THE BROTHERHOOD OF DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, pp. 77-105.
• "Address of the Chairman" by R. A. Long, pp. 77-80.
• "General Secretary's Address" by P. C. McFarlane, pp. 80-83.
• "The Christian Man's Contribution to the Kingdom" by Arthur O. Holmes, pp. 83-86.
• "Short Messages from Business Men." Moderated by R. A. Long. Remarks by George
  Tener Oliver, J. H. Allen, T. W. Phillips, C. C. Chapman, Lafayette Pence, William
  Harrison Graham, E. E. Elliott, Robert M. Campbell, pp. 86-90.
• "The Man in the Boy" by T. W. Grafton, pp. 91-93.
• "The Man in the Church" by W. F. Richardson, pp. 93-94.
• "The Church Man in the World" by Walter S. Goode, pp. 95-96.
• "The Brotherhood and the Challenge of World Conquest" by Stephen J. Corey, pp.
  96-100.
• "The Aroused Manhood of the Church of Christ in America" by Robert Johnston,
  pp. 100-105.

      At our New Orleans Convention last October your Convention appointed a committee of seven with authority to formulate a plan looking to the organising of our men into a movement producing greater results through the efforts of our men than they heretofore produced. That committee met in Kansas City in the early part of November, and elected, as I think many of you know, Mr. P. C. Macfarlane as the secretary of that committee. I was urged to accept the presidency, and while I realized and knew only too well the obligations already assumed were taxing my strength beyond my ability to endure, shortening my life and robbing my family of my companionship, yet I said to the committee: "I believe that this movement is of God. I believe the minds of our men are impressed with the fact that they are not doing their duty, and it seems to me that there may possibly be a call from God for me to assume this responsibility; and, if it is a call, then I believe my Father in heaven will give me strength to endure the obligations taken on."

      I wonder if we fully appreciate the importance, the meaning, the far-reaching effect of this great occasion; that we are assembled to celebrate a movement introduced to the world a hundred years ago, so misunderstood as to cause the leaders in other religious organizations to pronounce the doctrines taught unsound, unorthodox and unworthy the approval and support of the loyal sons of God; that, in spite of the criticisms and petty persecutions, its membership, figured from a percentage basis, has increased faster than any other religious organization in the land, to-day numbering more than 1,300,000 communicants. The principles laid down by the leaders in this movement have done more in the last hundred years to bring the minds of Christian thinkers generally to a sense of the necessity of the union of God's people than any other

R. A. LONG.

single human influence, or, perhaps, all others combined. A large majority of the principles that our forefathers advocated, and which were opposed by other religious organizations, are now accepted by them as sound doctrine. And may I just here sound a note of caution?

      While it should be, and we trust shall ever be, our disposition to compromise matters that are not vital, God forbid that for any cause we may exercise such liberality as is not justified by the teachings of God's holy book.

      We, have been hearing a great deal lately about a new religion proposed by Dr. Eliot, the ex-president of Harvard. Allow me to say, as a plain business man, that, according to my observation, what we want is not a new religion, but a closer adherence to the old religion that has been tested and found meeting the wants of mankind. We have new business methods, but the [77] principles of business remain the same as when Abraham bargained for the cave of Machpelah; so new methods of doing church work will come with new conditions, but the principles of the gospel, of individual and social redemption, must remain the same as when Jesus declared, "No man cometh to the Father but by me." Having accomplished so much in the last century under such trying circumstances and against such forceful and intelligent opposition, with these objections in the main removed, and with an army of over 1,300,000 warriors at our command, what may we not hope for by the close of the next century, provided we adhere to the basic principles laid down by our fathers, and provided we are true to the trust placed in us?

      This is the first time in the history of our church that we have ever assembled in the capacity of a National Society of the Brotherhood of the Disciples of Christ, and may I tell you that in all the life that has been given me to live, nothing that I can now think of has so thrilled the pulsations of my heart, or appealed to me with such intensity, as looking forward to this memorable event--looking into the faces of several thousand great, strong, happy men--looking to the accomplishment of one great purpose. Happy, because engaged in a work not for self, but for the salvation of the world; great, because every man is great who acknowledges Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. I ask the question, What might we not expect at the close of the next century, provided we are true to the trust placed in us and loyal to our King?

      Men have become slaves to the commercial affairs of life; minds filled so full of the thought of money-making as to exclude, or not to admit of, those ideals that make for the more perfect life, forgetting the injunction, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all things else shall be added unto you." Of course this commercial life should not be discouraged, for it is one of the essentials to the world's existence, and hence to the requirements of our God; but the pursuit of a commercial life to the exclusion of all things else means decay and ultimate destruction, as was evidenced in the parable of the rich fool.

      We are confronted with a species of commercial infidelity--a sort of unfaith in the ethical principles of Jesus. Men say, "I can not be successful in business unless I lie, cheat, gouge, steal and crush." I want to declare my unalterable conviction that such is not true, which is evidenced by the fact that some of the most successful financiers of our time are men who have lived, and are living, close to God. Even though one succeed in the accumulation of wealth, if he be disloyal to the teachings of the Master, his life is a failure; for his so-called success is only apparent. So let us be impressed with the fact that not only is it the business man's business to be honest, but it is the duty, especially of the big business man, recognizing the immense power organization places in his hands, to be extremely careful that his business enterprises are permeated with the spirit of Christ, for the great questions of business monopoly, of aggregated industrial values and of the relationship between capital and labor, to say nothing of those between vested interests, and law and government itself, must find their solution in the principles contained in the Sermon on the Mount.

      Again, I believe one of the essential reasons why our men are indifferent to the affairs of the church is because some of the amusements practiced so extensively by the women of our land, in and out of the church, are of a character not to inspire men to the higher ideals of life. We may say what we please about the character of our men being stronger than that of the women, and yet we must admit that there are not many godly men who are not, or who at some time have not been, under the influence of some godly woman.

      Again, I fear one of the great reasons why our men are not more interested in the affairs of the church is because they have not been given anything special to do. Theirs has been a life of entertainment from the pulpit instead of a life of active service in the vineyard. Men, if they count for anything in any of the organizations or industries of the world, must be active. No loafer can develop into even a desirable citizen in the [78] world's commercial activities, much less in the activities of the kingdom of God.

      It is the thought of this Brotherhood movement that our men may be brought together for a more intimate acquaintance; ways and means adopted for utilizing, in some systematic, practical way, their best efforts in helping their fellow-men, and in the spreading of the gospel. Some express doubt as to this movement succeeding. Can it be that man can be summoned to support almost any movement pertaining to earthly gain, where dividends cease with the heart-throb, and fail to respond to a call like this, that promises the greatest of happiness here and never-ceasing dividends hereafter? I am glad I do not possess such doubts. Any church having a minister, and as man, as three wise, earnest, ambitious, spiritual men to act as president, vice-president and secretary, aided by a competent general secretary, will succeed, and thereby convert the doubting Thomases to faithful Abrahams.

      But, to our preaching brethren, I would say, we must have your support to obtain success. Our movement, in its genius, makes small distinction between the preachers and laymen, and for that reason the position of leadership which our ministers occupy in this proposition is a tribute to the manliness and moral power of the men who stand in our pulpits. Obviously, then, the preacher is the key to the brotherhood situation, as well as to many others. Do you wonder, then, ministers, that I give especial emphasis to your needed sympathy? And, my brethren, if you fail to support this cause, what may you expect of the laymen of your flock? And if you fail to support it, would it not seem that your sphere as a preacher would be limited thereby?

      Your committee appointed for the purpose of formulating a plan for the promoting of this movement is of the opinion that we should expand the work as fast as our organization is prepared to direct it. Our general secretary commenced active operations and close study of the requirements of the movement about the middle of January. We have found our people in most sections of the country ripe for the work; many calls for information as to how they should proceed, making the demands on the time of our general secretary practically unlimited, requiring extensive travel and much public speaking. These duties, added to the editing of the magazine, office work, etc., have necessitated the employment of an assistant secretary. We consider ourselves fortunate in securing a most suitable man for this work in the person of Mr. E. E. Elliott, a railroad man, of Peoria, Ill., who commenced his duties August 1. We believe we are now prepared to direct even a more extended organization. It is our opinion that we should employ at least two field secretaries as soon as the proper men and assurance of the means of their support can be arranged. These additional forces, together with our present force, will probably require a total annual expense of some $17,000. The men, we are sure, can be had. Should we let a cause so important lag for want of money for their support? My own opinion is that with such a force we would soon come into such intimate touch with so large a number of men, and stir their hearts and souls to such an extent, that within two years it would be the means of raising for our different missionary societies, Church Extension Board, etc., many times what the cost would be to carry on this movement.

      And now, men, we need great leaders in order to the success of every great movement. We have one in the capacity of the general secretary of this movement. I will not undertake to enumerate the characteristics that he possesses fitting him for this position, only to say in brief that he possesses them all, and in most cases in an eminent degree. We might have looked the country over and not found a more suitable man for the place; but he alone can not guide this ship into the harbor of success. On the eve of the great battle of Trafalgar, between the British and Spanish forces, Lord Nelson, in command of the British fleet, displayed from the masthead of his flagship the following signal that has come down in history; viz.: "England expects every man to do his duty."

      At the beginning of the great naval battle which decided the war between Japan and Russia, Admiral Togo, from his flagship, signaled to the different [79] ships composing his fleet a similar message: "Men, the fate of the empire is in your hands." Like Nelson, Togo knew only too well the need of the support of the men in the ranks, and so the sustaining of these two powerful nations to-day is not attributable alone to their Nelsons and Togos, admirals or generals, preachers or prophets, but to these forces added the men in the ranks, the men behind the guns of consecration, the men armed with the glistening bayonets of a definite purpose.

      I come to you to-day reminding you that a great battle is being waged, not between any two of the powerful nations of the world, but of far greater importance--a contest between evil and good, existing in all nations of the world. Satan, with his mighty leadership, supported by a great army of laymen, with all his damning influences, is at work in a most industrious and effectual way. Seemingly, he has at his command the great majority of our men, either in active service or indifferent to the situation, while the opposing army has its great leaders, but supported in the main by women, and while--God bless them!--they are brave and true, doing a noble work, yet let us understand no great contest in the world's history has ever been won without an aroused and determined manhood. In this contest we are not calling upon the subjects of Great Britain, nor of the Japanese Empire alone, but God, the Creator of the universe, is extending a universal appeal to all men everywhere, and expects every man in all of the nations of the world to take sides. "None can be neutral. He that is not with me is against me; choose ye this day whom ye will serve."

[CCR 77-80]