Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-10
BOYA TEACHER OF men
Blucidates Grave Problems OF
Theology.
WORDS USED
LONNIE LAWRENCE DENNIS BE-
FORE LARGE AUDIENCE.
Eleven Years Old, but Has Been Tour
ing for Three Years-To
Visit England.
"Wbere will YOU spend eternity?"

Where will you spend eternity?'
This query came with unusual force to a
large gathering of people at the Metropoli-
tan A. NJ. E. Church last night Always a
potent question, allowing no evasion, its
strength was felt last right with more than
usual force by the assemblage of white and
colored people who filed the church, be-
cause it came from the lips of negro
child about whom has been spread the
mystery of the supernatural. But eleven
years old and no larger than boys of his
age all over the country, LOnnie Lawrence
Dennis is one of those beings who seem to
be endowed from their birth with mature
intellect, balanced mind and a gift Of ex-
preston that is rare, even after years of
study, in grown men and women. A boy
preacher, like other infant prodigy, is look
ed upon first of all by ma jority of man
kind natural curiosity. For the infant
mind to seem to grasp and then elucidate
grave problems Of theology generally
awakens the same feeling of wonder that is
provoked by other abnormalities of the
human race The first feeling is usually
doubt as to the genuineness of the subject
which gradually gives way to feeling of
amusement or wonder, Gs the doubt becomes
a certainty or is dispelled
People will always flock to hear an infant
prodigy who deals solely in those elements
which provoke the emotional side of human
nature, and will discredit or become believ-
ers as their sympathies are awakened or ad-
verse feeling is aroused. 1t is not strange,
therefore, that the auditorium of the Metro
politan A. NJ. E. Church has been crowded
since Sunday last with curious throng
eager to get a glimpse of the speaker and
hear the words of the remarkable boy who
has toured the country for several years
preaching the gospel as an Independent
evangelist to white and colored people alike
He is a member of the Congrega tiOnal
Church. but has never attempted to preach
creed. His church utilization is merely
local." he explains to those who ask him.
He subscribes to no articles of faith but
those in the Scriptures.
Personal Appearance.
Lonnie Lawrence Dennis looks like an old
painting, and more like a young Indian
thGn a negro. There is refinement in his
features that is not found in the average
person with negro blood, however slight
the strain. His color is that of old ivory,
his eyes a brilliant black, intensified by
heavy black brows. The negro shows slight
ly in the boys nose, which has just sug-
gestion of broadness, and In his lips. which
are full, though not too thick to mar the
general comeliness of the plump cheeks and
broad brow. His face, framed in the long,
straight black hair, which is braided to fall
work of one of the old masters that Is
found in the churches of the old world as
he stands in his white silk surplfce, drawn
in about the waist with heavy silk cord,
while emphasizing some particular point OF
his discourse. There is simplicity in his
appearance which seems to pervade his
whole being and everything he does. His
words are simple, his elucidation of the
language the most ignorant can under
stand, yet his diction and rhetoric are al
most without fault. Whether his sermons
are the natural and spontaneous effusions
of his own mind, or were prepared for him
by some one of more mature years, the
wonder of it all is not whit lessened. His
manner is too direct and his construction of
language made with too much and too APP
parent care to give weight to the sugges
ton that he has been coached for his SER
mon. If this be so, however, the lesson was
well learned.
Quality of His Discourse.
The boy preachers discourse is not with
out fault. 1t is not the finished oratory to
be found in the speeches of Webster, Hale
or Burke, nor are the sentences as well
turned as those of Phillips. Brooks or Hen
ry Ward Beecher. But his words form
more perfect language than is to be heard
at the average church or from the usual
evangelist His sermon is we'll connected
throughout. He never INDUCES in third
ly' or ''fourthly." All he says relates to the
one point he undertakes to illustrate his
text, like the one of his sermon last night,
Where will you spend eternity?'
That text is not to be found in the Bible,
he declared. The word eternity" never
appears in the Scriptures. although it's
equivalent is to be found there, he added.
He then explained what eternity meant
using the most homely illustrations so that
the most ignorant person in his congrega-
ton could understand. He explained, for
instance, that every spot or corner of the
vDrl5 bod ostl hoo,
its known. That every island of a mile or
more in extent has a place on the map
with its location. inhabitants and vegeta-
ton correctly described. Man, he declares,
can accomplish great things with the
earth. because he knows it and has at his
command experts who can make maps and
describe what he does not know. These
experts. of one class or another, can tell to
the smallest fraction of an inch the ex-
tent of every body of land OF water on the
surface of the earth. but, learned in cal
culation as they are. even they could not
nor would not attempt to figure what
eternity meant.
The Only Map Makers of Eternity.
The preachers are the only map makers
of eternity. he said, and they only draw a
fancifu sketch of what it really means
From then on he explained, as well as
could be explained. what eternity " i'll mean
to the human race. casting aside theory
after theory of the existence of any other
power but that of God or of any other ex-
istence as human but this. His voice as
he talked was thick and rich with the
sweetness. but without the shrillness of
the child. From the moment he com
menced to speak he commanded the atten-
ton of his hearers. Those who came from
motives of curiosity felt amply repaid for
their coming. while those who regard the
boy with awe and reverence had these feel
ings amplified and increased
Il was born in Atlanta in December
1888, he told caller just before the meet
ing commenced last night, land l first
felt called to preach when 1 was two years
old. Since then l hive visited forty-three
states and have preached all over the coun-
try-east, west, north ami south. Ny work
ha- been principally in the north and west,