New Britain herald., 1917-03-26
LIBERAL SABBATH SUBJECT OF SERMON
Rev. ". E. Cook Expresses Views
 on Present Laws

Rev. Warren F. Cook, pastor of the
 Methodist church, last night preached a timely and most interesting sermon on: Should we have Q more liberal Sunday" In this sermon the pastor, who is chaplain of the senate, ex- plained in detail the more liberal Sun day bill now pending. This bill, he said, would legalize certain recreations and sports on the Sabbath. Strictly speaking, he said, every business car- ried on today on Sunday is in direct violation of the law. Motion pictures. Sunday baseball and even the pur- chasing of a cigar. newspaper or ice cream soda is in violation of the law. It Is bad thing to have the existing law thus disregarded so the legislators have thought, many of them, that it would have a better moral effect on the state to legalize certain things
 Under the existing conditions the authorities cannot stop one moving picture show in city, unless 1t is positively indecent, without stopping all. Inasmuch as all shows are run contrary to law 1t is impossible to discriminate. Not so under the pro- posed law. All forms of amusement would be under the supervision of council in each place and they could be curtailed more easily. Rev. MT. Cook said that while such Sunday Is not the one he would choose from preference. he did. nevertheless, in view of existing and uncomfortable conditions. favor a more liberal Sun day. He took his text from the bible and quoted Christ's words when He said :'The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath"
 Automobile Versus Church.
 As one argument in favor of 8 more liberal Sunday and the bill which permits certain recreations after D. m. Rev. MT. Cook asked the ques- ton of why it Is any worse for leading citizens to get into their tour ing cars on Sunday and drive to their country club where. out of sight of the crowds, they play golf. than it is for the factory worker to go out into a lot or park and watch an amateur baseball game The preacher said that he knew that the automobile does more to deplete the ranks of the church congregations on summer sum day mornings than do baseball games.
 People oftimes go motoring Tn preference to going to church. In reference to Sunday baseball. now ever. the pastor made it very plain that he objects most strenuously to commercialized baseball on the Sao- bath. It is the amateur games that ne views with more favor.
 Following his sermon, which was listened to attentively by a large con gregation, Rev. MT. Cook invited his congregation to make comments. One man in the rear of the cnurcn who introduced himself as travel ing man. born in New Hampshire Of old Puritan stock but now lives in Ohio. spoke at some length. He told of the open Sunday as he has seen It in Ohio. where professional baseball games are permitted. He said he hoped Connecticut would not legalize Sunday baseball as he considered 1t an encouragement of the liquor habit. "The church in Ohio has been twice defeated on the liquor question alone, he said. Just so soon as the cnurch begins to loosen up on its Sunoay ideas then religion will deteriorate, the Ohio man said. The preacner asked the man what he would have the people do on Sunday, provided they went to church in the morning and in the evening. Not at all non plussed the man from Ohio said ne thought it would be good idea if the young men would spend their time calling lon their lady friends ana thinking about the future and the of making a home Tor "rm 8 travelng man. I'm far from home but I'd like to De at home with my family tonight. HI lonesome" he said.
 Other members throughout the con- rose to air their persona. view of a more liberal Sunday ana oi all who spoke it was evident that the concensus of opinion was decloeo ly against the move. One man asheo the minister what his own persohal belief was. While he explained tna' 1t would not be the Sunday or ms choice were he given the right to gov ern 1t, Pastor Cook did not hesluate 'o state positively that he is in raVor of the liberal Sunday idea under con dttions as they exist today. He thourht 1t better to legalize certain things and thus have them cioseis held to strict accountability by raw, than permitting these things to exist illegally and having the authorities unable to CuTLAll JH0 ACCAElIAoo OA SAAS flagrant offenders without admonlsn- ing the others as well.
 Majority Would Keep Lid Down.
 To learn the opinion of his congre- tion Rev. MT. Cook asked all who fa- yored a more liberal Sunday to raise their hands There was 8 goodly number who raised their hands, in- cludinR two members of the church choir seated behind the minister. But when the question was asked. who was opposed to a liberal Sunday. an majority raised their hands.
 Last nights sermon by Rev. MT. Cook was by far one of the most in- testing and far reaching that this popular clergyman has yet delivered.