The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-11
FACTS AND FIGURES.
Rev. Leo Boone Thomas Reviews No
license Success in Other Cities.


license Success in Other Cities.
At the Main Street Baptist church,
Leo Boone Thomas, took for his sub
iect the license question, and spoke to
a large audience. He said in part:
1 bring five texts of Scripture for
thought. They will come in during
the discourse rather than at the out
set. however. Every minister owes it
to his people to heed their wishes very
largely wherever conscience does not
directly forbid. Some of you doubtless
do not like the prominent position your
pastor has taken in the temperance
cause in Worcester. In fact, I am
fairly surprised at it myself I have
always from very boyhood, been inter-
ested in this work. Never have L
passed the saloon door belching forth
it's repulsive odors, never have 1 passed
the poor drunkard on the street, but
that 1 have said to myself, something
can, something ought to be done to
check that evil. But l ever left the
matter just there. l am ashamed to
confess that when last spring an ur
gent invitation was sent out for all
interested to meet at a certain house
and talk things over with reference to
forming some sort of union for the
work, / was not present. I was as
surprised as any could be, therefore, a
few days later when a prominent gem
tleman of our city met me and told
me they wanted me to head the pro-
cession as president of the new orga-
nization. I said no, they ought to get
some more prominent minister, but he
insisted. and before knew it, we were
launched in the work. l said | was
surprised at their choice, because had
said and done next to nothing out and
out for temperance since settling here.
OF course my sermons have been full
of references to the subject, for the
matter of sin is something we must
constantly deal with in our sermons,
and all the world knows one of the
greatest sources of sin to be strong
drink.
Since becoming interested in the
work. I am amazed that l did not take
the strongest possible stand from the
first. If any one of my hearers is
not very strongly in favor of no-license
I am satisfied that it is simply because
he has not looked into the facts.
1 am not in this work as a Christian
minister. His work is to get at the
laws for conduct. 1 leave the Rev.
Leo Boone Thomas of the Main Street
Baptist church" behind when 1 enter
this work. and launch forth as plain L.
B. Thomas. a citizen among the citi-
zens of Worcester. Just the same as I
do when | am buying meat at the mar
ket, or newspaper at the newsstand.
1 believe in keeping clear the dearly
paid for distinction between church and
tot lie hTsir, RI fIn f5rCf 80
our five texts: Matt. kiss, Either
make the tree good and his fruit
good" This, with many other
words of the Savior, tells us that his
aim was, and through us is, to reach
society through the individual. Not
to attempt primarily to gain good en-
vironment and laws. Do that if you
can. But first of all, reach the heart.
Leaven the individuals of the lump
and the lump, environment, laws and
all will take care of itself. There
fore. L should never indorse the ap-
pointment by this church of a commit
tee whose work was to do with the
passing of laws or civil regulations.
The work of the church is to save
men and to build them up in the faith.
My kingdom is not Of this world, said
the Master.
On the other hand, he said: Rem
der unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars; render unto God the things
that are Gods" Mark, 1t was not,
Neglect the things of Caesar!" You
are faithfully to attend to secular du-
ties. The minister who does not pay
his honest debts because he, forsooth,
is so busy in spiritual affairs is a dis
grace to the community. Banishing
the saloon is, however, in itself pow
erful aid in this very work of saving
men. We might say, "Oh, don't urge
men to come out on the Lords side.
You will over-persuade them They
will call themselves Christians before
they really have changed the heart
life. Just let them take their own
course. Do not make your houses of
worship beautiful and socially attract
i've. or we shall have a lot of religious
tramps in the army, but not among
the workers" We ell know however,
that we must attract in every way. 1t
is our duty to do so. The same logic
that gives US a cozy meeting house.
says Take away whatever makes II
harder to struggle toward Christlike-
ness, which is true manhood. It says,
Danish the saloon. Therefore, it is in
directly the duty of the church to make
the conditions in the field, the best pos
sible for its great work. Never to con-
fuse or limit that work to mere social
reform.
The Worcester Temperance Fedora
ton is not a federation, as l under
stand, of the churches or of the min
listers. but of all the good citizens who
wish to see the liquor drinking evil
checked. Last night, after the large
enthusiastic rally for no-license, a gen
tleman came up to me, pulled out his
pocketbook, showed me the $25 it con- |
tanned in bills, and said: "See that. I've
put that up in bet on the result next
Tuesday" 1 was sorry to hear that
he was betting man, but / was glad
of the assurance the incident gave me. |
that there were others besides Chris |
tians who were enthusiastic to see our
city go no The crowded hall. a |
hundred or more standing along the
wall in the rear of the room, tells of
the interest that is growing among us.
The second text is found in James
ii:22, And by works was faith made |
perfect" A Christian is bound to ex-
press himself on every question that
offers itself to him in Christian way |
He cannot be Christian and vote for |
man whom he knows to be, bad. or for |
a measure that he knows to be such |
or fail to vote.
The third is found in / John, iii, 4, ''For
sin is the transgression of the law"
Gods laws are not arbitrary enact |
ments. They are like the rules accom-
panying the mechanical toy, and writ
ten by the originator of that TOW who
knows how best it will work. Gods
laws are based on the conditions az
listing in and among men The re-
quirements lie written in mans hest
needs. They are craven on the bed