Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-02-18
MRS. LEASE IN THE PULPIT.
TIE Kansas Ref0rmer breaches Her
First Sermon.

First Sermon
A Wichita OKan.) telegram OF sunday
says: Mrs. Mary r. Lease. the Kansas
reformer, who decided recently, upon
her recovery from a serious illness. to
abandon the lecture-feld for the pulpit
of the Campbellite Church. delivered her
first sermon tonight In the Central
Church Of Christ, and her reception was
all she could wish. Contrary to all ex-
pectations, she kept entirely clear OF
sensationalism, and spoke with great
force and eloquence upon Love, the
Keystone of the Arch"
Thousands were unable to gain ad-
mittance, and the church was crowded
to its utmost capacity. She took for her
text the 9th verse Of the 9th chap
ter Of Mark: But Jesus took him by
the hand and lifted him up. and he
arose."
TT Is a hopeful sign for the future"
said She among other things, that man.
made creeds and theological rubbish
are being banished to the worlds gar
ret, where we may sometimes pensive-
ly gaze upon them with the same de-
gree Of solemnity and reverence that we
bestow upon the spinning-wheel and
distaff Of some Colonial grandame.
not discovered It sooner. but the whole
structure OF Christianity Is based upon
love. The wondroIs warp and wool of
the life and teachings Of Christ IL shot
through with that vivid golden strand.
More and more 1t Is dawning upon
the hearts of men that Christianity
Is not the passive acceptance OF theo-
logical dogma. but the living OF q life.
1t is not dream. far-away. earnest
ly-wished, ideal condition.; but a living.
everyday reality, the solitary and sub
lime functions Of which alone make men
equal to their duties and responsibilities.
For long centuries the Church
stumbled and struggled through strife
and error, laundering forth but half a
truth-thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart and with all
thy soul and with all thy mind; and.
while this haif-truth was preached to
the world the robes of religion were
stained with blood; the Sabbath air was
vexed with hair-splitting theological con-
troversies, and a yawning, sulphurous
hell was ever ready, into which an awful.
avengiHg God might consign the hapless
mortal, who. failing to appreciate His
fatherly kindness. should fail to love Him
properly.
1.-The world IL to be congratulated
that that other command, to which
the first Is but preparatory-the other
half Of the TRUTHS being presented:
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy
SELF"
She also compared the love and sympa-
thy Of Christ. who. when the woman
brought to Him her child cold In death.
restored the babe to life. with the cold
intellectually Of Buddha, who. when Ki-
sagotami brought to him her child.
sent her forth in fruitless quest OF
''black mustard-s seed from houses where
death had never BEEN" that he might
impress upon her an abstract truth. She
spoke OF that impressive scene where
Christ came down from the Mount and
healed the devil-possessed lad who was
waiting In the valley below. and drew
from the life and character OF Christ
the lesson of universal loYe.
These were among the characteristic
utterances. A company Of deaf-mutes at
tended the services. and the sermon
was interpreted to its members.