethical teachings of Christianity, must re-J Jolce In such an effort to combine tho I strength -of all tho churches In tho endeavor to christianize humanity and to christianize It not merely in name, but In very fact. "Your conference represents the practical effort to apply teachings of the gospel to what the eplatl of Judea calls tho 'common salvation.' An infinite amount of worjk remains to bo done beiore we can regard ourselves us being even within measurable distance dis-tance of the desired goal; an Infinite amount at home In the dark places which too often closely surround the brightest centers of light and au Infinite In-finite amount abroad in those dark places of tho earth where blackness Is as yet unrelieved by any light. "When such Is the high purpose to which you have dedicated yourselves, it Is eminently fitting that your Invitation Invi-tation should have gone to nil Chrlst- lan churches In all lands. I am sure ! that there will be a general, and I hope, a universal, response. In missionary mis-sionary work, above all other kinds of Christian work, it Is Imperative to remember that a divided Christendom can only imperfectly bear witness to the essential unity of Christianity. I believe that, without compromise cf belief, without loss of the positive good contained In the recognition of diversities of gifts and differences of administration, the Christian churches may yet find a way to cordal operation opera-tion and friendship as regards tho great underlying essentials on which, U8 a foundation, all Christian churches are built. "ThU Is one of the lessons which has been particularly Impressed on inn by what I have seen of Christian work In Africa, both iu heathen and Mohammedan lands. I believe that unity In a spirit of Christian brotherhood broth-erhood for such broad Christian work will tend, not to do away with differences dif-ferences of doctrine, but to prevent us from laying too much stress on these differences of doctrine. It Is written In the scriptures that 'He that doth my will shall knoweth of the doctrine.' doc-trine.' But the reverse of this Cannot be found In Holy AVrlt. Emphasis is to be put on Doing the will.' If we can make up our minds to work together to-gether with earnest sincerity for the common good, we shall find that doctrinal doc-trinal differences in no way Interfere with our dalng this work. j "Wishing you all success, I am, very sincerely yours. (Signed) "THEO ROOSEVELT." 1 |