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2 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 -J 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~ (Continued on Page 14.)