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CHRIST CHURCH, LONDON.
R. Chairman and Brethren: As I come
to speak to you tonight at this our
First Annual Men’s Banquet, I think
M
it is appropriate that I should say
that I come with all sorts of feelings in my
heart, scarcely knowing after all the thought
that I have given to the occaison, what I am
to say. There are so many things I would
like to say that I feel. I do not know where
to begin. I feel very much like a member
of Parliament is represented to have said
some years ago; he got somehow elected to a
position in Parliament. And after die had
served his constituency faithfully for 12
months, he returned to the people who elect
ed him, and had a great public meeting. Sev
eral thousand men were present; and this man,
with the idea in mind of rendering an account
of his stewardship, rose to speak, when he sud
denly forgot everything that he had settled
upon in his mind to say. He was not a man
given to much public speaking. There he stood,
stammering and clearing his throat, and try
ing to get hold of something. Finally, he
started as fallows: “Fellow Countrymen, I
wonder if you know what I am going to
talk about tonight?” Everybody called out
“No!” He said “Neither do I!” then he sat
down. One year after that he came back to
another great public meeting to render an ac
count of his stewardship aga n; and as he stood
facing the crowd, everything went, and he
could only get out “I wonder if any of
you know what I am going to talk about?”
Everybody called out “Yes.” And he then
said, “Well, if you know, you do not need that
I should talk about it!” and' he sat down.
Another year rolled by, and he came before
another public meeting, and said as he faced
the crowd. “Friends. I wonder if you know
what I am going to talk about tonight?”
There was a chorus of “Yes” and “Nos;”
then he replied, “Those of you who said “Yes”
tell those of you who said “No;” and he sat
down.
Now, I am not going to do that. I do not
know where I am going to begin, or where I
am going to stop.
DR. BROUGHTON’S ADDRESS
At the First Men’s Annual Banquet of Christ Church, London, April 18, 1913
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REPORTED FOR THE GOLDEN AGE BY M. I. H.—Copyright Applied For.
The Golden Age for May 29, 1913
There are two things, however, that I want
to say: First, a personal word to you who
have come to attend this banquet. We pro
pose to repeat this year by year straight
through until every man at Christ church and
in London, that knows and reads about Christ
church, knows what a banquet is! I am glad
we have the privilege of holding our first real,
live sure enough banquet in a church. Why
should not a church call an occasion like this
a banquet? Why should we turn over to cer
tain circles of society the great big word
‘ ‘ Banquet, ’ ’ which is one of our very best and
finest words? Why should not the church lay
hold of every work, and function, that this
world knows anything about, and sanctify it
by the grace of God., and use it for His glory ?
Now we have started this as one of the ac
tivities of the church, and we propose to keep
it before the community until they sit up and
take notice that something has happened on
this corner that is not after 'the ordinary.
Why the very fact that we call this a ban
quet, calls for reporters, this evening.
Now, something about the purpose of this
banquet: First, the social purpose. It is that
we may get together and look into each oth
er's faces, as men. I am frank to say to you
tonight that there are many of you here that
I do not know, who are members of this
church. Just about half. I see you in the
services, but I do not know whether you are
members or not, we do not know one another,
but we worship together.
The cry of the present age is for men and
boys. This is seen first in the membership
lists of our churches. Listen at this. Tak
ing the total membership of the 14 largest
Protestant denominations in America, it is
found that there are 3 millions less of men and
boys, than women and girls! Now, what do
you think of that? And this percentage of
difference has increased rapidly during the
past decade. I am quite sure that in England
the proportion would be greater. This should
cause us to stop and think.
Then again, it is seen in the attendance of
men and boys upon the church services. We
know that women and girls greatly out-num
ber men and boys in attendance upon church
services. This is also noticeable in the Sun
day school and other religious services, and
conventions for the deepening >of spiritual
life.
Then it is seen in all sorts of competitive
church work. Last night I visited the Anniver
sary of Westminster Chapel Sunday school,
and they wound up with a distribution of
prizes. All the prize winners, practically all
of them, had to take some part in the exercises
of the evening, either recite, speak, sing, play,
read or something of that sort. I was struck
with the fact that from 75 to 90 per cent of the
prize winners were girls. There was just
a little bunch of the boys. Then again the
lack of men is also seen when we seek to
make an impression in favor of atmospheric
morals, and civic righteousness. The church
is hard y ever consulted when a man comes to
consider the making of laws for the regula
tion of publ’c interests. He may consult the
wishes of a club, or a labor organization.
But why is it, with all the churches we
have got in England, we are not able to put
out of existence certain existing forces of evil?
The churches in other parts of the world have
found it possible. The churches, for example,
in the state of Georgia, found it possible to
close every saloon in the state. (Applause.)
Just before I became pastor of this church,
on the eve of my departure from Atlanta, I
aided my brother ministers in putting on foot
in the city of Atlanta what is called “The
Men and Religion Forward Movement.” We
formed our central committee of the best bus
iness men; bankers, railroad managers, labor
ing men —all classes of men, banded together
in one great central committee, representing
all evangelical churches of the city, taking
pains to put no man on the committee who
was not a member of some church. And uir
der this central committee, a great convention
extending over a week was held. The purpose
of the convention was to enlist men under the
banner of the church What has been the re
sult? First of all, it resulted in acquainting
the men of the various churches with one an
other. A man over one part of the town had
no knowledge of his fellow, Christian, breth
ren, in another section. By this means we were
enabled to get together and learn about each
other, and find out about each other’s work;
and it was a great asset. Then the attendance
of the men and boys upon the church ser
vices was increased. Since that time it has
further increased. It also resulted in a larger
giving, at home and abroad, and that is ex
actly as it should be. When a church be
gins to give money at home, it must -also
give mon by abroad, lest; it become narrow,
and restricted in its plan.
It resulted also in a larger influence upon
the civic life of our city. These workers,
through the legal representative of the move
ment, went to the chief of police in the city,
and held up before him the law with refer
ence to lewd houses and other forms of evil
in the city. And the good chief said he would
enforce it, and he did. Now what the men of
the churches did in Atlanta, they can do in
London.
Finally, a word upon what I hope to accom
plish by this gathering together of our men.
First, I hope to impress upon you the big
ness of the church
Second, as members of the church, I hope
to get you to see that you are responsible
for its success.
Third, properly banded together, I hope to
get you to see that you are easily able to do
the work that is mapped out for you to do.
Fourth, realizing the bigness of our work,
and the importance of the opportunity along
the lines of aggressive Christianity, I hope to
secure from each one of you a larger contri
bution week by week to the current expense
work of the church.
Fifth, and finally, that you resolve to start
out from this night on a new crusade for men
and boys.
In conclusion, just a word: When Geri
baldi was making his great fight for the lib~
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