THE WOMAN'S BIBLE. 

PART I. 

Comments on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. 

"In every soul there is bound up some truth and some error, and eachgives to the world of thought what no other one possesses. "--Cousin. 

1898. 

By

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

REVISING COMMITTEE. 

"We took sweet counsel together. "--Ps. Iv. , 14. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lillie Devereux Blake, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Clara Bewick Colby, Rev. Olympia Brown, Rev. Augusta Chapin, Frances Ellen Burr, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Clara B. Neyman, Mary Seymour Howell, Helen H. Gardener, Josephine K. Henry, Charlotte Beebe: Wilbour, Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll, Lucinda B. Chandler, Sarah A. Underwood, Catharine F. Stebbins, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, [FN#1]

Louisa Southworth. 

[FN#1] Deceased. 

FOREIGN MEMBERS. 

Baroness Alexandra Gripenberg, Finland, Ursula M. Bright, England, Irma Von Troll-Borostyant, Austria, Priscilla Bright Mclaren, Scotland, Isabelle Bogelot, France

COMMENTS

ON

GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS AND DEUTERONOMY, By

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lillie Devereux Blake, Rev. Phebe Hanaford, Clara Bewick Colby, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Mrs. Louisa Southworth, Frances Ellen Burr. 

PREFACE. 

So many letters are daily received asking questions about the Woman'sBible, --as to the extent of the revision, and the standpoint from whichit will be conducted--that it seems best, though every detail is not asyet matured, to state the plan, as concisely as possible, upon whichthose who have been in consultation during the summer, propose to dothe work. 

I. The object is to revise only those texts and chapters directlyreferring to women, and those also in which women are made prominent byexclusion. As all such passages combined form but one-tenth of theScriptures, the undertaking will not be so laborious as, at the firstthought, one would imagine. These texts, with the commentaries, caneasily be compressed into a duodecimo volume of about four hundredpages. 

II. The commentaries will be of a threefold character, the writers inthe different branches being selected according to their specialaptitude for the work:

1. Two or three Greek and Hebrew scholars will devote themselves tothe translation and the meaning of particular words and texts in theoriginal. 

2. Others will devote themselves to Biblical history, old manuscripts, to the new version, and to the latest theories as to the occult meaningof certain texts and parables. 

3. For the commentaries on the plain English version a committee ofsome thirty members has been formed. These are women of earnestness andliberal ideas, quick to see the real purport of the Bible as regardstheir sex. Among them the various books of the Old and New Testamentwill be distributed for comment. 

III. There will be two or more editors to bring the work of thevarious committees into one consistent whole. 

IV. The completed work will be submitted to an advisory committeeassembled at some central point, as London, New York, or Chicago, tosit in final judgment on "The Woman's Bible. "

As to the manner of doing the practical work:

Those who have been engaged this summer have adopted the followingplan, which may be suggestive to new members of the committee. Eachperson purchased two Bibles, ran through them from Genesis toRevelations, marking all the texts that concerned women. The passageswere cut out, and pasted in a blank book, and the commentaries thenwritten underneath. 

Those not having time to read all the books can confine their laborsto the particular ones they propose to review. 

It is thought best to publish the different parts as soon as preparedso that the Committee may have all in print in a compact form beforethe final revision. 

E. C. S. 

August 1st, 1895. 

INTRODUCTION. 

From the inauguration of the movement for woman's emancipation theBible has been used to hold her in the "divinely ordained sphere, "prescribed in the Old and New Testaments. 

The canon and civil law; church and state; priests and legislators;all political parties and religious denominations have alike taughtthat woman was made after man, of man, and for man, an inferior being, subject to man. Creeds, codes, Scriptures and statutes, are all basedon this idea. The fashions, forms, ceremonies and customs of society, church ordinances and discipline all grow out of this idea. 

Of the old English common law, responsible for woman's civil andpolitical status, Lord Brougham said, "it is a disgrace to thecivilization and Christianity of the Nineteenth Century. " Of the canonlaw, which is responsible for woman's status in the church, CharlesKingsley said, "this will never be a good world for women until thelast remnant of the canon law is swept from the face of the earth. "

The Bible teaches that woman brought sin and death into the world, that she precipitated the fall of the race, that she was arraignedbefore the judgment seat of Heaven, tried, condemned and sentenced. Marriage for her was to be a condition of bondage, maternity a periodof suffering and anguish, and in silence and subjection, she was toplay the role of a dependent on man's bounty for all her materialwants, and for all the information she might desire on the vitalquestions of the hour, she was commanded to ask her husband at home. Here is the Bible position of woman briefly summed up. 

Those who have the divine insight to translate, transpose andtransfigure this mournful object of pity into an exalted, dignifiedpersonage, worthy our worship as the mother of the race, are to becongratulated as having a share of the occult mystic power of theeastern Mahatmas. 

The plain English to the ordinary mind admits of no such liberalinterpretation. The unvarnished texts speak for themselves. The canonlaw, church ordinances and Scriptures, are homogeneous, and allreflect the same spirit and sentiments. 

These familiar texts are quoted by clergymen in their pulpits, bystatesmen in the halls of legislation, by lawyers in the courts, andare echoed by the press of all civilized nations, and accepted by womanherself as "The Word of God. " So perverted is the religious element inher nature, that with faith and works she is the chief support of thechurch and clergy; the very powers that make her emancipationimpossible. When, in the early part of the Nineteenth Century, womenbegan to protest against their civil and political degradation, theywere referred to the Bible for an answer. When they protested againsttheir unequal position in the church, they were referred to the Biblefor an answer. 

This led to a general and critical study of the Scriptures. Some, having made a fetish of these books and believing them to be theveritable "Word of God, " with liberal translations, interpretations, allegories and symbols, glossed over the most objectionable features ofthe various books and clung to them as divinely inspired. Others, seeing the family resemblance between the Mosaic code, the canon law, and the old English common law, came to the conclusion that all alikeemanated from the same source; wholly human in their origin andinspired by the natural love of domination in the historians. Others, bewildered with their doubts and fears, came to no conclusion. Whiletheir clergymen told them on the one hand, that they owed all theblessings and freedom they enjoyed to the Bible, on the other, theysaid it clearly marked out their circumscribed sphere of action: thatthe demands for political and civil rights were irreligious, dangerousto the stability of the home, the state and the church. Clericalappeals were circulated from time to time, conjuring members of theirchurches to take no part in the anti-slavery or woman suffragemovements, as they were infidel in their tendencies, undermining thevery foundations of society. No wonder the majority of women stoodstill, and with bowed heads, accepted the situation. 

Listening to the varied opinions of women, I have long thought itwould be interesting and profitable to get them clearly stated in bookform. To this end six years ago I proposed to a committee of women toissue a Woman's Bible, that we might have women's commentaries onwomen's position in the Old and New Testaments. It was agreed on byseveral leading women in England and America and the work was begun, but from various causes it has been delayed, until now the idea isreceived with renewed enthusiasm, and a large committee has beenformed, and we hope to complete the work within a year. 

Those who have undertaken the labor are desirous to have some Hebrewand Greek scholars, versed in Biblical criticism, to gild our pageswith their learning. Several distinguished women have been urged to doso, but they are afraid that their high reputation and scholarlyattainments might be compromised by taking part in an enterprise thatfor a time may prove very unpopular. Hence we may not be able to gethelp from that class. 

Others fear that they might compromise their evangelical faith byaffiliating with those of more liberal views, who do not regard theBible as the "Word of God, " but like any other book, to be judged byits merits. If the Bible teaches the equality of Woman, why does thechurch refuse to ordain women to preach the gospel, to fill the officesof deacons and elders, and to administer the Sacraments, or to admitthem as delegates to the Synods, General Assemblies and Conferences ofthe different denominations? They have never yet invited a woman tojoin one of their Revising Committees, nor tried to mitigate thesentence pronounced on her by changing one count in the indictmentserved on her in Paradise. 

The large number of letters received, highly appreciative of theundertaking, is very encouraging to those who have inaugurated themovement, and indicate a growing self-respect and self-assertion in thewomen of this generation. But we have the usual array of objectors tomeet and answer. One correspondent conjures us to suspend the work, asit is "ridiculous" for "women to attempt the revision of theScriptures. " I wonder if any man wrote to the late revising committeeof Divines to stop their work on the ground that it was ridiculous formen to revise the Bible. Why is it more ridiculous for women to protestagainst her present status in the Old and New Testament, in theordinances and discipline of the church, than in the statutes andconstitution of the state? Why is it more ridiculous to arraignecclesiastics for their false teaching and acts of injustice to women, than members of Congress and the House of Commons? Why is it moreaudacious to review Moses than Blackstone, the Jewish code of laws, than the English system of jurisprudence? Women have compelled theirlegislators in every state in this Union to so modify their statutesfor women that the old common law is now almost a dead letter. Why notcompel Bishops and Revising Committees to modify their creeds anddogmas? Forty years ago it seemed as ridiculous to timid, time-servingand retrograde folk for women to demand an expurgated edition of thelaws, as it now does to demand an expurgated edition of the Liturgiesand the Scriptures. Come, come, my conservative friend, wipe the dewoff your spectacles, and see that the world is moving. Whatever yourviews may be as to the importance of the proposed work, your politicaland social degradation are but an outgrowth of your status in theBible. When you express your aversion, based on a blind feeling ofreverence in which reason has no control, to the revision of theScriptures, you do but echo Cowper, who, when asked to read Paine's"Rights of Man, " exclaimed "No man shall convince me that I amimproperly governed while I feel the contrary. "

Others say it is not politic to rouse religious opposition. 

This much-lauded policy is but another word for cowardice. How canwoman's position be changed from that of a subordinate to an equal, without opposition, without the broadest discussion of all thequestions involved in her present degradation? For so far-reaching andmomentous a reform as her complete independence, an entire revolutionin all existing institutions is inevitable. 

Let us remember that all reforms are interdependent, and that whateveris done to establish one principle on a solid basis, strengthens all. Reformers who are always compromising, have not yet grasped the ideathat truth is the only safe ground to stand upon. The object of anindividual life is not to carry one fragmentary measure in humanprogress, but to utter the highest truth clearly seen in alldirections, and thus to round out and perfect a well balancedcharacter. Was not the sum of influence exerted by John Stuart Mill onpolitical, religious and social questions far greater than that of anystatesman or reformer who has sedulously limited his sympathies andactivities to carrying one specific measure? We have many womenabundantly endowed with capabilities to understand and revise what menhave thus far written. But they are all suffering from inherited ideasof their inferiority; they do not perceive it, yet such is the trueexplanation of their solicitude, lest they should seem to be too self-asserting. 

Again there are some who write us that our work is a uselessexpenditure of force over a book that has lost its hold on the humanmind. Most intelligent women, they say, regard it simply as the historyof a rude people in a barbarous age, and have no more reverence for theScriptures than any other work. So long as tens of thousands of Biblesare printed every year, and circulated over the whole habitable globe, and the masses in all English-speaking nations revere it as the word ofGod, it is vain to belittle its influence. The sentimental feelings weall have for those things we were educated to believe sacred, do notreadily yield to pure reason. I distinctly remember the shudder thatpassed over me on seeing a mother take our family Bible to make a highseat for her child at table. It seemed such a desecration. I wastempted to protest against its use for such a purpose, and this, too, long after my reason had repudiated its divine authority. 

To women still believing in the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures, we say give us by all means your exegesis in the light of the highercriticism learned men are now making, and illumine the Woman's Bible, with your inspiration. 

Bible historians claim special inspiration for the Old and NewTestaments containing most contradictory records of the same events, ofmiracles opposed to all known laws, of customs that degrade the femalesex of all human and animal life, stated in most questionable languagethat could not be read in a promiscuous assembly, and call all this"The Word of God. "

The only points in which I differ from all ecclesiastical teaching isthat I do not believe that any man ever saw or talked with God, I donot believe that God inspired the Mosaic code, or told the historianswhat they say he did about woman, for all the religions on the face ofthe earth degrade her, and so long as woman accepts the position thatthey assign her, her emancipation is impossible. Whatever the Bible maybe made to do in Hebrew or Greek, in plain English it does not exaltand dignify woman. My standpoint for criticism is the revised editionof 1888. 1 will so far honor the revising committee of wise men whohave given us the best exegesis they can according to their ability, although Disraeli said the last one before he died, contained 150, 000blunders in the Hebrew, and 7, 000 in the Greek. 

But the verbal criticism in regard to woman's position amounts tolittle. The spirit is the same in all periods and languages, hostile toher as an equal. 

There are some general principles in the holy books of all religionsthat teach love, charity, liberty, justice and equality for all thehuman family, there are many grand and beautiful passages, the goldenrule has been echoed and re-echoed around the world. There are loftyexamples of good and true men and women, all worthy our acceptance andimitation whose lustre cannot be dimmed by the false sentiments andvicious characters bound up in the same volume. The Bible cannot beaccepted or rejected as a whole, its teachings are varied and itslessons differ widely from each other. In criticising the peccadilloesof Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel, we would not shadow the virtues ofDeborah, Huldah and Vashti. In criticising the Mosaic code, we wouldnot question the wisdom of the golden rule and the fifth Commandment. Again the church claims special consecration for its cathedrals andpriesthood, parts of these aristocratic churches are too holy forwomen to enter, boys were early introduced into the choirs for thisreason, woman singing in an obscure corner closely veiled. A few ofthe more democratic denominations accord women some privileges, butinvidious discriminations of sex are found in all religiousorganizations, and the most bitter outspoken enemies of womanare found among clergymen and bishops of the Protestant religion. [FN#2]

[FN#2] See the address of Bishop Doane, June 7th, 1895, in the closingexercises of St. Agnes School, Albany. 

The canon law, the Scriptures, the creeds and codes and churchdiscipline of the leading religions bear the impress of fallible man, and not of our ideal great first cause, "the Spirit of all Good, " thatset the universe of matter and mind in motion, and by immutable lawholds the land, the sea, the planets, revolving round the great centreof light and heat, each in its own elliptic, with millions of stars inharmony all singing together, the glory of creation forever and ever. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton. 

THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 

CHAPTER I. 

Genesis i: 26, 27, 28. 

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness:and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowlof the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over everycreeping thing that creepeth upon the earth 27 So God created man inhis own image, in the image of God created he him: male and femaleimage, created he them. 

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, andmultiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominionover the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over everyliving thing that moveth upon the earth. 

Here is the sacred historian's first account of the advent of woman; asimultaneous creation of both sexes, in the image of God. It is evidentfrom the language that there was consultation in the Godhead, and thatthe masculine and feminine elements were equally represented. Scott inhis commentaries says, "this consultation of the Gods is the origin ofthe doctrine of the trinity. " But instead of three male personages, asgenerally represented, a Heavenly Father, Mother, and Son would seemmore rational. 

The first step in the elevation of woman to her true position, as anequal factor in human progress, is the cultivation of the religioussentiment in regard to her dignity and equality, the recognition by therising generation of an ideal Heavenly Mother, to whom their prayersshould be addressed, as well as to a Father. 

If language has any meaning, we have in these texts a plaindeclaration of the existence of the feminine element in the Godhead, equal in power and glory with the masculine. The Heavenly Mother andFather! "God created man in his own image, male and female. " ThusScripture, as well as science and philosophy, declares the eternityand equality of sex--the philosophical fact, without which there couldhave been no perpetuation of creation, no growth or development in theanimal, vegetable, or mineral kingdoms, no awakening nor progressing inthe world of thought. The masculine and feminine elements, exactlyequal and balancing each other, are as essential to the maintenance ofthe equilibrium of the universe as positive and negative electricity, the centripetal and centrifugal forces, the laws of attraction whichbind together all we know of this planet whereon we dwell and of thesystem in which we revolve. 

In the great work of creation the crowning glory was realized, whenman and woman were evolved on the sixth day, the masculine and feminineforces in the image of God, that must have existed eternally, in allforms of matter and mind. All the persons in the Godhead arerepresented in the Elohim the divine plurality taking counsel in regardto this last and highest form of life. Who were the members of thishigh council, and were they a duality or a trinity? Verse 27 declaresthe image of God male and female. How then is it possible to make womanan afterthought? We find in verses 5-16 the pronoun "he" used. Shouldit not in harmony with verse 26 be "they, " a dual pronoun? We mayattribute this to the same cause as the use of "his" in verse 11instead of "it. " The fruit tree yielding fruit after "his" kind insteadof after "its" kind. The paucity of a language may give rise to manymisunderstandings. 

The above texts plainly show the simultaneous creation of man andwoman, and their equal importance in the development of the race. Allthose theories based on the assumption that man was prior in thecreation, have no foundation in Scripture. 

As to woman's subjection, on which both the canon and the civil lawdelight to dwell, it is important to note that equal dominion is givento woman over every living thing, but not one word is said giving mandominion over woman. 

Here is the first title deed to this green earth giving alike to thesons and daughters of God. No lesson of woman's subjection can befairly drawn from the first chapter of the Old Testament. 

E. C. S. 

The most important thing for a woman to note, in reading Genesis, isthat that portion which is now divided into "the first three chapters"(there was no such division until about five centuries ago), containstwo entirely separate, and very contradictory, stories of creation, written by two different, but equally anonymous, authors. No Christiantheologian of to-day, with any pretensions to scholarship, claims thatGenesis was written by Moses. As was long ago pointed out, the Bibleitself declares that all the books the Jews originally possessed wereburned in the destruction of Jerusalem, about 588 B. C. , at the timethe people were taken to Babylonia as slaves too the Assyrians, (see IIEsdras, ch. Xiv, V. 21, Apocrypha). Not until about 247 B. C. (sometheologians say 226 and others; 169 B. C. ) is there any record of acollection of literature in the re-built Jerusalem, and, then, theanonymous writer of II Maccabees briefly mentions that some Nehemiah"gathered together the acts of the kings and the prophets and those ofDavid" when "founding a library" for use in Jerusalem. But the earliestmention anywhere in the Bible of a book that might have corresponded toGenesis is made by an apocryphal writer, who says that Ezra wrote "allthat hath been done in the world since the beginning, " after the Jewsreturned from Babylon, under his leadership, about 450 B. C. (see IIEsdras, ch. Xiv, v. 22, of the Apocrypha). 

When it is remembered that the Jewish books were written on rolls ofleather, without much attention to vowel points and with no divisioninto verses or chapters, by uncritical copyists, who altered passagesgreatly, and did not always even pretend to understand what they werecopying, then the reader of Genesis begins to put herself in positionto understand how it can be contradictory. Great as were the libertieswhich the Jews took with Genesis, those of the English translators, however, greatly surpassed them. 

The first chapter of Genesis, for instance, in Hebrew, tells us, inverses one and two, "As to origin, created the gods (Elohim) theseskies (or air or clouds) and this earth. . . And a wind moved upon theface of the waters. " Here we have the opening of a polytheistic fableof creation, but, so strongly convinced were the English translatorsthat the ancient Hebrews must have been originally monotheistic thatthey rendered the above, as follows: "In the beginning God created theheaven and the earth. . . . And the spirit of God (!) moved upon theface of the waters. "

It is now generally conceded that some one (nobody pretends to knowwho) at some time (nobody pretends to know exactly when), copied twocreation myths on the same leather roll, one immediately following theother. About one hundred years ago, it was discovered by Dr. Astruc, ofFrance, that from Genesis ch. I, v. 1 to Genesis ch. Ii, v. 4, is givenone complete account of creation, by an author who always used the term"the gods" (Elohim), in speaking of the fashioning of the universe, mentioning it altogether thirty-four times, while, in Genesis ch. Ii, v. 4, to the end of chapter iii, we have a totally different narrative, by an author of unmistakably different style, who uses the term "Iahvehof the gods" twenty times, but "Elohim" only three times. The firstauthor, evidently, attributes creation to a council of gods, acting inconcert, and seems never to have heard of Iahveh. The second attributescreation to Iahveh, a tribal god of ancient Israel, but representsIahveh as one of two or more gods, conferring with them (in Genesis ch. Xiii, V. 22) as to the danger of man's acquiring immortality. 

Modern theologians have, for convenience sake, entitled these twofables, respectively, the Elohistic and the Iahoistic stories. Theydiffer, not only in the point I have mentioned above, but in the orderof the "creative acts;" in regard to the mutual attitude of man andwoman, and in regard to human freedom from prohibitions imposed bydeity. In order to exhibit their striking contradictions, I will placethem in parallel columns:

ELOHISTIC. --- IAHOISTIC. 

Order of Creation: --- Order of Creation:First--Water. --- First--Land. Second--Land. --- Second--Water. Third--Vegetation. --- Third--Male Man, only. Fourth--Animals. --- Fourth--Vegetation. Fifth--Mankind; male and female. --- Fifth--Animals. --- Sixth--Woman. 

In this story male and female man are created simultaneously, bothalike, in the image of the gods, after animals have been called intoexistence. --- In this story male man is sculptured out of clay, before any animals are created, and before female man has beenconstructed. 

Here, joint dominion over the earth is given to woman and man, withoutlimit or prohibition. --- Here, woman is punished with subjection toman for breaking a prohibitory law. 

Everything, without exception, is pronounced "very good. " --- There isa tree of evil, whose fruit, is said by Iahveh to cause sudden death, but which does not do so, as Adam lived 930 years after eating it. 

Man and woman are told that "every plant bearing seed upon the face ofthe earth and every tree. . . To you it shall be for meat. " They arethus given perfect freedom. --- Man is told there is one tree of whichhe must not eat, "for in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surelydie. "

Man and woman are given special dominion over all the animals-"everycreeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. " --- An animal, a"creeping thing, " is given dominion over man and woman, and proveshimself more truthful than Iahveh Elohim. (Compare Genesis chapter ii, verse 17, with chapter iii, verses 4 and 22. )

Now as it is manifest that both of these stories cannot be true;intelligent women, who feel bound to give the preference to either, maydecide according to their own judgment of which is more worthy of anintelligent woman's acceptance. Paul's rule is a good one in thisdilemma, "Prove all things: hold fast to that which is good. " My ownopinion is that the second story was manipulated by some Jew, in anendeavor to give "heavenly authority" for requiring a woman to obey theman she married. In a work which I am now completing, I give some factsconcerning ancient Israelitish history, which will be of peculiarinterest to those who wish to understand the origin of woman'ssubjection. 

E. B. D. 

Many orientalists and students of theology have maintained that theconsultation of the Gods here described is proof that the Hebrews werein early days polytheists--Scott's supposition that this is the originof the Trinity has no foundation in fact, as the beginning of thatconception is to be found in the earliest of all known religious natureworship. The acknowledgment of the dual principal, masculine andfeminine, is much more probably the explanation of the expressions hereused. 

In the detailed description of creation we find a gradually ascendingseries. Creeping things, "great sea monsters, " (chap. I, V. 21, literaltranslation). "Every bird of wing, " cattle and living things of theearth, the fish of the sea and the "birds of the heavens, " then man, and last and crowning glory of the whole, woman. 

It cannot be maintained that woman was inferior to man even if, asasserted in chapter ii, she was created after him without at onceadmitting that man is inferior to the creeping things, because createdafter them. 

L. D. B. 

CHAPTER II. 

Genesis ii, 21-25. 

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and heslept; and be took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh thereof. 

22 And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh:she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. 

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shallcleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. 

25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were notashamed. 

As the account of the creation in the first chapter is in harmony withscience, common sense, and the experience of mankind in natural laws, the inquiry naturally arises, why should there be two contradictoryaccounts in the same book, of the same event? It is fair to infer thatthe second version, which is found in some form in the differentreligions of all nations, is a mere allegory, symbolizing somemysterious conception of a highly imaginative editor. 

The first account dignifies woman as an important factor in thecreation, equal in power and glory with man. The second makes her amere afterthought. The world in good running order without her. Theonly reason for her advent being the solitude of man. 

There is something sublime in bringing order out of chaos; light outof darkness; giving each planet its place in the solar system; oceansand lands their limits; wholly inconsistent with a petty surgicaloperation, to find material for the mother of the race. It is on thisallegory that all the enemies of women rest their battering rams, toprove her inferiority. Accepting the view that man was prior in thecreation, some Scriptural writers say that as the woman was of the man, therefore, her position should be one of subjection. Grant it, then asthe historical fact is reversed in our day, and the man is now of thewoman, shall his place be one of subjection?

The equal position declared in the first account must prove moresatisfactory to both sexes; created alike in the image of God--TheHeavenly Mother and Father. 

Thus, the Old Testament, "in the beginning, " proclaims thesimultaneous creation of man and woman, the eternity and equality ofsex; and the New Testament echoes back through the centuries theindividual sovereignty of woman growing out of this natural fact. Paul, in speaking of equality as the very soul and essence of Christianity, said, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. "With this recognition of the feminine element in the Godhead in the OldTestament, and this declaration of the equality of the sexes in theNew, we may well wonder at the contemptible status woman occupies inthe Christian Church of to-day. 

All the commentators and publicists writing on woman's position, gothrough an immense amount of fine-spun metaphysical speculations, toprove her subordination in harmony with the Creator's original design. 

It is evident that some wily writer, seeing the perfect equality ofman and woman in the first chapter, felt it important for the dignityand dominion of man to effect woman's subordination in some way. To dothis a spirit of evil must be introduced, which at once proved itselfstronger than the spirit of good, and man's supremacy was based on thedownfall of all that had just been pronounced very good. This spirit ofevil evidently existed before the supposed fall of man, hence woman wasnot the origin of sin as so often asserted. 

E. C. S. 

In v. 23 Adam proclaims the eternal oneness of the happy pair, "Thisis now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh;" no hint of hersubordination. How could men, admitting these words to be divinerevelation, ever have preached the subjection of woman!

Next comes the naming of the mother of the race. "She shall be calledWoman, " in the ancient form of the word Womb-man. She was man and morethan man because of her maternity. 

The assertion of the supremacy of the woman in the marriage relationis contained in v. 24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and hismother and cleave unto his wife. " Nothing is said of the headship ofman, but he is commanded to make her the head of the household, thehome, a rule followed for centuries under the Matriarchate. 

L. D. B. 

CHAPTER III. 

Genesis iii: 1-24. 

1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field whichthe Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of thetrees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lestye die. 

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyesshall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that itwas pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat and gave also unto herhusband with her; and he did eat. 

7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they werenaked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 

8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden inthe cool of the day; and Adam and his wife hid themselves from thepresence of the Lord God amongst the trees in the garden. 

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten ofthe tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, shegave me of the tree, and I did eat. 

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hastdone? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast donethis, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of thefield; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all thedays of thy life:

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thyseed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise hisheel. 

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thyconception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children: and thy desireshall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voiceof thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; insorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thoushalt eat the herb of the field;

19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou returnunto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, andunto dust shalt thou return. 

20. And Adam called his wife's name Eve: because she was the mother ofall living. 

21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skinsand clothed them. 

22 And the Lord God said, Behold the man is become as one of us, toknow good and evil; and now, let he put forth his hand, and take alsoof the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever;

23 Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, totill the ground from whence he was taken. 

24 So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the garden ofEden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep theway of the tree of life. 

Adam Clarke, in his commentaries, asks the question, "is this anallegory?" He finds it beset with so many difficulties as an historicalfact, that he inclines at first to regard it as a fable, a mere symbol, of some hidden truth. His mind seems more troubled about the serpentthan any other personage in the drama. As snakes cannot walk upright, and have never been known to speak, he thinks this beguiling creaturemust have been an ourang-outang, or some species of ape. However, afterexpressing all his doubts, he rests in the assumption that it must betaken literally, and that with higher knowledge of the possibilities ofall living things, many seeming improbabilities will be fully realized. 

A learned professor in Yale College, [FN#3] before a large class ofstudents, expressed serious doubts as to the forbidden fruit being anapple, as none grew in that latitude. He said it must have been aquince. If the serpent and the apple are to be withdrawn thusrecklessly from the tableaux, it is feared that with advancingcivilization the whole drama may fall into discredit. Scientists tellsus that "the missing link" between the ape and man, has recently beendiscovered. , so that we can now trace back an unbroken line ofancestors to the dawn of creation. 

[FN#3] Daniel Cady Eaton, Professor of Botany. 

As out of this allegory grows the doctrines of original sin, the fallof man, and woman the author of all our woes, and the curses on theserpent, the woman, and the man; the Darwinian theory of the gradualgrowth of the race from a lower to a higher type of animal life, ismore hopeful and encouraging. However, as our chief interest is inwoman's part in the drama, we are equally pleased with her attitude, whether as a myth in an allegory, or as the heroine of an historicaloccurrence. 

In this prolonged interview, the unprejudiced reader must be impressedwith the courage, the dignity, and the lofty ambition of the woman. Thetempter evidently had a profound knowledge of human nature, and saw ata glance the high character of the person he met by chance in his walksin the garden. He did not try to tempt her from the path of duty bybrilliant jewels, rich dresses, worldly luxuries or pleasures, but withthe promise of knowledge, with the wisdom of the Gods. 

Like Socrates or Plato, his powers of conversation and askingpuzzling questions, were no doubt marvellous, and he roused in thewoman that intense thirst for knowledge, that the simple pleasures ofpicking flowers and talking with Adam did not satisfy. Compared withAdam she appears to great advantage through the entire drama. 

The curse pronounced on woman is inserted in an unfriendly spirit tojustify her degradation and subjection to man. With obedience to thelaws of health, diet, dress, and exercise, the period of maternityshould be one of added vigor in both body and mind, a perfectly naturaloperation should not be attended with suffering. By the observance ofphysical and psychical laws the supposed curse can be easilytransformed into a blessing. Some churchmen speak of maternity as adisability, and then chant the Magnificat in all their cathedrals roundthe globe. Through all life's shifting scenes, the mother of the racehas been the greatest factor in civilization. 

We hear the opinion often expressed, that woman always has, and alwayswill be in subjection. Neither assertion is true. She enjoyed unlimitedindividual freedom for many centuries, and the events of the presentday all point to her speedy emancipation. Scientists now give 85, 000years for the growth of the race. They assign 60, 000 to savagism, 20, 000 to barbarism, and 5, 000 to civilization. Recent historians tellus that for centuries woman reigned supreme. That period was called theMatriarchate. Then man seized the reins of government, and we are nowunder the Patriarchate. But we see on all sides new forces gathering, and woman is already abreast with man in art, science, literature, andgovernment. The next dynasty, in which both will reign as equals, willbe the Amphiarchate, which is close at hand. 

Psychologists tell us of a sixth sense now in process of development, by which we can read each other's mind and communicate without speech. The Tempter might have had that sense, as he evidently read the mindsof both the creature and the Creator, if we are to take this accountas literally true, as Adam Clarke advises. 

E. C. S. 

Note the significant fact that we always hear of the "fall of man, "not the fall of woman, showing that the consensus of human thought hasbeen more unerring than masculine interpretation. Reading thisnarrative carefully, it is amazing that any set of men ever claimedthat the dogma of the inferiority of woman is here set forth. Theconduct of Eve from the beginning to the end is so superior to that ofAdam. The command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge wasgiven to the man alone before woman was formed. Genesis ii, 17. Therefore the injunction was not brought to Eve with the impressivesolemnity of a Divine Voice, but whispered to her by her husband andequal. It was a serpent supernaturally endowed, a seraphim as Scott andother commentators have claimed, who talked with Eve, and whose wordsmight reasonably seem superior to the second-hand story of hercompanion nor does the woman yield at once. She quotes the command notto eat of the fruit to which the serpent replies "Dying ye shall notdie, " v. 4, literal translation. In other words telling her that if themortal body does perish, the immortal part shall live forever, andoffering as the reward of her act the attainment of Knowledge. 

Then the woman fearless of death if she can gain wisdom takes of thefruit; and all this time Adam standing beside her interposes no word ofobjection. "Her husband with her" are the words of v. 6. Had he beenthe representative of the divinely appointed head in married life, heassuredly would have taken upon himself the burden of the discussionwith the serpent, but no, he is silent in this crisis of their fate. Having had the command from God himself he interposes no word ofwarning or remonstrance, but takes the fruit from the hand of his wifewithout a protest. It takes six verses to describe the "fall" ofwoman, the fall of man is contemptuously dismissed in a line and a half. 

The subsequent conduct of Adam was to the last degree dastardly. Whenthe awful time of reckoning comes, and the Jehovah God appears todemand why his command has been disobeyed, Adam endeavors to shieldhimself behind the gentle being he has declared to be so dear. "Thewoman thou gavest to be with me, she gave me and I did eat, " he whines--trying to shield himself at his wife's expense! Again we are amazedthat upon such a story men have built up a theory of their superiority!

Then follows what has been called the curse. Is it not rather aprediction? First is the future fate of the serpent described, theenmity of the whole human race--"it shall lie in wait for thee as tothe head" (v. 15, literal translation). Next the subjection of thewoman is foretold, thy husband "shall rule over thee, " v. 16. Lastlythe long struggle of man with the forces of nature is portrayed. "Inthe sweat of thy face thou shalt eat food until thy turning back to theearth" (v. 19, literal translation). With the evolution of humanity anever increasing number of men have ceased to toil for their bread withtheir hands, and with the introduction of improved machinery, and theuplifting of the race there will come a time when there shall be noseverities of labor, and when women shall be freed from all oppressions. 

"And Adam called his wife's name Life for she was the mother of allliving" (V. 20, literal translation). 

It is a pity that all versions of the Bible do not give this wordinstead of the Hebrew Eve. She was Life, the eternal mother, the firstrepresentative of the more valuable and important half of the humanrace. 

L. D. B. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Genesis iv: 1-12, 19, 21. 

1. And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, andsaid, I have gotten a man from the Lord. 

2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of thefruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. 

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of thefat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. 

5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain wasvery wroth, and his countenance fell. 

6 And the lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thycountenance fallen?

7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted: and if thou doestnot well, sin lieth at the door: and unto thee shall be his desire, andthou shalt rule over him. 

8 And Cain talked with Abet his brother: and it came to pass, whenthey were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, andslew him. 

9. And the Lord said unto Cain, where is Abel thy brother? And he said"Am I my brother's keeper?"

10. And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brothers bloodcrieth unto me from the ground. 

11. And now art thou cursed from the earth which hath opened her mouthto receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. 

12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield untothee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. 

19. And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one wasAdah, and the name of the other Zillah. 

23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, yewives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech. 

One would naturally suppose that Cain's offering of fruit indicated amore refined and spiritual idea of the fitness of things than Abel's ofanimal food. Why Cain's offering was rejected as unworthy does notappear. 

There is something pathetic in Eve's joy and faith at the advent ofher first-born: "Lo I have a man child from the Lord. " She evidentlythought that Cain was to be to her a great blessing. Some expositorssay that Eve thought that Cain was the promised seed that was to bruisethe serpent's head; but Adam Clarke, in estimating woman's reasoningpowers, says, "it was too metaphysical an idea for that period. " But asthat is just what the Lord said to Eve, she must have had the capacityto understand it. But all speculations as to what Eve thought in thateventful hour are vain. Clarke asserts that Cain and Abel were twins. Eve must have been too much occupied with her vacillating joys andsorrows to have indulged in any connected train of thought. Her griefin the fratricidal tragedy that followed can be more easilyunderstood. The dreary environments of the mother, and the hopelessprophesies of her future struggling life, banished to a dreary, desolate region, beyond the love and care of her Creator, is revengedon her children. If Adam and Eve merited the severe punishmentinflicted on them, they should have had some advice from the HeavenlyMother and Father as to the sin of propagating such an unworthy stock. No good avails in increasing and multiplying evil propensities anddeformities that produce only crime and misery from generation togeneration. During the ante-natal period the mother should be heldsacred, and surrounded with all the sweetest influences that Heaven andearth can give, loving companionship, beautiful scenery, music andflowers, and all the pleasures that art in its highest form can produce. 

As the women at this period seem to be myths, no one takes the troubleto tell from whence they came. It is sufficient that their husbandsknow, and it is not necessary that the casual reader should. Thequestion is often asked, whom did Cain marry? Some expositors say thatAdam and Eve had other sons and daughters living in different parts ofthe planet, and that they married each other. 

There seems to have been no scarcity of women, for Lamech, Cain'sgreat grandson, took unto himself two wives. Thus early in the historyof the race polygamic relations were recognized. The phraseologyannouncing the marriage of Lamech is very significant. 

In the case of Adam and Eve the ceremony was more imposing anddignified. It was declared an equal relation. But with the announcementof Lamech's, he simply took two wives, Adah and Zillah. Whether thewomen were willingly captured will ever remain an open question. Themanner in which he is accustomed to issue his orders does not indicatea tender relation between the parties. 

"Hear my voice: ye wives of Lamech, and hearken unto my speech!"

As the wives made no reply, it shows that they had already learnedthat discreet silence is the only security for domestic happiness. 

Naamah the sister of Tubal Cain was supposed to be the wife of Noah. Her name in Hebrew signifies the beautiful or the gracious. Jewishdoctors say her name is recorded here because she was an upright, chaste woman, but others affirm the contrary because "the whole worldwandered after her. " But the fact that Naamah's beauty attracted themultitude, does not prove that she either courted or accepted theirattentions. 

The manner in which the writer of these chapters presents the women soin conflict with Chapters i and v, which immediately precede andfollow, inclines the unprejudiced mind to relegate the ii, iii and ivchapters to the realm of fancy as no part of the real history ofcreation's dawn. 

The curse pronounced on Cain is similar to that inflicted on Adam, both were to till the ground, which was to bring forth weedsabundantly. Hale's statistics of weeds show their rapid and widespreadpower of propagation. "A progeny, " he says, "more than sufficient in afew years to stock every planet of the solar system. " In the face ofsuch discouraging facts, Hale coolly remarks. "Such provisions has thejust God made to fulfil the curse which he promised on man. "

It seems far more rational to believe that the curses on both womanand man were but figments of the human brain, and that by theobservance of natural laws, both labor and maternity may prove greatblessings. 

With all the modern appliances of steam and electricity, and the newinventions in machinery, the cultivation of the soil is fast coming tobe a recreation and amusement. The farmer now sits at ease on hisplough, while his steed turns up the furrows at his will. Withmachinery the sons of Adam now sow and reap their harvests, keep thewheels of their great manufactories in motion, and with dailyincreasing speed carry on the commerce of the world. The time is athand when the heavy burdens of the laborer will all be shifted on theshoulders of thesetireless machines. And when the woman, too, learns and obeys the lawsof life, these supposed curses will be but idle dreams of the past. Thecurse falls lightly even now on women who live in natural conditions, and with anaesthetics is essentially mitigated in all cases. 

When these remedial agents were first discovered, some women refusedto avail themselves of their blessings, and some orthodox physiciansrefused to administer them, lest they should interfere with the wiseprovisions of Providence in making maternity a curse. 

E. C. S. 

MYTHS OF CREATION. 

Nothing would be more interesting in connection with the "Woman'sBible" than a comparative study of the accounts of the creation held bypeople of different races and faiths. Our Norse ancestors, whose mythswere of a very exalted nature, recorded in their Bible, the Edda, thatone day the sons of Bor (a frost giant), Odin, Hoener, and Loder, foundtwo trees on the sea beach, and from them created the first human pair, man and woman. Odin gave them life and spirit, Hoener endowed them withreason and motion, and Loder gave them the senses and physicalcharacteristics. The man they called Ask, and the woman Embla. Prof. Anderson finds in the brothers the threefold Trinity of the Bible. Itis easy to fancy that there is some philological connection between thenames of the first pair in the Bible and in the Edda. Perhaps theformation of the first pair out of trees had a deep connection with thetree of life, Ygdrasil, which extended, according to Norse mythologythroughout the universe, furnishing bodies for mankind from itsbranches. It had three great roots, one extending to the nebulousworld, and this was constantly gnawed by the serpent Nidhug. There wasnothing in the Norse mythology that taught the degradation of woman, and the lay of Sigdrifa, in the Edda, is one of the noblest conceptionsof the character of woman in all literature. 

North American Indian mythology has the human race born of the earth, but the writer cannot learn that women held an inferior place. Amongthe Quiches the mothers and fathers of old slept in the waters, coveredwith green, under a limpid twilight, from which the earth and they werecalled out by a mighty wind. The Algonkins believed the human familywere the children of Michabo, the spirit of the dawn, and their supremedeity. In their language the words earth, mother and father were fromthe same root. Many tribes claim descent from a raven, symbolizing theclouds; others from a dog, which is the symbol of the water goddess. 

Dr. And Madame Le Plongeon relate that in their discoveries among theburied remains of the Mayas in Yucatan, everything marks a very highstate of civilization. In one of the exhumed temples they foundpictures on the walls, which seem to be a combination of the stories ofthe Garden of Eden and Cain and Abel. The Serpent was always the royalemblem, because the shape of Yucatan is that of a serpent ready tospring. It was the custom among the Mayas for the oldest son of theking to be a priest, and the second son to marry the oldest daughter. The pictures represent that the oldest son in this particular case wasdissatisfied with this arrangement, and wanted to marry the sisterhimself. To tempt her he sends a basket of apples by a messenger. Hestands watching the way in which the present is received, and theserpent in the picture (indicating the royal family), makes itcuriously suggestive of the temptation of Eve. The sister, however, rejects the present, and this so enrages the elder brother that hekills the younger, who accordingly is deified by the Mayas. The imageof Chacmohl was discovered by the Le Plongeons, and is now in thepossession of the Mexican Government. Perhaps these brothers weretwins, as the commentator says Cain and Abel were, and that gave riseto the jealousy. 

Nothing can surpass in grandeur the account in the first chapter ofGenesis of the creation of the race, and it satisfies the highestaspirations and the deepest longings of the human soul. No matter ofwhat material formed, or through how many ages theformative period ran, or is to run, the image of God is the birthrightof man, male and female. Whatever the second chapter may mean, itcannot set aside the first. It probably has a deep spiritualsignificance which mankind will appreciate when cavilling about theletter ceases. To the writer's mind its meaning is best expressed inthe words of Goethe:--- "The eternal womanly leads us on. "

C. B. C. 

CHAPTER V. 

Genesis v: 1, 2. 

1. This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that Godcreated man, in the likeness of God made he him. 

2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called theirname Adam, in the day when they were created. 

Here we have the first account of the dual creation verified. Man andwoman a simultaneous creation, alike in the image of God. 

The dual relation, both in the Godhead and humanity, is here againdeclared, though contradicted in the intervening chapters. In this andthe following chapters we have a prolix statement of the births, deaths, and ages in the male line. They all take wives, beget sons, butnothing is said of the origin or destiny of the wives and daughters;they are incidentally mentioned merely as necessary factors in thepropagation of the male line. 

The men of this period seem to have lived to a ripe old age, butnothing is said of the age of the women; it is probable as child-bearing was their chief ambition, that men had a succession of wives, all gathered to their fathers in the prime of life. Although Eve andher daughters devoted their energies to this occupation, yet the entirecredit for the growth of the race is given to Adam and his maledescendants. In all this chapter the begetting of the oldest son ismade prominent, his name only is given, and the begetting of more "sonsand daughters" is cursorily mentioned. Here is the first suggestion ofthe law of primogeniture responsible for so many of the evils thatperplexed our Saxon fathers. 

E. C. S. 

Genesis vi: 1-8, 14-22. 

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of theearth, and daughters were born unto them, 2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all which they chose. 

3 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, forthat he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. 

4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they barechildren to them, the same became mighty men which were as of old, menof renown. 

5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, andthat every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evilcontinually. 

6 And it repented the Lord that he had made them man on the earth, andit grieved him at his heart. 

7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from theface of the earth; both man and beast, and the creeping thing, and thefowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 

13 And God said unto Noah, 14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in theark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. 

15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of; The length ofthe ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubitsand the height of it thirty cubits. 

16 A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thoufinish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the sidethereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it. 

17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven, and everything that is in the earth shall die. 

18 But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt comeinto the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wiveswith thee. 

19 And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shaltthou bring in to the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall bemale and female. 

20 Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of everycreeping thing of the earth, after his kind; two of every sort shallcome unto thee, to keep them alive. 

21 And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shaltgather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. 

22 Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. 

The Jews evidently believed the males the superior sex. Men are called"the sons of God, " women "the daughters of men. " From the text it wouldseem that the influence of the wives was not elevating and inspiring, and that the sin and misery resulting from their marriages, allattributed to the women. 'This condition of things so discouraged theCreator that he determined to blot out both man and beast, the fowls ofthe air and the creeping things on the earth. How very human thissounds. It shows what a low ideal the Jews had of the great firstcause, from which the moral and material world of thought and actionwere evolved. 

It was in mature life, when chastened by the experiences and trials ofher early day, that Seth was born to Eve. It was among the descendantsof Seth that purer morals and religion were cultivated. Intermarriagewith the descendants of Cain had corrupted the progeny, perplexed theCreator, and precipitated the flood. 

The female of each species of animal was preserved; males and femalesall walked into the ark two by two, and out again in equal and lovingcompanionship. It has been a question with critics whether the ark waslarge enough for all it was supposed to contain. Commentators seem toagree as to its capacity to accommodate men, women, children, animals, and the food necessary for their preservation. Adam Clarke tells usthat Noah and his family and the birds occupied the third, story, sothey had the benefit of the one window it contained. 

The paucity of light and air in this ancient vessel shows that womanhad no part in its architecture, or a series of port holes would havebeen deemed indispensable. Commentators relegate all difficulties tothe direct intervention of Providence. The ark, made by unseen hands, like a palace of india rubber, was capable of expanding indefinitely;the spirit of all good, caused the lion and lamb to lie down peaceablytogether. To attribute all the myths, allegories, and parables to theinterposition of Providence, ever working outside of his own inexorablelaws, is to confuse and set at defiance human reason, and prevent allstimulus to investigation. 

In several following chapters we have the history of Abram and Sarah, their wanderings from the land of their nativity to Canaan, theirblunders on the journey, their grief at having no children, except oneson by Hagar, his concubine, who was afterwards driven from their door, into the wilderness. However, Sarah in her old age was blessed with ason of her own, which event gave them great joy and satisfaction. AsSarah did not possess any of the heroic virtues, worthy our imitation, we need not linger either to praise or blame her characteristics. Neither she nor Abraham deemed it important to speak the truth when anyform of tergiversation might serve them. In fact the wives of thepatriarchs, all untruthful, and one a kleptomaniac, but illustrate thelaw, that the cardinal virtues are seldom found in oppressed classes. 

E. C. S. 

A careful study of the Bible would alter the views of many as to whatit teaches about the position of women. The trouble is too ofteninstead of searching the Bible to see what is right, we form ourbelief, and then search for Bible texts to sustain us, and aresatisfied with isolated texts without regard to context, and ask noquestions as to the circumstances that may have existed then but do notnow. We forget that portions of the Bible are only histories of eventsgiven as a chain of evidence to sustain the fact that the realrevelations of the Godhead, be it in any form, are true. Second, thatour translators were not inspired, and that we have strong presumptiveproof that prejudice of education was in some instances stronger thanthe grammatical context, in translating these contested points. Forinstance, the word translated obey between husband and wife, is in butone instance in the New Testament the word used between master andservant, parent and child, but is the word that in other places istranslated defer. The one instance states Sarah obeyed Abram. Read thathistory and you will find that in both instances in which she obeyed, God had to interfere with a miracle to save them from the result ofthat obedience, and both Abram and Sarah were reproved. While twice, once by direct command of God, Abram obeyed Sarah. You cannot find adirect command of God or Christ for the wife to obey the husband. 

It was Eve's curse that her desire should be to her husband, and heshould rule over her. Have you not seen her clinging to a drunken orbrutal husband, and read in letters of fire upon her forehead hercurse? But God did not say the curse was good, nor bid Adam enforce it. Nor did he say, all men shall rule over thee. For Adam, not Eve, theearth was to bring forth the thorn and the thistle, and he was to eathis bread by the sweat of his brow. Yet I never heard a sermon on thesin of uprooting weeds, or letting Eve, as she does, help him to bearhis burden. It is when she tries to lighten her load that the world isafraid of sacrilege and the overthrow of nature. 

C. B. C. 

In the story "of the sons of God, and the daughters of men"--we find amyth like those of Greek, Roman and Scandinavian fable, demi-gods lovemortal maidens and their offspring are giants. Then follows thetraditional account of some great cataclysm of the last glacial epoch. According to the latest geological students, Wright, McGee and others;the records of Niagara, the falls of St. Anthony and other glacialchasms, indicate that the great ice caps receded for the last timeabout seven thousand years ago; the latest archeological discoveriescarry our historical knowledge of mankind back nearly four thousandyears B. C. , so that some record of the mighty floods which must havefollowed the breaking of great glacial dams might well survive in thestories of the nations. 

Abram who came from Ur of the Chaldees brought with him the Chaldeanstory of the flood. At that time Ur, now a town fifty miles inland, wasa great seaport of the Persian gulf. Their story of the flood is thatof a maritime people; in it the ark is a well built ship, Hasisadra, the Chaldean Noah takes on board not only his own family, but hisneighbors and friends; a pilot is employed to guide the course, andproper provision is made for the voyage. A raven and a dove are sentout as in the biblical account, and a fortunate landing effected. 

L. D. B. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Genesis xxi. 

1 And the lord visited Sarah as he had said. 

2. For Sarah bare Abraham a son in his old age. 

3 And Abraham called the name of his son whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac. 

5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was bornunto him. 

6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hearwill laugh with me. 

9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had homeunto Abraham, mocking. 

10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and herson; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, evenwith Isaac. 

11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight. 

12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight;in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for inIsaac shall thy seed be called. 

13 And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, becausehe is thy seed. 

14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and abottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away; and she departed, and wandered in thewilderness of Beer-sheba. 

15 And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child underone of the shrubs. 

17 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off: forshe said, let me not see the death of the child. And she lifted up hervoice, and wept. 

17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called toHagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fearnot, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. 

18 Arise, lift up the lad, and bold him in thine hand: for I will makehim a great nation. 

19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water: and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink. 

20 And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 

21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him awife out of the land of Egypt. 

The great event of Isaac's birth having taken place, Sarah isrepresented through several chapters as laughing, even in the presenceof angels, not only in the anticipation of motherhood, but in itsrealization. She evidently forgot that maternity was intended as acurse on all Eve's daughters, for the sin of the first woman, and allmerry-making on such occasions was unpardonable. Some philosophersconsider the most exalted of all forms of love to be that of a motherfor her children. But this divine awakening of a new affection does notseem to have softened Sarah's heart towards her unfortunate slaveHagar. And so far from Sarah's desire being to her husband, and Abrahamdominating her, he seemed to be under her control, as the Lord told him"to hearken to her voice, and to obey her command. " In so doing hedrives Hagar out of his house. 

In this scene Abraham does not appear in a very attractive light, rising early in the morning, and sending his child and its mother forthinto the wilderness, with a breakfast of bread and water, to care forthemselves. Why did he not provide them with a servant, an ass ladenwith provisions, and a tent to shelter them from the elements, orbetter still, some abiding, resting place. Common humanity demandedthis much attention to his own son and the woman who bore him. But theworst feature in this drama is that it seems to have been done withJehovah's approval. 

Does any one seriously believe that the great spirit of all goodtalked with these Jews, and really said the extraordinary things theyreport? It was, however, a very cunning way for the Patriarchs toenforce their own authority, to do whatever they desired, and say theLord commanded them to do and say thus and so. Many pulpits even in ourday enforce their lessons of subjection for woman with the sameauthority, "Thus saith the Lord, " "Thou shalt, " and "Thou shall not. "

E. C. S. 

Genesis xxiii. 

1 And Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years old. 

2 And Sarah died in Kirjath-arba; the same is Hebron in the land ofCanaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 

3 And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spake unto the sonsof Heth, saying, 4 I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of aburying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight. 

5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him. 

6 Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choiceof our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from theehis sepulchre. 

7 And Abraham stood up, and bowed himself to the people of the land. 

8 And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind that I shouldbury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat Ephron the son ofZohar. 

9 That he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which isin the end of his field; for as much money as it is worth. 

14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him. 

15 My lord, hearken unto me: the land is worth four hundred shekels ofsilver; what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead. 

16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephronthe silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. 

19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of thefield of Machpelah before Mamre. 

20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure untoAbraham for a burying place by the sons of Heth. 

It is seldom that the age and death of any woman, are recorded by thesacred historian, but Sarah seems to have been specially honored, notonly in the mention of her demise and ripe years, but in the tendermanifestations of grief by Abraham, andhis painstaking selection of her burial place. That Abraham paid forall this in silver, "current money with the merchant, " might suggest tothe financiers of our day that our commercial relations might beadjusted with the same coin, especially as we have plenty of it. 

If our bimetallists in the halls of legislation were conversant withsacred history, they might get fresh inspiration from the views of thePatriarchs on good money. 

Some critics tell us that there was no coined money at that time; theIsraelites had no written language, no commerce with neighboringtribes, and that they could neither read nor write. 

Whilst we drop a tear at the tomb of Sarah, we cannot recommend her asan example to the young women of our day, as she lacked several of thecardinal virtues. She was undignified, untruthful, and unkind to Hagar. But our moral standard differs from that of the period in which shelived, as our ideas of right and wrong are not innate, but depend oneducation. Sarah probably lived up to the light that was in her. 

E. C. S. 

The cruelty and injustice of Abraham and Sarah, as commented on byMrs. Stanton, doubtless stand out much more prominently in thiscondensed account than their proper proportions to the motives whichactuated the figures in the drama. If we take any part of the story wemust take it all, and remember that it had been promised to Abrahamthat of Ishmael a great nation should be born. Whether this was anactual revelation from God, or a prophetic vision that Abraham had, oris interpolated by the historian to correspond with the actual factsthat transpired, in either case the firm belief that no harm could cometo Ishmael, must be taken into account when estimating the motiveswhich led Abraham and Sarah, for doubtless Abraham told Sarah of hisvision, to send Hagar and her son off into the wilderness; just as muchas the firm belief that the promise of God with regard to his seedwould be fulfilled made Abraham, a little afterward, prepare to offerup his son Isaac. 

Abraham loved and honored his wife very greatly, probably admiringequally her beauty and strength of character. Abraham was ten yearsolder than Sarah and we read that he was seventy-five years old when hestarted from Haran for the land of Canaan. Some time after this driven, by famine, he went down into Egypt, and here when she must have been atleast seventy years of age the Egyptians saw that she was very fair, and the princes of Pharaoh so praised her beauty to their royal masterthat he sent and took her for his wife. The same thing happened whenshe was ninety years old, when she was seized by Abimelech, king ofGerar. In both cases they told, not a lie, but a half truth, for Sarahwas Abraham's half sister, it being then the custom for children of thesame father by different mothers to marry. Abraham's deceit was broughtabout by cowardice, while Sarah connived at the fraud for love of herhusband, being besought to do so to save his life. Perhaps, too, shemight have been amenable to the gracious tribute to her beauty thatAbraham gave in making the request. 

Sarah's strength of character is shown all through her history. Wherever she is mentioned the reader is made to feet that she is animportant part of the narrative, and not merely a connecting linkbetween two generations. In this story she carries her point, andAbraham follows her instructions implicitly, nay, is even commanded byGod to do so. 

Notwithstanding that Abraham mourned Sarah so sincerely, within threeyears after she died, and when at the ripe age of a hundred and fortyyears, he married again and the six children he begat by Keturah hetook quite as a matter of course, although half a century before, whentold that a son should be born to him, he laughed incredulously. Abraham had his failings, some of which are shared by the moderns, yetdoubtless he was a moral giant compared with other men of the land fromwhich he came and of the nations around him. As such he was chosen asthe founder of a race whose history should promulgate the idea of theone true God. Certainly the descendants from this remarkable trio haveretained their own peculiar characteristics and have ever beenworshippers at the shrineof Jehovah. 

A singular fact may be mentioned here that Mrs. Souvielle in her book"The Sequel to the Parliament of Religions, " has shown that fromMidian, one of the sons of Keturah, came Jethro or Zoroaster. 

Western thinkers are so matter-of-fact in their speech and thoughtthat it might not have occurred to them that the true value of thisstory of Sarah and Hagar, like that of all else, not only in our ownBible but in the scriptures of other faiths, lies in the esotericmeaning, had it not been for Paul, that prince of occult philosophers, who distinctly says, according to the old version, that it is anallegory; according to the revised, that it contains an allegory: "forthese women are two covenants, " one bearing, children unto bondage, theother unto freedom. It is our privilege, Paul goes on to teach, to bechildren of the free woman, but although we are this by birthright, yetthere has to be a personal appreciation of that fact, and an effort tomaintain our liberty. The mystical significance of this allegory hasnever been elucidated in reference to the position of woman, but it maywell be considered as establishing her claim, not only for personalfreedom, but for the integrity of the home. Acting according to thecustoms of the day, Sarah connived at her own degradation. Later, whenher womanly dignity was developed by reason of her motherhood, she sawwhat should be her true position in her home, and she made her rightfuldemand for unrivalled supremacy in that home and in her husband'saffections. She was blessed of God in taking that attitude, and washeld up to the elect descendants of Abraham nearly 1660 years later bythe Apostle Peter as an example to be imitated. And these later womenare to be Sarah's daughters, we are told, if like her, they "are notafraid with any amazement, " or as the new version hath it, if they "arenot put in fear by any terror. "

Even as mere history the life and character of Sarah certainly do notintimate that it was the Divine plan that woman was to be asubordinate, either in person or in her home. Taken esoterically, asall ancient Oriental writings must be to get their full significance, it is an inspiration to woman to-day to stand for her liberty. Thebondwoman must be cast out. All that makes for industrial bondage, forsex slavery and humiliation, for the dwarfing of individuality, and forthe thralldom of the soul, must be cast out from our home, fromsociety, and from our lives. The woman who does not claim herbirthright of freedom will remain in the wilderness with the childrenthat she has borne in degradation, heart starvation, and anguish ofspirit, only to find that they are Ishmaels, with their hand againstevery man. They will be the subjects of Divine care and protectionuntil their destiny is worked out. But she who is to be the mother ofkings must herself be free, and have surroundings conducive tomaintaining her own purity and dignity. After long ages of freedomshall have eradicated from woman's mind and heart the thought habits ofthe slave, then will she be a true daughter of Sarah, the Princess. 

C. B. C. 

Abraham has been held up as one of the model men of sacred history. One credit he doubtless deserves, he was a monotheist, in the midst ofthe degraded and cruel forms of religion then prevalent in all theoriental world; this man and his wife saw enough of the light toworship a God of Spirit. Yet we find his conduct to the last degreereprehensible. While in Egypt in order to gain wealth he voluntarilysurrenders his wife to Pharaoh. Sarah having been trained in subjectionto her husband had no choice but to obey his will. When she left theking, Abraham complacently took her back without objection, which wasno more than he should do seeing that her sacrifice had brought himwealth and honor. Like many a modern millionaire he was not a self-madebut a wife-made man. When Pharaoh sent him away with his dangerouslybeautiful wife he is described as, "being rich in cattle, in silver andin gold, " but it is a little curious that the man who thus gainedwealth as the price of his wife's dishonor should have been held up asa model of all the patriarchal virtues. 

L. D. B. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Genesis xxiv. 

37 And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shall not take a wife tomy son of the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell. 

38 But thou shalt go unto my fathers house, and to my kindred, andtake a wife unto my son. 

39 And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 

40 And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send hisangel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for myson of my kindred, and of my father's house:

42 And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of mymaster Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:

43 Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, Ipray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink:

44 And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thecamels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out formy master's son. 

45 And before I had done speaking in mine heart behold Rebekah cameforth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto thewell, and drew water: and I said unto her; Let me drink, I pray thee. 

46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, andsaid, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and shemade the camels drink also. 

47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel Nabor's son, whom Malcah bare unto him: and Iput the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 

49 And now, if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me:and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left. 

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said. The thing proceedeth fromthe Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. 

51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee; take her, and go, and let her bethy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. 

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother andto her mother precious things. 

56 And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the Lord hathprospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. 

57 And they said, we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth. 

58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with thisman? And she said, I will go. 

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse andAbraham's servant, and his men. 

61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon thecamels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah and went hisway. 

63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and helifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold, the camels were coming. 

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she lightedoff the camel. 

65 For she had said unto the servant, What man is that walketh in thefield to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: thereforeshe took a vail, and covered herself. 

66 And the servant told Isaac all things that be had done. 

67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and tookRebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac wascomforted after his mother's death. 

Here is the first account we have of a Jewish courtship. The Womenseem quite as resigned to the custom of "being taken" as the men "totake. " Outside parties could no doubt in most cases make more judiciousselections of partners, than young folks themselves under the glamourof their ideals. Altogether the marriage of Isaac, though ratherprosaic, has a touch of the romantic. 

It has furnished the subject for some charming pictures, that decoratethe galleries in the old world and the new. "Rebekah at the well, " hasbeen immortalized both on canvas and in marble. Women as milk-maids anddrawers of water, with pails and pitchers on their heads, are alwaysartistic, and far more attractive to men than those with votes in theirhands at the polling booths, or as queens, ruling over the destinies ofnations. 

In fact, as soon as man left Paradise, he began by degrees to roll offof his own shoulders all he could of his curse, and place it on woman. Why did not Laban and Bethuel draw the water for the household and thecattle. Scott says that Eliezer had attendants with him who might havesaved Rebekah the labor of drawing water for ten camels, but he wouldnot interfere, as he wished to see whether she possessed the virtues ofindustry, affability and cheerfulness in being serviceable andhospitable. 

It was certainly a good test of her patience and humility to drawwater for an hour, with a dozen men looking on at their case, and noneoffering help. The Rebekahs of 1895 would have promptly summoned thespectators to share their labors, even at the risk of sacrificing adesirable matrimonial alliance. The virtue of self-sacrifice has itswise limitations. Though it is most commendable to serve our fellow-beings, yet woman's first duty is to herself, to develop all her ownpowers and possibilities, that she may better guide and serve the nextgeneration. 

It is refreshing to find in the fifty-eighth verse that Rebekah wasreally supposed to have some personal interest and rights in thebetrothal. 

The meeting of Isaac and Rebekah in the field at eventide is charming. That sweet restful hour after the sun had gone down, at the end of along journey from a far-off country. Rebekah must have been in just themood to appreciate a strong right arm on which to rest, a loving heartto trust, on the threshold of her conjugal life. To see her futurelord for the first time, must have been very embarrassing to Rebekah. She no doubt concealed her blushes behind her veil, which Isaacprobably raised at the first opportunity, to behold the charms of thebride whom the Lord had chosen for him. As Isaac was forty years old atthis time, he probably made a most judicious and affectionate husband. 

The 67th verse would be more appropriate to the occasion if the words"took Rebekah" had been omitted, leaving the text to read thus: "AndIsaac brought her into his mother's tent, and she became his wife, andhe loved her. " This verse is remarkable as the first announcement oflove on the part of a husband at first sight. We may indulge the hopethat he confessed his love to Rebekah, and thus placed their conjugalrelations on a more spiritual plane than was usual in those days. TheRevising Committees by the infusion of a little sentiment into theseancient manuscripts, might have improved the moral tone of ourancestors' domestic relations, without falsifying the important factsof history. Many ancient writings in both sacred and profane historymight be translated into more choice language, to the advantage of therising generation. What we glean in regard to Rebekah's character inthe following chapter shows, she, too, is lacking in a nice sense ofhonor. 

With our ideal of the great first cause, a God of justice, wisdom andtruth, the Jewish Lord, guiding and directing that people in all theirdevious ways, and sanctioning their petty immoralities seems strangelyout of place; a very contradictory character, unworthy our love andadmiration. The ancient Jewish ideal of Jehovah was not an exalted one. 

E. C. S. 

This romantic pastoral is most instructive as to the high position whichwomen really held among the people whose religious history is thefoundation of our own, and still further substantiates our claim thatthe Bible does not teach woman's subordination. The fact that Rebekahwas drawing water for family use does not indicate lack of dignity inher position, any more than the household tasks performed by Sarah. Thewives and daughters of patriarchal families had their maid-servants justas the men of the family had their man-servants, and their positionindicates only a division of responsibility. At this period, althoughqueens and princesses were cooks and waiters, kings and princes did nothesitate to reap their own fields and slay their own cattle. We are toldthat Abraham rushed out to his herd and caught a calf to make a meal forthe strangers, and that while he asked Sarah to make the cakes, heturned over the calf to a man servant to prepare for the table. Thus thelabor of securing the food fell upon the male sex, while the labor ofpreparing it was divided between both. 

The one supreme virtue among the patriarchs was hospitality, and nomatter how many servants a person had it must be the royal service ofhis own hands that he performed for a guest. In harmony with thisspirit Rebekah volunteered to water the thirsty camels of the tired andway-worn travellers. It is not at all likely that, as Mr. Scottsuggests, Eliezer waited simply to test Rebekah's amiability. The testwhich he had asked for was sufficiently answered by her offering theservice in the first place, and doubtless it would have been a churlishand ungracious; breach of courtesy to have refused the profferedkindness. 

That the Jewish women were treated with greater politeness than thedaughters of neighboring peoples we may learn from the incidentnarrated of the daughters of Jethro who, even though their father washigh priest of the country were driven away by the shepherds from thewells where they came to water their flocks. Of all outdoor occupationsthat of watering thirsty animals is, perhaps, the most fascinating, andif the work was harder for Rebekah than for our country maidens whowater their animals from the trough well filled by the windmill she hadthe strength and the will for it, else she would have entrusted thetask to some of the damsels of whom we read as her especialservants and who, as such, accompanied her to the land of Canaan. 

The whole narrative shows Rebekah's personal freedom and dignity. Shewas alone at some distance from her family. She was not afraid of thestrangers, but greeted them with the self-possession of a queen. Thedecision whether she should go or stay, was left wholly with herself, and her nurse and servants accompanied her. With grace and modesty sherelieved the embarrassment of the situation by getting down from thealtitude of the camel when Isaac came to meet her, and by enshroudingherself in a veil she very tactfully gave him an opportunity to do hiscourting in his own proper person, if he should be pleased to do soafter hearing the servant's report. 

It has been the judgment of masculine commentators that the veil was asign of woman's subject condition, but even this may be disputed nowthat women are looking into history for themselves. The fashion ofveiling a prospective bride was common to many nations, but to nonewhere there were brutal ceremonies. The custom was sometimes carried tothe extent, as in some parts of Turkey, of keeping the woman whollycovered for eight days previous to marriage, sometimes, as among theRussians, by not only veiling the bride, but putting a curtain betweenher and the groom at the bridal feast. In all cases the veil seems tohave been worn to protect a woman from premature or unwelcomeintrusion, and not to indicate her humiliated position. The veil israther a reflection upon the habits and thoughts of men than a badge ofinferiority for women. 

How serenely beautiful and chaste appear the marriage customs of theBible as compared with some that are wholly of man's invention. TheKamchatkan had to find his future wife alone and then fight with herand her female friends until every particle of clothing had beenstripped from her and then the ceremony was complete. This may becalled the other extreme from the veil. Something akin to this appearsamong our own kith and kin, so to speak, in modern times. Manyinstances of marriage en chemise are on record in England of quiterecent dates, the notion being that if a man married a woman in thisgarment only he was not liable for any debts which she might previouslyhave contracted. At Whitehaven, England, 1766, a woman stripped herselfto her chemise in the church and in that condition stood at the altarand was married. 

There is nothing so degrading to the wife in all Oriental customs asour modern common law ruling that the husband owns the wife's clothing. This has been so held times innumerable, and in Connecticut quiterecently a husband did not like the gowns his wife bought so he burnedthem. He was arrested for destruction of property, but his claim wassustained that they were his own so he could not be punished. 

As long as woman's condition, outside of the Bible, has been asdescribed by Macaulay when he said: "If there be a word of truth inhistory, women have been always, and still are over the greater part ofthe globe, humble companions, play things, captives, menials, andbeasts of burden, " it is a comfort to reflect that among the Hebrews, whose records are relied on by the enemies of woman's freedom to teachher subjection, we find women holding the dignified position in thefamily that was held by Sarah and Rebekah. 

C. B. C. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Genesis xxv. 

1 Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. 

2 And she bare him Zimran and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, andIshbak, and Shuah. 

5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 

6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gavegifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, untothe east country. 

7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which belived, a hundred and three score and fifteen years. 

8 Then Abraham gave up the ghost. 

9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the grave of Machpelah. 

10 The field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth; there wasAbraham buried, and Sarah his wife. 

21 And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, and Rebekah his wifeconceived. 

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled she bore twins. I

27 And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of thefield; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 

28 And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison; butRebekah loved Jacob. 

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he wasfaint. 

30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same redpottage, for I am faint; therefore was his name called Edom. 

31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 

32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profitshall this birthright do to me?

33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him; and hesold his birthright unto Jacob. 

34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eatand drink, and rose up, and went his way. Thus Esau despised hisbirthright. 

In these verses we have the account of Abraham's second marriage, andthe birth of several sons. It does not seem clear from the text whetherKeturah was a legal wife, or one of the Patriarch's numerousconcubines. Clarke inclines to the latter idea, on account of Abraham'sage, and then he gave all that be had to Isaac, and left Keturah's sonsto share with those of other concubines, to whom he gave gifts and sentthem away from his son Isaac to an eastern country. Abraham evidentlythought that the descendants of Isaac might be superior in moralprobity to those of his other sons, hence he desired to keep Isaac asexclusive as possible. But Jacob and Esau did not fulfill thePatriarch's expectations. Esau in selling his birthright for a mess ofpottage, and Jacob taking advantage of his brother in a weak moment, and overreaching him in a bargain, alike illustrate the hereditaryqualities of their ancestors. 

Genesis xxvi. 

6 And Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 

7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She ismy sister; for he feared to say, She is my wife; lest, said he, the menof the place should kill me for Rebekah; because she was fair to lookupon. 

9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said Behold, or a surety she is thywife; and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. 

11 And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth thisman or his wife shall surely be put to death. 

34 And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith thedaughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon theHittite;

35 Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah. 

The account of the private family affairs of Isaac and Rebekah; theirpartiality to different sons; Jacob, aided and abetted by his mother, robbing his elder brother of both his birthright and his father'sblessing; the parents on one of their eventful journeys representingthemselves as brother and sister, instead of husband and wife, for fearthat some potentate might kill Isaac, in order to possess his beautifulwife; all these petty deceptions handed down from generation togeneration, show that the law of heredity asserted itself even at thatearly day. 

Abraham through fear denied that Sarah was his wife, and Isaac doesthe same thing. The grief of Isaac and Rebekah over Esau, was not thathe took two wives, but that they were Hittites. Chapter xxvii gives thedetails of the manner that Jacob and his mother betrayed Isaac intogiving the blessing to Jacob intended for Esau. One must read the wholestory in order to appreciate the blind confidence Isaac placed inRebekah's integrity; the pathos of his situation; the bitterdisappointment of Esau; Jacob's temptation, and the supreme wickednessof Rebekah in deceiving Isaac, defrauding Esau, and undermining themoral sense of the son she loved. 

Having entirely undermined his moral sense, Rebekah fears theinfluence of Jacob's marriage with a daughter of the Hittites, and shesends him to her own people, to find a wife in the household of heruncle Laban. This is indeed a sad record of the cruel deception thatJacob and his mother palmed off on Isaac and Esau. Both verbal andpractical lying were necessary to defraud the elder son, and Rebekahwas equal to the occasion. Neither she nor Jacob faltered in the hourof peril. Altogether it is a pitiful tale of greed and deception. Alas! where can a child look for lessons in truth, honor, andgenerosity, when the mother they naturally trust, sets at defianceevery principle of justice and mercy to secure some worldly advantage. Rebekah in her beautiful girlhood at the well drawing water for man andbeast, so full of compassion, does not exemplify the virtues we lookedfor, in her mature womanhood. The conjugal and maternal relations sofar from expanding her most tender sentiments, making the heart fromlove to, one grow bountiful to all, seem rather to have narrowed hersinto the extreme of individual selfishness. In obedience to hismother's commands, Jacob starts on his journey to find a fitting wife. If Sarah and Rebekah are the types of womanhood the Patriarchs admired, Jacob need not have gone far to find their equal. 

In woman's struggle for freedom during the last half century, men havebeen continually pointing her to the women of the Bible for examplesworthy imitation, but we fail to see the merits of their character, their position, the laws and sentiments concerning them. The onlysignificance of dwelling on these women and this period of woman'shistory, is to show the absurd ity of pointing the women of thenineteenth century to these as examples of virtue. 

E. C. S. 

Keturah is spoken of as a concubine in I Chronicles i, 32. As such sheheld a recognized legal position which implied no disgrace in thosedays of polygamy, only the children of these secondary wives were notequal in inheritance. For this reason the sons of Keturah had to besatisfied with gifts while Isaac received the patrimony. Notice thecharge of Abimelech to his people showing the high sense of honor inthis Philistine. He seems also in the 10th verse to have realized theterrible guilt that it would have been if one of them had takenRebekah, not knowing she was Isaac's wife. With all Rebekah's faultsshe seems to have had things her own way and therefore she did not setany marked example of wifely submission for women of to-day tofollow. Her great error was deceiving her husband to carry her pointand this is always the result where woman is deprived in any degree ofpersonal freedom unless she has attained high moral development. 

C. B. C. 

CHAPTER IX. 

Genesis xxix. 

1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the peopleof the east. 

3 And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and lo, there werethree flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they wateredthe flocks; and a great stone was upon the well's mouth. 

3 And thither were all the flocks gathered, and they rolled the stonefrom the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone againupon the well's mouth in his place. 

4 And Jacob said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they said, Of Haran are we. 

5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And theysaid, we know him. 

6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: andbehold Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep. 

9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel came with her father'ssheep: for she kept them. 

10 And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Labanhis mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, andJacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, andwatered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. 

11 And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. 

12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that hewas Rebekah's son: and she ran and told her father:

13 And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob hissister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissedhim, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. 

14 And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And heabode with him the space of a month. 

15 And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldstthou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

18 And Jacob loved Rachel: and said, I will serve thee seven years forRachel thy younger daughter. 

19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that Ishould give her to another man, abide with me. 

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed unto himbut a few days, for the love he had to her. 

21 If And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days arefulfilled. 

Jacob's journey to the land of Canaan in search of a wife, and thedetails of his courtship, have a passing interest with the ordinaryreader, interested in his happiness and success. The classic ground forthe cultivation of the tender emotions in these early days, seems tohave been near a well, where the daughters of those who were rich inflocks and herds found opportunities to exhibit their fine points indrawing water for men and cattle. From the records of these interestingevents, the girls seemed ready to accept the slightest advances frompassing strangers, and to give their hands and hearts as readily asthey gave a drink of water to the thirsty. Marriage was as simple acontract as the purchase of a lamb, the lamb and the woman having aboutan equal voice in the purchase, though the lamb was not quite as readyto leave his accustomed grazing ground. Jacob loved Rachel at firstsight, and agreed to serve Laban seven years, but when the time expiredLaban did not keep his agreement, but insisted on Jacob taking theother sister, and serving seven years more for Rachel. Jacob submitted, but by the knowledge of a physiological law of which Laban wasignorant, he revenged himself, and obtained all the strongest and bestof the flocks and herds. Thus in their business relations as well as infamily matters, the Patriarchs seem to have played as sharp games inoverreaching each other as the sons of our Pilgrim Fathers do to-day. In getting all they could out of Laban, Jacob and Rachel seem to havebeen of one mind. 

A critical study of the Pentateuch is just now agitating the learnedclasses in Germany. Bonn is an ancient stronghold of theologicallearning, and two of the professors of its famous university haverecently exhibited a courage in Biblical criticism and interpretationwhich has further extended the celebrity of the school, if it has notadded to its repute for orthodoxy. In a course of lectures held duringthe university holidays, addressed to and largely attended by pastors, they declared the Old Testament history to "be a series of legends, andAbraham, Isaac and Jacob mythical persons. " Israel, they declared, wasan idolatrous people, Jehovah being nothing more than a "God of theJewish Nation. " This radical outbreak of criticism and interpretationhas aroused considerable attention throughout Germany, and adeclaration against it and other teachings of the kind has been signedby some hundreds of pastors and some thousands of laymen, but so far ithas produced no effect whatever on the professors of Bonn, and there isno prospect of its doing so. It is fortunate for the faith thusassailed that the critical and rhetorical style of the ordinary Germanprofessor is too heavy for export or general circulation. So that thetheories of Messrs. Graef and Meinhold are not likely to do the faithof the Fatherland any particular harm. That country has always beendivided into two classes, one of which believes nothing and theother everything, the latter numerically preponderant, but the formerexceeding in erudition and dialectic--a condition of things quitecertain to continue and on which a few essays more or less indestructive criticism can produce little effect. 

E. C. S. 

Mrs. Stanton's statements concerning the undeveloped religioussentiment of the early Hebrews cannot be criticized from the orthodoxstandpoint as in this account, where the God of Abraham is representedas taking an active personal interest in the affairs of the chosenpeople, they did not trust wholly to Him, but kept images of the godsof the neighboring tribes in their houses, Laban feeling sorry enoughover their loss to go seven days' journey to recover them while hisdaughter felt she could not leave her father's house without taking theimages with her as a protection. 

The faults of Laban, of Jacob and of most of his sons are brought outwithout any reserve by the historian who follows the custom of earlywriters in stating things exactly as they were. There was no secrecyand little delicacy in connection with sexual matters. It may, however, be noticed that while this people had the same crude notions aboutthese things that were common to other nations, yet every infraction ofthe Divine law of monogamy, symbolized in the account of the creationof woman in the second chapter of Genesis, brings its own punishmentwhether in or out of the marriage relation. When one or another peoplesinned against a Jewish woman the men of the family were the avengers, as when the sons of Jacob slew a whole city to avenge an outragecommitted against their sister. Polygamy and concubinage wove a threadof disaster and complications throughout the whole lives of familiesand its dire effects are directly traceable in the feuds anddegeneration of their descendants. The chief lesson taught by historyis danger of violating, physically, mentally, or spiritually thepersonal integrity of woman. Customs of the country and the cupidityof Laban, forced polygamy on Jacob, and all the shadows in his life, and he had no end of trouble in after years, are due to this. Perhapsnothing but telling their stories in this brutally frank way would makethe lesson so plain. 

If we search this narrative ever so closely it gives us no hint ofDivinely intended subordination of woman. Jacob had to buy his wiveswith service which indicates that a high value was placed upon them. Now-a-days in high life men demand instead of give. The degradation ofwoman involved in being sold to a husband, to put it in the mosthumiliating way, is not comparable to the degradation of having to buya husband. Euripides made Medea say: "We women are the most unfortunateof all creatures since we have to buy our masters at so dear a price, "and the degradation of Grecian women is repeated--all flower-garlandedand disguised by show--in the marriage sentiments of our owncivilization. Jacob was dominated by his wives as Abraham and Isaac hadbeen and there is no hint of their subjection. Rachel's refusal to movewhen the gods were being searched for, showed that her will wassupreme, nobody tried to force her to rise against her own desire. 

The love which Jacob bore for Rachel has been through all time thesymbol of constancy. Seven years he served for her, and so great washis love, so pure his delight in her presence that the time seemed butas a day. Had this simple, absorbing affection not been interfered withby Laban, how different would have been the tranquil life of Jacob andRachel, developing undisturbed by the inevitable jealousies andvexations connected with the double marriage. Still this love was thesolace of Jacob's troubled life and remained unabated until Rachel diedand then found expression in tenderness for Benjamin. "the son of myright hand. " It was no accident, but has a great significance, thatthis most ardent and faithful of Jewish lovers should have deeperspiritual experiences than any of his predecessors. 

C. B. C. 

CHAPTER X. 

Genesis xxix, xxxi. 

18 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said I will serve thee seven years forRachel thy younger daughter. 

19 And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that Ishould give her to another man; abide with me. 

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto himbut a few days, for the love he had to her. 

21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days arefulfilled. 

22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made afeast. 

23 And it came to pass in the evening that be took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. 

26 And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give theyounger before the firstborn. 

27 We will give thee Rachel also thou shalt serve with me yet sevenother years. 

28 And Jacob did so, and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. 

29 And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacobsaid unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto my mine own place, and to my country. 

26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, andlet me go; for thou knowest my service which I have done thee. 

17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he hadgotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. 

19 And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the imagesthat were her father's

20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he toldhim not that he fled;

22 And it was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob was fled. 

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him sevendays' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. 

While Laban played his petty deceptions on Jacob, the latter provedhimself in fraud and overreaching fully his match. In being compelledto labor fourteen years for Rachel instead of seven, as agreed upon, heamply revenged himself in getting possession of all Laban's bestcattle, availing himself of a physiological law in breeding of whichLaban was profoundly ignorant. 

The parting of Jacob and Laban was not amicable, although they did notcome to an open rupture. Rachel's character for theft and deception isstill further illustrated. Having stolen her father's images and hiddenthem under the camel's saddles and furniture, and sat thereon, when herfather came to search for the images, which he valued highly, she saidshe was too ill to rise, so she calmly kept her seat, while the tentwas searched and nothing found, thus by act as well as word, deceivingher father. 

Jacob and his wives alike seemed to think Laban fair game for fraudand deception. As Laban knew his images were gone, he was left tosuspect that Jacob knew where they were, so little regard had Rachelfor the reputation of her husband. In making a God after their ownimage, who approved of whatever they did, the Jews did not differ muchfrom ourselves; the men of our day talk too as if they reflected theopinions of Jehovah on the vital questions of the hour. In our latecivil war both armies carried the Bible in their knapsacks, and bothalike prayed to the same God for victory, as if he could be in favor ofslavery and against it at the same time. 

Like the women, too, who are working and praying for woman suffrage, both in the state legislature and in their closets, and others againstit, to the same God and legislative assembly. One must accept theconclusion that their acquaintance with the Lord was quite as limitedas our own in this century, and that they were governed by their owndesires and judgment, whether for good or evil, just as we are; theirplans by day and their dreams by night having no deeper significancethan our own. Some writers say that the constant interposition of Godin their behalf was because they needed his special care and attention. But the irregularity and ignorance of their lives show clearly thattheir guiding hand was of human origin. If the Jewish account is true, then the God of the Hebrews falls far short of the Christian ideal of agood, true manhood, and the Christian ideal as set forth in the NewTestament falls short of our ideal of the Heavenly Father to-day. Wehave no fault to find with the Bible as a mere history of an ignorant, undeveloped people, but when special inspiration is claimed for thehistorian, we must judge of its merits by the moral standard of to-day, and the refinement of the writer by the questionable language in whichhe clothes his descriptions. 

We have often wondered that the revising committees that have goneover these documents so often, should have adhered so closely to suchgross translations. Surely a fact related to us in coarse language, isnot less a fact when repeated in choice, words. We need an expurgatededition of most of the books called holy before they are fit to placein the hands of the rising generation. 

Some members of the Revising Committee write me that the tone of someof my comments should be more reverent in criticising the "Word ofGod. " Does any one at this stage of civilization think the Bible waswritten by the finger of God, that the Old and New Testaments emanatedfrom the highest divine thought in the universe? Do they think that allthe men who wrote the different books were specially inspired, and thatall the various revising committees that have translated, interpolated, rejected some books and accepted others, who have dug round the rootsof the Greek and Hebrew to find out the true meaning, have one and allbeen watched and guided in their literary labors by the great spirit ofthe universe, who by immutable law holds the solar system in place, every planet steadily moving in its own elliptic, worlds upon worldsrevolving in order and harmony?

These great object-lessons in nature and the efforts of the soul tofathom the incomprehensible, are more inspiring than any written page. To this "Word of God" I bow with reverence, and I can find no languagetoo exalted to express my love, my faith, my admiration. 

To criticise the peccadilloes of Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel does notshadow the virtues of Deborah, Huldah and Vashti; to condemn the lawsand customs of the Jews as recorded in the book of Genesis, does notdestroy the force of the golden rule and the ten commandments. Parts ofthe Bible are so true, so grand, so beautiful, that it is a pity itshould have been bound in the same volume with sentiments anddescriptions so gross and immoral. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER XI. 

Genesis xxxv. 

8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Beth-elunder an oak; and the name of it was called Allonbachuth. 

9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padan-aram, and blessed him. 

10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: Thy name shall not becalled any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called hisname Israel. 

16 And they journeyed from Beth-el; and there was but a little wayto come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor. 

17 The midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou, shalt have this son also. 

18 And it came to pass as her soul was in departing (for she died), that she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin. 

19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which isBeth-lehem. 

20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar ofRachel's grave unto this day. 

Why Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, should be interjected here does notappear. However, if all Isaac's and Jacob's children had been intrustedto her care through the perils of infancy, it was fitting that theyounger generation with their father should pause in their journey anddrop a tear to her memory, and cultivate a tender sentiment for the oldoak tree at Bethel. 

There is no manifestation of gratitude more beautiful in family lifethan kindness and respect to servants for long years of faithfulservice, especially for those who have watched the children night andday, tender in sickness, and patient with all their mischief in health. In dealing with children one needs to exercise all the cardinalvirtues, more tact, diplomacy, more honor and honesty than even anambassador to the Court of St. James. Children readily see whom theycan trust, on whose word they can rely. 

In Rachel's hour of peril the midwife whispers sweet words ofconsolation. She tells her to fear not, that she will have a son, andhe will be born alive. Whether she died herself is of small importanceso that the boy lived. Scott points a moral on the death of Rachel. Hethinks she was unduly anxious to have sons, and so the Lord granted herprayers to her own destruction. If she had accepted with piousresignation whatever weal or woe naturally fell to her lot, she mighthave lived to a good old age, and been buried by Jacob's side at last, and not left alone in Bethlehem. People who obstinately seek what theydeem their highest good, ofttimes perish in the attainment of theirambition. (Thus Scott philosophizes. )

Jacob was evidently a man of but little sentiment. The dying wifegasps a name for her son, but the father pays no heed to her request, and chooses one to suit himself. Though we must admit that Benjamin ismore dignified than Ben-oni; the former more suited to a publicofficer, the latter to a household pet. And now Rachel is gone, and herrace with Leah for children is ended. The latter with her maids is thevictor, for she can reckon eight sons, while Rachel with her; canmuster only four. One may smile at this ambition of the women forchildren, but a man's wealth was estimated at that time by the numberof his children and cattle; women who had no children were objects ofpity and dislike among the Jewish tribes. The Jews of to-day have muchof the same feeling. They believe in the home sphere for all women, that wifehood and motherhood are the most exalted offices. If they arereally so considered, why does every Jew on each returning Holy Day sayin reading the service, "I thank thee, oh Lord! that I was not born awoman!"? And if Gentiles are of the same opinion, why do they considerthe education of boys more important than that of girls? Surely thosewho are to fill the most responsible offices should have the mostthorough and liberal education. 

The home sphere has so many attractions that most women prefer it toall others. A strong right arm on which to lean, a safe harbor whereadverse winds never blow, nor rough seas roll, makes a most invitingpicture. But alas! even good husbands sometime die, and the familydrifts out on the great ocean of life, without chart or compass, or theleast knowledge of the science of navigation. In such emergencies thewoman trained to self-protection, self-independence, and self-supportholds the vantage ground against all theories on the home sphere. 

The first mention we have of an aristocratic class of Kings and Dukes, is in the line of Cain's descendants. 

Genesis xxxvi. 

18 And these are the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife: duke Jeush, dukeJaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah thedaughter of Anah Esau's wife. 

The name Aholibamah has a suggestion of high descent, but thehistorian tells us nothing of the virtues or idiosyncrasies ofcharacter, such a high-sounding name suggests, but simply that she wasthe daughter of Anah, and the wife of Esau, and that she was blessedwith children, all interesting facts, which might have been intensifiedwith a knowledge of some of her characteristics, what she thought, saidand did, her theories of life in general. One longs all through Genesisto know what the women thought of a strictly masculine dynasty. 

Some writers claim that these gross records of primitive races, have adeep spiritual meaning, that they are symbolical of the struggles of anindividual soul from animalism to the highest, purest development ofall the Godlike in man. 

Some on the Revising Committee take this view, and will give us fromtime to time more exalted interpretations than the account in plainEnglish conveys to the ordinary mind. 

In my exegesis thus far, not being versed in scriptural metaphors andsymbols, I have attempted no scientific interpretation of the simplenarration, merely commenting on the supposed facts as stated. As theBible is placed in the hands of children and uneducated men and womento point them the way of salvation, the letter should have no doubtfulmeaning. What should we think of guide posts on our highways, if weneeded a symbolical interpreter at every point to tell us which way togo? the significance of the letters? and the point of compass indicatedby the digital finger? Learned men have revised the Scriptures timeswithout number, and I do not propose to go back of the latest Revision. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER XII. 

Genesis xxxix. 

1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar an officer ofPharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of theIshmaelites, which bad brought him down thither. 

2 And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and hewas in the house of his master, the Egyptian. 

4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he madehim overseer over his house and all that he had he put into his hand. 

7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wifecast her eyes upon Joseph; and she solicited him. 

8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my masterwotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed allthat he hath to my hand. 

9 How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that hehearkened not unto her, and she caught him by his garment, and he lefthis garment in her hand and fled. 

13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment inher hand and was fled forth, 14 That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came inunto me, and I cried with a loud voice:

15 And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice andcried, that he left his garment with me, and fled. 

16 And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. 

17 And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrewservant which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:

18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that heleft his garment with me, and fled out. 

19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, that his wrath was kindled. 

20 And Joseph's master took him; and put him into the prison, a placewhere the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. 

211 But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave himfavour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 

22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all theprisoners that were in the prison; and whatever they did there, he wasthe doer of it. 

Potiphar's wife surpasses all the women yet mentioned in perfidy anddishonor. 

Joseph's virtues, his dignity, his honor, go far to redeem thereputation of his ancestors, and the customs of his times. It wouldhave been generous, at least, if the editor of these pages could havegiven us one woman the counterpart of Joseph, a noble, high-minded, virtuous type. Thus far those of all the different nationalities havebeen of an ordinary low type. Historians usually dwell on the virtuesof the people, the heroism of their deeds, the wisdom of their words, but the sacred fabulist dwells on the most questionable behavior of theJewish race, and much in character and language that we can neitherprint nor answer. 

Indeed the Pentateuch is a long painful record of war, corruption, rapine, and lust. Why Christians who wished to convert the heathen toour religion should send them these books, passes all understanding. Itis most demoralizing reading for children and the unthinking masses, giving all alike the lowest possible idea of womanhood, having no hopenor ambition beyond conjugal unions with men they scarcely knew, forwhom they could not have had the slighest {sic} sentiment offriendship, to say nothing of affection. There is no mention of womenexcept when the advent of sons is announced. When the Children ofIsrael go down into Egypt we are told that the wives of Jacob's sonswere taken too, but we hear nothing of Jacob's wives or concubines, until the death and burial of Leah is incidentally mentioned. Throughout the book of Genesis the leading men declare from time tothat the Lord comes to them and promises great fruitfulness. A strangepromise in that it could only be fulfilled in questionable relations. To begin with Abraham, and go through to Joseph, leaving out allconjugal irregularities, we find Abraham and Sarah had Isaac, Isaac andRebekah had Jacob and Esau. Jacob and Rachel (for she alone was histrue wife), had Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph and Asenath had Manassahand Ephraim. Thus giving the Patriarchs just seven legitimatedescendants in the first generation. If it had not been for polygamyand concubinage, the great harvest so recklessly promised would havebeen meagre indeed. 

Genesis xli. 

45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave himto wife Asenath the daughter of Potar-pherah priest of On. And Josephwent out over all the land of Egypt. 

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh kingof Egypt. 

50 And unto Joseph were born two sons, before the years of the faminecame: which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare untohim. 

51 And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manassah: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 

52 And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath causedme to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. 

This is all we ever hear of Asenath, that she was a good woman, probably worthy of Joseph, it is fair to infer, for had she beenotherwise her evil deeds would have been recorded. A few passingremarks where ever we find the mention of woman is about all we canvouchsafe. The writer probably took the same view of the virtuous womanas the great Roman General who said "the highest praise for Caesar'swife is that she should never be mentioned at all. "

The texts on Lot's daughters and Tamar we omit altogether, as unworthya place in the "Woman's Bible. " In the remaining chapters of Genesis, the brethren of Joseph take leave of each other; the fathers blesstheir sons and grandsons, and also take leave of each other, some to goto remote parts of the country, some to die at a ripe old age. Asnothing is said of their wives and daughters, the historian probablyknew nothing of their occupations nor environments. Joseph was ahundred and ten years old when he died. They embalmed him according tothe custom in Egypt, and put him in a coffin, and buried him in theland of his fathers, where his brethren had promised to take his bonesafter death to rest with his kindred at last. 

E. C. S. 

The literal translation of the first verse of chapter xxxix of Genesisis as follows:

"And Joseph was brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, Pharaoh's eunuch, chief of the cooks, an Egyptian bought him of the Ishmaelites whobrought him down. "

These facts which are given in Julia Smith's translation of the Biblethrow a new light on the story of Joseph and the woman who wasPotiphar's wife only in name. 

L. D. B. 

THE BOOK OF EXODUS. 

CHAPTER 1. 

Exodus i. 

1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came intoEgypt: every man and his household came with Jacob. 

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan, and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 

5 And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventysouls: for Joseph was in Egypt already. 

15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which thename of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah. 

16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrewwomen, and they bare a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be adaughter, then she shall live. 

17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egyptcommanded them, but saved the men children alive. 

18 And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing and have saved the men children alive?

19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women aredelivered ere the midwives come in unto them:

20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the peoplemultiplied, and waxed very mighty. 

21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he madethem houses. 

22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is bornye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. 

The Book of Exodus or the Departure, so called because of the escapeof the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, and their wanderingsin the wilderness for forty years, are herein recalled. 

The unparalleled multiplication of the children of Israel renewedPharaoh's anxiety especially as the Israelites were very large andstrong as compared with the Egyptians, and their numbers were computedto double every fourteen years. Hence their multitude and power grewmore formidable day by day in the eyes of the Egyptians, though theyfeared their presence, yet as their labors added greatly to the wealthof the nation, they were unwilling to let them go. Pharaoh hoped bymaking their daily tasks much harder and killing all the male childrenat birth, they, would be so crippled and dispirited that there would beno danger of rebellion against his government. 

For a list of the seventy souls, turn to Genesis, chapter xlvi, whereDinah, Jacob's daughter, and Sarah, Asher's daughter, are mentionedamong the seventy souls. It is certainly curious that there should havebeen only two daughters to sixty-eight sons. But perhaps the seventysouls refer only to sons, and the daughters are merely persons, notsouls. It is not an uncommon idea with many nations that women have nosouls. A missionary to China tells of a native who asked him why hepreached the Gospel to women. "To save their souls, to be sure. " "Why, "said he, "women have no souls. " "Yes they have, " said the missionary. When the thought dawned on the Chinaman that it might be true, he wasgreatly amused, and said, "Well, I'll run home and tell my wife she hasa soul, and we will sit down and laugh together. " We find at manypoints that the Bible does not reckon women as souls. It may be thatbecause there is no future for them is the reason why they punish themhere more severely than they do men for the same crimes. Here it isplainly asserted that all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacobwere seventy in number. The meaning conveyed may be that the mansupplies the spirit and intellect of the race, and woman the body only. Some late writers take this ground. If so, the phraseology would havebeen more in harmony with the idea, if the seventy souls had emanated, Minerva-like, from the brain of father Jacob, rather than from hisloins. 

The children of Israel multiplied so rapidly that Pharaoh becamealarmed, lest the nation should become mightier than the Egyptians, sohe ordered all the males at birth to be slain. To this end he had aprivate interview with the midwives, two women, Shiphrah and Puah, andlaid his commands upon them. But they did not obey his orders, andexcused themselves on the ground that the Jewish women seldom neededtheir services. Here we have another example of women who "feared God, "and yet used deception to accomplish what they deemed right. 

The Hebrew God seemed to be well pleased with the deception, and gavethem each a house for their fidelity in saving the lives ofhis chosen children. Such is the plain English of the story. Origenascribes a deep spiritual meaning to these passages, as more recentwriters and speakers do, making the whole Bible a collection of symbolsand allegories, but none of them are complimentary to our unfortunatesex. Adam Clarke says if we begin by taking some parts of theScriptures figuratively we shall soon figure it all away. Though themidwives in their comfortable homes enjoyed the approbation of God, Pharaoh was not to be thwarted by their petty excuses, so he orderedhis own people to cast into the river every Jewish boy that was born. We are so accustomed to the assumption that men alone form a nation, that we forget to resent such texts as these. Surely daughters infreedom could perpetuate family and national pride and honor, and ifallowed to wed the men of their choice, their children would vindicatetheir ancestral dignity. The greatest block to advancing civilizationall along the line has been the degradation of woman. Having noindependent existence, no name, holding no place of honor or trust, being mere subjects in the family, the birth of a son is naturallyconsidered more important than a daughter, as the one inherits becauseof sex all the rights and privileges denied the other. 

Shiphrah and Puah, Aben Ezra tells us, were probably at the head oftheir profession, and instructed others in the science of obstetrics. At this time there were five hundred midwives among the Hebrews. Thisbranch of the profession was, among the Egyptians, also in the hands ofthe women. Statistics show that the ratio of deaths among mothers andchildren at birth was far less than when under male supervisionexclusively. 

Moses spent the first forty years of his life in Egypt, the next fortywith Jethro his father in law, and the next forty wandering in thewilderness. One writer said the Lord must have buried Moses, and no oneever knew where. There is no record of the burial place of Moses. Ashis life had been surrounded with mysteries, perhaps to verify hisprovidential guidance in that long journey in the wilderness, he choseto surround his death also with mystery, and arranged with members ofthe priesthood to keep his last resting place a profound secret. He waswell versed in all the law and mythology of the Egyptians, and intendedthe people should no doubt think that Jehovah had taken the greatleader to himself. For the purpose of controlling his followers in thatlong journey through the wilderness, he referred all his commands andactions to Jehovah. Moses declared that he met him face to face onMount Sinai, veiled in a cloud of fire, received minute instructionshow to feed and conduct the people, as well as to minister to theirmoral and spiritual necessities. In order to enforce his teachings, hesaid the ten commandments were written on tablets of stone by Jehovahhimself, and given into his hands to convey to the people, with manyordinances and religious observances, to be sacredly kept. In this waythe Jewish religion and the Mosaic code were established. 

As these people had no written language at that time, and couldneither read nor write, they were fitting subjects for all manner ofdelusions and superstitions. The question naturally suggests itself toany rational mind, why should the customs and opinions of this ignorantpeople, who lived centuries ago, have any influence in the religiousthought of this generation?

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER II. 

Exodus ii. 

1 And there went a man of the house of Levi and took to wife adaughter of Levi. 

2 And the woman bare a son: and when she saw that he was a goodlychild, she hid him three months. 

3 And when she could not longer hide him she took for him an ark ofbulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the childtherein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 

4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 

5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at theriver; and her maidens walked along by the river's side: and when shesaw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. 

6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babewept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of theHebrews' children. 

7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call tothee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and calledthe child's mother. 

9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, andnurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took thechild, and nursed it. 

10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. 

15 But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land ofMidian: and he sat down by a well. 

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came anddrew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 

17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up andhelped them, and watered their flock. 

18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it thatye are come so soon to day?

19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of theshepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. 

20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that yehave left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. 

21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave MosesZipporah his daughter. 

22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershon: for hesaid, I have been a stranger in a strange land. 

The account of the birth of Moses, his mother's anxiety in protectinghim from the wrath of Pharaoh, and the goodness of the king's daughter, make altogether an interesting story, and is almost the first touch ofsentiment with which the historian has refreshed us; a pleasant changefrom the continued accounts of corruption, violence, lust, war andpetty falsehood, that have thus far marked the history of this people. The only value of these records to us is to show the character of theJewish nation, and make it easy for us to reject their ideas as to thetrue status of woman, and their pretension of being guided by the handof God, in all their devious wanderings. Surely such teachings asthese, should have no influence in regulating the lives of women in thenineteenth century. Moses' conduct towards the seven daughters of thepriest at the well, shows that there were some sparks of chivalry hereand there in a few representative souls, notwithstanding the contemptfor the sex in general. These Hebrew wooings and weddings werecuriously similar, alike marked for the beauty and simplicity of thedaughters of the land, the wells, the flocks, the handsome strangers, the strong, active young men who will prove so helpful in cultivatingthe lands. The father-in-law usually gets the young husband completelyunder his thumb, and we hear nothing of the dreaded mother-in-law ofthe nineteenth century. If we go through this chapter carefully we willfind mention of about a dozen women, but with the exception of onegiven to Moses, all are nameless. Then as now names for women andslaves are of no importance; they have no individual life, and whyshould their personality require a life-long name? To-day the woman isMrs. Richard Roe, to-morrow Mrs. John Doe, and again Mrs. James Smithaccording as she changes masters, and she has so little self-respectthat she does not see the insult of the custom. We have had in thisgeneration one married woman in England, and one in America, who hadone name from birth to death, and though married they kept it. Think ofthe inconvenience of vanishing as it were from your friends and, correspondents three times in one's natural life. 

In helping the children of Israel to escape from the land of Egypt theLord said to Moses:

Exodus iii. 

19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, notby a mighty hand. 

20 And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonderswhich I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. 

21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians:and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

22 But every woman shall borrow of her neighhour, and of her thatsojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, andraiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters;and ye shall spoil the Egyptians. 

The role assigned the women, in helping the children of Israel toescape in safety from bondage, is by no means complimentaryto their heroism or honesty. To help bear the expenses of the journey, they were instructed to steal all the jewels of silver and gold, andall the rich raiment of the Egyptian ladies. The Lord and Moses nodoubt went on the principle that the Israelites had richly earned allin the years of their bondage. This is the position that some of ourgood abolitionists took, when Africans were escaping from Americanbondage, that the slaves had the right to seize horses, boats, anythingto help them to Canada, to find safety in the shadow of the Britishlion. Some of our pro-slavery clergymen, who no doubt often read thethird chapter of Exodus to their congregations, forgot the advice ofMoses, in condemning the abolitionists; as the Americans had stolen theAfrican's body and soul, and kept them in hopeless bondage forgenerations--they had richly earned whatever they needed to help themto the land of freedom. Stretch the principle of natural rights alittle further, and ask the question, why should women, denied alltheir political rights, obey laws to which they have never given theirconsent, either by proxy or in person? Our fathers in an inspiredmoment said, "No just government can be formed without the consent ofthe governed. "

Women have had no voice in the canon law, the catechisms, the churchcreeds and discipline, and why should they obey the behests of astrictly masculine religion, that places the sex at a disadvantage inall life's emergencies?

Our civil and criminal codes reflect at many points the spirit of theMosaic. In the criminal code we find no feminine pronouns, as "He, ""His, " "Him, " we are arrested, tried and hung, but singularly enough, we are denied the highest privileges of citizens, because the pronouns"She, " "Hers" and "Her, " are not found in the constitutions. It is apertinent question, if women can pay the penalties of their crimes as"He, " why may they not enjoy the privileges of citizens as "He"?

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER III. 

Exodus iv. 

18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and saidunto him, let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which arein Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 

19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: forall the men are dead which sought thy life. 

20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, andhe returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in hishand. 

21 And the Lord said unto Moses, when thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put inthine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let thepeople go. 

22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is myson, even my firstborn:

23 And I say unto thee, let my son go, that he may serve me: and ifthou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thyfirstborn:

24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. 

25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and circumcised her son. 

26 So he let him go. 

When Moses married Zipporah he represented himself as a stranger whodesired nothing better than to adopt Jethro's mode of life, But nowthat he desired to see his own people, his wife has no choice but toaccompany him. So Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on anass, and he returned to the land of Egypt. 

The reason the Lord met them and sought to kill the son, was readilydevined by Zipporah; her son had not been circumcised; so with woman'squick intuition and natural courage to save the life of her husband, she skillfully performed the necessary operation, and the travellerswent on their way rejoicing. The word circumcision seems to have a veryelastic meaning "uncircumcised lips" is used to describe that want ofpower to speak fluently, from which Moses suffered and which he sooften deplored. 

As in every chapter of Jewish history this rite is dwelt upon it isworthy of remark that its prominence as a religious observance means adisparagement of all female life, unfit for offerings, and unfit to, take part in religious services, incapable of consecration. Thecircumcision of the heart even, which women might achieve, does notrender them fit to take an active part in any of the holy services ofthe Lord. They were permitted to violate the moral code of laws tosecure liberty for their people, but they could not officiate in anyof the sacraments, nor eat of the consecrated bread at meals. Althoughthe Mosaic code and customs so plainly degrade the female sex, andtheir position in the church to-day grows out of these ancient customs, yet many people insist that our religion dignifies women. But so longas the Pentateuch is read and accepted as the Word of God, an undefinedinfluence is felt by each generation that, destroys a proper respectfor all womankind. 

It is the contempt that the canon and civil law alike express forwomen that has multiplied their hardships and intensified man's, desireto hold them in subjection. The sentiment that statesmen and bishopsproclaim in their high places are responsible for the actions of thelower classes on the highways. We scarce take up a paper that does notherald some outrage committed on a matron on her way to church, or thelittle girl gathering wild flowers on her way to school; yet you cannotgo so low down in the scale of being as to find men who will enter ourchurches to desecrate the altars or toss about the emblems of thesacrament; because they have been educated with some respect forchurches, altars and sacraments. But where are any lessons of respecttaught for the mothers of the human family? And yet as the great factorin the building of the race are they not more sacred than churches, altars, sacraments or the priesthood?

Do our sons in their law schools, who read the old common law ofEngland and its commentators, rise from their studies with higherrespect for women? Do our sons in their theological seminaries risefrom their studies of the Mosaic laws and Paul's epistles with higherrespect for their mothers? Alas! in both cases they may have learnedtheir first lessons of disrespect and contempt. They who would protecttheir innocent daughters from the outrages so common to-day, must layanew the foundation stones of law and gospel in justice and equality, in a profound respect of the sexes for each other. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Exodus xii. 

12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and willsmite all the firstborn in tile land of Egypt, both man and beast: andagainst all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 

18 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where yeare: and when I see that blood, I will pass over you, and the plaguenot be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 

43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance ofthe passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hastcircumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. 

45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. 

46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought ofthe flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bonethereof. 

47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 

48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep thepassover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then lethim come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in theland: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. 

In commemoration of this promise of the Lord's to pass over theirhomes in executing vengeance on the Egyptians, and of the prolongedbattles between Jehovah and Moses on the one side, and Pharaoh and hisCabinet on the other, the Jews held an annual feast to which allcircumcised males were summoned. The point of interest to us is whetherwomen were disqualified, not being circumcised, or whether as membersof the congregation they could slip in under the provision in the 47thverse, and enjoy the unleavened bread and nice roast lamb with the menof their household. It seems from the above texts that this blessedfeast of deliverance from bondage must have been confined to males, that they only, could express, their joy and gratitude. But women werepermitted to perform a subordinate part in the grand hegira, besidecarrying their respective infants they manifested their patriotism bystealing all the jewels of gold and silver, all the rich silks andvelvets from their Egyptian neighbors, all they could carry, accordingto the commands of Moses. And why should these women take any part inthe passover; their condition remained about the same under alldynasties in all lands. They were regarded merely as necessary factorsin race building. As Jewish wives or Egyptian concubines, there was noessential difference in their social status. 

As Satan, represented by a male snake, seemed to be women's counsellorfrom the beginning, making her skillful in cunning and tergiversation, it is fair to suppose that they were destined to commune with thespirit of evil for ever and ever, that is if women have souls and areimmortal, which is thought to be doubtful by many nations. There is notrace thus far that the Jews believed in a future state, good or bad. No promise of immortality is held out to men even. So far the promiseto them is a purely material triumph, "their seed shall not fill theearth. "

The firstborn of males both man and beast are claimed by the Lord ashis own. From the general sentiment expressed in the various texts, itis evident that Satan claims the women as his own. The Hebrew God hadvery little to say in regard to them. If the passover, the lamb and theunleavened bread, were necessary to make the males acceptable inreligious services, the females could find no favor in the eyes ofeither God or man. 

In most of the sacrifices female animals are not accepted, nor a male, born after a female by the same parent. Males are the race, femalesonly the creatures that carry it on. This arrangement must beprovidential, as it saves men from many disabilities. Men never fail todwell on maternity as a disqualification for the possession of manycivil and political rights. Suggest the idea of women having a voice inmaking laws and administering the Government in the halls oflegislation, in Congress, or the British Parliament, and men willdeclaim at once on the disabilities of maternity in a sneeringcontemptuous way, as if the office of motherhood was undignified anddid not comport with the highest public offices in church and state. Itis vain that we point them to Queen Victoria, who has carefully reareda large family, while considering and signing all state papers. She hasbeen a pattern wife and mother, kept a clean court, and used herinfluence as far as her position would admit, to keep peace with allnations. Why should representative American women be incapable ofdischarging similar public and private duties at the same time in anequally commendable manner?

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER V. 

Exodus xviii. 

1 When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father in law, heard ofall that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and thatthe Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt;

2 Then Jethro, Moses' father in law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, afterhe had sent her back. 

3 And her two sons; of which the name of one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:

4 And the name of the other was Eliezer: for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh;

5 And Jethro, Moses father in law, came with his sons and his wifeunto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:

6 And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come untothee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her. 

7 And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him, and they asked each other of their welfare; and theycame into the tent. 

8 And Moses told his father in law all that the Lord had done unto thePharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travailthat had come upon them by the way, and how the Lord delivered them. 

After a long separation the record of the meeting between Moses andhis wife Zipporah I, ; very unsatisfactory to the casual reader. Thereis some sentiment in the meeting of Jethro and Moses, they embraced andkissed each other. How tender and beautiful the seeming relation to afather in law, more fortunate than the mother in law in our time. Zipporah like all the women of her time was hustled about, sent forwardand back by husbands and fathers, generally transported with their sonsand belongings on some long-suffering jackass. Nothing is said of thedaughters, but the sons, their names and their significance seem ofvital importance. We must smile or heave a sigh at all this injustice, but different phases of the same guiding principle blocks woman's wayto-day to perfect liberty. See the struggle they have made to gainadmittance to the schools and colleges, the trades and professions, their civil and political rights. The darkest page in history is thepersecutions of woman. 

We take note of these discriminations of sex, and reiterate them againand again to call the attention of women to the real source of theirmultiplied disabilities. As long as our religion teaches woman'ssubjection and man's right of domination, we shall have chaos in theworld of morals. Women are never referred to as persons, merely asproperty, and to see why, you must read the Bible until you also seehow many other opportunities for the exercise of sex were given tomen, and why the single one of marriage to one husband was allowed towomen. 

In all the directions given Moses, for the regulation of the socialand civil life of the children of Israel, and in the commandments onMount Sinai, it is rarely that females are mentioned. The regulationsare chiefly for males, the offerings are male, the transgressionsreferred to are male. 

When the Lord was about to give the ten commandments to the childrenof Israel he gave the most minute directions as to the preparatoryduties of the people. It is evident from the text that males only wereto witness Moses' ascent to Mount Sinai and the coming of the Lord in acloud of fire. 

Exodus xix. 

12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Takeheed to yourselves, that ye go not up in to the mount, or touch theborder of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put todeath. . 

13 There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, orshot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when thetrumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount. 

14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctifiedthe people; and they washed their clothes. 

16 And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: comenot at your wives. 

The children of Israel were to sanctify themselves for this greatevent. Besides a thorough cleaning of their persons and clothes, theywere to have no affiliations or conversations with women for the spaceof three days. The Hebrew laws regulating the relations of men andwomen are never complimentary to the latter. 

This feeling was in due time cultivated in the persecutions womenendured under witchcraft and celibacy, when all women were supposed tobe in collusion with the spirit of evil, and every man was warned thatthe less he had to do with the "daughters of men" the more perfectmight be his communion with the Creator. Lecky in his History ofRationalism shows what women endured when these ideas were prevalent, and their sufferings were not mitigated until rationalism took theplace of religion, and reason trumphed {sic} over superstition. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Exodus xv. 

20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel inher hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and withdances. 

21 And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hathtriumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into thesea. 

After many previous disappointments from Pharaoh, the children ofIsrael were permitted to start from Egypt and cross the Red Sea, whilePharaoh and his host in pursuit, were overwhelmed in the waters. 

Then Moses and the children of Israel expressed their gratitude to theLord in a song, comprising nineteen verses, while Miriam and the womenexpressed theirs in the above two. Has this proportion any significanceas to the comparative happiness of the men and the women, or is it apoor attempt by the male historian to make out that though the womentook part in the general rejoicing, they were mutinous or sulky. Weknow that Miriam was not altogether satisfied with the management ofMoses at many points of the expedition, and later on expressed herdissatisfaction. If their gratitude is to be measured by the length oftheir expression, the women were only one-tenth as grateful as the men. It must always be a wonder to us, that in view of their degradation, they ever felt like singing or dancing, for what desirable change wasthere in their lives--the same hard work or bondage they suffered inEgypt. There, they were all slaves together, but now the men, in theirrespective families were exalted above their heads. Clarke gives thesong in metre with a chorus, and says the women, led by Miriam, answered in a chorus by themselves which greatly heightened the effect. 

Exodus xvi. 

23 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, Tomorrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that whichye will bake to-day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that whichremaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. 

29 See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore hegiveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every manin his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. 

30 So the people rested on the seventh day. 

In these texts we note that the work of men was done on the sixth day, but the women must work as usual on the seventh. We see the same thingto-day, woman's work is never done. What irony to say to them rest onthe seventh day. The Puritan fathers would not let the children romp orplay, nor give their wives a drive on Sunday, but they enjoyed a betterdinner on the Sabbath than any other day; yet the xxxi chapter and 15thverse contains the following warning:

15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath ofrest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, heshall surely be put to death. 

As the women continued to work and yet seemed to live in the flesh, itmay refer to the death of their civil rights, their individuality, asnonentities without souls or personal responsibility. 

A critical reading of the ten commandments will show that they arechiefly for men. After purifying themselves by put ting aside theirwives and soiled clothes, they assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai. Wehave no hint of the presence of a woman. One commandment speaks ofvisiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children. There is anelement of justice in this, for to talk of children getting iniquitiesfrom their mothers, in a history of males, of fathers and sons, wouldbe as ridiculous as getting them from the clothes they wore. 

"Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work. " With the majority ofwomen this is impossible. Men of all classes can make the Sabbath a dayof rest, at least a change of employment, but for women the samemonotonous duties must be performed. In the homes of the rich and pooralike, most women cook, clean, and take care of children from morningtill night. Men must have good dinners Sundays above all other days, asthen they have plenty of time in which to eat. If the first born malechild lifts up his voice at the midnight hour, the female attendanttakes heed to his discontent; if in the early morning at the cockcrowing, or the eventide, she is there. They who watch and guard theinfancy of men are like faithful sentinels, always on duty. 

The fifth commandment will take the reader by surprise. It is ratherremarkable that the young Hebrews should have been told to honor theirmothers, when the whole drift of the teaching thus far has been tothrow contempt on the whole sex. In what way could they show theirmothers honor? All the laws and customs forbid it. Why should they makeany such manifestations? Scientists claim that the father gives thelife, the spirit, the soul, all there is of most value in existence. Why honor the mother, for giving the mere covering of flesh. It was nother idea, but the father's, to start their existence. He thought ofthem, he conceived them. You might as well pay the price of a sack ofwheat to the field, instead of the farmer who sowed it, as to honor themother for giving life. According to the Jewish code, the father is thegreat factor in family life, the mother of minor consideration. In themidst of such teachings and examples of the subjection and degradationof all womankind, a mere command to honor the mother has nosignificance. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Exodus xxxii. 

1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of themount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and saidunto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for thisMoses, the man that brought us up out of land of Egypt, we wot not whatis become of him. 

2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which arein the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, andbring them unto me. 

And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in theirears, and brought them unto Aaron. 

And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a gravingtool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thygods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. 

5 And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron madeproclamation, and said, To-morrow is a feast to the Lord. 

6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and todrink, and rose up to play. 

7 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corruptedthemselves. 

So tired were the children of Israel waiting at the foot of MountSinai for the return of Moses, that Aaron to pacify them made a goldencalf which they worshipped. To procure the gold he took the jewelry ofthe women young and old, men never understanding how precious it is tothem, and the great self-sacrifice required to part with it. But as themen generally give it to them during courtship, and as weddingpresents, they feel that they have a vested right therein foremergencies. 

It was just so in the American Revolution, in 1776, the first delicacythe men threw overboard in Boston harbor was the tea, woman's favoritebeverage. The tobacco and whiskey, though heavily taxed, they clung towith the tenacity of the devil-fish. Rather than throw their luxuriesoverboard they would no doubt have succumbed to King George'spretensions. Men think that self-sacrifice is the most charming of allthe cardinal virtues for women, and in order to keep it in healthyworking order, they make opportunities for its illustration as often aspossible. I would fain teach women that self-development is a higherduty than self-sacrifice. 

The pillar of cloud for day and light for night, that went before thechildren of Israel in the wilderness, was indeed a marvel. It was anaqueous cloud that kept them well watered by day, and shadowed from theheat of the sun; by night it showed its light side to the Israelites, and its dark side to whatever enemy might pursue them. It is supposedthat about 3, 200, 000 started on this march with 165, 000 children. Theycarried all their provisions, cooking utensils, flocks, herds and allthe gold, silver, precious stones and rich raiment that they borrowed(stole) of the Egyptians, besides the bones of the twelve sons ofJacob. It is said the Israelites spent forty years wandering in thewilderness, kept there because of their wickedness, though they mighthave accomplished the journey in a few weeks. They disobeyed thecommandments given them by Moses, and worshipped a golden calf, so theyjourneyed through deep waters, woe and tribulation. Fire was always asignificant emblem of Deity, not only among the Hebrews but many otherancient nations, hence men have adopted it as a male emblem. They talkof Moses seeing God; but Moses says: "ye saw no manner of similitude onthe day the Lord spoke unto me on Mount Horeb out of the cloud of fire. "

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Exodus xxxiv. 

12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with theinhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare inthe midst of thee;

13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut downtheir groves:

14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, who is a jealousGod. 

15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, andthey go after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and onecall thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;

16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughtersgo after their gods, and make thy sons go after their gods. 

23 Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before theLord God, the God of Israel. 

24 For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thyborders; neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go upto appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year. 

25 Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neithershall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto themorning. 

26 The first of the first fruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto thehouse of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother'smilk. 

The Jews did not seem to have an abiding faith in the attractions oftheir own religion. They evidently lived in constant fear lest theirsons and daughters should worship the strange gods of other nations. They seem also to have had most exaggerated fears as to the influencealien women might exert over their sons. Three times in the year allthe men were to appear before the Lord. Why the women were notcommanded to appear has been a point of much questioning. Probably thewomen, then as now, were more conscientious in their religious duties, and not so susceptible to the attractions of alien men and theirstrange gods. 

If the Lord had talked more freely with the Jewish women and impressedsome of his wise commands on their hearts, they would have had a morerefined and religious influence on the men of Israel. But all theirknowledge of the divine commands was second hand and through anacknowledged corrupt medium. 

"Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk. " After all thelearning critics have bestowed on this passage, the simple meaning, saysAdam Clarke, seems to be this: Thou shalt do nothing that may have atendency to blunt thy moral feelings, or teach thee hardness of heart. Even human nature shudders at the thought of taking the mother's milk toseethe the flesh of her own dead lamb. With all their cruelty towardsalien tribes and all their sacrifices of lambs and kids, there is anoccasional touch of tenderness for animal life among the Hebrews that isquite praiseworthy. 

Exodus xxxvi. 

22 And they came, both men and women, as many, as were willinghearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold; and every man offered an offering of gold unto theLord. 

23 And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers'skins, brought them. 

25 And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, andof scarlet, and of fine linen. 

26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats'hair. 

Women were always considered sufficiently clean to beg, work and givegenerously for the building and decoration of churches, and the supportof the priesthood. They might always serve as inferiors, but neverreceive as equals. 

Great preparations were made for building the Tabernacle, and all thewilling hearted were invited to bring all their ornaments and allmanner of rich embroideries, and brilliant fancy work of scarlet, blueand purple. As usual in our own day the Jewish women were allowed togive generously, work untiringly and beg eloquently to build altars andTabernacles to the Lord, to embroider slippers and make flowing robesfor the priesthood, but they could not enter the holy of holies or takeany active part, in the services. 

Some women in our times think these unhappy Jewesses would have beenmuch "wiser hearted" if they had kept their jewelry and beautifulembroideries to decorate themselves and their homes, where they were atleast satellites of the dinner pot and the cradle, and Godesses {sic} attheir own altars. Seeing they had no right inside the sacred Temple, butstood looking-glass in hand at the door, it would have indicated moreself-respect to have washed their hands of all that pertained to maleceremonies, altars and temples. But the women were wild with enthusiasm, just as they are to-day with fairs and donation parties, to buildchurches, and they brought such loads of bric-a-brac that at last Mosescompelled them to stop, as the supply exceeded all reasonable demand. But for the building of the Tabernacle the women brought all they deemedmost precious, even the most necessary and convenient articles of theirtoilets. 

Exodus xxxviii. 

8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, ofthe looking glasses of the women assembling at the door of thetabernacle of the congregation. 

The men readily accepted the sacrifice of all their jewelry, richlaces, velvets and silks, their looking glasses of solid preciousmetal. These being made of metal could be used for building purposes. The women carried these with them wherever they went, and always stoodwith them in hand at the door of the Tabernacle, as they were thedoorkeepers standing outside to watch and guard the door from those notpermitted to enter. 

An objective view of the manner these women were imposed upon, wheedled and deceived with male pretensions and the pat use of thephrase "thus saith the Lord, " must make every one who reads indignantat the masculine assumption, even at this late day. 

E. C. S. 

At every stage of his existence Moses was indebted to some woman forsafety and success. Miriam, by her sagacity, saved his life. Pharaoh'sdaughter reared and educated him and made the way possible for the highoffices he was called to fill; and Zipporah, his wife, a woman ofstrong character and decided opinions, often gave him good advice. Evidently from the text she criticised his conduct and management as aleader, and doubted his supernatural mission, for she refused to go outof Egypt with him, preferring to remain with her sons under herfather's roof--Jethro, a priest of Midian. After the destruction ofPharaoh's host, when the expedition, led by Moses seemed to be anassured success, she followed with her father to join the leader of thewandering Israelites. (Chapter xviii, 2. )

In the ordinances which follow the ten commandments, exact judgmentand cruel punishment are ordained alike for man andwoman; life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand andfoot for foot (Chapter xxi, 23). 

In pronouncing punishments, woman's individuality and responsibilityare always fully recognized, alike in the canon and civil laws, whichreflect the spirit of the Mosaic code. 

Exodus xxii. 

21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye werestrangers in the land of Egypt. 

22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. 

23 If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, Iwill surely hear their cry;

24 And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword, andyour wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless:

This special threat against those who oppress the widow and thefatherless, has a touch of tenderness and mercy, but if the vengeanceis to make more widows and fatherless, the sum of human misery isincreased rather than diminished. As to the stranger, after his countryhas been made desolate, his cities burned, his property, cattle, landsand merchandise all confiscated, kind words and alms would be but asmall measure of justice under any circumstances. 

In closing the book of Exodus, the reader must wonder that the faithand patience of the people, in that long sorrowful march through thewilderness, held out as long as it did. Whether fact or fiction, it isone of the most melancholy records in human history. Whether as a merework of the imagination, or the real experience of an afflicted people, our finer sentiments of pity and sympathy find relief only in doubts ofits truth. 

L. D. B. 

THE BOOK OF LEVITICUS. 

CHAPTER I. 

Leviticus iv, vi. 

22 When a ruler hath sinned and somewhat through ignorance, againstany of the commandments of the Lord his God concerning things whichshould not be done, and is guilty. 

23 Or if his sin, wherein he hath sinned, come to his knowledge; heshall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish:

27 And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance, whilehe doeth somewhat against any of the commandments of the Lordconcerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty:

28 Then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a femalewithout blemish, for his sin. 

24 And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shalloffer it before the Lord, before the altar. 

15 And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meatoffering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which isupon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweetsavour, even the memorial of it, unto the Lord. 

18 All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shallbe a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings ofthe Lord made by fire: every one that toucheth them shall be holy. 

There seems to have been some distinction of sex even in the offeringsof male and female animals. For rulers, priests and people ofdistinction male animals were required, but for the common people afemale lamb or goat would do. There is a difference of opinion amongwriters as to the reason of this custom, some say because all femaleanimals were considered unclean, others that the females were toovaluable for wholesale slaughter. Farmers use the male fowls for thetable because the hens are too valuable producing eggs and chickens. The fact has some significance, though Adam Clarke throws no light onit, he says--"the whole sacrificial system in this book refers to thecoming sacrifice of Christ; without this spiritual reference, thegeneral reader can feel no spiritual interest in this book" For burntofferings males were required, but for peace offerings and minor sinsthe female would answer. 

As the idea of sacrifice to unknown gods, was the custom with allnations and religions, why should the Jewish have more significancethan that of any other people. For swearing, an offence to ears polite, rather than eternal justice, a female creature or turtle dove might beoffered. 

The meat so delicately cooked by the priests, with wood and coals inthe altar, in clean linen, no woman was permitted to taste, only themales among the children of Aaron. Seeing that the holy men were thecooks, it seems like a work of supererogation to direct them to cleanthemselves and their cooking utensils. Perhaps the daughters of Israelwere utilized for that work. 

It is clearly shown that child-bearing among the Jews was notconsidered a sacred office and that offerings to the Lord werenecessary for their purification, and that double the time wasnecessary after the birth of a daughter. 

In several of the following chapters the sins of men and women aretreated on equal grounds, hence they need no special comments. Inreading many of these chapters we wonder that an expurgated edition ofthese books was not issued long ago. We trust the volume we propose toissue may suggest to the next Revising Committee of gentlemen thepropriety of omitting many texts that are gross and obscene, especiallyif the Bible is to be read in our public schools. 

Leviticus x. 

12 And Moses spake unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the meat offering that remaineth of theofferings of the Lord made by fire, and eat it without leaven besidethe altar: for it is most holy. 

13 And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due, andthy sons' due, of the sacrifices of the Lord made by fire: for so I amcommanded. 

14 And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a cleanplace; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee: for they be thydue, and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peaceofferings of the children of Israel. 

Why the daughters cannot eat with the sons in the thirteenth verse andmay in the fourteenth we cannot conjecture. We notice, however, thatwhere the sons eat alone is called a "holy place, " where the daughterseat with them it is called simply a "clean place. " We are thankful, however, that in the distribution of meats the women come inoccasionally for a substantial meal in aclean place. 

All the directions given in the eighteenth chapter are for men andwomen alike, for all nations and all periods of human development. Thesocial habits and sanitary conditions prescribed are equally good forour times as when given by Moses to the children of Israel. The virtueof cleanliness so sedulously taught cannot be too highly commended. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER II. 

Leviticus xix. 

3 If ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep mysabbaths: I am the Lord your God. 

20 If And whosoever cohabits with a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged:they shall not be put to death, because she was not free. 

21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, unto thedoor of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespassoffering. 

22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of thetrespass offering before the Lord for his sin which he hath done: andthe sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him. 

By what possible chance the mother is mentioned first here, it isdifficult to conjecture, but we do see the cruel injustice of thecomparative severity of the punishment for man and woman for the sameoffence. The woman is scourged, the man presents the priest with a ramand is forgiven. 

Leviticus xx. 

9 If For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall besurely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his bloodshall be upon him. 

21 And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing:he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless. 

27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is awizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them withstones; their blood shall be upon them. 

Clarke remarks that all language that tends to lessen respect forfather or mother, is included in this judgment. In this chapter we havestill further directions for race and family purity. I suppose in the21st verse we have that stumbling-block in the British Parliamentwhenever the deceased wife's sister's bill comes up for passage. Here, too, those who in times past have persecuted witches, will findjustification for their cruelties. The actors in one of the blackestpages in human history, claim Scripture authority for their infernaldeeds. Far into the eighteenth century in England, the clergy draggedinnocent women into the courts as witches, and learned judgespronounced on them the sentence of torture and death. The chapter onwitchcraft in Lecky's History of Rationalism, contains the mostheartrending facts in human history. It is unsafe to put unquestionedconfidence in all the vagaries of mortal man. While women weretortured, drowned and burned by the thousands, scarce one wizard to ahundred was ever condemned. The marked distinction in the treatment ofthe sexes, all through the Jewish dispensation, is curious anddepressing, especially as we see the trail of the serpent all throughhistory, wherever their form of religion has made its impress. In theold common law of our Saxon fathers, the Jewish code is essentiallyreproduced. This same distinction of sex appears in our own day. Onecode of morals for men, another for women. All the opportunities andadvantages of life for education, self-support and self-developmentfreely accorded boys, have, in a small measure, been reluctantlyconceded to women after long and persevering struggles. 

Leviticus xxii. 

12 If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she maynot eat of an offering of the holy things. 

13 But if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have nochild, and is returned unto her father's house, as in her youth, sheshall eat of her father's meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof. 

These restrictions on the priests' daughters would never be toleratedby the priests' sons should they marry strangers. The individuality ofa woman, the little she ever possessed, is obliterated by marriage. 

Leviticus xxiv. 

10 And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was anEgyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of theIsraelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;

11 And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name wasShelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)

The interesting fact here is that a woman is dignified by a name, theonly one so mentioned in the book of Leviticus. This is probably due tothe fact that the son's character was so disreputable that he wouldreflect no lustre on his father's family, and so on his maternalancestors rested his disgrace. If there had been anything good to tellof him, reference would no doubt have been made to his male progenitors. 

Leviticus xxvi. 

26 And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shallbake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your breadagain by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. 

29 And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of yourdaughters shall ye eat. 

There could be no greater punishment in ordinary life than for tenwomen to bake in one oven. As every woman would necessarily look at herpies and cakes two or three times, that would involve a frequentlooking in, which might make the contents heavy as lead. A current ofcold air rushing in too often, would wreck the most perfect compound. But perhaps heavy bread was intended as part of the punishment of thepeople for their sins. Some commentators say that the labors of the tenwomen are symbolical of the poverty of the family. When people are infortunate circumstances, the women are supposed, like the lilies of thevalley, to neither toil nor spin, but when the adverse winds blow theysuddenly find themselves compelled to use their own brains and hands orperish. 

The 29th verse at last gives us one touch of absolute equality, theright to be eaten. This Josephus tells us really did occur in thesieges of Samaria by Benhadad, of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, and alsoin the last siege of Jerusalem by the Romans. 

E. C. S. 

Amid the long list of directions for sacrifices and injunctionsagainst forbidden actions, chapter xii gives the law of purification, not only degrading motherhood by the observance of certain ceremoniesand exclusion from the sanctuary, but by discriminating against sex, honoring the birth of a son above that of a daughter. 

According to the Levitical law, the ewe lambs were not used forsacrifice as offerings to the Lord, because they were unclean. This wasan idea put forth by the priests and Levites. But there was a better andmore rational reason. To sacrifice the ewes was to speedily deplete theflocks, but beyond a certain number needed as sires for the cominggeneration, the males could be put to no better use than to feed thepriests, the refuse of the animal, the skin, feet, etc. , constituted thesacrifice to the Lord. 

Bishop Colenso, in his remarkable work on the Pentateuch, gives theenormous number of lambs annually sacrificed by the Hebrews. A certainportion of the flocks were assigned to the priests, who werecontinually provided with the best mutton. 

L. D. B. 

THE BOOK OF NUMBERS

CHAPTER I. 

Numbers i. 

And the Lord spake unto Moses in tire wilderness of Sinai, saying, 2 Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, after their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number oftheir names, every male by their polls:

3 These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel bythe house of their fathers: all those that were numbered of the campsthroughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand andfive hundred and fifty. 

In this chapter Moses is commanded to number the people and theprinces of the tribe, males only, and by the houses of their fathers. As the object was to see how many effective men there were able to goto war, the priests, the women, the feeble old men and children werenot counted. Women have frequently been classified with priests in someprivileges and disabilities. At one time in the United States theclergy were not allowed to vote nor hold office. Like women, they wereconsidered too good to mingle in political circles. For them to haveindividual opinions on the vital questions of the hour might introducedissensions alike into the church and the home. 

This census of able bodied men still runs on through chapter ii, andall these potential soldiers are called children of their fathers. Although at this period woman's chief duty and happiness was bearingchildren, no mention is made of the mothers of this mighty host, thoughsome woman had gone to the gates of death to give each soldier life;provided him with rations long before he could forage for himself, andfirst taught his little feet to march to tune and time. But, perhaps, if we could refer to the old Jewish census tables we might find thatthe able bodied males of these tribes, favorites of Heaven, had all sprung, Minerva-like, from the brains of their fathers, andthat only the priests, the feeble old men and the children had mothersto care for them, in the absence of the princes and soldiers. 

However, in some valuable calculations of Schencher we learn thatthere was some thought of the mothers of the tribes by Germancommentators. We find in his census such references as the following:The children of Jacob by Leah. The children of Jacob by Zilpah. Thechildren of Jacob by Rachel. The children of Jacob by Bilhah. But eventhis generous mention of the mothers of the tribe of Jacob does notsatisfy the exacting members of the Revising Committee. We feel thatthe facts should have been stated thus: The children of Leah, Zilpah, Rachel and Bilhah by Jacob, making Jacob the incident instead of thefour women. Men may consider this a small matter on which to make apoint, but in restoring woman's equality everywhere we must insist onher recognition in all these minor particulars, and especially in theBible, to which people go for their authority on the civil and socialstatus of all womankind. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER II. 

Numbers v. 

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Command the children of Israel. That they put out of the camp everyleper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled bythe dead:

3 Both male and female that they defile not their camps. 

4 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 12 If any man's wife go aside, and commit a trespass against him. 

14 And the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and she be defiled: or ifshe be not defiled:

15 Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shallbring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal;he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it isan offering of jealousy. 

17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and ofthe dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:

18 And the priest shall set the woman before the Lord and uncover thewoman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which isthe jealousy offering, and the priest shall have in his hand the bitterwater that causeth the curse:

19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, if thou hast not gone aside be thou free from this bitter water thatcauseth the curse:

20 But if thou hast gone aside, and if thou be defiled. 

21 Then, the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The Lord make thee a curse andan oath among they people. 

24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeththe curse. 

25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman'shand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it uponthe altar:

26 And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even thememorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall causethe woman to drink the water. 

27 And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come topass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against herhusband, that if she be defiled, and have done trespass against herhusband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter. 

28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall befree. 

At the first blush it seems very cruel for the Jewish God to order thediseased and unfortunate to be thrown out of the camp and left in thewilderness. But commentators suggest that they must have had asanatorium near by where the helpless could be protected. Thoughimprobable, still the suggestion will be a relief to sensitive souls. This ordinance of Moses probably suggested the first idea of ahospital. The above account of the unfortunate wife was called "trialby ordeal, " of which Clarke gives a minute description in hiscommentaries. It was common at one time among many nations, the womenin all cases being the chief sufferers as in the modern trials forwitchcraft. If the witch was guilty when thrown into the water she wentto the bottom, if innocent she floated on the surface and was left tosink, so in either case her fate was the same. As men make and executethe laws, prescribe and administer the punishment, "trials by a jury orordeal" for women though seemingly fair, are never based on principlesof equity. The one remarkable fact in all these social transgressionsin the early periods as well as in our modern civilization is that thepenalties whether moral or material all fall on woman. Verily thedarkest page in human history is the slavery of women!

The offering by the priest to secure her freedom was of the cheapestcharacter. Oil and frankincense signifying grace and acceptablenesswere not permitted to be used in her case. The woman's head isuncovered as a token of her shame, the dust from the floor signifiescontempt and condemnation, compelling the woman to drink water mixedwith dirt and gall is in the same malicious spirit. There is noinstance recorded of one of these trials by ordeal ever actually takingplace, as divorce was so easy that a man could put away his wife atpleasure, so he need not go to the expense of even "a tenth part of anephah of barley, " on a wife of doubtful faithfulness. Moreover thewoman upon whom it was proposed to try all these pranks might beinnocent, and the jealous husband make himself ridiculous in the eyesof the people. But the publication of these ordinances no doubt had arestraining influence on the young and heedless daughters of Israel, and they serve as landmarks in man's system of jurisprudence, to showus how far back he has been consistent in his unjust legislation forwoman. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER III. 

Numbers xii. 

And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopianwoman whom he had married. 

2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath henot spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. 

3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were uponthe face of the earth. )

5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in thedoor of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both cameforth. 

6 And He Said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speakunto him in a dream. 

8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not indark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold:wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my Servant Moses?

9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them: and he departed. 

10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriambecame leprous, white as snow; and Aaron looked upon Miriam, andbehold, she was leprous. 

11 And Aaron said unto Muses. Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay notthe sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we havesinned. 

13 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saving Heal her now, O God, Ibeseech thee. 

15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the peoplejourneyed not till Miriam was brought in again. 

Here we have the first mention of Moses's second marriage, but thename of the woman is not given, though she is the assigned cause of thesedition. Both Aaron and Miriam had received a portion of the propheticgenius that distinguished Moses, and they naturally thought that theyshould have some share in the government, at least to make a fewsuggestions, when they thought Moses made a blunder. Miriam was olderthan Moses, and had at this time the experience of 120 years. WhenMoses was an infant on the River Nile, Miriam was intrusted by hisparents to watch the fate of the infant in the bulrushes and thedaughter of Pharaoh in her daily walks by, the river side. It was herdiplomacy that secured the child's own mother for his nurse in thehousehold of the King of Egypt. 

It is rather remarkable, if Moses was as meek as he is represented inthe third verse, that he should have penned that strong assertion ofhis own innate modesty. There are evidences at this and several otherpoints that Moses was not the sole editor of the Pentateuch, if it canbe shown that he wrote any part of it. Speaking of the punishment ofMiriam, Clarke. In his commentaries says it is probable that Miriam waschief in this mutiny; hence she was punished while Aaron was spared. Amere excuse for man's injustice; had he been a woman he would haveshared the same fate. The real reason was that Aaron was a priest. Hadhe been smitten with leprosy, his sacred office would have suffered andthe priesthood fallen into disrepute. 

As women are supposed to have no character or sacred office, it isalways safe to punish them to the full extent of the law. So Miriam wasnot only afflicted with leprosy, but also shut out of the camp forseven days. One would think that potential motherhood should make womenas a class as sacred as the priesthood. In common parlance we have muchfine-spun theorizing on the exalted office of the mother, her immenseinfluence in moulding the character of her sons; "the hand that rocksthe cradle moves the world, " etc. , but in creeds and codes, inconstitutions and Scriptures, in prose and verse, we do not see theselofty paeans recorded or verified in living facts. As a class, womenwere treated among the Jews as an inferior order of beings, just asthey are to-day in all civilized nations. And now, as then, men claimto be guided by the will of God. 

In this narrative we see thus early woman's desire to take some partin government, though denied all share in its honor and dignity. Miriam, no doubt, saw the humiliating distinctions of sex in the Mosaiccode and customs, and longed for the power to make the neededamendments. In criticising the discrepancies in Moses's character andgovernment, Miriam showed a keen insight into the common principles ofequity and individual conduct, and great self-respect and self-assertion in expressing her opinions--qualities most lacking in ordinarywomen. 

Evidently the same blood that made Moses and Aaron what they were, asleaders of men, flowed also in the veins, of Miriam. As daughters aresaid to be more like their fathers and sons like their mothers, Mosesprobably inherited his meekness and distrust of himself from hismother, and Miriam her self-reliance and heroism from her father. Knowing these laws of heredity, Moses should have averted thepunishment of Miriam instead of allowing the full force of God's wrathto fall upon her alone. If Miriam had helped to plan the journey toCanaan, it would no doubt have been accomplished in forty days insteadof forty years. With her counsel in the cabinet, the people might haveenjoyed peace and prosperity, cultivating the arts and sciences, instead of making war on other tribes, and burning offerings to theirgods. Miriam was called a prophetess, as the Lord had, on someoccasions, it is said, spoken through her, giving messages to thewomen. After their triumphal escape from Egypt, Miriam led the women intheir songs of victory. With timbrels and dances, they chanted, thatgrand chorus that has been echoed and re-echoed for centuries in allour cathedrals round the globe. Catholic writers represent Miriam "as atype of the Virgin Mary, being legislatrix over the Israelitish women, especially endowed with the spirit of prophecy. "

Numbers xx. 

Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, intothe desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode In Kadesh;and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 

Eusebius says her tomb was to be seen at Kadesh, near the city ofPetra, in his time, and that she and her brothers all died in the sameyear, it is hoped to reappear as equals in the resurrection. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Numbers vi. 

1 And the Lord said unto Moses, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say, When either man or womanshall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, unto the Lord. 

5 All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor comeupon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separatethhimself unto the Lord, he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of thehair of his head grow. 

The Nazarites, both men and women, allowed their hair to grow long, asthe hair of the Nazarine was a token of subjection, the man to God, thewoman to man. St. Paul no doubt alluded to this custom when he said thewoman ought to have power upon her head, that is, wear her hair andveil and bonnet in church as a proof of her subjection to man, as he isto the Lord. The discipline of the church to-day requires a woman tocover her head before entering a cathedral for worship. 

The fashion for men to sit with their heads bare in our churches, while women must wear bonnets, is based on this ancient custom of theNazarine. But as fashion is gradually reducing the bonnet to aninfinitesimal fraction it will probably in the near future be dispensedwith altogether. A lady in England made the experiment of going to theestablished church without her bonnet, but it created such an agitationin the congregation that the Bishop wrote her a letter on theimpropriety and requested her to come with her head covered. Sherefused. He then called and labored with her as to the sinfulness ofthe proceedings, and at parting commanded her either to cover her beador stay away from church altogether. She choose the latter. I saw andbeard that letter read at a luncheon in London, where several ladieswere present. It was received with peals of laughter. The lady is thewife of a colonel in the British army. 

Numbers xxv. 

6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought untohis brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses and all thecongregation of the children of Israel. 

7 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and took a javelin in his hand;

8 And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust bothof them through, the man of Israel, and the woman. 

14 Now the name of the Israelite that was slain, even that was slainwith the Midianitish woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of achief house among the Simeonites. 

15 And the name of the Midianitish woman that was slain was Cozbi, thedaughter of Zur: he was head over a people, and of a chief house inMidian. 

Some commentators say the tie between Zimri and Cozbi was amatrimonial alliance, understood in good faith by the Midianitishwoman. He was a prince and she was a princess. 

But the Jewish law forbade a man going outside of his tribe for awife. It was deemed idolatry. But why kill the woman. She had notviolated the laws of her tribe and was no doubt ignorant of Jewish law. Other commentators say that Zimri was notorious at the licentiousfeasts of Baal-poer and that the Midianitish women tempted the sons ofIsrael to idolatry. Hence the justice of killing both Zimri and Cozbiin one blow. It is remarkable that the influence of woman is so readilyand universally recognized in leading the strongest men into sin, butso uniformly ignored as a stimulus to purity and perfection. Unless thegood predominates over the evil in the mothers of the race, there is nohope of our ultimate perfection. 

E. C. S. 

The origin of the command that women should cover their heads is foundin an old Jewish or Hebrew legend which appears in literature for thefirst time in Genesis vi. There we are told the Sons of God, that is, the angels, took to wives the daughters of men, and begat the giantsand heroes, who were instrumental in bringing about the flood. TheRabbins held that the way in which the angels got possession of womenwas by laying hold of their hair; they accordingly warned women tocover their heads in public, so that the angels might not getpossession of them. It was believed that the strength of people lay intheir hair, as the story of Samson illustrates. Paul merely repeats thiswarning which he must often have heard at the feet of Gamaliel, who wasat that time Prince or President of the Sanhedrim, telling women tohave a "power (that is, protection) on their heads because of theangels:" I Corinthians, chapter xi, verse 10. "For this cause ought thewoman to have power on her head because of the angels. " Thus thecommand has its origin in an absurd old myth. This legend will be foundfully treated in a German pamphlet--Die paulinische Angelologie undDaemonologie. Otto Everling, Gottingen, 1888. 

If the command to keep silence in the churches has no higher originthan that to keep covered in public, should so much weight be given it, or should it be so often quoted as having Divine sanction?

The injunctions of St. Paul have had such a decided influence infixing the legal status of women that it is worth our while to considertheir source. In dealing with this question we must never forget thatthe majority of the writings of the New Testament were not reallywritten or published by those whose names they bear. Ancient writersconsidered it quite permissible for a man to put out letters under thename of another, and thus to bring his own ideas before the world underthe protection of an honored sponsor. It is not usually claimed thatSt. Paul was the originator of the great religious movement calledChristianity, but there is a strong belief that he was divinelyinspired. His inward persuasions, and especially his visions appearedas a gift or endowment which had the force of inspiration; therefore, his mandates concerning women have a strong hold upon the popular mind, and when opponents to the equality of the sexes are put to bay theyglibly quote his injunctions. 

We congratulate ourselves that we may shift some of these biblicalarguments that have such a sinister effect from their firm foundation. He who claims to give a message must satisfy us that he has himselfreceived such message. 

L. S. 

CHAPTER V. 

Numbers xxvii. 

1 Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son ofGilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families ofManasseh, the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters:Mahiah, Noah, and Hogiah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 

2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, andbefore the princes and all the congregation, by the door of thetabernacle of the congregation, saying, 3 Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not in the company ofthem that gathered themselves together again at the Lord in the companyof Korah. 

4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among hisfamily, because he hath no son? Give us therefore a possession amongthe brethren of our father. 

5 And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. 

6 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 7 The daughters of Zelophehad speak right thou shalt surely give thema possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thoushalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them. 

8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saving, If a mandie, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass untohis daughter. 

9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance untohis brethren. 

10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance untohis father's brethren. 

11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give hisinheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and heshall possess it; and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statuteof judgment, as the Lord commanded Moses. 

The respect paid to the daughters of Zelophehad at that early day isworthy the imitation of the rulers in our own times. These daughterswere no doubt fine-looking, well-developed women, gifted with the powerof eloquence, able to impress their personality and arguments on thatimmense assemblage of the people. They were allowed to plead their owncase in person before the lawgivers, the priests, and the princes, therulers in State and Church, and all the congregation, at the very doorof the tabernacle. They presented their case with such force andclearness that all saw the justice of their claims. Moses was so deeplyimpressed that he at once retired to his closet to listen to the stillsmall voice of conscience and commune with his Maker. In response, theLord said to him: "The daughters of Zelophehad speak right, if a mandie and leave no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass untohis daughters. " It would have been commendable if the members of thelate Constitutional Convention in New York had, like Moses, asked theguidance of the Lord in deciding the rights of the daughters of the VanRensselaers, the Stuyvesants, the Livingstons, and the Knickerbockers. Their final action revealed the painful fact that they never thought totake the case to the highest court in the moral universe. The daughtersof Zelophehad were fortunate in being all of one mind; none there toplead the fatigue, the publicity, the responsibility of paying taxesand investing property, of keeping a bank account, and having someknowledge of mathematics. The daughters of Zelophehad were happy toaccept all the necessary burdens, imposed by the laws of inheritance, while the daughters of the Knickerbockers trembled at the thought ofassuming the duties involved in self-government. 

As soon as Moses laid the case before the Lord, He not only allowedthe justice of the claim, but gave "a statute of judgment, " by whichthe Jewish magistrates should determine all such cases in the divisionof property in the land of Canaan in all after ages. 

When the rights of property were secured to married women in the Stateof New York in 1848, a certain class were opposed to the measure, andwould cross the street to avoid speaking to the sisters who had prayedand petitioned for its success. They did not object, however, in duetime to use the property thus secured, and the same type of women willas readily avail them selves of all the advantages of politicalequality when the right of suffrage is secured. 

E. C. S. 

The account given in this chapter of the directions as to the divisionor inheritance of property in the case of Zelophehad, and his daughtersshows them to be just, because the daughters are to be treated as wellas the sons would be; but the law thereafter given, apparently suggestedby this querying of Zelophehad's daughters in reference to theirfather's possessions is obviously unjust, in that it gives no freedom tothe owner of property as to the disposition of the same after his death, i. E. Leaves him without power to will it to any one, and leavesunmentioned the female relatives as heirs at law. Only "brethren" and"kinsman" are the words used, and it is very plain that only males wereheirs, except where a man had no son, but had one or more daughters. "The exception proves the rule. "

P. A. H. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Numbers xviii. 

11 And this is thine; the heave offering of their gift, with all thewave offerings of the children of Israel: I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever:every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it. 

19 All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children ofIsrael offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thydaughters with thee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of saltfor ever before the LORD unto thee and to I thy seed with thee. 

The house of Aaron was now thoroughly confirmed in the priesthood, andthe Lord gives minute directions as to the provisions to be made forthe priests. The people then, as now, were made to feel that whateverwas given to them was given to the Lord, and that "the Lord loveth acheerful giver. " That their minds might be at peace and always in adevout frame, in communion with God, they must not be perplexed withworldly cares and anxieties about bread and raiment for themselves andfamilies. Whatever privations they suffered themselves, they must seethat their priests were kept above all human wants and temptations. TheMosaic code is responsible for the religious customs of our own day andgeneration. Church property all over this broad land is exempt fromtaxation, while the smallest house and lot of every poor widow is taxedat its full value. Our Levites have their homes free, and good salariesfrom funds principally contributed by women, for preaching denunciatorysermons on women and their sphere. They travel for half fare, thelawyer pleads their cases for nothing, the physician medicates theirfamilies for nothing, and generally in the world of work they areserved at half price. While the common people must be careful not totraduce their neighbors lest they be sued for libel, the Levite insurplice and gown from his pulpit (aptly called the coward's castle)may smirch the fairest characters and defame the noblest lives withimpunity. 

This whole chapter is interesting reading as the source of priestlypower, that has done more to block woman's way to freedom than allother earthly influences combined. But the chief point in this chaptercenters in the above verses, as the daughters of the Levites are hereto enjoy an equal privilege with the sons. Scott tells us "thatcovenants were generally ratified at an amiable feast, in which saltwas always freely used, hence it became an emblem of friendship. "Perhaps it was the purifying, refining influence of this element thatsecured these friendly relations between the sons and daughters of thepriesthood on one occasion at least. From the present bitter, turbulenttone of our Levites, I fear the salt we both manufacture and importmust all have lost its savor. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Numbers xxii. 

21 And Balsam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and wentwith the princes of Moab. 

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of theLord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was ridingupon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and hissword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, andwent into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. 

24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wallbeing on this side, and a wall on that side. 

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself untothe wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote heragain. 

26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrowplace, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down underBalaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with astaff. 

28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me; I wouldthere were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. 

30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thouhast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to doso unto thee? And he said, Nay. 

31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel ofthe Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and hebowed down his bead, and fell flat on his face. 

32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thousmitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstandthee, because thy way is perverse before me:

33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unlessshe had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved heralive. 

34 And Balaam, said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for Iknew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if itdisplease thee, I will get me back again. 

The chief point of interest in this parable of Balaam and his ass, isthat the latter belonged to the female sex. This animal has been one ofthe most remarkable characters in literature. Her virtues have beenquoted in the stately cathedral, in the courts of justice, in theeditorial sanctum, in both tragedy and comedy on the stage, to point amoral and adorn a tale. Some of the fairest of Eve's daughters bear herbaptismal name, and she has been immortalized in poetry and prose. Wordsworth sends her with his Peter Bell to enjoy the first flowers ofearly spring. To express her love of the beautiful "upon the pivot ofher skull she turned round her long left ear" while stolid Peter makesno sign--

"A primrose by a river's brimA yellow primrose was to him, And it was nothing more. "

The courage and persistence of the ass has made her as famous in waras in literature. She is a marked feature everywhere in militarystations, alike in the camp and the field, and her bray always in theminor key, gives a touch of pathos to the music of the band! The assaccompanied Deborah and Barak when they went to fight their greatbattle, she has gone with pioneers in all their weary wanderings, andhas taken an active part in the commerce of the world, bearing theheaviest burdens though poorly fed and sheltered. At one time thisanimal voted at three successive elections in the state of New York. The property qualification being $250, just the price of a jackass, BenFranklin facetiously asked "if a man must own a jackass in order tovote, who does the voting, the man or the jackass?" It so happened oncethat the same animal passed into the hands of three different owners, constituting all the earthly possessions of each at that time and thusby proxy she was represented at the polls. Yet with this world-widefame, this is the first time the sacred historian has so richly endowedand highly complimented any living thing of the supposed inferior sex. Far wiser than the master who rode her, with a far keener spiritualinsight than he possessed, and so intensely earnest and impressible, that to meet the necessities of the occasion, she suddenly exercisedthe gift of speech. While Balaam was angry, violent, stubborn andunreasonable, the ass calmly manifested all the cardinal virtues. Obedient to the light that was in her, she was patient under abuse, andtried in her mute way to save the life of her tormentor from the swordof the angel. But when all ordinary warnings of danger provedunavailable, she burst into speech and opened the eyes of her stolidmaster. Scott, who considers this parable a literal fact, says in hiscommentaries, "The faculty of speech in man is the gift of God and wecannot comprehend how we ourselves articulate. We need not therefore besurprised that the Lord made use of the mouth of the ass to rebuke themadness of His prophet, and to shame him by the reproof and example ofa brute. Satan spoke to Eve by a subtle male serpent, but the Lordchose to speak to Balaam by a she ass, for He does not use enticingwords of man's wisdom, but works by instruments and means that mendespise. "

Seeing that the Lord has endowed "the daughters of men" also with thegift of speech, and they may have messages from Him to deliver to "thesons of God, " it would be wise for the prophets of our day to admitthem into their Conferences, Synods and General Assemblies, and givethem opportunities for speech. 

The appeal of the meek, long suffering ass, to her master, to rememberher faithfulness and companionship from his youth up, is quite patheticand reminds one of woman's appeals and petitions to her law-givers forthe last half century. In the same language she might say to heroppressors, to fathers, husbands, brothers and sons, have we not servedyou with faithfulness; companions from your youth up; watched youthrough all your infant years; and carried you triumphantly throughevery danger? When at the midnight hour or the cock crowing, your firstborn lifted up his voice and wept, lo! we were there, with water forhis parched lips; a cool place for his aching head; or patiently forhours to pace with him the chamber floor. In youth and manhood whathave we not done to add to your comfort and happiness; ever rejoicingin your triumphs and sympathizing in your defeats?

This waiting and watching for half a century to recover our civil andpolitical rights and yet no redress, makes the struggle seem like apainful dream in which one strives to fly from some impending dangerand yet stands still. Balaam, unlike our masters, confessed that he hadsinned, but it is evident from his conduct that he felt no specialcontrition for disobedience to the commands of his Creator, nor for hiscruelty to the creature. So merely to save his life he sulkily retracedhis steps with a determination still to consider Barak's propositions. Whether he took the same ass on the next journey does notappear. 

It must have been peculiarly humiliating to that proud man, whoboasted of his eyes being open and seeing the vision of the Almighty, to be reproved and silenced by the mouth of a brute. As the Lordappeared first to the ass and spake by her, he had but little reason toboast that his eyes were opened by the Lord. The keen spiritual insightand the ready power of speech with which the female sex has beenspecially endowed, are often referred to with ridicule and reproach bystolid, envious observers of the less impressible sex. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Numbers xx. 

1 And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the childrenof Israel, saying, This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. 

2 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his soulwith a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to allthat proceedeth out of his mouth. 

3 If a woman also vow a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;

4 And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath boundher soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vowsshall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shallstand. 

5 But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth, not anyof her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she had bound her soul, shallstand; and the Lord shall forgive her, because her father disallowedher. 

6 And if she had at all a husband, when she vowed, or uttered aughtout of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;

7 And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day thathe heard it; then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith shebound her soul shall stand. 

8 But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it, thenhe shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered withher lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect; and the Lordshall forgive her. 

9 But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewiththey have bound their souls, shall stand against her. 

13 Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husbandmay establish it, or her husband may make it void. 

14 But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day today; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which areupon her he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in theday that he heard them. 

15 But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heardthem; then he shall bear her iniquity. 

16 These are the statutes, which the Lord commanded Moses, between aman and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in heryouth in her father's house. 

A vow is a religious promise made to God, and yet in the face of sucha definition is placed the authority of husband and father between thewoman and her God. God seems thus far to have dealt directly with womenwhen they sinned, but in making a religious vow, or dedication ofthemselves to some high purpose, their fathers and husbands must beconsulted. A man's vow stands; a woman's is always conditional. Neitherwisdom nor age can make her secure in any privileges, though alwayspersonally responsible for crime. If she have sufficient intelligenceto decide between good and evil, and pay the penalty for violated law, why not make her responsible for her words and deeds when obedient tomoral law. To hold woman in such an attitude is to rob her words andactions of all moral character. We see from this chapter that Jewishwomen, as well as those of other nations, were held in a condition ofperpetual tutelage or minority under the authority of the father untilmarried and then under the husband, hence vows if in their presence ifdisallowed were as nothing. That Jewish men appreciate the degradationof woman's position is seen in a part of their service in which eachman says on every Sabbath day, "I thank Thee, oh Lord, that I was notborn a woman!" and the woman meekly responds, "I thank Thee, oh Lord, that I am what I am, according to Thy holy, will. "

The injunction in the above texts in regard to the interference offathers is given only once, while the husband's authority is mentionedthree times. If the woman was betrothed, even the future husband hadthe right to disallow her vows. It is supposed by, some expositors thatby a parity of reason minor sons should have been under the samerestrictions as daughters, but if it were intended, it is extraordinarythat daughters alone should have been mentioned. Scott, in extenuatingthe custom, says: "Males were certainly allowed more liberty thanfemales; the vows of the latter might be adjudged more prejudicial tofamilies; or the sons being more immediately under the father's tuitionmight be thought less liable to be inveigled into rash engagements ofany kind. "

E. C. S. 

Woman is here taught that she is irresponsible. The father or thehusband is all. They are wisdom, power, responsibility. But woman is anonentity, if still in her father's house, or if she has a husband. Iobject to this teaching. It is unjust to man that he should have theadded responsibility of his daughter's or wife's word, and it is cruelto woman because the irresponsibility is enslaving in its influence. Itis contrary to true Gospel teaching, for only, in freedom to do rightcan a soul dwell in that love which is the fulfilling of the law. 

The whole import of this chapter is that a woman's word is worthless, unless she is a widow or divorced. While an unmarried daughter, herfather is her surety; when married, the husband allows or disallowswhat she promises, and the promise is kept or broken according to hiswill. The whole Mosaic law in this respect seems based upon the ideathat a woman is an irresponsible being; and that it is supposed eachdaughter will marry at some time, and thus be continually under thecontrol of some male--the father or the husband. Unjust, arbitrary anddebasing are such ideas, and the laws based upon them. Could theInfinite Father and Mother have give them to Moses? I think not. 

P. A. H. 

CHAPTER IX. 

Numbers xxxi. 

9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and alltheir flocks, and all their goods. 

10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelt, and all theirgoodly castles with fire. 

12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, untoMoses and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the childrenof Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordannear Jericho. 

14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with thecaptains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, which came fromthe battle. 

15 And Moses said unto them, have ye saved all the women alive?

16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel. Through the counsel ofBalaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor. Andthere was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. 

17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill everywoman that hath known man. 

18 But all the women children, that have not known a man keep alivefor yourselves. 

25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying. 

26 Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the chief fathers of the congregation:

32 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. 

32 And the, booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war hadcaught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousandsheep, 33 And threescore and twelve thousand beeves. 

34 And threescore and one thousand asses. 

35 And thirty and two thousand persons in of women that had not knownman. 

It appears from the enumeration here of the booty, that the Israelitestook in this war against the Midianites seventy-two thousand beeves, six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, sixty-one thousand assesand thirty-two thousand women virgins, beside the women and childrenkilled, (as they said) by God's order. The thirty-two thousand womenand women children were given to the soldiers and the priests. Whyshould the social purity societies in England and America who believein the divine origin of all Scripture object to the use of womenchildren by their statesmen and soldiers when the custom was permittedto the chosen people of Israel? True, the welfare of the priests, lawgivers and soldiers was carefully guarded in selecting for them thepurest of the daughters of the Midianites. 

Surely such records are enough to make the most obstinate believerdoubt the divine origin of Jewish history and the claim of that peopleto have been under the special guidance of Jehovah. Theirclaim to have had conversations with God daily and to have acted underHis commands in all their tergiversations of word and action is simplyblasphemous. We must discredit their pretensions, or else the wisdom ofJehovah himself. "Talking with God, " at that period was a mere form ofspeech, as "tempted of the devil" was once in the records of ourcourts. Criminals said "tempted of the devil, I did commit the crime. "This chapter places Moses and Eleazar the priest, in a most unenviablelight according to the moral standard of any period of human history. Verily the revelations in the Pall Hall Gazette a few years ago, palebefore this wholesale desecration of women and children. Bishop Colensoin his exhaustive work on the Pentateuch shows that most of the recordstherein claiming to be historical facts are merely parables andfigments of the imagination of different writers, composed at differentperiods, full of contradictions, interpolations and discrepancies. 

He shows geologically and geographically that a flood over the wholeface of the earth was a myth. He asks how was it possible to save twoof every animal, bird and creeping thing on both continents and getthem safely into the ark and back again to their respective localities. How could they make their way from South America up north through thefrigid zone and cross over the polar ices to the eastern continent andcarry with them the necessary food to which they had been accustomed, they would all have perished with the cold before reaching the Arcticcircle. While the animals from the northern latitudes would all perishwith heat before reaching the equator. What a long weary journey theanimals, birds and fowls would have taken from Japan and China to MountArarat. The parable as an historical fact is hedged withimpossibilities and so is the whole journey of forty years from Egyptto Canaan; but if we make up our minds to believe in miracles then itis plain sailing from Genesis to the end of Deuteronomy, Both Ezra andJeremiah are said to have written the last book of the Pentateuch, andsome, question whether Moses was the author of either. Bishop Colensoalso questions the arithmetical calculations of the historians inregard to the conquest of the Midianites, as described in the book ofNumbers. 

E. C. S. 

But how thankful we must be that we are no longer obligated tobelieve, as a matter of fact, of vital consequence to our eternal hope, each separate statement contained in the Pentateuch, such for instance, as the story related in Numbers xxxi!--where we are told that a forceof twelve thousand Israelites slew all the males of the Midianites, took captive all the females and children, seized all their cattle andflocks, (seventy-two thousand oxen, sixty one thousand asses, sixhundred and seventy-five thousand sheep, ) and all their goods, andburnt all their cities, and all their goodly castles, without the lossof a single man, --and then, by command of Moses, butchered in coldblood all the women, except "the women-children and virgins, to begiven to the priests and soldiers. "

They amounted to thirty-two thousand, mostly, we suppose, under theage of sixteen. We may fairly reckon that there were as many more underthe age of forty, and half as many more above forty, making altogethereighty thousand females, of whom, according to the story, Moses orderedforty-eight thousand to be killed, besides (say) twenty thousand youngboys. The tragedy of Cawnpore, where three hundred were butchered, would sink into nothing, compared with such a massacre, if, indeed, wewere required to believe it. 

The obvious intention of Moses, as shown in these directions, was tokeep the Jewish race from amalgamation. But the great lawgiver seems tohave ignored the fact, or been ignorant of it, that transmission ofrace qualities is even greater through the female line than through themale, and if they kept the women children for themselves they weremaking sure the fact that in days to come there would be Jewishdescendants who might be Jews in name, but, through the law ofheredity, aliens in spirit. The freedom of the natural law will makeitself evident, for so-called natural law is divine. 

P. A. H. 

Zipporah the wife of Moses was a Midianite, Jethro her father was apriest of some sagacity and consideration. When he met Moses in thedesert he gave him valuable advice about the government of his people, which the great lawgiver obeyed. 

The sons of Zipporah and Moses, Gershon and Eliezer, were therefore ofMidianite blood, yet Moses sent an army of twelve thousand armed forwar; a thousand of each tribe, with orders to slay every man. If thevenerable Jethro was still alive he must have been murdered by hisgrandsons and their comrades. This is a most extraordinary story. Ifafter the men, women and male children were all killed, thirty thousandmaidens and young girls still remained, the Midianites must have beentoo large a tribe to have been wholly destroyed by twelve thousandIsraelites, unless the Jewish God fought the battle. 

L. D. B. 

CHAPTER X. 

Numbers xxxii. 

1 And the chief fathers of the families or the children of Gilead drewnear, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathersof the children of Israel:

2 And they said, The Lord commanded my lord to give the land for aninheritance by lot to the children of Israel: and my lord was commandedby the Lord to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto hisdaughters. 

3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of thechildren of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from theinheritance of our fathers, and shall be put to the inheritance of thetribe whereunto they are received; so shall it be taken from the lot ofour inheritance. 

4 And when the jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then shalltheir inheritance be put unto the inheritance of the tribe whereuntothey are received:

5 And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word ofthe Lord, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well. 

6 . . . . . . The Lord doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family ofthe tribe of their father shall they marry. 

7 So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove fromtribe to tribe: for every one of the children of Israel shall keephimself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 

8 And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe ofthe children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of thetribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every manthe inheritance of his fathers. 

10 Even is the Lord commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad:

11 . . . . . . And were turned unto their father's brothers' sons. 

In a former chapter there was a sense of justice shown towards thedaughters of Zelophehad, but here a new complication arises. The unclesof these girls had their eyes on the property and perhaps feared thattheir sons had not found favor in the eyes of their cousins, as theymight have seen and admired some fine looking young men from othertribes. So the crafty old uncles moved in time to get a statute passedthat would compel daughters to marry in the tribe of their fathers andgot a direct command from the Lord to that effect, then the youngwomen, compelled to limit their predilections, married their cousins, setting the laws of heredity quite aside; property in all ages beingconsidered of more importance than persons. Thus, after making someshow of justice in giving the daughters of Zelophehad the inheritanceof their fathers, the Israelites began to consider the loss to theirtribe, if peradventure the five sisters should marry into other tribesand all this property be transferred to their enemies. 

They seemed to consider these noble women destitute of the virtue ofpatriotism, of family pride, of all the tender sentiments offriendship, kindred and home, and so with their usual masculinearrogance they passed laws to compel the daughters of Zelophehad to dowhat they probably would have done had there been no law to thateffect. These daughters were known by the euphonious names of Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah and Noah, and they all married their father'sbrothers' sons. Cousins on the mother's side would probably have beenforbidden. 

If Moses, as the mouthpiece of God, aimed to do exact justice, why didhe not pass an ordinance giving property in all cases equally to sonsand daughters. 

E. C. S. . 

Moses gave what appears to be, in the light of this Christian era, ajust judgment when he decided that the daughters of Zelophehad shouldinherit their father's property, but he gave as the law of inheritancethe direction that "if a man die, and have no son, then ye shall causehis inheritance to pass unto his daughter;" thus, as I think, unjustlydiscriminating between women who have brothers and women who have none, and he goes on further to deal unjustly with women when he directs thatthe daughters of Zelophehad marry so that the inheritance justlyawarded them should not go out of the family of the tribe of theirfathers. 

"Let them marry to whom they think best, " and those words seeminglyrecognize their righteous freedom. But immediately he limits thatphrase and informs the five women they must only marry in theirfather's tribe, and were limited also to their father's family. Theresult was that each married her own cousin. If this was contrary tophysiological law, as some distinguished physiologists affirm, thenthey were compelled by the arbitrary law of Moses to break the law ofGod. 

P. A. H. 

THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY. 

CHAPTER I. 

Deuteronomy i. 

3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, onthe first day of the month, that Moses spake unto the children ofIsrael, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandmentunto them;

6 The Lord our God spake unto us in Horeb, saying, Ye have dwelt longenough in this mount:

7 Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of theAmorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in thehills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by sea side, to the landof the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the riverEuphrates. 

8 Behold, I have set the before you: go in and possess the land whichthe Lord sware unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to giveunto them and to their seed after them. 

10 The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this dayas the stars of heaven for multitude. 

This book contains an account of what passed in the wilderness thelast month of the fortieth year, which is supposed to be written byEzra, as the history is continued several days after the death ofMoses. Moses' farewell address to the children of Israel is full ofwisdom, with a touch of pathos. This had been a melancholy year withthe Hebrews in the death of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. The manner inwhich this people were kept wandering up and down on the very verge ofthe land of Canaan because they were rebellious does seem like child'splay. No wonder they were discouraged and murmured. It is difficultfrom the record to see that these people were any better fitted toenter the promised land at the end of forty years than when they firstleft Egypt. But the promise that they should be as numerous as thestars in the heavens, according to Adam Clarke, had been fulfilled. Hetells us that only three thousand stars can be seen by the naked eye, which the children of Israel numbered at this time six hundred thousandfighting men, beside all the women and children. Astronomers, However, now estimate that there are over seventy-five million stars within therange of their telescopes. If census takers had prophetic telescopes, they could no doubt see the promises to the Hebrews fully realized inthat one line of their ambition. 

Deuteronomy ii. 

34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed themen, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none toremain. 

Though the women were ignored in all the civil affairs and religiousobservances of the Jews, yet in making war on other tribes they thoughtthem too dangerous to be allowed to live, and so they killed all thewomen and children. The women might much better have helped to do thefighting, as it is far easier to die in the excitement of thebattlefield than to be murdered in cold blood. In making war onneighboring tribes, the Jewish military code permitted them to take allthe pure, virgins and child women for booty to be given to the priestsand soldiers, thus debauching the men of Israel and destroying allfeelings of honor and chivalry for women. This utter contempt for allthe decencies of life, and all the natural personal rights of women asset forth in these pages, should destroy in the minds of women atleast, all authority to superhuman origin and stamp the Pentateuch atleast as emanating from the most obscene minds of a barbarous age. 

Deuteronomy v, vi. 

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hathcommanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go wellwith thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. 

17 Thou shalt not kill. 

18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery. 

19 Neither shalt thou steal. 

20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. 

21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thoucovet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or hismaidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. 

2 That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutesand his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thyson's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 

The best commentary on these texts is that no Revising Committee ofEcclesiastics has found it necessary to make any suggestions as to whomthe commandments are addressed. Suppose we reverse the language and seehow one-sided it would seem addressed only to women. Suppose this werethe statement. Here is a great lawgiver and he says: "Thou art to keepall God's commandments, thou and thy daughters and thy daughter'sdaughters, and these are the commandments: 'Thou shalt honor thy motherand thy father. ' 'Thou shalt not steal nor lie. ' 'Thou shalt not covetthy neighbor's husband, nor her field, nor her ox, nor anything that isthy neighbor's. '"

Would such commandments occasion no remark among Biblical scholars? Inour criminal code to-day the pronouns she, her and hers are not found, yet we are tried in the courts, imprisoned and hung as "he, " "him" or"his, " though denied the privileges of citizenship, because themasculine pronouns apply only to disabilities. What a hustling therewould be among prisoners and genders if laws and constitutions, Scriptures and commandments, played this fast and loose game with themen of any nation. 

Deuteronomy iv. 

5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lordmy God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go topossess it. 

6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and yourunderstanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all thesestatutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understandingpeople. 

7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgmentsso righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

Adam Clarke in his comments on chapter iv, says, "there was no form ofworship at this time on the face of the earth that was not wicked andobscene, puerile and foolish and ridiculous, except that established byGod himself among the Israelites, and every part of this taken in itsconnection and reference may be truly called a wise and reasonableservice. Almost all the nations of the earth manifested in time theirrespect for the Jewish religion by copying different parts of theMosaic code as to civil and moral customs. "

As thoughtful, intelligent women, we question all this: First. --We seeno evidence that a just and wise being wrote either the canon or civillaws that have been gradually compiled by ecclesiastics and lawgivers. Second. --We cannot accept any code or creed that uniformly defraudswoman of all her natural rights. For the last half century we havepublicly and persistently appealed from these laws, which Clarke saysall nations have copied, to the common sense of a more humane andprogressive age. To-day women are asking to be delivered from all thecurses and blessings alike of the Jewish God and the ordinances heestablished. In this book we have the ten commandments repeated. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER II. 

Deuteronomy vii. 

1 When the Lord thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thougoest to possess it and hath cast out many nations before thee. 

2 Thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make nocovenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them:

3 Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shaltnot give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. 

4 For they will turn away thy son from following me. 

5 But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, andbreak down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn theirgraven images with fire. 

6 For thou art a holy people. 

7 The Lord did not set his love upon you, not choose you, because yewere more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of allpeople:

8 But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oathwhich he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you outwith a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, fromthe hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 

With the seven nations that God cast out, the children of Israel werecommanded to make no covenants, nor matrimonial alliances lest theyshould fall into idolatry. As men are more given to wandering instrange countries than women these injunctions are intended speciallyfor them. Adam Clarke says, the heart being naturally inclined to evil, the idolatrous wife would more readily draw aside the believinghusband, than the believing husband the idolatrous wife. That being thecase, could not the believing wife with her subtle influence havebrought over the idolatrous husband? Why should she not have the powerto convert to one religion as well as another, especially as there wasno choice between them. There could not have been anything worse thanthe Jewish religion illustrated in their daily walk and conversation, as described in their books, and if the human heart naturally inclinedto evil, as many converts might have been made to the faith of Moses asto any other. 

With this consideration it is plain that if the Jews had offered womenany superior privileges, above any other tribe, they could have readilyconverted the women to their way of thinking. The Jewish Godseems as vacillating and tempest-tossed between loving and hating hissubjects as the most undisciplined son of Adam. The supreme ideal ofthese people was pitiful to the last degree and the appeals to themwere all on the lowest plane of human ambition. The chief promise tothe well-doer was that his descendants should be as numerous as thesands of the sea. 

In chapter ix when rebellion at Horeb is described, Aaron only isrefered to, and in chapter x when his death is mentioned, nothing issaid of Miriam. In the whole recapitulation she is forgotten, thoughaltogether the grandest character of the three, though cast out of thecamp and stricken with leprosy, in vengeance, she harbors noresentment, but comforts and cheers the women with songs and dances, all through their dreary march of forty years. 

Deuteronomy x. 

18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, andloveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. 

19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the landof Egypt. 

The sacred fabulist has failed to give us any choice examples in whichthe Jews executed just judgments for widows or fatherless girls; on thecontrary in all their dealings with women of all ranks, classes andages they were merciless and unjust. 

As to the stranger, their chief occupation was war and wholesaleslaughter, not only of the men on the battlefield, but of innocentwomen and children, destroying their cities and making their landsdesolate. A humane person reading these books for the first timewithout any glamour of divine inspiration, would shudder at theircruelty and blush at their obscenity. 

Those who can make these foul facts illustrate beautiful symbols musthave genius of a high order. 

Deuteronomy xii. 

18 But thou must eat them before the Lord thy God in the place whichthe Lord thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, andthy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thygates: and thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God in all that themputtest thine hands unto. 

19 Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long asthou livest upon the earth. 

If women have been faithful to any class of the human family it hasbeen to the Levite. The chief occupation of their lives next tobearing children has been to sustain the priesthood and the churches. 

With continual begging, fairs and donation parties, they have helpedto plant religious temples on every hill-top and valley, and in thestreets of all our cities, so that the doleful church bell is foreverringing in our ears. The Levites have not been an unqualified blessing, ever fanning the flames of religious persecution they have been thechief actors in subjugating mankind. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER III. 

Deuteronomy xiii. 

6 If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thydaughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thineown soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

7 Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nighunto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth evenunto the other end of the earth;

8 Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shallthine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thouconceal him:

9 But thou shalt surely kill him: thine hand shall be first upon himto put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. 

Here is the foundation of all the terrible persecutions for a changeof faith so lamentable among the Jews and so intensified among theChristians. And this idea still holds, that faith in the crudespeculations of unbalanced minds as to the nature of the great firstcause and his commands as to the conduct of life, should be the same inthe beginning, now and forever. All other institutions may change, opinions on all other subjects may be modified and improved, but theold theologies are a finality that have reached the ultimatum ofspiritual thought. We imagine our religion with its dogmas andabsurdities must remain like the rock of ages, forever. 

Deuteronomy xv. 

6 And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and theLevite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy Godhath chosen to place his name there. 

14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thydaughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, thestranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates. 

15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the Lord thy God inthe place which the Lord shall choose. 

16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lordthy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavenedbread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. 

In the general festivities women of all ranks were invited to take part, but three times a year Moses had something special to say to the men;then women were not allowed to be present. We have no instance thus farin the Jewish economy of any direct communication from God to woman. Thegeneral opinion seemed to be that man was an all-sufficient object ofworship for them, an idea not confined to that period. Milton makes hisEve with sweet humility say to Adam, "God thy law, thou mine. "

This is the fundamental principle on which the canon and civil lawsare based, as well as the English classics. It is only in the galleriesof art that we see the foreshadowing of the good time coming. There thedivine artist represents the virtues, the graces, the sciences, theseasons, day with its glorious dawn, and night with its holy mysteries, all radiant and beautiful in the form of woman. The poet, the artist, the novelist of our own day, are more hopeful prophets for the motherof the race than those who have spoken in the Scriptures. 

E. C. S. 

Deuteronomy xvii. 

1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the Lord thy God any bullock or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evil favouredness: for that is anabomination unto the Lord thy God. 

2 If there be found among you, man or woman that hath wroughtwickedness in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing hiscovenant:

3 And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either thesun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have notcommanded;

4 And it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it, and inquireddiligently, and, behold, it be true, and the thing certain, that suchabomination is wrought in Israel:

5 Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman unto thy gatesand shalt stone them with stones, till they die. 

This is certainly a very effective way of strengthening religiousfaith. Most people would assent to any religious dogma, however absurd, rather than be stoned to death. As all their healthy tender lambs andcalves were eaten by the priests and rulers, no wonder they were soparticular to get the best. To delude the people it was necessary togive a religious complexion to the sacrifices and to make God commandthe people to bring their choicest fruits and grains and meats. It wasvery easy for these accomplished prestidigitators to substitute theoffal for sacrifices on their altars, and keep the dainty fruits andmeats for themselves, luxuries for their own tables. 

The people have always been deluded with the idea that what they gaveto the church and the priesthood was given unto the Lord, as if theMaker of the universe needed anything at our hands. How incongruous theidea of an Infinite being who made all the planets and the inhabitantsthereof commanding hiscreatures to kill and burn animals for offerings to him. It is trulypitiful to see the deceptions that have been played upon the people inall ages and countries by the priests in the name of religion. They areomnipresent, ever playing on human credulity, at birth and death, inaffliction and at the marriage feast, in the saddest and happiestmoments of our lives they are near to administer consolation in oursorrows, and to add blessings to our joys. No other class of teachershave such prestige and power, especially over woman. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Deuteronomy xviii. 

9 When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveththee, thou shalt not learn the abominations of those nations. 

10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son orhis daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or anobserver of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, ora necromancer, 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord. 

One would think that Moses with his rod taking the children of Israelthrough the Red Sea, bringing water out of a rock and manna fromheaven, going up into a mountain and there surrounding himself with acloud of smoke, sending out all manner of pyrotechnics, thunder andlightning, and deluding the people into the idea that there he met andtalked with Jehovah, should have been more merciful in his judgments ofall witches, necromancers and soothsayers. One would think witches, charmers and necromancers possessing the same power and manifestingmany of the same wonders that he did, should not have been so severelypunished for their delusions. Moses had taught them to believe inmiracles. When the human mind is led to believe things outside therealm of known law, it is prepared to accept all manner of absurdities. And yet the same people that ridicule Spiritualism, Theosophy andPsychology, believe in the ten plagues of Egypt and the passage of thechildren of Israel through the Red Sea. If they did go through, it waswhen the tide was low at that point, which Moses understood and Pharaohdid not. Perhaps the difficulty is to be gotten over in much the sameway as that employed by the negro preacher who, when his statement, that the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea on the ice, wasquestioned on the ground that geography showed that the climate therewas too warm for the formation of ice, replied: "Why, this happenedbefore there was any geography!" The Jews, as well as the surroundingnations, were dominated by all manner of supernatural ideas. All theseuncanny tricks and delusions being forbidden shows that they wereextensively practised by the chosen people, as well as by other nations. 

Deuteronomy xx, xxi. 

14 But the women, and the little ones, and the cattle, and all that isin the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself;and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies, which the Lord thy Godhath given thee. 

15 When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the Lordthy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken themcaptive, 11 And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desireunto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;

12 Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shaveher head, and pare her nails;

13 And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, andshall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother afull month: and after that she shall be thy wife. 

14 And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shaltlet her go whither she will: but thou shalt not sell her at all formoney, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hasthumbled her. 

15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and theyhave borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if thefirstborn son be hers that was hated:

16 Then it shall be, when he maketh his son to inherit that which hehath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before theson of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:

17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, bygiving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is thebeginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his. 

All this is done if the woman will renounce her religion and acceptthe new faith. The shaving of the head was a rite in accepting the newfaith, the paring of the nails a token of submission. In all thesetransactions the woman had no fixed rights whatever. In that word"humbled" is included the whole of our false morality in regard to theequal relations of the sexes. Why in this responsible act of creation, on which depends life and immortality, woman is said to be humbled, when she is the prime factor in the relation, is a question difficultto answer, except in her general degradation, carried off without herconsent as spoils of war, subject to the fancy of any man, to be takenor cast off at his pleasure, no matter what is done with her. Her sonsmust be carefully guarded and the rights of the first-born fullyrecognized. The man is of more value than the mother in the scale ofbeing whatever her graces and virtues may be. If these Jewish ideaswere obsolete they might not be worth our attention, but our creeds andcodes are still tinged with the Mosaic laws and customs. The Englishlaw of primogeniture has its foundation in the above text. The positionof the wife under the old common law has the same origin. 

When Bishop Colenso went as a missionary to Zululand, the horror withwhich the most devout and intelligent of the natives questioned thetruth of the Pentateuch confirmed his own doubts of the records. Translating with the help of a Zulu scholar he was deeply impressedwith his revulsion of feeling at the following passage: "If a man smitehis servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand, heshall be surely punished. Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money. " Exodus xxi: 20, 2 1. "Ishall never forget, " says the Bishop, "the revulsion of feeling, withwhich a very intelligent Christian native, with whose help I wastranslating these last words into the Zulu tongue, first heard them aswords said to be uttered by the same great and gracious Being, whom Iwas teaching him to trust in and adore. His whole soul revolted againstthe notion, that the Great and Blessed God, the Merciful Father of allmankind, would speak of a servant or maid as mere 'money, ' and allow ahorrible crime to go unpunished, because the victim of the brutal usagehad survived a few hours!"

Though they had no Pentateuch nor knowledge of our religion, theirrespect for the mother of the race and their recognition of thefeminine element in the Godhead, as shown in the following beautifulprayer, might teach our Bishops, Priests and Levites a lesson they haveall yet to learn. 

EVENING PRAYER. 

"O God, Thou hast let me pass the day in peace: let me pass the nightin peace, O Lord, who hast no Lord! There is no strength but in Thee:Thou alone hast no obligation. Under Thy hand I pass the day! under Thyhand I pass the night! Thou art my Mother, Thou my Father!"

Placing the mother first shows they were taught by Nature that she wasthe prime factor in their existence. In the whole Bible and theChristian religion man is made the alpha and omega everywhere in thestate, the church and the home. And we see the result in the generalcontempt for the sex expressed freely in our literature, in the hallsof legislation, in church convocations and by leading Bishops whereverthey have opportunities for speech and whenever they are welcomed inthe popular magazines of the day. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER V. 

Deuteronomy xxiv. 

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to passthat she find no favour in his eyes, then let him write her a bill ofdivorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 

2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be anotherman's wife. 

3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill ofdivorcement, and giveth it in her hand and sendeth her out of hishouse: or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again tobe his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination beforethe Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin which the Lord thyGod giveth thee for an inheritance. 

5 When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shalt he be charged with any business: but he shall be free athome one year, and shall cheer up his wife which he hath taken. 

All the privileges accorded man alone, are based on the principle thatwomen have no causes for divorce. If they had equal rights in law andpublic sentiment, a large number of cruel, whiskey drinking and profanehusbands, would be sued for divorce before wives endured one year ofsuch gross companionship. 

There is a good suggestion in the text, that when a man takes a newwife he shall stay at home at least one year to cheer and comfort her. If they propose to have children, the responsible duties of parentsshould be equally shared as far as possible. In a busy commercial life, fathers have but little time to guard their children against thetemptations of life, or to prepare them for its struggles, and themother educated to believe that she has no rights or duties in publicaffairs, can give no lessons on political morality from her standpoint. Hence the home is in a condition of half orphanage for the want offathers, and the State suffers for need of wise mothers. 

It was customary among the Jews to dedicate a new house, a vineyardjust planted, or a betrothed wife to the Lord with prayer andthanksgiving, before going forth to public duties. This idea isenforced in several different chapters, impressing on men with familiesthat there are periods in their lives when "their sphere is home"their primal duty to look after the wife, thehouse and the vineyard. 

Deuteronomy xxv. 

5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have nochild, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger:her husband's brother shall take her to wire. 

6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeedin the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put outof Israel. 

7 And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let hisbrother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, my husband'sbrother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he willnot perform the duty of my husband's brother. 

8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: andif she stand to it, and say, I like not to take her:

9 Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of theelders, and loose his shoe from off his foot. 

I would recommend these texts to the consideration of the Bishops inthe English House of Lords. If a man may marry a deceased brother'swife, why not a deceased wife's sister? English statesmanship hasstruggled with this problem for generations, and the same oldplatitudes against the deceased wife's sister's bill are made to doduty annually in Parliament. 

Deuteronomy xxviii. 

56 The tender and delicate woman among you, which would not adventureto set the sole of her foot upon ground for delicateness andtenderness, her eye shall be evil toward her husband of her bosom, andtoward her son, and toward her daughter, and toward her children whichshe shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all things secretlyin the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress theein thy gates. 

64 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thyground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and theflocks of thy sheep. 

68 And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by theway whereof I spake unto thee, thou shalt see it no more again: andthere ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, andno man shall buy you. 

This is addressed to men as most of the injunctions are, as to theirtreatment of woman in general. In enumerating the good things thatwould come to Israel if the commandments were obeyed, nothing ispromised to women, but when the curses are distributed, woman comes infor her share. Similar treatment is accorded the daughters of Eve inmodern days. She is given equal privileges with man, in beingimprisoned and hung, but unlike him she has no voice in the laws, thejudge, the jury, nor the manner of exit to the unknown land. She isdenied the right of trial by her own peers; the laws are made by men, the courts are filled with men; the judge, the advocates, the jurors, all men!

Moses follows the usual ancient idea that in the creation of humanlife, man is the important factor. The child is his fruit, he isthe soul. The spirit the vital spark. The woman merely the earth thatwarms and nourishes the seed, the earthly environment. Thisunscientific idea still holds among people ignorant of physiology andpsychology. This notion chimes in with the popular view of woman'ssecondary place in the world, and so is accepted as law and gospel. Theword "beget" applied only to men in Scripture is additional enforcementof the idea that the creative act belongs to him alone. This isflattering to male egoism and is readily accepted. 

E. C. S. 

In the early chapters of this book Moses' praises of Hebrew valor inmarching into a land already occupied and utterly destroying men, womenand children, seems much like the rejoicing of those who believe inexterminating the aboriginees in America. Evidently Moses believed inthe survival of the fittest and that his own people were the fittest. He teaches the necessity of exclusiveness, that the hereditary traitsof the people may not be lost by intermarriage. Though the Israelites, like the Puritans, had notable foremothers as well as forefathers, yetit was not the custom to mention them. Perhaps the word fathers meantboth, as the word man in Scripture often includes woman. In the prefaceby Lord Bishop Ely, to what is popularly known as the Speaker's Bible, the remark is made that "whilst the Word of God is one, and does notchange, it must touch at new points the changing phases of physical, philological and historical knowledge, and so the comments that suitone generation are felt by another to be obsolete. " So, also, it isthat with the higher education of women, their wider opportunities andthe increasing sense of justice, many interpretations of the Bible arefelt to be obsolete, hence the same reason exists for the Woman'sCommentary, which is already popularly known as the Woman's Bible. 

Deuteronomy is a name derived from the Greek and signifies that thisis the second or duplicate law, because this, the last book of thePentateuch, consists partly in a restatement of the law, as already given in other books. Deuteronomy contains also, besidesspecial commands and advice not previously written, an account of thedeath of Moses. Johnson's Universal Cyclopedia states that "theauthority of this book has been traditionally assigned to Moses, but, of course, the part relating to his death is not supposed to be writtenby himself, and indeed the last four chapters may have been added byanother hand. " DeWette declares that Moses could not have been theauthor. He not only points to the closing chapters as containing proof, but he refers to the anachronisms in earlier chapters, and insists thatthe general manner in which the Mosaic history is treated belongs to aperiod after the time of Moses. And Rev. John White Chadwick in his"Bible of To-day" declares that "Prophetism created Deuteronomy. " Hespeaks of Malachi, the last of the Prophets, as the first to mentionthe Mosaic law, and says that in the eighth century before Christ therewas no Mosaic law in any modern sense. The Pentateuch in anything likeits present form was still far in the future. Deuteronomy more than ahundred years ahead. Leviticus and Numbers nearly three hundred. * * *The book of Deuteronomy was much more of a manufacture than anyprevious portion of the Pentateuch. * * * Not Sinai and Wilderness, butBabylon and Jerusalem, witnessed the promulgation of the Levitical law. Its priest was Ezra and not Aaron; but who was its Moses the mostpatient study is not likely ever to reveal. The roar of Babylon doesnot give up its dead. It would seem as if the Rev. Dr. George LansingTaylor shared some of these ideas when, in his poem at the centennialof Columbia College, he said:

"Great Ezra, Artaxerxes' courtly scholar--Doctor, ere old Bologna gave that collar, A ready scribe in all the laws of heaven, From Babylon ascends, to Zion given, Armed with imperial power and proclamation, To rear God's house and educate a nation. 

As editor for God, the first in story, He crowns the editorial chair with glory. Inspired to push Jehovah's mighty plan onHe lays its corner-stone, the Bible canon. His Bible college, Bible publication, Convert the city, crown the Restoration, And fix the beacon date for History's pagesThe chronologic milestone of the ages. "

This chapter of Deuteronomy in the solemnity and explicitness of itsblessing and cursings must produce a deep impression on those who aredesirous of pursuing a course which would promote personal and nationalprosperity. Reading chapter xix and remembering the history of the Jewsfrom Moses to this day I reverently acknowledge the sure word ofprophecy therein recorded. Chapter xxx also has high literary merit. Its euphony is in accordance with its solemn but encouraging warningsand promises. It touches the connection divinely ordained and eternallyexisting between life and goodness, death and sin, emphasizing theapostolic injunction, "cease to do evil, learn to do well. " Thischapter, giving the last directions of Moses and intimations of hisdeparture from earth, is one of deep interest. How the Lordcommunicated to him that his end approached does not appear, but deeplyimpressed with the belief, he naturally called together Joshua and theLevites and gave his final charge. Whether fact or fiction thisfarewell is deeply interesting. The closing chapters, containing the"song of blessing, " comes to all lovers of religious poetry as the swansong of Moses. Though doubting its authorship, one may enjoy its beautyand grandeur. Chapter xxxiv narrates the death of Moses:

"By Nebo's lonely mountain, On this side Jordan's wave. "

It tells briefly the mourning of the children of Israel over theirgreat leader's departure and affirms the appointment of Joshua, theson of Nun, as his successor, and fitly closes thevaluable collection of writings called the Pentateuch. 

Since I have proposeed the elimination of some of the coarser portionsof Deuteronomy, I wish to add the testimony of Stevens in his"Scripture Speculations, " as to the general morality of this ancientcode. "Barbarous as they were in many things, childish in more, theirlaws are as much in advance of them as of their contemporaries, --wereeven singular for humanity in that age, and not always equaled in ours. We forget that there were contemporary nations which justifiedstealing, authorised infanticide, legalized the murder of aged parents, associated lust with worship. None of these blots can be traced on theJewish escutcheon. By preventing imprisonment for debt, Mosesanticipated the latest discovery of modern philanthropy. * * * Even themercy of Christianity was foreshadowed in his provision for the poor, who were never to cease out of the land; the prospered were to lendwithout interest, and never to harden their heart against a brother. The hovel of the poor was a sanctuary, and many a minute safeguard likethe return of the debtor's garment at nightfall, to save him fromsuffering during the chilliness of the night, has waited to be broughtto light by our more perfect knowledge of Jewish customs. " But that theScriptures, rightly interpreted, do not teach the equality of thesexes, I must be permitted to doubt. We who love the Old and NewTestaments take "Truth for authority, and not authority for truth, " asdid our sainted Lucretia Mott, whose earnest appeals for liberty wereoften jewelled, as were Daniel Webster's most eloquent speeches, withsome texts from the old Hebrew Bible. 

P. A. H. 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE PENTATEUCH. 

The primal requisite for the more accurate understanding of the Bibleis its translation from the past to the present tense. It has beenstudied as history, as the record of a remote past whose truth it hasbeen well-nigh impossible to verify. It should be studied as a recordof the present, the present experience of the individual and the racewhich is to ultimate in the perfect actualization of genericpossibilities. 

Like the tables of stone the Bible is written on both sides; or it hasa letter which is its exterior and an interior spirit or meaning. Thehistory which constitutes its letter illustrates those principles whichconstitute its meaning. The formless must be put into form to beapprehended. Mistaking the form for that substance which has beenbrought to the level of human apprehension by its means, is the errorwhich constitutes the basis of dogmatic theology. Error in a premisecompels error in conclusions. It is no wonder that woman's truerelation to man and just position in the social fabric has remainedunknown. A Moses on Pisgah's height is needed to-day to see and declarethis promised land; and he must be revelator, first, to womenthemselves, for they especially need enlightenment upon the true natureof the Bible. 

So long as they mistake superstition for religious revelation, theywill be content with the position and opportunities assigned them byscholastic theology. They will remember and "keep their place" as thusdefined. Their religious nature is warped and twisted throughgenerations of denominational conservatism; which fact, by the way, isthe greatest stumbling block in the path of equal suffrage to-day, andone to which the leaders of that movement have seemed unaccountablyblind. 

Thus woman's strongest foes have been of her own sex; and because hersense of duty and religious sentiment have been operativeaccording to a false ideal, unintentionally women have been and willcontinue to be bigoted until they allow a higher ideal to penetratetheir minds; until they see with the eye of reason and logic, as wellas with the sentiment which has so long kept them the dependent class. The Bible from beginning to end teaches the equality of man and woman, their relation as the two halves of the unit, but also theirdistinctiveness in office. One cannot take the place of the otherbecause of the fundamental nature of each. The work of each half in itsown place is necessary to the perfect whole. 

The man has more prominence than the woman in the Bible because themasculine characters in their succession represent man as a whole--generic man. The exterior or male half is outermost, the interior orfemale half is covered by the outer. One is seen, the other has to bediscerned, and can be discerned by following the harmonious relativitybetween the two halves of the unit. There is a straight line of ascentfrom the Adam to the Christ, within which is the straight line ofascent from the Eve to the Mary. The book of Genesis is the substanceof the whole Bible, its meaning is the key to the meaning of the whole;it is the skeleton around which the rest is builded. If the remainderof the Old Testament were destroyed its substance could bereconstructed from Genesis. As the bony structure of the physical bodyis the framework which is filled in and rounded to symmetricalproportions by the muscular tissue, so Genesis is the framework whichis symmetrically rounded and filled by the other books, which supplythe necessary detail involved in basic principles. 

The first chapter of Genesis is not the record of the creation of theworld. It is a symbolical description of the composite nature of man, that being which is male and female in one. The personal pronoun "He"belongs to his exterior nature; and the characters which illustratethis nature and the order of its development are men. The pronoun "She"belongs to the interior nature, and all characters--fewer in number--which illustrate it, are women. "Male and female created he them. " Thesecond chapter describes the nature and origin of the visible world, the nature and origin of the soul, their relation to each other and tothis dual being. With the third chapter begins the symbolicalillustration of the soul's existence--of its continuity of existencewhich is unbroken till its highest possibilities are actualized, tillall the inherent capabilities of the dual being are fully manifested. 

The leading characters of Genesis--Adam, Enos, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph--seven in number, represent the seven chief stages ofthe soul's existence which follow each other like the notes in themusical scale. It is our own experience that is there portrayed, bothpresent and prospective. What we as individuals, and nations are nowgoing through in our efforts for betterment, is told in the story ofGenesis. More than this, the clue to assured betterment is found therealso. This experience is on two lines which are always distinct butnever separate--the male and the female. These are indissolubly boundtogether "from the beginning, " the same principles, necessitating thesame moral standards and spiritual ideals, and governing both. Thelargest measure of our individual and national perplexities andsufferings has come from the ignorant straining apart of that which"God hath joined together" and which we can not successfully andpermanently "put asunder. "

The remaining four books of the Pentateuch, supply the detailbeginning between the Adam and Noah of Genesis, rounding out that partof the skeleton. The Exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses, represents the soul's growth out of purely sense-consciousness by thehelp of spiritual perception. Moses is the personification of thisfaculty inherent in and operative from the eternal ego, the dual being, which is "the Lord" of the Bible. The Old Testament presents the outeror masculine nature of this "Lord" as the Jehovah. The New Testamentpresents the inner or feminine nature as the Virgin. 

The children of Israel according to their tribes, represent theranging characteristics or parts which make up the soul of self-consciousness. They are the "chosen people" because when thesoul sees with its spiritual insight as well as with its sensuousoutsight, it can, if it will, choose between the two as guides. Theirexperiences in the wilderness are what we are passing through to-day;for there is now a people who have made this choice and are followingthe higher leader in their work for the human race, which is the onlysatisfactory way of working for themselves. But this leader--spiritualperception--cannot put the soul in possession of its promised land--ahigher state of existence or quality of self-consciousness. It sees thehigher and leads in its direction; but understanding of fundamental, therefore unvarying and always applicable, principles is necessary forthat realization which Is the attainment of the higher, or itspossession. 

Moses' death before crossing Jordan illustrates this limitation, whichis also the limitation of earnest reformers to-day. They can see for usand point out that which awaits them; but they can never take thoseothers "into the land. " They must travel on their own feet. 

Joshua, as the leader after Moses, is the personification of thisunderstanding. He is Moses' sepulchre, for Moses is buried in him. Spiritual insight develops understanding which is its continuity. Hencethe continuation of experiences under Joshua the "Saviour" through whomthe soul takes "possession" of its higher state. In the "wilderness" oftransition from the old to the new, mistakes occur which mar theirconsequences. In this illustration of the Pentateuch, Miriam "speaksagainst" Moses, is stricken with leprosy and "set without the camp, "and the people cannot journey till all is "brought in again. "

Woman's intellectual development after ages of repression, hasresulted with many of the sex, in an agnosticism which, at firstliberal, has grown to be a dogmatic materialism. She "speaks against"spiritual insight and its revelations. In forsaking her dogmas andcreeds she has forsaken religion. She is to be "brought in again"--brought to see that religion is of the soul and is individual; whiledogma and doctrine are from the sensuous out-side alone. The one tendsto true freedom, the other generates bondage. Broadly, women of to-dayare of two classes; those who are still held by the conservatism ofcreeds, and those who have gone to the other extreme through theexhilaration of intellectual activity. Both classes must meet upon acommon ground, recognition of fundamental principles and effort toapply them--before the New Testament can become the practical ethicalstandard. 

An outline of a subject so vast and profound as the nature and meaningof the Pentateuch, must necessarily be more or less unsatisfactory. Itcannot be detached from the rest of the Bible which is a completeorganic body. Its meaning is consecutive and harmonious with firstpremises, from beginning to end. The obvious inconsistencies andabsurdities involve only its letter, which may or may not be true ashistory without affecting the truth of the book itself which lies inits meaning. 

The projectors of "The Woman's Bible" must not avoid the whirlpool ofa masculine Bible only, to split upon the rock of a feminine Biblealone. This would be an attempt to separate what is intensely joinedtogether and defeat the end desired. The book is the soul's guide inthe fulfilling of its destiny--that destiny which is involved in itsorigin; and the soul, in sleep, is sexless. Its faculties and powersare differentiated are masculine and feminine. 

If the question is asked--"What is your authority for this view of theBible?" the answer is "I have none but the internal evidence of thebook itself. When joined it is self-evident truth, requiring noexternal authority to give it support. "

U. N. G. 

APPENDIX. 

As the Revising Committee refer to a woman's translation of the Bibleas their ultimate authority, for the Greek, Latin and Hebrew text, abrief notice of this distinguished scholar is important:

Julia Smith's translation of the Bible stands out unique among alltranslations. It is the only one ever made by a woman, and the onlyone, it appears, ever made by man or woman without help. Wyclif, "themorning star of the Reformation, " made a translation from the Vulgate, assisted by Nicholas of Hereford. He was not sufficiently familiar withHebrew and Greek to translate from those tongues. Coverdale'stranslation was not done alone. In his dedication to the king he sayshe has humbly followed his interpreters and that under correction. Tyndale, in his translation, had the assistance of Frye, of WilliamRoye, and also of Miles Coverdale. Julia Smith translated the wholeBible absolutely alone, without consultation with any one. And this notonce, but five times--twice from the Hebrew, twice from the Greek andonce from the Latin. Literalness was one end she kept constantly inview, though this does not work so well with the Hebrew tenses. But shedid not mind that. Frequently her wording is an improvement, or bringsone closer to the original than the common translation. Thus in I. Corinthians viii, 1, of the King James translation, we have: "Knowledgepuffeth up, but charity edifieth. " Julia Smith version: "Knowledgepuffs up and love builds the house. " She uses "love" in place of"charity" every time. And her translation was made nearly forty yearsbefore the revised version of our day, which also does the same. Tyndale, in his translation nearly three hundred and seventy-five yearsago, made the same translation of this word; but Julia Smith did notknow that and never saw his translation. This word "charity" was one ofthe words that Sir Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of England, chargedTyndale with mistranslating. The other two words were "priest" and"church, " Tyndale calling priests "seniors, " and church, "congregation. " Both Julia Smith and the revised version call thempriests and church. And he gives the word, "Life" for "Eve" "And Adamwill call his wife's name Life, for she was the mother of all living. "

One more illustration: "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judeain the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the eastto Jerusalem. " King James translation. "Now when Jesus was born, etc. , behold there came wise men from the sunrisings to Jerusalem. " JuliaSmith version. She claims to have made a perfectly literaltranslation, and according to the verdict of competent authorities, Hebrew scholars who have examined her Bible, she has done so. Her workhas had the endorsement of various learned men. A Hebrew professor ofHarvard College (Prof. Young) called on her soon after her Bible wasissued and examined it. He was much astonished that she had translatedo correctly without consulting some learned man. He expressed surprisethat she should have put the tenses as she did. She said to him: "Youacknowledge that I have translated according to the Hebrew idiom?" Hereplied: "O yes, you have translated literally. " That was just what sheaimed at, to get an exact literal translation, without regard tosmoothness. She received many letters from scholars, all speaking ofthe exact, or literal translation. Some people have criticised thisfeature, which is the great merit of the book. 

Julia Smith was led to make the translation at the time of the Millerexcitement in 1843, when the world was to come to a sudden termination;when the saints were preparing their robes for ascension into theempyrean, and wicked unbelievers (the vast majority) were to descend asfar the other way. She and her family were much interested in Miller'spredictions, and she was anxious to see for herself if, in the originalHebrew text of the Bible there was any warrant for Miller'spredictions. So she set to work and studied Hebrew, having previouslytranslated the New Testament, and also the Septuagint from the Greek. So absorbed did she become in her work that the dinner bell wasunheeded, and she would undoubtedly have many times gone to bed bothdinnerless and supperless had not the family called her off from herwork. Once a. Week she met with the family and a friend and neighbor, Miss Emily Moseley, to read over and discuss what she had translatedduring the week. This practice was kept up for several years. When shecame to publish the work, (the manuscripts of which had lain in thegarret some twenty-five or thirty years) the cashier of the Hartfordbank, where the sisters had kept their money, told her she was veryfoolish to throw away her money printing this Bible; that she wouldnever sell a copy. She told him it didn't matter whether she did ornot; that she was not doing it to make money; that she found moresatisfaction in spending her money in this way than in spending it allon dress. Thanks to our more enlightened age, this translation did notmeet with the opposition the early translators had to contend with. Thescholars of those days thought learning should be confined to a selectfew; it was, in their view, dangerous to put the Bible into a languagethe common people could understand, especially women. Here is what oneHenry de Knyghton, a learned monk of that day, said: "This Master JohnWiclif hath translated the gospel out of Latin into English, whichChrist had intrusted with the clergy and doctors of the Church thatthey might minister it to the laity and weaker sort, according to thestate of the times and the wants of men. But now the gospel is madevulgar and more open to the laity, and even to women who can read, thanit used to be to the most learned of the clergy and those of the bestunderstanding. " To say nothing of reading the Bible, what would thislearned man have thought of a woman translating it, and five times atthat! It would seem as if the bare suggestion must have stirred his drybones with indignation. 

King James appointed fifty-four men of learning to translate theBible. Seven of them died and forty-seven carried the work on. Comparethis corps of workers with one little woman performing the Herculeantask with without one suggestion or word of advice from mortal man!This Bible is ten by seven inches, and is printed in large, cleartype. There are two styles of binding, cloth and sheepskin. Thecloth binding was $2. 50 at the time it was issued and while Julia Smithlived, and the other was $3. 00, but as they are getting scarcer theprice may have gone up. They will be a rarity in the next century andwill be much sought after by bibliomaniacs, to say nothing of scholarswho will want it for its real value. Julia Smith had the plates of herBible preserved, but where they are now is more than I know. It waspublished by the American Publishing Company, of Hartford, in 1876. 

Julia Evelina Smith, of Glastonbury, Conn. , was one of five sisters ofa somewhat notable family, the father and mother both having strongtraits of character and marked individuality. The mother, HannahHickok, was a fine linguist and mathematician. She once made an almanacfor her own convenience, almanacs being rather scarce in those days. She could tell the time of night whenever she happened to awake by theposition of the stars. She was an omnivorous reader and a greatstudent, and in those days before the invention of stoves, her father, in order to allow her the requisite retirement to gratify her studioustastes, built her a small glass room. In the days of the Abby and JuliaSmith excitement, when they refused to pay their taxes, some writer wasso wicked as to say that Julia Smith's grandfather shut her mother upin a glass cage. Seated in this glass enclosure, placed in a southroom, with the sun's rays beating down upon her, as upon a plant in aconservatory, she could pursue her studies to her heart's content. Shewas an only child and adored by her father; and so much did she thinkof him that in his last illness, when she was away at school, she rodefour hundred miles on horseback in order to see him before he died. 

Julia Smith's father, the Rev. Zephaniah H. Smith, a graduate of Yale, was settled in Newtown, Conn. , near South Britain, where he marriedHannah Hickok. He preached but four years, resigning his position onthe ground that the gospel should be free; that it was wrong to preachfor money--ideas promulgated by the Sandemanians of those days, thefollowers of Robert Sandeman, a Scotchman, who organized the sect inEngland and in this country, it having originated with his father-in-law, John Glas, the sect being called either Glassites or Sandemanians, the former being given the preference in Scotland and England. Theideas of these people were followed out by the Smith family, and atAbby and Julia Smith's funeral, as at the funerals of those who hadgone before them, there was no officiating minister and no services. Simply a chapter of the Bible was read, and one or two who wished, maderemarks. On a fly-leaf of the Bible Julia Smith read every day waswritten the request that she should be buried by her sisters inGlastonbury, and with no name on the tombstone but that of her ownmaiden name. This request was followed out. The names of the Smithsisters are so unique, and inasmuch as they have never been known to beprinted correctly, it may not be out of place to give them here, preceding them by those of their parents, making a short family recordfor future reference:

Zephaniah H. Smith, born August 19, 1758. Died February 1, 1836. 

Hannah Hickok, born August 7, 1767. Died December 27, 1850

They were married May 31, 1756. 

DAUGHTERS OF THE ABOVE

Hancy Zephina, born March 16, 1787. Died June 30, 1871. 

Cyrinthia Sacretia, born May 18, 1788. Died August 19, 1864. 

Laurilla Aleroyla, born November 26, 1789. Died March 19, 1857. 

Julia Evelina, born May 27, 1792. Died March 6, 1886. 

Abby Hadassah, born June 1, 1797. Died July 23, 1878. 

Julia was educated at Mrs. Emma Willard's far-famed seminary at Troy, New York. Abby, the youngest of the family, was the one who added totheir fame, when, in November, 1873, at a town meeting in Glastonbury, she delivered a speech against taxation without representation. She hadjust attended the first Woman's Congress in New York, and on her wayback said she was going to make a speech on taxation; that she shouldapply to the authorites {sic} to speak in town hall on town meetingday. She and Julia owned considerable property in Glastonbury and theirtaxes were being increased while those of their neighbors (men) werenot. She applied to the authorities, but they would not let her speakin the hall, so she spoke from a wagon outside to a crowd of people. This speech was printed in a Hartford paper (the Courant) and wascopied all over the country, and the cry: "Abby Smith and her cows" wascaught up everywhere. Abby Smith's quaint, simple speeches attractedattention, and the sale of the cows at the sign-post aroused sympathy, and from that time on their fame grew apace. The hitherto light mail-bags of Glastonbury came loaded with mail matter from all quarters forthe Smith sisters. And this continued for some years, or till the deathof Abby in 1878, which was followed by the marriage of Julia thefollowing spring, and the discontinuance of the sale of the cows at thepublic sign-post. She married Mr. Amos A. Parker, both being eighty-seven years of age. Julia Smith sold the old family mansion inGlastonbury and bought a house at Parkville, Hartford. She died therein 1886 and her husband died in 1893, nearly one hundred and two yearsof age. 

F. E. B. 

Advertisements from original, Vol. 1

EIGHTY YEARS AND MORE

BEING THE REMINISCENCES OF

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON. 

(1815-1897. )

This new work by our distinguished countrywoman is a 12mo of 475 pp. , complete in one volume, cloth bound, with eleven portraits. Price $2. 00. 

I Dedicate This Volume To

Susan B. Anthony, My Steadfast Friend For Half A Century. 

CONTENTS. 

Chapter. 

I. 

Childhood. 

II. 

School Days. 

III. 

Girlhood. 

IV. 

Life at Peterboro. 

V. 

Our Wedding journey. 

VI. 

Homeward Bound. 

VII. 

Motherhood. 

VIII. 

Boston and Chelsea. 

IX. 

The First Woman's Rights Convention. 

X. 

Susan B. Anthony. 

XI. 

Susan B. Anthony (Continued). 

XII. 

My First Speech Before a Legislature. 

XIII. 

Reforms and Mobs. 

XIV. 

Views on Marriage and Divorce. 

XV. 

Women as Patriots. 

XVI. 

Pioneer Life in Kansas--Our Newspaper, "The Revolution. "

XVII. 

Lyceums and Lecturers. 

XVIII. 

Westward Ho!

XIX. 

The Spirit Of '76. 

XX. 

Writing "The History of Woman Suffrage. "

XXI. 

In the South of France. 

XXII. 

Reforms and Reformers in Great Britain. 

XXIII. 

Woman and Theology. 

XXIV. 

England and France Revisited. 

XXV. 

The International Council of Women. 

XXVI. 

My Last Visit to England. 

XXVII. 

Sixtieth Anniversary of the Class of 1832--The Woman's Bible. 

XXVIII. 

My Eightieth Birthday. 

PREFACE

The interest my family and friends have always manifested in thenarration of my early and varied experiences, and their earnest desireto have them in permanent form for the amusement of another generation, moved me to publish this volume. I am fully aware that its contents haveno especial artistic merit, being composed partly of extracts from mydiary, a few hasty sketches of my travels and people I have met, and ofmy opinions on many social questions. 

The story of my private life as the wife of an earnest reformer, as anenthusiastic housekeeper, proud of my skill in every department ofdomestic economy, and as the mother of seven children. , may amuse andbenefit the reader. 

The incidents of my public career as a leader in the most momentousreform yet launched upon the world--the emancipation of woman--will befound in "The History of Woman Suffrage. "

New York City, September, 1897 Elizabeth Cady Stanton. 

Mrs. Stanton in this book, in her inimitable way, relates anecdotesof, and experiences with, a number of the leading women, statesmen, authors, and reformers of the last sixty years. The following are a fewnames selected at random from the

INDEX OF NAMES. 

Beecher, Rev. Henry Ward. Bradlaugh, Hon. Charles, M. P. Bright, Hon. Jacob M. P. Bright, Hon. John, M. P. Browning, Robert. Bryant, William Cullen. Curtis, George William. Cobbe, Frances Power. Clarkson, Thomas. Charming, Rev. William Ellery. Carlisle, Lord and Lady. Byron, Lady. Cushman, Charlotte. Dana, Charles A. Douglass, Frederick. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Fry, Elizabeth. Fuller, Margaret. Garrison, William Lloyd. George, Henry. Grant, General Ulysses SGreeley, Horace. Grevy, President Jules. Holmes, Oliver Wendell. Hyacinthe, Pere. Ingersoll, Robert G. Kingsley, Canon Charles. Krapotkine, Prince. Lowell, James Russell. Martineau, Harriet. Mill, John Stuart. Mott, Lucretia. O'Connell, Daniel. Owen, Robert Dale. Parker, Rev. Theodore. Parnell, Hon. Charles Stuart, M. P. Phillips, Wendell. Seward, Governor William H. Shelley, Percy Bysshe. Smith, Hon. Gerrit. Stanton, Hon. Henry B. Stepniak. Stone, Lucy. Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Sumner, Hon. Charles. Whittier, John G. Willard, Emma. Willard, Frances E. 

See Press Comments on following pages. 

This book will be sent, mail prepaid, on receipt of price, by

European Publishing Company, W Broad Street, New York City. 

PRESS COMMENTS. 

It is a very readable book. --Albany Times-Union. 

The Reminiscences are delightful. --The Louisville Dispatch. 

The tale is as interesting as any romance or drama. --N. Y. Mail andExpress. 

A bright, entertaining tale, and one which contains much valuableinformation. --N. Y. Herald. 

We know of no other autobiography which will command more profoundinterest. --The Rocky Mountain News. 

It is the life story of a genuine American woman and will excite wideinterest. --The Minneapolis Tribune. 

A breezy narrative of a long and active life, told with spirit andhumor. --The Woman's Journal. 

Every sentence in this book would serve as a text for a chapter weremerited amplification practicable. --Ithaca Journal. 

The book is illustrated with a number of excellent portraits of theauthor, and is full of interest. --New London Day. 

A well written account of a long and busy life. A highly interestingbiography and a delightful book, which is well worth reading. --N. Y. Evening World. 

A human document of no small interest and value. A straightforward andpiquant story of a noteworthy personality. --The Chicago Tribune. 

A combination of several kinds of charm. It is frankly personal. It isimpossible not to wish there had been very much more of each chapter. --N. Y. Evening Sun. 

It is unexpectedly amusing, as well as instructive, some of theauthor's experiences being narrated in a most realistic and delightfulmanner. --Washington Post. 

Two chapters of this interesting autobiography are devoted to MissSusan B. Anthony, the friend and fellow-laborer in the field of Woman'sRights with Mrs. Stanton. --Jeannette L. Gilder in N. Y. Sunday Journal. 

It is a book well worth reading and shows what one woman may do with apurpose and a will back of it. The personal part of the Reminiscencesare of much interest, and force admiration for the tactful, courageousand able woman. --Pittsburg Post. 

It is one of the most important books of the year, Particularly to thewomen of this country. It is absorbingly interesting. The trouble thatthe reader encounters is that he finds it hard work to lay the bookdown. --Boston Daily Advertiser. 

The story of the life of this great American woman will be read withmuch interest in many homes. It is a book of much artistic merit andher Reminiscences cannot be other than interesting. The book throughoutis delightfully entertaining--Troy Times. 

A most charming and interesting picture of a wife, mother and afriend. Every one who has seen or heard of this leader of the womanquestion of the century will rejoice that such a book has been given tothe world. --Boston Investigator. 

It is not principally the record of her public career as a leader inthe movement for the emancipation of woman, but rather the story of herprivate life which is set forth in this volume. Especially interestingare those reminiscences that deal with the author's early days. --N. Y. Sun. 

This book abounds in interesting experiences. The style is simple andamusing, showing the writer possessed of a keen sense of humor and thefitness of things, as well as justice. It is particularly interestingto women whether they sympathize with the views of the writer orotherwise. --Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book and never lacking in interest. Itwill be an inspiration for American girls to read its chapters. Shegives graphic pictures. The volume contains several fine portraits. Thebook is racy and pleasing, whether the reader agrees with the author inall things or not. --Chicago Inter-Ocean. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton's recollections, covering eighty years, easilycome first in the array of new noteworthy books, because of thesurprise they will afford the public, having been almost unheralded;because of the impressive and protracted public career of the author;because of her inflexible devotion to and sincerity in a cause longunpopular, and because, moreover, Mrs. Stanton is an American. This isa most interesting volume. --N. Y. Times. 

Eighty Years and More. 

Being the Reminiscences of ELIZABETH CADY STANTON. Complete In onevolume. 12mo, 475 pp. Cloth, eleven portraits. Price $2. 00. 

PRESS COMMENTS--(Continued). 

The story of Mrs. Stanton's life is one which interests many thousandsin this country, and which will also be read with interest in otherlands, for her reputation as a reformer and writer is international;her strong personal characteristics give to this autobiographical worka charm of its own. It contains some of the most entertainingreminiscences that have been given to the public. It is a book which issure to be widely read. --Worcester Spy. 

The personal element is the fascinating part of the book which holdsone's attention and keeps him reading to the end. It is a bright, breezy, and radical turn-the-world-upside-down book. We do not like itsreligious tone. We do not like the author's occult theosophy. We do notlike her sociology, with its good word for the windmill logic of thespeculative Bellamy. We do not like her views of marriage and divorce. But when all is said, and with all these wide differences lying betweenus to qualify our enjoyment of this book, we have enjoyed it much. Mrs. Stanton is a first-rate raconteuse and fills her pages with amusingrecitals and brilliant encounters--N. Y. Independent. 

TO WOMAN SUFFRAGE CLUBS: We will supply Clubs with single copies ofthis book at $2 per copy, postage prepaid. We will forward five (5)copies of this book to any address, express charges prepaid, on thereceipt of six dollars ($6. 00). 

We Wish An Agent In Every Woman Suffrage Club. Correspondence withthose who desire to become Agents solicited. 

SPEECHES, LETTERS AND MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS

OF

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON. 

12mo, 500 pp. , cloth, five portraits. Price $2. 00. 

This work will be similar in style and binding to Eighty Years andMore, will contain valuable editorial notes by Theodore Stanton, A. M. , and will be published in January, 1899. 

New York

European Publishing Company

And Paris

THE WOMAN'S BIBLE. 

COMPLETE IN TWO PARTS. 

REVISING COMMITTEE. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford. Clara Bewick Colby. Rev. Augusta Chapin. Mary Seymour Howell. Josephine K. Henry. Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll. Sarah A. Underwood. Catharine F. Stebbins. Ellen Battelle Dietrick. Ursula N. Gestefeld. Lillie Devereux Blake. Matilda Joslyn Gage. Rev. Olympia Brown. Frances Ellen Burr. Clara B. Neyman. Helen H. Gardener. Charlotte Beebe Wilbour. Lucinda B. Chandler. Louisa Southworth. Baroness Alexandra Gripenberg, Finland. Ursula M. Bright, England. Irma von Troll-Borostyani, Austria. Priscilla Bright McLaren, Scotland. Isabelle Bogelot, France. 

PART I. 

A 12mo, 160 pp. Paper. Third American and Second English Edition. Twentieth Thousand. Price 50 Cents. 

It contains Comments on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, andDeuteronomy, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lillie Devereux Blake, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Clara Bewick Colby, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, UrsulaN. Gestefeld, Louisa Southworth, Frances Ellen Burr. 

PART II. 

A 12mo, 217 pp. Paper. First American Edition, Ten Thousand. Price 50Cents. 

It contains Comments on The Old and New Testaments from Joshua toRevelation, by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Louisa Southworth, Lucinda B. Chandler, Anonymous, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, ClaraB. Neyman, Frances Ellen Burr, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, and Letters andComments in an Appendix, by Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell, Mary A. Livermore, Frances E. Willard, Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll, Irma von Troll-Borostyani, Mrs. Jacob Bright, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Anonymous, SusanB. Anthony, Edna D. Cheney, Sarah A. Underwood, Dr. ElizabethBlackwell, Josephine K. Henry, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Catharine F. Stebbins, Alice Stone Blackwell, Matilda Joslyn Gage, E. T. M. , Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and others, and the resolution passed by theNational-American Woman Suffrage Association, repudiating "The Woman'sBible, " together with the discussion thereon. 

See Press Comments on The Woman's Bible on next page. 

PRESS COMMENTS

ON THE

WOMAN'S BIBLE

The comments are right up to date. --Cincinnati Tribune. 

The most humorous book of the year. --The Hartford Seminary Record. 

Of all possible books this is perhaps the most extraordinary possible. --The Week, Toronto, Canada. 

A very clever analysis of passages relating to the sex. --PublicOpinion, N. Y. City. 

The new Woman's Bible is one of the remarkable productions of thecentury. --Denver News. 

A unique edition of the Scripture. An extraordinary presentment ofHoly Writ!--Denver Times. 

The work is unique. Its aim is to help the cause of woman in herbattle for equality. --Beacon, Akron, Ohio. 

Robert G. Ingersoll is the only person on earth capable of a workequal to Mrs. Stanton's sensation, "The Woman's Bible. "--Chicago Times-Herald. 

The attack of the new woman on the King James Bible will be observedwith interest where it does not alarm. But let "The Woman's Bible" andthe truth prevail. It may be that Lot himself was turned into a pillarof salt. --Chicago Post. 

It has come at last, as it was bound to come--the emancipated woman'sBible. The wonder is it has been delayed so long. This is not ablasphemous book. --The Egyptian Gazette, Alexandria, Egypt. 

The "new woman" has broken out in a fresh direction and published "TheWoman's Bible. " In it the conduct of Adam, the father of the race, isdescribed as "to the last degree dastardly. "--Westminster Budget, London, Eng. 

One of the most striking protests devised by woman for the purpose ofshowing her rejection of the conditions under which our mothers lived. It is evidently the mission of "The Woman's Bible" to exalt and dignifywoman. --The Morning, London, Eng. 

We have read some of the passages of the commentary prepared for "theWoman's Bible" by that very accomplished American woman and Biblicalstudent, Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton. They are a great deal moresatisfactory than many of the comments upon the same texts that we haveread in other and more pretentious Commentaries. Mrs. Stanton'sinterpretative remarks are shrewd and sensible--Editorial N. Y. Sun. 

Of man-made commentaries on the Bible we have had sufficient to stocka library and yet they have left room for this commentary by women. These revisers have proved the need of an intelligent examination ofthe Scriptures from the woman's point of view. The lady commentatorsare not wanting in a sense of humor--the quality in which biblicalcritics of the male sex are usually unhappily deficient. There is muchthat is very funny and very interesting in this new commentary upon theBible. --The Daily Chronicle, London, Eng. 

The Standard says, "The Sisterhood of Advanced Women has taken a boldstep towards emancipation. It has long groaned under certainimplications of servitude contained in a few passages of Scripture, andhas, therefore, determined to abolish these disabilities by publishing'The Woman's Bible. '" It is not only the type that is new. New readingsof old passages are given, and the volume contains suggestions to showthat the verses about women's inferiority really mean the opposite ofthe ordinary acceptation. In it Eve is rather praised than otherwisefor having eaten the apple. It is pointed out that Satan did not tempther with an array of silks and satins, and gold watches, or even acycling costume--the things which some people think most seductive toher descendants--but with the offer of knowledge; a man being of such alethargic and groveling nature that a similar lofty ambition neverentered his mind. Besides, if the fruit was not to be eaten, Eve shouldhave been informed of the fact at first hand, and not through anagent. --Pall Mall Gazette, London, Eng. 

The above books will be sent, mail prepaid, on receipt of price, by

European Publishing Company, 68 Broad Street, New York City. 

THE WOMAN'S BIBLE

PART II

COMMENTS ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

FROM

JOSHUA TO REVELATION

"OH! Rather give me commentators plain, Who with no deep researches vex the brain;Who from the dark and doubtful love to run. And hold their glimmering tapers to the sun. "

--The Parish Register. 

1898. 

The Bible in its teachings degrades Woman from Genesis to Revelations. 

REVISING COMMITTEE. 

"We took sweet counsel together. "-Ps. Iv. , 14. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Clara Bewick Colby, Rev. Augusta Chapin, Ursula N. Gestefeld, Mary Seymour Howell, Josephine K. Henry, Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll, Sarah A. Underwood, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, [FN#4]

Lillie Devereux Blake, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Rev. Olympia Brown, Frances Ellen Burr, Clara B. Neyman, Helen H. Gardener, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, Lucinda B. Chandler, Catharine F. Stebbins, Louisa Southworth. 

[FN#4] Deceased. 

FOREIGN MEMBERS. 

Baroness Alexandra Gripenberg, Finland, Ursula M. Bright, England, Irma Von Troll-Borostyani, Austria, Priscilla Bright Mclaren, Scotland, Isabelle Bogelot, France. 

COMMENTS ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS

FROM

JOSHUA TO REVELATION, BY

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ellen Battelle Dietrick, Louisa Southworth, Lucinda B. Chandler, Anonymous, Matilda Joslyn Gage, Frances Ellen Burr, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Clara B. Neyman. 

APPENDIX. 

LETTERS AND COMMENTS BY

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Josephine K. Henry, Frances E. Willard, Eva A. Ingersoll, Mary A. Livermore, Irma von Troll-Borostyani, Mrs. JacobBright, Rev. Antoinette Brown Blackwell, Anonymous, Rev. Phebe A. Hanaford, Ednah D. Cheney, Sarah A. Underwood, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Alice Stone Blackwell, Ursula N. Gestefeld, E. M. , Matilda Joslyn Gage, Sarah M. Perkins, and Catharine F. Stebbins. 

Resolution

Of

National-American Woman Suffrage Association repudiating "The Woman'sBible, " and Speech of Susan B. Anthony. 

Dedicated To The Memory Of

Ellen Battelle Dietrick, In Whose Death We Lost The Ablest Member Of Our Revising Committee. 

PREFACE TO PART II. 

The criticisms on "The Woman's Bible" are as varied as they areunreasonable. Both friend and foe object to the title. When John StuartMill wrote his "Subjection of Woman" there was a great outcry againstthat title. He said that proved it to be a good one. The critics said:"It will suggest to women that they are in subjection and make themrebellious. " "That, " said he, "is just the effect I wish to produce. "Rider Haggard's "She" was denounced so universally that every one readit to see who "She" was. Thus the title in both cases called attentionto the book. 

The critics say that our title should have been "Commentaries on theBible. " That would have been misleading, as the book simply containsshort comments on the passages referring to woman. Some say that itshould have been "The Women of the Bible;" but several books with thattitle have already been published. The Rev. T. DeWitt Talmage says:"You might as well have a 'Shoemakers' Bible'; the Scriptures apply towomen as we'll as to men. " As the Bible treats women as of a differentclass, inferior to man or in subjection to him, which is not the casewith shoemakers, Mr. Talmage's criticism has no significance. 

"There's nothing so becomes a man, As modest stillness and humility. "

Another clergyman says: "It is the work of women, and the devil. " Thisis a grave mistake. His Satanic Majesty was not invited to join theRevising Committee, which consists of women alone. Moreover, he hasbeen so busy of late years attending Synods, General Assemblies andConferences, to prevent the recognition of women delegates, that hehas had no time to study the languages and "higher criticism. "

Other critics say that our comments do not display a profoundknowledge of Biblical history or of the Greek and Hebrew languages. Asthe position of woman in all religions is the same, it does not need aknowledge of either Greek, Hebrew or the works of scholars to show thatthe Bible degrades the Mothers of the Race. Furthermore, "The Woman'sBible" is intended for readers who do not care for, and would not beconvinced by, a learned, technical work of so-called "higher criticism. "

The Old Testament makes woman a mere after-thought in creation; theauthor of evil; cursed in her maternity; a subject in marriage; and allfemale life, animal and human, unclean. The Church in all ages hastaught these doctrines and acted on them, claiming divine authoritytherefor. "As Christ is the head of the Church, so is man the head ofwoman. " This idea of woman's subordination is reiterated times withoutnumber, from Genesis to Revelations; and this is the basis of allchurch action. 

Parts I. And II. Of "The Woman's Bible" state these dogmas in plainEnglish, as agreeing fully with Bible teaching and church action. Andyet women meet in convention and denounce "The Woman's Bible, " whileclinging to the Church and their Scriptures. The only differencebetween us is, we say that these degrading ideas of woman emanated fromthe brain of man, while the Church says that they came from God. 

Now, to my mind, the Revising Committee of "The Woman's Bible, " indenying divine inspiration for such demoralizing ideas, shows a moreworshipful reverence for the great Spirit of All Good than does theChurch. We have made a fetich of the Bible long enough. The time hascome to read it as we do all other books, accepting the good andrejecting the evil it teaches. 

"There lives more faith in honest doubt, Believe me, than in half the creeds. "

Hon. Andrew D. White, formerly President of Cornell University, showsus in his great work, "A History of the Warfare of Science withTheology, " that the Bible, with its fables, allegories and endlesscontradictions, has been the great block in the way of civilization. All through the centuries scholars and scientists have been imprisoned, tortured and burned alive for some discovery which seemed to conflictwith a petty text of Scripture. Surely the immutable laws of theuniverse can teach more impressive and exalted lessons than the holybooks of all the religions on earth. 

ELIZABETH CADY STANTON. 

January, 1898. 

THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 

Joshua ii. 

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spysecretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, andcame into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. 

2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came menin hither to-night of the children of Israel to search out the country. 

3 And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the menthat are come to thee which are entered into thine house: for they become to search out all the country. 

4 And the woman took the two men, and hid them and said thus, Therecame men unto me, but I wist not whence they were. 

5 And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate when itwas dark, that the men went out; whither the men went I wot not; pursueafter them quickly; for ye shall overtake them. 

This book gives an account of the final entrance of the children ofIsrael into the Promised Land. Joshua was the successor of Moses, andperformed the same miracle in parting the waters of the Jordan thatMoses did to enable his people to pass through the Red Sea. He wasseven years fighting his way into the land of Canaan, where he spentthe closing years of his life in peace. 

There is mention of two women only in this book, though a casualreference is again made to the daughters of Zelophehad, as described ina former chapter. 

In saving the spies from their pursuers, Rahab made them promise thatwhen Jericho fell into the hands of Joshua, they would save her and herkinsmen. From the text, it seems that Rahab fully understood the spiritof her time, and with keen insight and religious fervor, markedcharacteristics of women, she readily entered into the plans of thegreat general of Israel. 

Rahab was supposed to have been a great sinner, her life in manyrespects questionable; but seeing that victory was with the Israelites, she cast her lot with them. From the text and what we know of humanityin general, it is difficult to decide Rahab's real motive, whether toserve the Lord by helping Joshua to take the land of Canaan, or tosave her own life and that of her kinsmen. It is interesting to seemat in all national emergencies, leading men are quite willing to availthemselves of the craft and cunning of women, qualities uniformlycondemned when used for their own advantage. 

There is no more significance, as one of our critics says, incommentating on the myths of the Bible than on Aesop's fables. Thedifference, however, is this: that in the latter case we admit thatthey were written by a man; while in the former, they are claimed tohave been inspired by God. Though at variance with all natural laws, itis claimed that our eternal salvation depends on believing in theplenary inspiration of the myths of the Scriptures; as the "highercriticisms, " written by learned scholars and scientists, are notfamiliar to women, our comments in plain English may rid them of someof their superstitions. 

Though the injustice to woman is the blackest page in sacred history, the distinguished Biblical writers take no note of it whatever. EvenHon. Andrew D. White, though he devotes several pages of his work tothe statue of Lot's wife in salt, vouchsafes no criticism on theposition of Lot's wife in the flesh, nor of Lot's outrageous treatmentof his daughters. The wonder is that women themselves should eitherbelieve that such unholy proceedings were inspired by God, or make afetich of the very book which is responsible for their civil and socialdegradation. 

Joshua x. 

11 And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were inthe going down to Beth-horon, that the Lord cast down great stones fromheaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which diedwith hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with thesword. 

12 Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered upthe Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight ofIsrael, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in thevalley of Ajalon. 

13 And the Sun stood still, and the Moon stayed, until the people hadavenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the bookof Jasher? So the Sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hastednot to go down about a whole day. 

14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lordhearkened unto the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. 

According to the sacred fabulist, Joshua surpassed Moses in thewonders which he performed. In taking the city of Jericho, asrecorded in Chapter viii. , he did not use the ordinary enginery of war, but told his soldiers to blow a simultaneous blast upon their trumpets, while all the people with united shouts should produce such a violentconcussion of the air as to bring down the walls of the city. He notonly subsidized the atmosphere to overpower his enemies, but hecommanded the sun and the moon to stand still to lengthen the day andto lighten the night until this victory was complete. 

It seems that the Lord was so well pleased with Joshua's refinedmilitary tactics that he suspended the laws of the vast solar system tovindicate the superior prowess of one small tribe on the small planetcalled the earth. The Lord also resorted to more material and forciblemeans, sending down tremendous hailstones from heaven, and thus withone fell blow destroyed more of his enemies than the children of Israeldid with the sword. 

There are no events recorded in secular history that strain the faithof the reader to such a degree as the feats of Joshua. Moses, with hismanna and pillar of light in the wilderness and his dazzlingpyrotechnics on Mount Sinai, fades into insignificance before thesemarvellous manifestations by Joshua, with the Canaanites, Jericho, andthe sun and moon under his feet. Though teaching the people that allthese fables are facts, still the Church condemns prestidigitators, soothsayers, fortune tellers, Spiritualists, witches, and theassumptions of Christian Scientists. 

Joshua xv. 

16 And Catch said, He that smiteth Kirjathesepher and taketh it, tohim will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. 

17 And Othniel, the son of Kenez, the brother of Caleb, took it; andhe gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. 

18 And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him toask of her father a field: and she lighted off her ass; and Caleb saidunto her, What wouldest thou?

19 Who answered, Give me a blessing; for thou hast given me a southland; give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs, and the nether springs. 

In giving Achsah her inheritance it is evident that the judges ofIsrael had not forgotten the judgment of the Lord in the case ofZelophehad's daughters. He said to Moses, "When a father dies leavingno sons, the inheritance shall go to the daughters. Let this henceforthbe an ordinance in Israel. " Very good as far as it goes; but in casethere were sons, justice demanded that daughters should have an equalshare in the inheritance. 

As the Lord has put it into the hearts of the women of this Republicto demand equal rights in everything and everywhere, and as He is saidto be immutable and unchangeable, it is fair to infer that Moses didnot fully comprehend the message, and in proclaiming it to the greatassembly he gave his own interpretation, just as our judges do in thisyear of the Lord 1898. 

Achsah's example is worthy the imitation of the women of thisRepublic. She did not humbly accept what was given her, but bravelyasked for more. We should give to our rulers, our sires and sons norest until all our rights--social, civil and political--are fullyaccorded. How are men to know what we want unless we tell them? Theyhave no idea that our wants, material and spiritual, are the same astheirs; that we love justice, liberty and equality as well as they do;that we believe in the principles of self-government, in individualrights, individual conscience and judgment, the fundamental ideas ofthe Protestant religion and republican government. 

E. C. S. 

THE BOOK OF JUDGES. 

CHAPTER I. 

Judges i. 

19 And the Lord was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants ofthe mountain: but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. 

Judges ii. 

6 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel wentevery man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 

7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all thedays of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the greatworks of the Lord, that he did for Israel. 

8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being ahundred and ten years old. 

This book, supposed to have been written by Samuel the Prophet, coversa period of 300 years. During all of this time the children of Israelare in constant friction with the Lord and neighboring tribes, neverloyal to either. When at peace with the Lord, they are fighting withtheir neighbors; when at peace with them, worshiping their gods andgiving them their daughters in marriage, then the Lord is angry, andvents His wrath on them. Thus, they are continually between two fires;now repenting in sackcloth and ashes, and now, with the help of theLord, blessed with victories. 

Life with them was a brief period of success and defeat. It seems thatthe Lord, according to their ideas, had His limitations, and could notfight tribes who had iron chariots. 

What could iron chariots be in the way of that Great Force whichcreates cyclones, hurricanes and earthquakes, or the pyrotechnics of athunderstorm. How little these people knew of the Great Intelligencebehind the laws of the universe, with whom they pretended to talk inthe Hebrew language, and from whom they claimed to have receiveddirections as to their treatment of women?

In the opening of this book Joshua still governs Israel. After hisdeath, the Lord raised up a succession of judges, remarkable fortheir uprightness and wisdom; but they found it impossible to keep thechosen people in the straight and narrow path. The children of Israeldid not learn wisdom by experience. They tired of a rigid code ofmorals, of a mystical system of theology, and of the women of their owntribe. There was a fascination in the manners and the appearance of anew type of womanhood which they could not resist. There should havebeen some allowance for these human proclivities. If the Jews of ourday had followed this tendency of their ancestors and intermarried withother nations, there would have been by this time no peculiar people topersecute. 

The most important feature of this book is the number of remarkablewomen herein described; six in number, Achsah, Deborah, Jael, Jephthah's daughter, Delilah, and two whose names are not mentioned--she who slew Abimelech, and the concubine of a Levite, whose fate wasterrible and repulsive. There are many instances in the Old Testamentwhere women have been thrown to the mob, like a bone to dogs, to pacifytheir passions; and women suffer to-day from these lessons of contempt, taught in a book so revered by the people. 

E. C. S. 

The writer of the Book of judges is unknown. Professor Moore, ofAndover Theological Seminary, supposes that the author used as a basisfor his work an older collection of tales wherein the heroes of Israeland the varying fortunes of the people were related, and which, likeall good tales, pointed a moral. In all Jewish literature is to befound the same moral--namely, that the prime cause of all of the evilswhich befell the Jewish people was unfaithfulness to Jehovah. "Adherence to the written law brings God's favor, while disobedience isfollowed by God's wrath and punishment. "

It is not obedience to the inner truth of the individual soul that ismade the spring of action, but obedience to an external authority, to abook, to a prophet, to a judge or to a king. In judges, to woman invarious ways is given an exalted position; she is not the abject slaveor unclean vessel, the drudge, the servile sinner, thenonentity, as depicted in other parts of the Bible. 

Woman has at no time of the world's history maintained the highposition which she commands to-day in the hearts of the best and mostenlightened; but there were stages when her independence was an assuredfact. With Christianity came the notion of man's dual nature; thephysical was looked upon as sinful; this earth was merely preparatoryfor a life beyond. Woman, as the mother of the race, was not honoredand revered as such, the monastic idea being considered more God-like, she was made the instrument of sin. To be born into this life was not ablessing so long as ascetism ruled supreme. 

The Bible has been of service in some respects; but the time has comefor us to point out the evil of many of its teachings. It now behoovesus to throw the light of a new civilization upon the women who figurein the Book of judges. We begin with Achsah, a woman of good sense. Married to a hero, she must needs look out for material subsistence. Her husband being a warrior, had probably no property of his own, sothat upon her devolved the necessity of providing the means oflivelihood. Great men, heroic warriors, generally lack the practicalvirtues, so that it seems befitting in her to ask of her father theblessing of a fruitful piece of land; her husband would have beensatisfied with the south land. She knew that she required the upper andthe nether springs to fertilize it, so that it might yield a successfulharvest. 

C. B. N. 

CHAPTER II. 

Judges iv. 

4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel atthat time. 

5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Beth-el in Mount Ephraim; and the children of Israel came up to her forjudgment. 

6 And she sent and called Barak, the son of Abinoam, out of Kedesh-naphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousandmen of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

7 And I will draw unto thee, to the river Kishon, Sisera the captainof Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I willdeliver him into thine hand. 

8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go;but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. 

9 And she said, I will surely go with thee; notwithstanding thejourney that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the Lordshall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and wentwith Barak to Kedesh. 

10 And Barak called Zebulon and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went upwith ten thousand men at his feet; and Deborah went up with him. 

Some commentators say that Deborah was not married to a man by thename of Lapidoth, that such a terminology is not customary to the nameof a person, but of a place. They think that the text should read, Deborah of Lapidoth. Indeed, Deborah seems to have had too muchindependence of character, wisdom and self-reliance to have ever filledthe role of the Jewish idea of a wife. 

"Deborah" signifies "bee;" and by her industry, sagacity, usefulnessand kindness to her friends and dependents she fully answers to hername. "Lapidoth" signifies "lamps. " The Rabbis say that Deborah wasemployed to make wicks for the lamps in the Tabernacle; and havingstooped to that humble office for God's service, she was afterwardexalted as a prophetess, to special illumination and communion with God--the first woman thus honored in Scripture. 

Deborah was a woman of great ability. She was consulted by thechildren of Israel in all matters of government, of religion and ofwar. Her judgment seat was under a palm tree, known ever after as"Deborah's Palm. " Though she was one of the great judges of Israel forforty years, her name is not in the list, as it should have been, withGideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah. Men have always beenslow to confer on women the honors; which they deserve. 

Deborah did not judge as a princess by any civil authority conferredupon her, but as a prophetess, as the mouthpiece of God, redressinggrievances and correcting abuses. The children of Israel appealed toher, not so much to settle controversies between man and man as tolearn what was amiss in their service to God; yet she did take anactive part in the councils of war and spurred the generals to theirduty. 

The text shows Barak hesitating and lukewarm in the last eventfulbattle with Sisera and his host. He flatly refused to go unless Deborahwould go with him. She was the divinely chosen leader; to her came thecommand, "Go to Mount Tabor and meet Sisera and his host. " Notconsidering herself fit too lead an army, she chose Barak, who hadalready distinguished himself. He, feeling the need of her wisdom andinspiration, insisted that she accompany him; so, mounted on pure whitejackasses, they started for the field of battle. The color of thejackass indicated the class to which the rider belonged. Distinguishedpersonages were always mounted on pure white and ordinary mortals ongray or mottled animals. 

As they journeyed along side by side, with wonderful insight Deborahsaw what was passing in Barak's mind; he was already pluming himself onhis victory over Sisera. So she told him that the victory would not behis, that the Lord would deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman. Itadded an extra pang to a man's death to be slain by the hand of awoman. Fortunately, poor Sisera was spared the knowledge of hishumiliation. What a picture of painful contrasts his death presents--aloving mother watching and praying at her window for the return of heronly son, while at the same time Jael performs her deadly deed andblasts that mother's hopes forever! What a melancholy dirge to her musthave been that song of triumph, chanted by the army of Deborah andBarak, and for years after, by generation after generation. 

We never hear sermons pointing women to the heroic virtues of Deborahas worthy of their imitation. Nothing is said in the pulpit to rousetheir from the apathy of ages, to inspire them to do and dare greatthings, to intellectual and spiritual achievements, in realcommunion with the Great Spirit of the Universe. Oh, no! The lessonsdoled out to women, from the canon law, the Bible, the prayer-books andthe catechisms, are meekness and self-abnegation; ever with coveredheads (a badge of servitude) to do some humble service for man; thatthey are unfit to sit as a delegate in a Methodist conference, to beordained to preach the Gospel, or to fill the office of elder, ofdeacon or of trustee, or to enter the Holy of Holies in cathedrals. 

Deborah was a poetess as well as a prophetess, a judge as well as ageneral. She composed the famous historical poem of that period on theeventful final battle with Sisera and his hosts; and she ordered thesoldiers to sing the triumphant song as they marched through the the{sic} land, that all the people might catch the strains and thatgenerations might proclaim the victory. 

Judges iv. 

18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, myLord, turn in to me: fear not. And when he had turned in unto her intothe tent, she covered him with a mantle. 

19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water todrink: for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave himto drink, and covered him. 

20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shallbe, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there anyman here? that thou shalt say, No. 

21 Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent, and took a hammerin her hand and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into histemples, and fastened it into the ground; for he was fast asleep andweary. So he died. 

22 And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, andsaid unto him, Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nailwas in his temples. 

The deception and the cruelty practised on Sisera by Jael under theguise of hospitality is revolting under our code of morality. To decoythe luckless general fleeing before his enemy into her tent, pledginghim safety, and with seeming tenderness ministering to his wants, withsuch words of sympathy and consolation lulling him to sleep, and thenin cold blood driving a nail through his temples, seems more like thework of a fiend than of a woman. 

The song of Deborah and Barak, in their triumph over Sisera, has beensung in cathedrals and oratorios and celebrated in all time for itsbeauty and pathos. The great generals did not forget in the hour ofvictory to place the crown of honor on the brow of Jael forwhat they considered a great deed of heroism. Jael imagined herself inthe line of her duty and specially called by the Lord to do thisservice for his people. 

Nations make their ideal gods like unto themselves. At this period Hewas the God of battles. Though He had made all the tribes, we hope, tothe best of His ability; yet He hated all, the sacred fabulist tellsus, but the tribe of Israel, and even they were objects of Hisvengeance half the time. Instead of Midianites and Philistines, in ourday we have saints and sinners, orthodox and heterodox, persecutingeach other, although you cannot distinguish them in the ordinary walksof life. They are governed by the same principles in the exchanges andthe marts of trade. 

E. C. S. 

Judges v. 

Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, on that day, saying, 2 Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the peoplewillingly offered themselves. 

3 Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I will sing untothe Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. 

4 Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of thefield of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the cloudsalso dropped water. 

5 The mountains melted from before the Lord even that Sinai frombefore the Lord God of Israel. 

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, thehighways were unoccupied and the travellers walked through byways. 

7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, untilthat I, Deborah, arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. 

The woman who most attracts our attention in the Book of judges isDeborah, priestess, prophetess, poetess and judge. What woman is therein modern or in ancient history who equals in loftiness of position, inpublic esteem and honorable distinction this gifted and heroic Jewishcreation? The writer who compiled the story of her gifts and deeds musthave had women before him who inspired him with such a wonderfulpersonality. How could Christianity teach and preach that women shouldbe silent in the church when already among the Jews equal honor wasshown to women? The truth is that Christianity has in many instancescircumscribed woman's sphere of action, and has been guilty of greatinjustice toward the whole sex. 

Deborah was, perhaps, only one of many women who held such high andhonorable positions. Unlike any modern ruler, Deborah dispensed justicedirectly, proclaimed war, led her men to victory, and glorified thedeeds of her army in immortal song. This is the most glorious tributeto woman's genius and power. If Deborah, way back in ancient Judaism, was considered wise enough to advise her people in time of need anddistress, why is it that at the end of the nineteenth century, womanhas to contend for equal rights and fight to regain every inch ofground she has lost since then? It is now an assured fact that not onlyamong the Hebrews, but also among the Greeks and the Germans, womenformerly maintained greater freedom and power. 

The struggle of to-day among the advanced of our sex is to regain andto reaffirm what has been lost since the establishment of Christianity. Every religion, says a modern thinker, has curtailed the rights ofwoman, has subjected her to man's ruling; in emphasizing the lifebeyond, the earthly existence became a secondary consideration. We arelearning the great harm which comes from this one-sided view of life;and by arousing woman to the dignity of her position we shall againhave women like Deborah, honored openly and publicly for politicalwisdom, to whom men will come in time of need. 

Genius knows no sex; and woman must again usurp her Divine prerogativeas a leader in thought, song and action. The religion of the futurewill honor and revere motherhood, wifehood and maidenhood. Asceticism, an erroneous philosophy, church doctrines based not upon reason or thefacts of life, issued out of crude imaginings; phantasms obstructed thetruth, held in check the wheel of progress. Let our church women turntheir gaze to such characters as Deborah, and claim the samerecognition in their different congregations. 

The antagonism which the Christian church has built up between themale and the female must entirely vanish. Together they will slay theenemies--ignorance, superstition and cruelty. United in everyenterprise, they will win; like Deborah and Barak, they will clear thehighways and restore peace and prosperity to their people. LikeDeborah, woman will forever be the inspired leader, if she will havethe courage to assert and maintain her power. Her aspirationsmust keep pace with the demands of our civilization. "New times teachnew duties. "

God never discriminates; it is man who has made the laws and compelledwoman to obey him. The Old Testament and the New are books written bymen; the coming Bible will be the result of the efforts of both, andcontain the wisdom of both sexes, their combined spiritual experience. Together they will unfold the mysteries of life, and heaven will behere on earth when love and justice reign supreme. 

C. B. N. 

Judges viii. 

30 And Gideon had three score and ten sons: for he had many wives. 

31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech. 

Judges ix. 

52 And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and wenthard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 

53 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech'shead, and all to break his skull. 

54 Then he called hastily unto the young man, his armour-bearer, andsaid unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, Awoman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 

Abimelech destroyed the city of Thebez, drove all the people into atower and then tried to set it on fire, as he had done in many placesbefore in his war on other tribes; but here he lost his life, and atthe hand of a woman, which was considered the greatest disgrace whichcould befall a man. Commentators say that as Sisera and Abimelech wereexceptionally proud and lofty, they were thus degraded in their death. Sisera was spared the knowledge of his fate by being taken off whenasleep; but Abimelech saw the stone coming and knew that it was fromthe hand of a woman, an added pang to his death agony. He had nothoughts of his wicked life nor his eternal welfare, but with his dyingbreath implored his armor-bearer to thrust him through with his sword, that it might not be said that he was slain by the hand of a woman. 

Abimelech had three score and ten brethren. It is said that his motherroused his ambition to be one of the judges of Israel. To attain thishe killed all his brethren but one, who escaped. He enjoyed hisill-gotten honors but a short space of time. We find many such storiesin the Hebrew mythology which have no foundation in fact. 

Judges xi. 

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shaltwithout fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 31 Then it shall be that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of myhouse to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. 

33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, eventwenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very greatslaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the childrenof Israel. 

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, hisdaughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and shewas his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. 

35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, andsaid, Alas, my daughter! thou has brought me very low, and thou art oneof them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, andI cannot go back. 

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouthunto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out ofthy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thineenemies, even of the children of Ammon. 

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let mealone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, andbewail my virginity, I and my fellows. 

A woman's vow, as we have already seen, could be disallowed at thepleasure of any male relative; but a man's was considered sacred eventhough it involved the violation of the sixth commandment, theviolation of the individual rights of another human being. These lovingfathers in the Old Testament, like Jephthah and Abraham, thought tomake themselves specially pleasing to the Lord by sacrificing theirchildren to Him as burnt offerings. If the ethics of their moral codehad permitted suicide, they might with some show of justice haveoffered themselves, if they thought that the first-born kid would notdo; but what right had they to offer up their sons and daughters inreturn for supposed favors from the Lord?

The submission of Isaac and Jephthah's daughter to this violation oftheir most sacred rights is truly pathetic. But, like all oppressedclasses, they were ignorant of the fact that they had any natural, inalienable rights. We have such a type of womanhood even in our day. Ifany man had asked Jephthah's daughter if she would not like to have theJewish law on vows so amended that she might disallow her father's vow, and thus secure to herself the right of life, she would no doubt havesaid, "No; I have all the rights I want, " just as a class of New Yorkwomen said in 1895, when it was proposed to amend the constitution ofthe State in their favor. 

The only favor which Jephthah's daughter asks, is that she may havetwo months of solitude on the mountain tops to bewail the fact that shewill die childless. Motherhood among the Jewish women was consideredthe highest honor and glory ever vouchsafed to mortals. So she waspermitted for a brief period to enjoy her freedom, accompanied by youngJewish maidens who had hoped to dance at her wedding. 

Commentators differ as to the probable fate of Jephthah's daughter. Some think that she was merely sequestered in some religious retreat, others that the Lord spoke to Jephthah as He did to Abraham forbiddingthe sacrifice. We might attribute this helpless condition of woman tothe benighted state of those times if we did not see the trail of theserpent through our civil laws and church discipline. 

This Jewish maiden is known in history only as Jephthah's daughter--she belongs to the no-name series. The father owns her absolutely, having her life even at his disposal. We often hear people laud thebeautiful submission and the self-sacrifice of this nameless maiden. Tome it is pitiful and painful. I would that this page of history weregilded with a dignified whole-souled rebellion. I would have haddaughter receive the father's confession with a stern rebuke, saying:"I will not consent to such a sacrifice. Your vow must be disallowed. You may sacrifice your own life as you please, but you have no rightover mine. I am on the threshold of life, the joys of youth and ofmiddle age are all before me. You are in the sunset; you have had yourblessings and your triumphs; but mine are yet to come. Life is to mefull of hope and of happiness. Better that you die than I, if the Godwhom you worship is pleased with the sacrifice of human life. Iconsider that God has made me the arbiter of my own fate and all mypossibilities. My first duty is to develop all the powers given to meand to make the most of myself and my own life. Self-development is ahigher duty than self-sacrifice. I demand the immediate abolition ofthe Jewish law on vows. Not with my consent can you fulfill yours. "This would have been a position worthy of a brave woman. 

E. C. S. 

The ideal womanhood portrayed by ancient writers has had by far toomuch sway. The prevailing type which permeates all literature is thatof inferiority and subjection. In early times Oriental poets oftenlikened woman to some clear, flawless jewel, and made them serve simplyas ornaments, while, on the other hand, they were made subordinate bythe legislation of barbarous minds; and men, because of their selfishpassion, have inflicted woe after woe upon them. Ancient literature iswholly against the equality of the sexes or the rights of women, andsubordinates them in every relation of life. 

The writings of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, are noexception to this rule. The reference, "The sons of God and daughtersof men, " while it admits of many interpolations, legendary or mythicalas it may be, portrays the real animus of the Scriptures. To whatextent the sentiment of the Hebrews favored sons rather than daughters, and the injustice of this distinction is fully exemplified by thestories of Abraham and Isaac, and of Jephthah and his daughter. Abrahamwas commanded by his God to sacrifice his son Isaac, after the mannerof the Canaanites, who often slew their children and burnt them upontheir altars in honor of their deities. But when all was made ready forthe sacrifice an angel of Jehovah appeared, the hand of Abraham wasstayed, and a ram was made a substitute for the son of promise. 

The conditions were quite different in the case of Jephthah and hisdaughter. The Israelites had been brought very low in their contestwith the Ammonites, and they chose the famous warrior, Jephthah, tolead them against their foe, who with warlike zeal summoned the hoststo battle. The risk was enormous, the enemy powerful, and the general, burning for victory, intent on securing the assistance of the Deity, made a solemn and fatal vow. 

In the first case it was a direct command of God, but means were foundto revoke this explicit command with regard to a son; in the secondcase it was only a hasty and unwise promise of a general going to war, and the prevailing sentiment of the age felt it unnecessary to evadeits fulfillment--the victim was only a girl. The unhappy father mustsacrifice his daughter!

What a masculine coloring is given to the rest of the narrative: "Amaiden who did not mourn her death, but wandered up and down themountain mourning her virginity. " So much glamor has been thrown bypoetry and by song, over the sacrifice of this Jewish maiden, that thepopular mind has become too benumbed to perceive its great injustice. The Iphigenias have been many and are still too numerous to awakencompassion. We must destroy the root of this false and perniciousteaching, and plant in its place a just and righteous doctrine. 

What women have to win for the race is a theory of conduct which shallbe more equitable. The unalterable subserviency of woman in her naturalcondition can never be overcome and social development progress so longas there is a lack of distributive justice to every living soul withoutdiscrimination of sex. 

L. S. 

CHAPTER III. 

Judges xiii. 

And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren. 

3 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said untoher, Behold now, thou art barren; but thou shalt conceive, and bear ason. 

4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strongdrink, and eat not any unclean thing:

5 For, lo, thou shalt bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head:for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God; and he shall begin todeliver Israel out of the hands of the Philistines. 

6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God cameunto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel ofGod, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told heme his name:

7 But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt bear a son; and now drink nowine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the childshall be a Nazarite to God to the day of his death. 

8 Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, O try Lord, let the man ofGod which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what weshall do unto the child that shall be born. 

9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah: and the angel of God cameagain unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husbandwas not with her. 

10 And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and saidunto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me theother day. 

11 And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, andsaid unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And hesaid, I am. 

12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we orderthe child, and how shall we do unto him?

13 And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said untothe woman let her beware. 

We come now to a very interesting incident, giving proof of theremarkable knowledge which the writers had of some intrinsic laws andthe power of transmission which, even to-day, are known and adhered toonly by a very small minority of wise, thoughtful mothers. However, thewife of Manoah, the future mother of Samson, is visited by an angel, giving her instructions as to her way of living during pregnancy. Itappears that the writer was acquainted with some pre-natal influencesand their effect upon the unborn. 

We are just now beginning to investigate the important problem ofchild culture. Many good thoughts have been given on this subject byearnest thinkers. A knowledge of these important laws of life willdo away with the most harassing evils and sins which human flesh isheir to. Intelligent, free mothers will be enabled to forecast not onlythe physical, but also the psychical, traits of their offspring. Howand why this once recognized knowledge was lost we know not. We may, however, rightly infer that so long as woman was not the arbiter of herown destiny she had no power to make use of this knowledge. Only thethoughful, {sic} independent wife can administer the laws and the rulesnecessary for her own wellbeing and that of her offspring. Freedom isthe first prerequisite to a noble life. 

Observe how simple and trustful the relation is between this husbandand wife. Manoah is thoughtful and ready to unite with his wife in allthat the angel had commanded. There is no trace of disunion or ofdisobedience to the higher law which his wife had been instructed tofollow. To her the law was revealed, and he sustained her in itsobservance. Mark, however, one difference from our interpretation ofto-day, and how the omission of it worked out the destruction of thechild. All the injunctions received were of a physical nature; strengthof body and faith in God were to be the attributes through which Samsonwas to serve his people. The absence of moral traits is very evident inSamson; and this is the reason why he fell an easy prey to the wiles ofdesigning women. It was not moral, but physical heroism whichdistinguished Samson from his combatants. Vengeance, cruelty, deceit, cunning devices were practised not only by the Philistines, butlikewise by the Nazarite. 

The angel who appeared to Manoah's wife was probably her own innersense, and the appearance is to be understood rather as a figure ofspeech than as an actual occurrence, although there may have been, asthere are to-day, people who were so credulous as to believe that suchthings actually occurred. The angel who whispers into our ears isknowledge, foresight, high motive, ideality, unselfish love. Aconscious attitude towards the ideal still unattained, a lofty standardof virtue for the coming offspring, an intelligent, pure fatherhood, and a wise, loving motherhood must take the place of a mysterious, instinctive trust--the blind faith of the past. C. B. N. 

One would suppose that this woman, so honored of God, worthy toconverse with angels on the most delicate of her domestic relations, might have had a name to designate her personality instead of beingmentioned merely--as the wife of Manoah or the mother of Samson. Isuppose that it is from these Biblical examples that the wives of thisRepublic are known as Mrs. John Doe or Mrs. Richard Roe, to whateverRoe or Doe she may belong. If she chance to marry two or three times, the woman's identity is wholly lost. To make this custom moreludicrous, women sometimes keep the names of two husbands, clingingonly to the maiden name, as Dolly Doe Roe, ignoring her family name, the father from whom she may have derived all of her talent. Samson'swife had no name, nor had the second woman on whom he bestowed hisattentions; to the third one is vouchsafed the name of Delilah, but nofamily name is mentioned. All three represented one type of characterand betrayed the "consecrated Nazarite, " "the canonized judge ofIsrael. "

It would be a great blessing to the race, if parents would take heedto the important lesson taught in the above texts. The nine months ofante-natal life is the period when the mother can make the deepestimpression in forming future character, when she has absolute power forweal or for woe over the immortal being. Locke, the philosopher, said, "Every child is born into the world with a mind like a piece of blankpaper, and we may write thereon whatever we will;" but Descartes said, "Nay, nay; the child is born with all its possibilities. You candevelop all you find there, but you cannot add genius or power. ""Nascitur, non fit, " although our learned blacksmith, Elihu Burritt, always reversed this motto. E. C. S. 

No body of ecclesiastics has taught the message of the angel of theLord to Manoah's wife as a message of direction from the Lord to savethe race from the disastrous results of strong drink and impure food. And although the degree of enlightenment attained shows that scienceand the instructions of the angel to Manoah's wife agree, thisknowledge does not protect the unborn child from the effects of theuse by the mothers of to-day of wine, strong drink andunclean food. 

Could the light which reveals to the mother what would be a savingpower to her child, be followed carefully by both herself and thefather during ante-natal life, the race would more rapidly be broughtto the full stature of its destined perfection. Not only is physicalendowment available to the child through the wholesome sustenance ofthe mother, but the qualities of the higher nature may also betransmitted, and moral grandeur be an inheritance equally with grandphysical powers. 

The theological teaching that has made human nature depraved and cutoff from the divine source of all perfection, has hindered thedevelopment of the higher faculties of understanding. It has led to amisapprehension of the creative power of parenthood. From the idea thatthe creation of humanity was finished "in the beginning, " and that manfell from his high estate as the image of God, has resulted ademoralized race. The instruction of the angel to Samson's mother, wasin accord with the dominant spirit that wrought the victories of Israelover enemies, and the reign of physical force that characterized thepeople of that age. 

The woman, having had no experience of motherhood, had not beensubject to the deep soul-stirring that belongs to the mystery of lifein a developed womanhood. Nor did that experience evidently transmit toSamson a high degree of moral strength. He was but a well developedphysical organism, which the spirit of life could act through withoutlimitation. He consorted with the harlot, but it was the woman whom heloved who succeeded in wringing from him the secret of his strength, and thus the possibility of delivering him to his enemies. 

In the relation of women to this man of might there is illustrated thedominant characteristics of the purely animal man. The father ofSamson's first wife gave her to another man after Samson had gone inanger to his father's house, and when he returned and proposed toresume his conjugal relations, this father proposed that he should takethe younger sister, who "was fairer than she. "

It is a significant suggestion of the quality of the relation thatSamson's first wife (who had also no name of her own) and Delilah, whom he loved, were both more loyal to their own people, and had moreregard for them, than for the man to whom they had been "given. "

L. B. C. 

Judges xiv. 

1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of thedaughters of the Philistines. 

2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I haveseen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: nowtherefore get her for me to wife. 

3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a womanamong the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thougoest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson saidunto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well. 

So the father and the mother, much against their wishes, went down toTimnath and secured for Samson the desired wife. He conformed to thecustom of the Philistines; and on the occasion of the nuptialsolemnities he made a great feast, and invited thirty young men to joinin the festivities, which lasted seven days. These feasts wereenlivened with interesting discussions, stories and riddles. Samsonpropounded one, with promises of valuable gifts to those who guessedthe riddle: "Out of the eater came forth meat, out of the strong cameforth sweetness. "

It seems that on one occasion, being attacked by a lion, Samson, without any weapon of defense, tore the lion to pieces. Passing thevineyard some time after, he went in to see if the lion still restedthere; and lo! the skeleton was a hive of bees. He partook freely ofthe honey and carried some to his parents. Being proof against thelion's paws, he had no fear of the bees. Day after day passed, and theyoung men could not guess the riddle. So they persuaded the wife tocoax him for the answer, with promises of silver if she succeeded, andthreatenings of wrath if she failed. So, with constant weeping anddoubts of his love, she at last worried the answer out of him, withpromises of secrecy. 

As soon as Samson saw that he was betrayed he sent his wife back toher father's house, who gave her at once to one of the leaders at thefestivities. As Samson loved the woman, he forgave her, and sought tobring her back to his own home. The father informed him that he hadalready given her to another, and that he might have the youngerdaughter, if he chose, who had far more grace and beauty. 

The commentators say that it was very generous in Samson to make thisconcession, as he was the party offended. But Samson was himself ariddle and a paradox of a man. "He saw something in her face whichpleased him well. " "He that in the choice of a wife is guided by hiseye, and governed by his fancy, must afterwards blame himself if hefind a Philistine in his arms. " It is a great calamity that even ablemen are so easily influenced by weak and wicked women to do what theyknow is dangerous; and yet they feel it a disparagement to follow theadvice of a good wife in what is virtuous and praiseworthy. 

Samson was most unfortunate in all his associations with women. It isa pity that the angel who impressed on his parents the importance ofconsidering everything that pertained to the physical development ofthe child, had not made some suggestions to them as to the formation ofhis moral character. Even his physical prowess was not used by him forany great purpose. To kill a lion, to walk off with the gates of thecity, to catch three hundred foxes and to tie them together by theirtails two by two, with firebrands to burn the cornfields and thevineyards--all this seems more like the frolics of a boy, than themilitary tactics of a great general or the statesmanship of a judge inIsrael. 

Samson does not seem to have learned wisdom from experience in hisdealings with women. He foolishly trusted another woman, "whose facepleased him, " with the secret of his great strength, which she, too, worried out of him with tears and doubts of his affection. For thebetrayal of his secret the Philistines paid her eleven hundred piecesof silver. 

In the last act of this complicated tragedy, it is said that Samson athis death killed more people than in all his life before. After Delilahbetrayed him into the hands of the Philistines, they put out his eyes, and left him to grind in the prison house. As was their custom, theybrought him out to make sport for the people assembled in a spaciousbuilding. As his hair had begun to grow, he braced himself against thedoor posts, overturned the building, and killed all of its occupants, and himself, gladly ending his own sad life. 

The name Delilah is fitly used to describe those who with flatterybring destruction on those whom they pretend to love. Many a strong manhas been slain by this type of designing woman. Commentators do notagree as to whether Delilah was an Israelite or a Philistine, probablythe latter, as Samson seemed to be more pleased with the women of thattribe than with those of his own. One hesitates to decide which is mostsurprising--Samson's weakness or Delilah's wickedness. 

E. C. S. 

The writer of the Book of Judges would fail in his endeavor to presenta complete picture of his time, did he omit the importantcharacteristic of a woman and her influence upon man therein portrayed. 

In Delilah, the treacherous, the sinister, the sensuous side of womanis depicted. Like Vivian, in the Idyls of King Arthur, Delilah uses--nay, abuses--the power which she had gained over Samson by virtue ofher beauty and her personal attractions. She uses these personal giftsfor a sinister purpose. They serve her as a snare to beguile the manwhose lust she had aroused. 

What a lesson this story teaches to men as well as to women! Let manovercome the lust of his eyes and prostitution will die a naturaldeath. Let woman beware that her influence is of the purest andhighest; let her spiritual nature be so attractive that man will bedrawn toward it. Forever "the eternal womanly draweth man" onward andupward. Soul unity will become the rule when the same chastity andpurity are demanded of the sexes alike. Woman's chastity is neversecure as long as there are two standards of morality. 

C. B. N. 

"Colonial days" is the felicitous term given by Rev. Dr. Lyman Abbott tothe period of nearly three centuries following the campaign against theinhabitants of Canaan, when the Israelites took possession of theirland. The Book of, Judges is a record of those "colonial days;" and theyare described also in the first part of the book which bears the name ofthe prophet Samuel. During those Hebrew "colonial days, " as Dr. Abbottstates, "there was no true Capital--indeed, no true Nation. There were avariety of separate provinces, having almost as little common life ashad the American colonies before the formation of the Constitution ofthe United States. In war these colonies united; in peace they separatedfrom each other again. "

But in one thing they were united. They clung to the teachings oftheir great law-giver, Moses, and emphasized a belief in one righteousGod. Whether expressed by priestly ritual or in prophetic declaration, the truth was clearly revealed that the Jews were a people whoworshiped one God, and that they accorded to Him the attribute ofrighteousness. He was a sovereign, but a just one. And to this beliefthey clung tenaciously, believing themselves justified in conqueringthe nations about them, because their God was the only ruler. 

The Book of Judges contains the record of many harrowing events; butwhat besides savagery can be expected of a warring people whose Deityis invoked as the "God of battles, " and who believed themselvesDivinely commissioned to drive other tribes from off the face of theearth! The book is as sensational as are our newspapers; and if eachchapter and verse were illustrated as are the papers of what is termedthe "New journalism, " they would present an appearance of striking andpainful similarity. 

The fate of Adoni-besek, an example of retributive justice; thetreacherous act of the left-handed Ehud, causing the death of the fatKing Eglon of Moab; the inhospitable cruelty--or cruel inhospitality--of Jael, the wife of Heber, whose hammer and nail are welded fast inhistorical narration with the brow of the sleeping guest, Sisera, thecaptain of Jabin's army; the famous exploits of Gideon who, if he was asuperior strategist and warrior, gave little evidence, by his seventysons, of his morality according to Christian standards; the death ofAbimelech, which was half suicidal lest it should be said that awoman's hand had slain him; these, and more also of the same sort, leave the impression on the mind that those "colonial days" of theHebrew nation were far from days of peace or of high morality; and therecord of them is certainly as unfit for the minds of childrenand of youth as are the illustrated and graphic accounts of many unholyacts which are to found in our daily newspapers. 

General Weyler, in his Cuban warfare, has, in many respects, aprototype in General Gideon, and also in General Jephthah, "a mightyman of valor" and "the son of a harlot, " as the author of the Book ofJudges declares him to have been. We deprecate the savage butchery ofthe one--what ought we to say of the renown of the others? War iseverywhere terrible, and "deeds of violence and of blood" are sadreminders of the imperfections of mankind. The men of those "colonialdays" were far from being patterns of excellence; and the women"matched the men, " in most instances. Deborah, as a "mother in Israel, "won deserved renown, so that her song of victory is even now rehearsed, but it is a query that can have but one answer, whether her anthem oftriumph is not a musical rehearsal of treacherous and warlike deeds, unworthy of a woman's praise?

In the Book of judges Delilah appears, and if the mother of her stronglover, Samson, was not a perfect woman, in the modern sense, she hashelped to make some readers feel that the law of heredity is a revealerof secrets, and that the story of the angel of the Lord may be receivedwith due caution. The name "Delilah" has become a synonym for a womantempting to sin, and the moral weakness and physical strength of Samsonshow the power of heredity. But whether the stories should be in thehands of our youth, without sufficient explanation and wisecommentaries, is a question which coming days will solve to the extentof a wise elimination. Solemn lessons, and those of moral import, aregiven in the Book of Judges; yet, as a whole, the book does not leaveone with an exalted opinion of either the men or the women of thosedays. But it certainly gives no evidence that in shrewdness, in a wiseadaptation of means to ends, in a persistent effort after desiredobjects, in a successful accomplishment of plans and purposes, thewomen were the inferiors of the men in that age. They appear to havebeen their equals, and occasionally their superiors. 

P. A. H. 

THE BOOK OF RUTH. 

Ruth i. 

1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that therewas a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem--Judah went tosojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 

2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wifeNaomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion. And they cameinto the country of Moab, and continued there. 

3 And Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her twosons. 

4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the onewas Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there aboutten years. 

5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman wasleft of her two sons and her husband. 

6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return fromthe country of Moab; for she had heard in the country of Moab how thatthe Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. 

7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her twodaughters in law with her. 

8 And Naomi said unto her daughters in law, Go, return each to hermother's house;

The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, andwith me. 

10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thypeople. 

14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept: and Orpah kissed hermother in law; but Ruth clave to her. 

15 And he said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto herpeople, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. 

16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee: for whither thougoest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy peopleshall be my people, and thy God my God:

19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came topass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was movedabout them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for theAlmighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 

21 I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: whythen call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, andthe Almighty hath afflicted me. 

22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her. 

Commentators differ as to the exact period when this book was writtenand as to the judge who ruled Israel at that time. 

It must have been, however, in the beginning of the days when thejudges ruled, as Boaz, who married Ruth, was the son of Rahab, whoprotected the spies in Joshua's reign. Some say that it was in thereign of Deborah. Tradition says that the "Messiah was descended fromtwo Gentile maidens, Rahab and Ruth, and that Ruth was the daughter ofEglon, King of Moab; but this is denied, as Boaz, whom Ruth married, judged Israel two hundred years after Eglon's death. However widely theauthorities differ as to Ruth's genealogical tree, they all agree thatshe was a remarkably sincere, refined, discreet maiden, a lovingdaughter and an honored wife. "

Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, is severely criticised by Biblicalwriters for leaving his people and his country when in distress andseeking his fortune among the heathen Moabites, thus leading his sonsinto the temptation of taking strange wives. They say that the speedydeaths of the father and the sons were a proof of God's disapprobation. Naomi manifested such remarkable goodness and wisdom as a widow, thatone wonders that she did not use her influence to keep her husband inhis native land to share the trials of his neighbors. 

The tender friendship between Ruth and Naomi, so unusual with a mother-in-law, has been celebrated in poetry, in prose and in art the worldround. The scene between Naomi and her daughters in parting was mostaffectionate. As soon as Naomi decided to return to her own country, her daughters assisted her in making the necessary preparations. Ruthsecretly made her own, having decided to go with Naomi to the land ofJudea. 

When the appointed day arrived, mounted on three gray jackasses, theydeparted. A few miles out Naomi proposed to rest by the roadside and tosay farewell, and, after thanking them for all the love and kindnessthey had shown her, advised them to go no farther, but return to theirhome in that land of plenty. She told them frankly that she had no homeluxuries to offer, life with her would for them be poverty andprivation in a strange land, and she was not willing that they shouldsacrifice all the pleasures of their young lives for her. Sad andlonely with the loss of their husbands, parting with Naomi seemed tointensify their grief. United in a common sorrow, the three women stoodgazing in silence into each other's faces, until Naomi, with her usualself-control and common sense, again pointed out to them all thehardships involved in the change which they proposed. 

Her words made a deep impression on Orpah. She hesitated, and at lastdecided to abide by Naomi's advice; but not so with Ruth. Naomi had apeculiar magnetic attraction for her, a charm stronger than kindred, country or ease. Her expressions of steadfast friendship in making herdecision were so tender and sincere that they have become householdwords. She said: "Entreat me not to leave thee; for whither thou goestI will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be mypeople, and thy God my God; where thou diest will I die, and there willI be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but deathpart thee and me. " (These words are on a bronze tablet on the stoneover the grave of Robert Louis Stevenson at Samoa. )

Having bade farewell to Orpah, they journeyed together and made a homefor themselves in Bethlehem. Naomi owned a small house, lot and springof water on the outskirts of the town. After a few days of rest, Ruthsaid to Naomi, I must not sit here with folded hands, nor spend my timein visiting neighbors, nor in search of amusement, but I must go forthto work, to provide food and clothes, and leave thee to rest. As it wasthe season for the wheat and barley harvests, Ruth heard that laborerswere needed in the fields. It was evident that Ruth believed in thedignity of labor and of self-support. She thought, no doubt, that everyone with a sound mind in a sound body and two hands should earn her ownlivelihood. She threw her whole soul into her work and proved ablessing to her mother. So Naomi consented that she might go and gleanin the fields with other maidens engaged in that work. 

When Naomi was settled in Bethlehem she remembered that she had a richkinsman, Boaz, whose name means strength, a man of great wealth as wellas wisdom. Ruth was employed in the field of Boaz; and in due time hetook note of the fair maiden from Moab. In harvest time he needed manyextra hands, and he came often among the reapers to see how the workwent forward. He heard such good accounts of Ruth's industry, dignityand discretion that he ordered his men to make her work as easy aspossible, to leave plenty for her to glean and to carry home in theevening. This she often sold on the way, and bought something whichNaomi needed. 

Naomi and Ruth enjoyed their evenings together. Naomi did not spendthe day in idleness either. She had her spinning-wheel and loom tomake their garments; she worked also in her garden, raising vegetables, herbs and chickens; and they talked over their day's labor as theyenjoyed their simple supper of herb tea, bread and watercresses. Theirmenu was oft times more tempting, thanks to Ruth's generous purchaseson her way home. Being busy, practical women, their talk during theevening was chiefly on "ways and means;" they seldom rose to the higherthemes of pedagogics and psychology, subjects so familiar in the clubsof American women. 

E. C. S. 

Ruth ii. 

1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, ofthe family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. 

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean cars of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. Andshe said unto her, Go, my daughter. 

4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem . . . 

7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapersamong the sheaves: so she came. 

8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not toglean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast bymy maidens: . . . . It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hastdone unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband; and howthou hast left thy father and thy mother. 

19 And her mother-in-law said unto her, Where hast thou gleanedto-day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledgeof thee . . . . And Ruth said, the man's name is Boaz . . . . And Naomisaid unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 

It was a custom among the Israelites, in order to preserve their ownline, that the nearest kinsman should marry the young widow on whomtheir hopes depended. So when Naomi remembered that Boaz was herkinsman, and that as age made marriage with her undesirable, Ruth wouldbe the proper person to fill her place. With great tact on their partNaomi's wishes were accomplished. 

Boaz was the son of Salmon and Rahab, and according to the Chaldee wasnot only a mighty man in wealth but also in wisdom, a most rare andexcellent conjunction. Boaz was of the family of Elimelech, of whichRuth, by marriage, was a part also. Moreover, as she had adopted thecountry of Naomi and was a proselyte to her faith, her marriage withBoaz was in accordance with Jewish custom. Naomi was told by the spiritof prophecy, says the Chaldee, that from her line should descend sixof the most righteous men of the age, namely, David, Daniel, his threecompeers and the King Messiah. 

Commentators say that Boaz was probably himself one of the elders, orthe aldermen, of the city, and that he went up to the gates as onehaving authority, and not as a common person. They say that Ruth wasneither rich nor beautiful, but a poor stranger, "whose hard work inthe fields" had withered her "lilies and roses. " But Boaz had heard hervirtue and dignity extolled by all who knew her. The Chaldee says, "house and riches are the inheritance from fathers; but a prudent wifeis more valuable than rubies and is a special gift from heaven. " Boazprized Ruth for her virtues, for her great moral qualities of head andheart. He did not say like Samson, when his parents objected to hischoice, "her face pleaseth me. "

In narrating the story of Ruth and Naomi to children they invariablyask questions of interest, to which the sacred fabulist gives noanswer. They always ask if Ruth and Naomi had no pets when livingalone, before Obed made his appearance. If the modern historian may beallowed to wander occasionally outside of the received text, it may besaid undoubtedly that they had pets, as there is nothing said of catsand dogs and parrots, but frequent mention of doves, kids and lambs, wemay infer that in these gentle innocents they found their pets. Nodoubt Providence softened their solitude by providing them withsomething on which to expend their mother love. 

Ruth iv. 

1 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there; and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; unto whom he said, He, such aone! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. 

2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye downhere. 

3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of thecountry of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brotherElimelech's:

4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before theinhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeemit, redeem it; but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I mayknow; for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. 

5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the wife of the dead, to raise up thename of the dead upon his inheritance. 

6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mineown inheritance; redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot. 

Boaz was one of the district judges, and he held his court in the townhall over the gates of Bethlehem. The kinsman who was summoned toappear there and to settle the case readily agreed to the proposal ofBoaz to fill his place, as he was already married. He was willing totake the land; but as the widow and the land went together, accordingto the Jewish law of inheritance, Boaz was in a position to fill thelegal requirements; and as he loved Ruth, he was happy to do so. Ruthwas summoned to appear before the grave and reverend seigniors; thecivil pledges were made and the legal documents duly signed. Thereporter is silent as to the religious observances and the marriagefestivities. They were not as vigilant and as satisfying as are theskilled reporters of our day, who have the imagination to weave aconnected story and to give to us all the hidden facts which we desireto know. Our reporters would have told us how, when and where Ruth wasmarried, what kind of a house Boaz had, how Ruth was dressed, etc. , etc. , whereas we are left in doubt on all of these points. 

The historian does vouchsafe to give to us further information on thegeneral feeling of the people. They all joined in the prayer of theelders that the Lord would "make the woman that is come into thinehouse like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house ofIsrael;" they prayed for Boaz that he might be more famous andpowerful; they prayed for the wife that she might be a blessing in thehouse, and the husband in the public business of the town; that all oftheir children might be faithful in the church, and their descendantsbe as numerous as the sands of the sea. 

In due time one prayer was answered, and Ruth bore a son. Naomi lovedthe child and shared in its care. But Ruth said: "The, love of Naomi ismore to me than that of seven sons could be. " Naomi was a part ofRuth's household to the day of her death and shared all of her luxuriesand her happiness. 

The child's name was Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David. The name Obed signifies one who serves. The motto of the Prince ofWales is (ich dien) "I serve. " It is to be hoped that Obed was moreprofoundly interested in the problems of industrial economics than thePrince seems to be, and that he spent a more useful and practical life. If the Bethlehem newspapers had been as enterprising as our journalsthey would have given us some pictorialrepresentations of Obed on Naomi's lap, or at the baptismal font, or inthe arms of Boaz, who, like Napoleon, stood contemplating in silencehis firstborn. 

Some fastidious readers object to the general tenor of Ruth'scourtship. But as her manners conformed to the customs of the times, and as she followed Naomi's instructions implicitly, it is fair toassume that Ruth's conduct was irreproachable. 

E. C. S. 

BOOKS OF SAMUEL. 

CHAPTER I. 

1 Samuel i. 

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah. 

2 And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the nameof the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had nochildren. 

3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and tosacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. 

4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah hiswife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:

5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah; butPeninnah mocked her. 

7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of theLord; so she provoked her, therefore she wept, and did not eat. 

8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? andwhy eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better tothee than ten sons? Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of thetemple of the Lord. 

10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, andwept sore. 

11 And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeedlook on the affliction of thine handmaid, and wilt give unto me a manchild, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life. 

17 Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israelgrant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she bare ason, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him ofthe Lord. 

26 And she said, O my lord, as thy soul liveth, I am the woman thatstood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. 

27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petitionwhich I asked of him. 

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord, as long as he liveth. 

These books contain the history of the last two of the judges ofIsrael. Eli and Samuel were not as the rest, men of war, but priests. It is uncertain who wrote these books. Some say that Samuel wrote thehistory of his times, and that Nathan the Prophet continued it. Elkanah, though a godly man, had sore family trials, the result ofhaving married two wives, just as Abraham and Jacob did before him. Itis probable that Elkanah married Hannah from pure love; but she had nochildren, and as at that time every man had great pride in building upa family, he married Peninnah, who bare him children, but in otherrespects was a constant vexation. 

Peninnah was haughty and insolent because she had children, whileHannah was melancholy and discontented because she had none, henceElkanah had no pleasure in his daily life with either. He had adifficult part to act. Hoping much from the consolations of religion, he took his wives and children annually up to the temple of the Lord inShiloh to worship. Being of a devout spiritual nature, he thought thatworshiping at the same altar must produce greater harmony between hiswives. But Penninah {sic} became more peevish and provoking, and Hannahmore silent and sorrowful, weeping most of the time. Elkanah's love andpatience with Hannah was beautiful to behold. He paid her everypossible attention and gave her valuable gifts. 

Appreciating his own feelings, he said to her one day in an exuberantburst of devotion, "Am I not more to thee than ten sons?" He made peaceofferings to the Lord, gave Hannah the choice bits at the table, butall his delicate attentions made Hannah more melancholy and Peninnahmore rebellious. He and Hannah continued to, pray earnestly to the Lordto remove her reproach, and their prayers were at last answered. 

Eli was presiding at the temple one day when he noticed Hannah in aremote corner wrestling in prayer with the Lord. Though her manner wasintense, and her lips moved, he heard no sound, and inferred that shewas intoxicated. Hannah, hearing of his suspicion, said, that naughtbut the debauchery of his own sons could have made such a suspicionpossible. But Eli made atonement for his rash, unfriendly censure by akind of fatherly benediction. With all these adverse winds in thisvisit to Shiloh, Elkanah must have felt as if his family had beenpossessed by the spirit of evil. When the sons of God come "to presentthemselves before the Lord, Satan will be seen to come also. " Peninnahbehaved worse during these religious festivities because she saw moreof Elkanah's devotion to Hannah. Hannah became more sad because she waslosing faith in prayer. "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick. "

An endless discord in the harmony of the family joys was a puzzlingproblem for the sweet tempered Elkanah. But the ever-turning wheel offortune brought peace and prosperity to his domestic altar at last. Hannah bore a son and named him Samuel, which signifies"heard of the Lord, " or given by the Lord. Hannah was very modest inher petition; she said, "O Lord, give me a son, " while Rachel said, "give me children. "

The one sorrow which overtopped all others with these Bible women wasin regard to children. If they had none, they made everybody miserable. If they had children, they fanned the jealousies of one for the other. See how Rebekah deceived Isaac and defrauded Esau of his birthright. The men, instead of appealing to the common sense of the women, join inconstant prayer for the Lord to do what was sometimes impossible. 

Hannah in due time took Samuel up to the temple at Shiloh. Inpresenting Samuel to Eli the priest she reminded him that she was thewoman on whom he passed the severe comment; but now she came to presentthe child the Lord had given to her. She offered three bullocks, onefor each year of his life, one for a burnt offering, one for a sinoffering and one for a peace offering. So Hannah dedicated him whollyto the Lord and left him in Shiloh to be educated with the sons of thepriests. Although Samuel was Hannah's only child and dearly loved, shedid not hesitate to keep her vow unto the Lord. 

I. Samuel ii. 

11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did ministerunto the Lord before Eli the priest. 

18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with alinen ephod. 

19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to himfrom year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer theyearly sacrifice. 

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And they went unto their ownhome. 

21 And Hannah bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuelgrew before the Lord. 

The historians and commentators dwell on the fact that Hannah made herson "a little coat, " and brought one annually. It is more probable thatshe brought to him a complete suit of clothes once in three months, especially trousers, if those destined to service in the temple wereallowed to join in any sports. Even devotional genuflections are severeon that garment, which must have often needed Hannah's care. Her virtueand wisdom as a mother were in due time rewarded by five otherchildren, three sons and two daughters. 

And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. Saul was made kingat the request of the people. The ark of the Lord fell into the handsof the Philistines. This event, with the death of Eli and his sons, hadmost tragic results, viz. , in the killing of thirty thousand people andthe death of the wife of Phinehas, who was said to have been a woman ofgracious spirit, though the wife of a wicked husband. Her grief for thedeath of her husband and father-in-law proved her strong naturalaffection, but her much greater concern for the loss of the ark of theLord was an evidence of her devout affection to God. Her dying words, "the glory has departed from Israel, " show that her last thought was ofher religion. She named her son Ichabod, whose premature birth was theresult of many calamities, both public and private, crowning all withthe great battle with the Philistines. Samuel was the last judge ofIsrael. As the people clamored for a king, Saul was chosen to rule overthem. The women joined in the festivities of the occasion with musicand dancing. 

1 Samuel xviii. 

6 And it came to pass when David was returned from the slaughter ofthe Philistines that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets and instruments ofmusic. 

7 And the women answered one another a--, they played, and said, Saulhath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. 

8 And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they haveascribed but thousands; and what can he have more than the kingdom?

It was the custom among women to celebrate the triumphs of theirwarriors after a great battle in spectacular performances. Decked withwreaths, they danced down the public streets, singing the songs ofvictory in praise of their great leaders. They were speciallyenthusiastic over David, the chorus, "Saul hath killed his thousands, but David his ten thousands, " chanted with pride by beautiful maidensand wise matrons, stirred the very soul of Saul to deadly jealousy, andhe determined to suppress David in some way or to kill him outright. Itis not probable that any of these battle hymns, so much admired, emanated from the brain of woman; the blood and thunder style showsclearly that they were all written by the pen of a warrior, long afterthe women of their respective tribeswere at rest in Abraham's bosom. 

David was a general favorite; even the Philistines admired his courageand modesty. The killing of Goliath impressed the people generally thatDavid was the chosen of the Lord to succeed Saul as King of Israel. 

But on the heels of his triumphs David's troubles soon began. Saul wasabsorbed in plotting and in planning how to circumvent David, andlooked with jealousy on the warm friendship maturing between him andhis son Jonathan. 

17 And Saul said to David, Behold my elder daughter Merab; her will Igive thee to wife: only be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord'sbattles. For Saul said, Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the handof the Philistines be upon him. 

18 And David said unto Saul, Who am I? and what is my life, or myfather's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?

19 But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, shouldhave been given to David, that she was given unto Adriel, theMeholathite, to wife. 

20 And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David: and they told Saul, andthe thing pleased him. 

21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saulsaid to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of thetwain. 

22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with Davidsecretly, and say, Behold the king hath delight in thee, and all hisservants love thee: now therefore be the king's son-in-law. 

24 And Saul's servants spake those words in the ears of David. AndDavid said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?

28 And Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and thatMichal, Saul's daughter, loved him. 

Saul thought if he could get David to marry his daughter he would makeher a snare to entrap him. He promised David his daughter, and thenmarried her to another to provoke him to some act of violence, that hemight have an excuse for whatever he chose to do. But when Saul offeredto give him Michal, David modestly replied that he belonged to a humbleshepherd family and was not worthy to be the son-in-law of a king. 

In due time David did marry Michal, who loved him and proved ablessing rather than a snare. On one occasion when Saul had made secretplans to capture David, Michal with her diplomacy saved him. Saulsurrounded his house with guards and ordered them to kill David themoment he appeared in the morning. Michal, seeing their preparations, knew their significance, and at night, when all was still, she letDavid down through a window and told him to flee. In the morning, asDavid did not appear, they searched the house. Michal told them thatDavid was ill and in bed. She had covered the head of a wooden imagewith goat's hair and tucked the supposed David up snug and warm. Theguards would not wake a sick man in order to kill him, and theyreported what they saw to Saul, but he ordered them to return and tobring David, sick or well. 

When Saul found that he had escaped, he was very wroth and upbraidedMichal for her disrespect to him. Though she had saved the man sheloved, yet she marred her noble deed by saying that David would havekilled her if he suspected she had connived with her father to killhim. But alas! the poor woman was between two fires--the husband whomshe loved on one side, and the father whom she feared on the other. Most of the women in the Bible seem to have been in a quandary thechief part of the time. 

Saul made a special war on the soothsayers and the fortunetellers, because they were divining evil things of him. But losing faith inhimself and embittered by many troubles, be went to the witch of Endorto take counsel with Samuel, hoping to find more comfort with the deadthan with the living. The witch recognized him and asked him why hecame to her, having so cruelly persecuted her craft. However, shesummoned Samuel at his request, who told him that on the morrow, in thecoming battle with the Philistines, he and his sons would be slain bythe enemy. When the witch saw Saul's grief and consternation she beggedhim to eat, placing some tempting viands before him, which he did, andthen hastened to depart while it was yet dark, that he might not beseen coming from such a house. Commentators say it was not Samuel whoappeared, but Satan in the guise of the prophet, as he especiallyenjoys all psychical mysteries. Josephus extols the witch for hercourtesy, and Saul for his courage in going forth to the battle on thenext day to meet his doom. 

The poet says that the heart from love to one grows bountiful to all. This seems to have been the case with David as he adds wife to wife, Michal, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess. Hismeeting with Abigail in the hills of Carmel was quite romantic. 

She made an indelible impression on his heart, and as soon as herhusband was gathered to his fathers David at once proposed and wasaccepted. Though the women who attracted David were "beautiful to lookupon, " yet they had great qualities of head and heart, and he seemedequally devoted to all of them. When carried off captives in war hemade haste to recapture them. Michal's steadfastness seems questionableat one or two points of her career, but the historian does not let usinto the secret recesses of her feelings. 

David's time and thoughts seem to have been equally divided betweenthe study of government and social ethics, and he does not appear verywise in either. His honor shines brighter in his psalms than in hisordinary, everyday life. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER II. 

1 Samuel xxv. 

2 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; andthe man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousandgoats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 

3 Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail;and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautifulcountenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings. 

4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. 

5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

6 And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace beboth to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all thatthou hast. 

8 . . . Give, I pray thee, whatsover cometh to thine hand unto thyservants. 

10 And Nabal said, Who is David? and--who is the son of Jesse?

11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I havekilled for my shearers, and give unto men, whom I know not whence theybe?

12 So David's young men came and told him all these sayings. 

13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword; andDavid also girded on his sword: and there went up after David aboutfour hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff. 

14 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute ourmaster; and he railed on them. 

18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and twobottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures ofparched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred casesof figs, and laid them on asses. 

23 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground. 

25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, evenNabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly iswith him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whomthou didst send. 

32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, whichsent thee this day to meet me:

35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, andsaid unto her, Go up in peace to thine house;

38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smoteNabal, that he died. 

39 . . . And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to himto wife. 

41 And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with fivedamsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengersof David, and became his wife. 

The chief business of the women in the reigns of Kings Saul and Davidseems to have been to rescue men from the craft and the greed of eachother. The whole interest in this story of Nabal centres in the tact ofAbigail in saving their lives and possessions from threateneddestruction, owing to the folly and the ignorance of her husband. Hisname, Nabal, signifying folly, describes his character. 

It is a wonder that his parents should have given to him such a name, and a greater wonder that Abigail should have married him. He inheritedCaleb's estate; but he was far from inheriting his virtues. His wealthwas great; but he was a selfish, snarling cynic. Abigail's namesignifies "the joy of her father;" but he could not have promisedhimself much joy in her, caring more for the wealth than for the wisdomof her husband. Many a child is thus thrown away--married to worldlywealth and to nothing else which is desirable. Wisdom is good with aninheritance; but an inheritance without wisdom is good for nothing. Many an Abigail is tied to a Nabal; but even if they have herunderstanding they will find it hard enough to fill such a relation. 

David and his men were returning from Samuel's funeral through thewilderness of Paran and were in sore need of provisions, and knowingthat Nabal had immense wealth, and, moreover, that it was the seasonfor sheep shearing, David thought that he would be happy to place theking under obligations to him, and was surprised to find him sodisloyal. Abigail, however, appreciated the situation, and by hercourtesy and her generosity made amends for the rudeness of herhusband. She did not stop to parley with him, but hastened to meet theking with the needed provisions. She wasted no words of excuse forNabal, but spoke of him with marked contempt. Her conduct would haveshocked the Apostle who laid such stress on the motto, "Wives, obeyyour husbands. " "What little reason we have to value the wealth of thisworld, " says the historian, "when such a churl as Nabal abounds inplenty, while such a saint as David suffers want. "

David sent to him most gracious messages; but he replied in his usualgruff manner, "Who is David, that I should share with him my riches?What care I for the son of Jesse?" The servant did not return to Nabalwith David's outburst of wrath nor his resolution of vengeance; but hetold all to Abigail, who made haste to avert the threatened danger. Shedid what she saw was to be done, quickly. Wisdom in such a case wasbetter than weapons of war. 

Nabal begrudged the king and his retinue water; but Abigail gave themtwo casks of wine and all sorts of provisions in abundance. Shemet David on the march big with resentment, meditating the destructionof Nabal. But Abigail by her humility completely disarmed the king. With great respect and complaisance she urges him to lay all of theblame on her; and to attribute Nabal's faults to his want of wit, bornsimple, not spiteful. Abigail puts herself in the attitude of a humblepetitioner. 

David received all that Abigail brought him with many thanks. It isevident from the text that she gave to him many of the delicacies fromher larder. Ten days after this Nabal died. David immediately sentmessengers to Abigail asking her to be his wife. She readily accepted, as David had made a deep impression on her heart. So, with her fivedamsels, all mounted on white jackasses, she accompanied the messengersto the king and became his wife. 

The Hebrew mythology does not gild the season of courtship andmarriage with much sentiment or romance. The transfer of a camel or adonkey from one owner to another, no doubt, was often marked with moreconsideration than that of a daughter. One loves a faithful animal longin our possession and manifests more grief in parting than did theseHebrew fathers in giving away their daughters, or than the daughtersdid in leaving their family, their home or their country. 

We have no beautiful pictures of lovers sitting in shady groves, exchanging their tributes of love and of friendship, their hopes andfears of the future; no temples of knowledge where philosophers andlearned matrons discussed great questions of human destiny, such asGreek mythology gives to us; Socrates and Plato, learning wisdom at thefeet of the Diametias of their times, give to us a glimpse of a moreexalted type of womanhood than any which the sacred fabulists havevouchsafed thus far. 

2 Samuel iii. 

2 And unto David were sons born 'n Hebron: and his firstborn wasAmnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess:

3 And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite;and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king ofGeshur:

4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5 And the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born toDavid in Hebron. 

The last is called David's wife, his only rightful wife, Michal. Itwas a fault in David, say the commentators, thus to multiply wivescontrary to Jewish law. It was a bad example to his successors. Men whomake the laws should not be the first to disobey them. None of his sonswas famous, but three were infamous, due in part to their father'snature and example. 

14 And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David wasgirded with a linen ephod. 

15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lordwith shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. 

16 And as the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, MichalSaul's daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping anddancing before the Lord; and she despised him in her heart. 

20 Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughterof Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king ofIsrael to-day, who uncovered himself in the eyes of his servants, asone of the vain fellows. 

21 And David said unto Michal, It was before the Lord, which chose mebefore thy father. 

Michal, like Abigail, does not seem to have been overburdened withconjugal respect. She was so impatient to let the king know how heappeared in her sight that she could not wait at home, but went out tomeet him. She even questions the wisdom of such a parade over the ark, and tells the king that it would have been better to leave it where ithad been hidden for years. 

Neither Michal nor Abigail seem to have made idols of their husbands;they did not even consult them as to what they should think, say or do. They furnish a good example to wives to use their own judgment and tokeep their own secrets, not make the family altar a constantconfessional. 

2 Samuel xi. 

2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off hisbed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house, and saw a womanwashing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 

3 And David sent and inquired after her. And one said, Is not thisBath-she-ba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him. 

6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joabsent Uriah to David. 

7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joabdid, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. 

9 And Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all theservants of his lord, and went not down to his house. 

14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter toJoab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 

15 And he wrote in the letter saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront ofthe hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, anddie. 

16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assignedUriah unto a place where he knew thatvaliant men were. 

26 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and therefell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittitedied also. 

16 And when the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, shemourned for her husband. 

27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to hishouse, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing thatDavid had done displeased the Lord. 

This book contains but little in regard to women. What is worthy ofmention in the story of Bath-sheba is finished in the following book. David's first vision of her is such a reflection on his honor that, from respect to the "man after the Lord's own heart, " we pass it insilence. 

David's social ethics were not quite up to the standard even of hisown times. It is said that he was a master of his pen as well as of hissword. His poem on the death of Saul and Jonathan has been much praisedby literary critics. But, alas! David was not able to hold the Divineheights which he occasionally attained. As in the case of Bath-sheba, he remained where he could see her; instead of going with his army toJerusalem to attend to his duties as King of Israel and general of thearmy, he delegated them to others. Had he been at his post he wouldhave been out of the way of temptation. He used to pray three times aday, not only at morning and evening, but at noon also. It is to befeared than on this day he forgot his devotions and thought only ofBath-sheba. 

Uriah, the husband of Bath-sheba, was one of David's soldiers, a manof strict honor and virtue. To get rid of him for a season, David senthim with a message to one of the officers at Jerusalem, telling himthat in the next battle to place Uriah in the front rank that he mightdistinguish himself. Uriah was a poor man and tenderly loved his wife. He little knew the fatal contents of the letter which he carried. WhenJoab received the letter, he took it for granted that he was guilty ofsome crime and that the king wished him to be punished. So Joab obeyedthe king and Uriah was killed. In due time all this was known, andfilled the people with astonishment and greatly displeased the Lord. 

It is to be hoped that he did not commune with God during this period ofhumiliation or pen any psalms of praise for His goodness and mercy. Hemarried Bath-sheba, and she bore him a son and called his name Solomon. But this did not atone for his sin. "His heart was sad, his soul, " saysa commentator, "was like a tree in winter which has life in the rootonly. "

2 Samuel xii. 

And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and saidunto him: There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the otherpoor. 

2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds;

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he hadbought and nourished: and it grew up together with him, and with hischildren: it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and layin his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to takeof his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man, but took the poor man's lamb and dressed it. 

5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he saidto Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shallsurely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing. 

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord Godof Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee outof the hand of Saul;

9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evilin his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, andhast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the swordof the children of Ammon. 

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house;because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah theHittite to be thy wife. 

And the Lord said unto Nathan the Prophet, David's faithful friend, "Go thou and instruct and counsel him. " Nathan judiciously gives hisadvice in the form of a parable, on which David gives his judgment asto the sin of the chief actor and denounces him in unmeasured terms, and says that he should be punished with death--"he shall surely die. "David did not suspect the bearing of the fable until Nathan applied it, and, to David's surprise and consternation, said, "Thou art the man. "

Uriah the Hittite had but "one little ewe lamb, " one wife whom heloved as his own soul, while King David had many; yet he robbed Uriahof all that he had and made him carry his own message of death to Joab, the general of the army, who gave to him the most dangerous place inthe battle, and, as the king desired, he was killed. 

When the king first recalled Uriah from the field, Uriah went not to hisown house, as he suspected foul play, having heard that Bath-sheba oftenappeared at court. Both the king and Bath-sheba urged him to go to hisown house; but he went not. Bath-sheba had been to him all that was pureand beautiful in woman, and he could not endure even the suspicion ofguilt in her. He understood the king's plans, and probably welcomeddeath, as without Bath-sheba's love, life had no joy for him. But to betransferred from the cottage of a poor soldier to the palace of a kingwas a sufficient compensation for the loss of the love of a true andfaithful man. 

This was one of the most cruel deeds of David's life, marked with somany acts of weakness and of crime. He was ruled entirely by hispassions. Reason had no sway over him. Fortunately, the development ofself-respect and independence in woman, and a higher idea of individualconscience and judgment in religion and in government, have suppliedthe needed restraint for man. Men will be wise and virtuous just inproportion as women are self-reliant and able to meet them on thehighest planes of thought and of action. 

No magnet is so powerful as that which draws men and women to eachother. Hence they rise or fall together. This is one lesson which theBible illustrates over and over--the degradation of woman degrades manalso. "Her face pleaseth me, " said Samson, who, although he couldconquer lions, was like putty in the hands of women. 

E. C. S. 

BOOKS OF KINGS. 

CHAPTER I. 

1 Kings i. 

11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith dothreign. Go . . . Unto King David, and say unto him, Didst thou not swearunto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reignafter me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then doth Adonijah reign?

15 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king. . . . And the king said, Whatwouldst thou?

17 And she said unto him, Thou swarest unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit uponmy throne. 

18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth. 

22 And lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet alsocame in. 

21 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shallreign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

28 Then King David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she cameand stood before the king. 

29 And the king sware, and said, As the Lord liveth, that bathredeemed my soul out of all distress, 30 Even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit uponmy throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. 

31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverenceto the king, and said, Let my lord, King David, live for ever. 

32 And King David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan theprophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came. 

33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of yourlord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bringhim down to Gihon:

34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him thereking over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save KingSolomon. 

These books give an account of David's death, of his successorSolomon, of the division of his kingdom between the kings of Judah andof Israel, with an abstract of the history down to the captivity. 

Neither the king nor Bath-sheba knew that Adonijah was makingpreparations to be crowned king the moment when he heard of David'sdeath. He made a great feast, inviting all the king's sons exceptSolomon. He began his feast by a show of devotion, sacrificing sheep andoxen. But Nathan the Prophet warns the king and Bath-sheba. In hisanxiety he appeals to Bath-sheba as the one who has the greatest concernabout Solomon, and can most easily get an audience with the king. Hesuggests that Solomon is not only in danger of losing his crown, butboth he and she of losing their lives. 

Accordingly, Bath-sheba, without being announced, enters the presenceof the king. She takes no notice of the presence of Abishag, but makesknown the object of her visit at once. She reminds the king of his vowto her that Solomon, her son, should be his successor to his throne. Nathan the Prophet is announced in the audience chamber and tells theking of the preparations that Adonijah is making to usurp the crown andthrone, and appeals to him to keep his vow to Bath-sheba. He remindshim that the eyes of all Israel are upon him, and that David's wordshould be an oracle of honor unto them. He urged the king to immediateaction and to put an end to all Adonijah's pretensions at once, whichthe king did; and Solomon was anointed by the chief priests andproclaimed king. 

Adonijah had organized a party, recognizing him as king, as if Davidwere already dead; but when a messenger brought the news that Solomonhad been anointed king, in the midst of the feast their jollities wereturned to mourning. 

Nathan's visits to the king were always welcome, especially when hewas sick and when something lay heavy on his heart. He came to theking, not as a petitioner, but as an ambassador from God, not merely toright the wrongs of individuals, but to maintain the honor of thenation. 

As David grew older he suffered great depression of spirits, hence hisphysicians advised that he be surrounded with young company, who mightcheer and comfort him with their own happiness and pleasure in life. Hewas specially cheered by the society of Abishag, the Shunammite, amaiden of great beauty and of many attractions in manner andconversation, and who created a most genial atmosphere in the palace ofthe king. Bath-sheba's ambition for her son was so all absorbing thatshe cared but little for the attentions of the king. David reigned fortyyears, seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 

1 Kings ii. 

Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he chargedSolomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and showthyself a man. 

It is a great pity that David's advice could not have been fortifiedby the honor and the uprightness of his own life. "Example is strongerthan precept. "

1 Kings iii. 

16 Then came there two women unto the king, and stood before him. 

17 And the one woman said, O my lord. I and this woman dwell in onehouse: and I was delivered of a child. 

19 And it came to pass the third day after, this woman was deliveredalso:

19 And her child died in the night; because she overlaid it. 

20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, whilethine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead childin my bosom. 

21 And when I rose in the morning it was dead; but when I hadconsidered it, behold, it was not my son. 

22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and thedead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and theliving is my son. Thus they spake before the king. 

24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a swordbefore the king. 

25 And he said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to theone, and half to the other. 

26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, andshe said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 

27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and inno wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 

28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; andthey feared the king for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him todo judgment. 

This case was opened in court, not by lawyers, but by the partiesthemselves, though both plaintiff and defendant were women. Commentators thing that it had already been tried in the lower courts, and the judges not being able to arrive at a satisfactory decision, preferred to submit the case to Solomon the King. It was an occasion ofgreat interest; the halls of justice were crowded, all waiting withgreat expectation to hear what the king would say. When he said, "bringme my sword, " the sages wondered if he intended to kill the parties, asthe shortest way to end the case; but his proposition to kill only theliving child and give half to each, showed such an intuitive knowledgeof human nature that all were impressed with his wisdom, recognizing atonce what the natural feelings of the mother would be. Solomon wongreat reputation by this judgment. The people feared his piercing eyeever after, knowing that he would see the real truth through alldisguises and complications. 

E. C. S. 

In Bath-sheba's interview with David one feature impresses meunfavorably, that she stood before the king instead of being seatedduring the conference. In the older apostolic churches the elder womenand widows were provided with seats--only the young women stood; but inthe instance which we are considering the faithful wife of many years, the mother of wise Solomon, stood before her husband. Then David, withthe fear of death before his eyes and the warning words of the prophetringing in his ears, remembered his oath to Bath-sheba. Bath-sheba, thewife of whom no moral wrong is spoken, except her obedience to David inthe affairs of her first husband, bowed with her face to the earth anddid reverence to the king. 

This was entirely wrong: David should have arisen from his bed anddone reverence to this woman, his wife, bowing his face to the earth. Yet we find this Bible teaching the subservience of woman to man, ofthe wife to the husband, of the queen to the king, ruling the worldto-day. During the recent magnificent coronation ceremonies of the Czar, his wife, granddaughter of Victoria, Queen of England and Empress ofIndia, who changed her religion in order to become Czarina, kneltbefore her husband while he momentarily placed the crown upon her brow. A kneeling wife at this era of civilization is proof that thedegradation of woman continues from the time of Bath-sheba to that ofAlexandria. 

In 1 Kings ii. 13-25, we have a record of Solomon's treatment of thatmother to whom he was indebted not only for his throne, but also forlife itself. Adonijah, who had lost the kingdom, requested Bath-sheba'sinfluence with Solomon that the fair young Abishag should be given tohim for a wife. Having lost his father's kingdom, he thought to consolehimself with the maiden. 

19 So Bath-sheba therefore went unto King Solomon to speak unto himfor Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself untoher, and sat down on his throne and caused a seat to be set for theking's mother; and she sat on his right hand. 

All very well thus far; and the king, in his reception of his mother, showed to her the reverence and the respect which was due to her. Thusemboldened, Bath-sheba said:

20 I desire one small petition of thee; say me not nay. And the kingsaid unto her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not say thee nay. 

21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah, thybrother, to wife. 

But did King Solomon, who owed both throne and life to his mother, keep his word that he had just pledged to her, "Ask on, my mother; forI will not say thee nay?"

No indeed, for was she not a woman, a being to whom it was customaryto make promises for the apparent purpose of breaking them; for theking, immediately forgetting his promise of one moment previously, cried out:

22 And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask forhim the kingdom also: for he is mine elder brother. 

23 Then King Solomon sware by the Lord, saying, God do so to me, andmore also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. 

24 Now therefore, as the Lord liveth, who hath established me, and setme on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, ashe promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 

Solomon was anxious to give credit to the Lord instead of his motherfor having set him on the throne, and also to credit him with havingkept his promise, while at the very same moment he was breaking his ownpromise to his mother. And this promise-breaking to women, taught inthe Bible, has been incorporated into the laws of both England and theUnited States--a true union of Church and State where woman isconcerned. 

It is only a few years since that a suit was brought in England by awife against a husband in order to compel the keeping of his ante-nuptial promise that the children of the marriage should be brought upin the mother's religious faith. Having married the woman, this husbandand father found it convenient to break his word, ordering her toinstruct the children in his own faith, and the highest court inEngland, that of Appeals, through the vice-chancellor, decided againsther upon the ground that a wife has no rights in law against a husband. While a man's word broken at the gaming table renders him infamous, subjecting him to dishonor through life, a husband's pledged word tohis wife in this nineteenth century of the Christian era is of no moreworth than was the pledged word of King Solomon to Bath-sheba in thetenth century before the Christianera. 

The Albany Law journal, commenting upon the Agar-Ellis case, declaredthe English decision to be in harmony with the general law in regard toreligious education--the child is to be educated in the religion of itsfather. But in the case of Bath-sheba, Solomon's surprising acrobaticfeat is the more remarkable from the reception which he at first gaveto his mother. Not only did Solomon "say her nay, " but poor Adonijahlost not only wife, but life also, because of her intercession. 

This chapter closes with an account of Solomon's judgment between twomothers, each of whom claimed a living child as her own and the deadchild as that of her rival. This judgment has often been referred to asshowing the wisdom of Solomon. He understood a mother's boundless love, that the true mother would infinitely prefer that her rival shouldretain her infant than that the child should be divided between them. 

However, this tale, like many another Biblical story, is foundimbedded in the folk-lore-myths of other peoples and religions. Prof. White's "Warfare of Science and Theology" quotes Fansboll as finding itin "Buddhist Birth Stories. " The able Biblical critic, Henry Macdonald, regards the Israelitish kings as wholly legendary, and Solomon asunreal as Mug Nuadat or Partholan; but let its history be real orunreal, the Bible accurately represents the condition of women underthe Jewish patriarchal and the Christian monogamous religions. 

M. J. G. 

CHAPTER II. 

1 Kings x. 

1 And when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerningthe name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. 

2 And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels thatbare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she wascome to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. 

3 And Solomon told her all her questions. 

4 And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and thehouse that he had built, 5 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and theattendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cup-bearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; therewas no more spirit in her. 

6 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mineown land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. 

7 Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes hadseen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; thy wisdom andprosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. 

9 Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighteth in thee, to set theeon the throne of Israel. 

10 And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and ofspices very great store, and precious stones: . . . 

13 And King Solomon gave unto the Queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked. So she turned and went to her own country. 

In the height of Solomon's piety and prosperity the Queen of Shebacame to visit him. She had heard of his great wealth and wisdom anddesired to see if all was true. She was called the Queen of the South, supposed to be in Africa. The Christians in Ethiopia say to this daythat she came from their country, and that Candace, spoken of in Actsviii. , 27, was her successor. She was queen regent, sovereign of hercountry. Many a kingdom would have been deprived of its greatestblessing if the Salic law had been admitted into its constitution. 

It was a great journey for the queen, with her retinue, to undertake. The reports of the magnificence of Solomon's surroundings, the templeof the Lord and the palace for the daughter of Pharaoh, roused hercuriosity to see his wealth. The reports of his wisdom inspired herwith the hope that she might obtain new ideas on the science ofgovernment and help her to establish a more perfect systemin her kingdom. She had heard of his piety, too, his religion and theGod whom he worshiped, and his maxims of policy in morals and publiclife. She is mentioned again in the New Testament ill Matthew xii. , 42. She brought many valuable presents of gold, jewels, spices and preciousstones to defray all the expenses of her retinue at Solomon's court, toshow him that her country was worthy of honor and of respect. 

The queen was greatly surprised with all that she saw, the realitysurpassed her wildest imagination. Solomon's reception was most cordialand respectful, and he conversed with her as he would with a friendlyking coming to visit from afar. This is the first account which we havein the Bible of a prolonged rational conversation with a woman onquestions of public policy. He answered all her questions, though thecommentators volunteer the opinion that some may have been frivolousand captious. As the text suggests no such idea, we have a right toassume that her conduct and conversation were pre-eminently judicious. Solomon did not suggest to the queen that she was out of her sphere, that home duties, children and the philosophy of domestic life were theproper subjects for her consideration; but he talked with her as onesovereign should with another. 

She was deeply impressed by the elegance of his surroundings, theartistic effect of his table, and the gold, silver and glass, the skillof his servants, the perfect order which reigned throughout the palace, but more than all with his piety and wisdom, and his reverence when hewent up to the temple to worship God or to make the customary offering. She wondered at such greatness and goodness combined in one man. Hervisit was one succession of surprises; and she rejoiced to find thatthe truth of all that she had heard exceeded her expectations. She isspoken of in Psalms lxxii. , 15, as a pattern for Solomon. 

E. C. S. 

1 Kings xi. 

1 But King Solomon loved many strange women, together with thedaughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians and Hittites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children ofIsrael, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in untoyou: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods:Solomon clave unto these in love. 

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundredconcubines:

4 It came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned awayhis heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lordhis God. 

This is a sad story of Solomon's defection and degeneracy. As theQueen of Sheba did not have seven hundred husbands, she had time fortravel and the observation of the great world outside of her domain. Itis impossible to estimate the ennui a thousand women must have sufferedcrowded together, with only one old gentleman to contemplate; but heprobably solaced their many hours with some of his choice songs, soappreciative of the charms of beautiful women. It is probable that hislittle volume of poems was in the hand of every woman, and that Solomongave them occasional recitations on the imaginative and emotionalnature of women. We have reason to believe that with his wisdom he gaveas much variety to their lives as possible, and with fine oratory, graceful manners and gorgeous apparel made himself as attractive as thesituation permitted. 

E. C. S. 

There have been a great number of different views held in regard tothe Queen of Sheba, both in reference to the signification of the name"Sheba, " and also in relation to the country from which this famouspersonage made a visit to Solomon. Abyssinia, Ethiopia, Persia andArabia have each laid claim to this wise woman. Menelik, the presentking of the former country, who so effectually defeated Italy in hisrecent war with that country, possesses the same name as, and claimsdescent from, the fabled son of this wise woman and of the wise kingSolomon, one of whose numerous wives, it is traditionally said, shebecame. Ethiopia, the seat of a very ancient and great civilization, and whose capital was called Saba; Persia, where the worship of the sunand of fire originated; and Arabia, the country of gold, offrankincense and of myrrh, also claim her. It is to the latter countrythat this queen belonged. 

Whether we look upon the Bible as a historical work, a mythologicalwork, or, as many now do regard it, as "A Book of the Adepts, writtenby Initiates, for Initiates, " a record of ancient mysteries hidden toall but initiates, the Queen of Sheba is a most interesting character. 

The words Sab, Saba, Sheba, all have an astronomical or astrologicalmeaning, signifying the "Host of Heaven, " "The Planetary System. " Saba, or Sheba, was especially the home of astronomical wisdom; and all wordsof this character mean wise in regard to the stars. The wisdom of Sabaand of the Sabeans was planetary wisdom, the "Sabean language" meaningastronomy, or astrology, the latter being the esoteric portion of thescience. At the time of the mysteries, astrology was a sacred or secretscience, the words "sacred" and "secret" meaning the same thing. Amongthe oldest mysteries, when all learning was confined to initiates, werethose of Sabasia, whose periodic festivals of a sacred character wereso extremely ancient that their origin is now lost. 

Solomon, also, whether looked upon as a historical or a mythicalcharacter, is philologically shown to have been connected with theplanetary system, Sol-Om-On signifying "the sun. " It is singular tonote how closely the sun, the moon and the stars are connected withancient religions, even that of the Jewish. In the Old Testament thenew moon and the Sab-bath are almost invariably mentioned together. Thefull moon also possessed a religious signification to the Jews, theagricultural feasts taking place at the full moon, which were calledSab-baths. Even in the Old Testament we find that Sab has anastronomical or astrological meaning, connected with the planetarysystem. 

The Sabeans were an occult body, especially devoted to a study of theheavens; at their head, the wisest among them, the chief astronomer andastrologer of the nation, the wisest person in a nation of wisdom, wasthat Queen of Sheba, who visited that other planetary dignitary, Solomon, to prove him with hard astronomical and astrological questions. 

There is historic proof that the city of Saba was the royal seat ofthe kings of Arabia, which country, Diodorus says, was never conquered. Among ancient peoples it bore the names of "Araby the Happy, ""Araby the Blest. " It was a country of gold and spices whose perfumewas wafted far over the sea. All cups and utensils were of the preciousmetals; all beds, chairs and stools having feet of silver; the templeswere magnificently adorned; and the porticoes of even the privatehouses were of gold inlaid with ivory and precious stones. 

Among the presents carried by the Queen of Sheba to Sol-Om-On were thefamous balsam trees of her country. The first attempt at plantacclimatizing of which the world has record was made with this tree bythe magnificent Pharaoh, Queen Hatasu, of the brilliant eighteenthEgyptian dynasty. A thousand years before she of Sheba, Queen Hatasu, upon her return from a naval expedition to the Red Sea, carried homewith her twelve of these trees in baskets of earth, which lived andbecame one of the three species of sacred trees of Egypt. 

Arabia was the seat of Eastern wisdom, from which it also radiated tothe British Isles of Europe at the time of the Celtic Druids, with whomSabs was the day when these lords of Sabaoth rested from study and gaveinstructions to the people. As previously among the Jews, this day ofinstruction became known as one of rest from physical labor, Sab-bathand rest becoming synonymous. Seven being a sacred number amonginitiates, every seventh day was devoted to instruction. When aknowledge of the mysteries became lost, the words "Sab-bath, " "rest"and "seven" began to have a very wrong meaning in the minds of people;and much injury has been done to the world through this perversion. 

But later than Druidical times, Arabian wisdom made the southwesternportion of the European continent brilliant with learning, during thelong period of the Christian dark ages, a time when, like the Bourbonsof later date, Christians learned nothing, a time when no heresy arosebecause no thought was allowed, when there was no progress becausethere was no doubt. 

From these countrymen of the Queen of Sheba, the Spanish Arabs, Columbus first learned of a world beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Architecture rose to its height in the beautiful Alhambra, with itsexquisite interlaced tracery in geometric design; medicinehad its profound schools at various points; poetry numbered women amongits most famous composers; the ballad originated there; and the modernliterature of Europe was born from a woman's pen upon the hearth of thedespised Ishmaelite, whose ancestral mother was known as Hagar, andwhose most brilliant descendant was the Queen of Sheba. 

Nowhere upon the earth has there existed a race of improvisatoresequal to the daughters of that despised bondwoman, the countrywoman ofthe Queen of Sheba. As storytellers the world has not their equal. Scherezade is a name upon the lips of Jews, of Gentiles, of Mohammedansand of Christians. A woman's "Thousand and One Nights" is famous as acombination of wit, wisdom and occultism wherever the language ofcivilization is spoken. With increasing knowledge we learn somewhat ofthe mysteries of the inner, higher life contained in those tales ofgenii, of rings and of lamps of wondrous and curious power. The racedescended from Hagar, of which the Queen of Sheba is the most brilliantreminder, has given to the world the most of its profound literature, elegant poetry, art, science and occultism. Arabia is the mother ofmathematics; from this country was borrowed our one (1) and our cipher(0), from which all other notation is evolved. 

Astronomy and astrology being among the oldest sciences, the moonearly became known as "the Measurer, " her varied motions, her influenceupon the tides, her connection with the generative functions, allgiving her a high place in the secret sciences. While in a planetarysense the Queen of Sheba has in a manner been identified with the moon, as Sabs, she was also connected with the sun, the same as Solomon andthe serpent. When Moses lifted up the brazen serpent in the wildernessit was specifically a part of sun worship. The golden calf of Aaron wasmore closely connected with moon worship, although the serpentine pathof both these bodies in the heavens identified each with the serpent. 

The occult knowledge which the Jews possessed in regard to thoseplanets was borrowed by them from Egypt, where for many ages the sunand the moon had been studied in connection with their movements inthe zodiac. In that country these serpentine movements weresymbolized by the uroeus, or asp, worn upon the crown above the head ofevery Pharaoh. So closely was the Jewish religion connected withworship of the planetary bodies that Moses is said to have disappearedupon Mount Nebo, a word which shows the mountain to have been sacred tothe moon; while Elijah ascending in a chariot of fire is a record ofsun worship. When the famous woman astronomer and astrologer, Queen ofSheba, visited the symbolic King Solomon, it was for the purpose ofproving him with hard planetary questions and thus learning the depthof his astronomical and his astrological knowledge, which, thanks tothe planetary worship of the Jews, she found equal to her own. 

We are further told that Solomon, not content with a princess from theroyal house of Pharaoh as wife, married seven hundred wives, allprincesses, besides taking to himself three hundred concubines. It isupon teachings of the Old Testament, and especially from this statementin regard to Solomon, that the Mormons of Utah largely base theirpolygamous doctrines, the revelations of Joseph Smith being upon theSolomon line. Yet the Mormons have advanced in their treatment of womenfrom the time of Solomon. While the revelations of Joseph Smithcommended plural marriages, the system and the name of concubinage wasentirely omitted, each woman thus taken being endowed with the name of"wife. "

The polygamy of New York, of Chicago, of London, of Paris, of Viennaand of other parts of the Christian world, like that of Solomon's threehundred, is a system of concubinage in which the woman possesses nolegal rights, the mistress neither being recognized as wife, nor herchildren as legitimate; whereas Mormon polygamy grants Mormon respectto the second, the third, and to all subsequent wives. 

The senility of old men is well illustrated in the case of Solomon, despite Biblical reference to his great wisdom, as we learn that whenhe became "old" he was led away by "strange" women, worshiping strangegods to whom he erected temples and offered sacrifices. To those whobelieve in the doctrine of re-incarnation, and who look upon the Bibleas an occult work written in symbolic language, Solomon's reputed"wives" and "concubines" are regarded as symbolic ofhis incarnations, the wives representing good incarnations and theconcubines evil ones. 

M. J. G. 

1 Kings xvii. 

8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, 9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, and dwell there: behold, I havecommanded a widow there to sustain thee. 

10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate ofthe city, behold, the widow was there gathering sticks: and he calledto her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water and a morsel ofbread. 

12 And she said, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse; and I am gathering sticks, that I maydress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. 

13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said:but make me thereof a little cake first, and after make for thee andfor thy son. 

14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall notwaste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lordsendeth rain upon the earth. 

15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. 

16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail. 

17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the womanfell sick; and there was no breath left in him. 

18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou manof God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and toslay my son?

19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he carried him up andlaid him upon his own bed. 

20 And he cried unto the Lord and said, O Lord my God, hast thou alsobrought evil upon the widow by slaying her son?

21 And be stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried untothe Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soulcome into him again. 

22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the childcame into him again, and he revived. 

23 And Elijah took the child and delivered him unto his mother, andsaid, See, thy son liveth. 

24 And the woman said, Now I know that thou art a man of God. 

The history of Elijah the prophet begins somewhat abruptly, withoutany mention of father, of family or of country. He seems, as it were, suddenly to drop from the clouds. He does not come with glad tidings ofjoy to the people; but with prophecies of a prolonged famine, in whichthere shall be neither rain nor dew to moisten the earth, until KingAhab and his people repent of their sins. Elijah himself was fed byravens in a miraculous manner, and later by a poor widow who had onlyjust enough in her larder to furnish one meal for herself and her son. Here are a series of complications enough to stagger the faith of thestrongest believer in the supernatural. But the poor widow meets him atthe gates of the city as directed by the Lord, improvises bread andwater, takes him to her home and for two years treats him with all thekindness and the attention which she would naturally give to one ofher own kinsmen. "Oh! woman, great is thy faith, " exclaimed theprophet. Women are so easily deluded that most of the miracles of theBible are performed for their benefit; and, as in the case of the witchof Endor, she occasionally performs some herself. 

The widow believed that Elijah was "a man of God, " and that she coulddo whatever he ordered; that she could get water, though there had beena drought for a long time; that although she had only a handful of mealand a little cruse of oil, yet they would increase day by day. "Neverdid corn or olives in the growing, " says Bishop Hall, "increase as didthat of the widow in the using. " During the two years in which sheentertained the prophet, she enjoyed peace and prosperity; but when shesupposed that her son was dead, her faith wavered; and she deplored herkindness to the prophet, and reproved him for bringing sorrow upon herhousehold. However, as the prophet was able to restore him to life, herfaith was restored also. 

This is the first record which we have of the restoration of the deadto life in the Bible; and it is the first also of any one ascendinginto heaven "in a chariot of fire with horses of fire. " Probably Elijahknew how to construct a balloon. Much of the ascending and thedescending of seers, of angels and of prophets which astonished theignorant was accomplished in balloons--a lost art for many centuries. No doubt that the poor widow, when she saw Elijah ascend, thought thathe went straight to heaven, though in all probability he landed attwilight in some retired corn field or olive grove, at some distancefrom the point where his ascent took place. 

The question is often asked where the ravens got the cooked meat andbread for the prophet. Knowing their impelling instinct to steal, theCreator felt safe in trusting his prophet to their care, and theyproved themselves worthy his confidence. Their rookeries were near thecave where Elijah was sequestered. Having keen olfactories, they smeltthe cooking of dainty viands from afar. Guided by this sense, theyperched on a fence near by where they could watch the movements of thecook, and when her back was turned they flew in and seized the littlebirds and soft shell crabs and carried them to Elijah, halting by theway only long enough to satisfy their own imperative hunger. 

Jezebel was Elijah's greatest enemy; yet the Lord bade him hide in hercountry by the brook Cherith, that he might have plenty of water. TheLord hid him so that the people should not besiege him to shorten thedrought. So he was entirely alone with the ravens, and had all his timefor prayer and contemplation. When removed from the care of the ravens, the Lord did not send him to the rich and the prosperous, but to a poorwidow, who, believing him a man of God, ministered to his necessities. She did not suggest that he was a stranger to her and that water costmoney, but hastened to do whatever he ordered. She had her recompensein the restoration of her son to life. In the prophet's struggle withGod for this blessing to the widow, the man appears to greateradvantage than does the Master. 

It appears from the reports in our metropolitan journals that arailroad is now about to be built from Tor to the summit of MountSinai. The mountain is only accessible on one side. A depot, it issaid, will be erected near the spot where a stone cross was placed bythe Russian Empress Helena, and where, according to tradition, Mosesstood when receiving the commandments. The railroad will also pass thecave in which the prophet Elijah remained in hiding while fleeing fromthe priest of Baal. 

1 Kings xxi. 

And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite hada vineyard, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 

2 And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, because itis near unto my house: and I will give thee the worth of it. 

3 And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid that I should give theinheritance of my fathers unto thee. 

4 And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of theword which Naboth had spoken to him. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. 

5 But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thyspirit so sad?

6 And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth, and said untohim, Give me thy vineyard for money; and he answered, I will not. 

7 And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdomof Israel? arise, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee thevineyard of Naboth. 

8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in hiscity. 

9 And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:

10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witnessagainst him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And thencarry him out, and stone him, that he may die. 

11 And the men of his city did as Jezebel had sent unto them. 

12 They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. 

13 And there came in two men and sat before him: and the men witnessedagainst him, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then theycarried him forth and stoned him with stones, that he died. 

14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is dead. 

15 And it came to pass, when Jezebel beard that Naboth was dead, shesaid to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard. 

Jezebel, the daughter of the king of the Zidonians and the wife ofAhab, is generally referred to as the most wicked and cruel woman onrecord; and her name is the synonym of all that is evil. She camehonestly by these characteristics, if it is true "that evilcommunications corrupt good manners, " as her husband Ahab was the mostwicked of all the kings of Israel. And yet he does not seem to havebeen a man of much fortitude; for in a slight disappointment in thepurchase of land he comes home in a hopeless mood, throws himself onhis bed and turns his face to the wall. According to the text, Jezebelwas equal to the occasion. She not only infused new life into Ahab, butgot possession of the desired land, though in a most infamous manner. The false prophetess spoken of in Rev. Ii. , 20, is called Jezebel. Shewas a devout adherent and worshiper of Baal and influenced Ahab tofollow strange gods. He reigned twenty-two years without one worthyaction to gild his memory. Jezebel's death, like her life, was atragedy of evil. 

E. C. S. 

All we know about Jezebel is told us by a rival religionist, who hatedher as the Pope of Rome hated Martin Luther, or as an American A. P. A. Now hates a Roman Catholic. Nevertheless, even the Jewish historian, evidently biassed against Jezebel by his theological prejudices as heis, does not give any facts whatever which warrant the assertion thatJezebel was any more satanic than the ancient Israelitish gentleman, towhom her theological views were opposed. Of course we, at this stage ofscientific thought, know that Jezebel's religion was not an admirableone. Strangely enough, for a religion, it actually made her intolerant!But to Jezebel it was a truth, for which she battled as bravely asElijah did for what he imagined to be eternal verity. The facts, admitted even by the historian who hated her, prove that, notwithstanding her unfortunate and childish conception of theology, Jezebel was a brave, fearless, generous woman, so wholly devoted to herown husband that even wrong seemed justifiable to her, if she couldthereby make him happy. (In that respect she seems to have entirelyfulfilled the Southern Methodist's ideal of the pattern wife absorbedin her husband. ) Four hundred of the preachers of her own faith werefed at her table (what a pity we have not their opinion of theirbenefactor!). Elijah was the preacher of a new and rival religion, which Jezebel, naturally, regarded with that same abhorrence which theestablished always feel for the innovating. To her, Elijahism doubtlessappeared as did Christianity to the Jews, Lutheranism to the Pope, orJohn Wesleyism to the Church of England; but in the days of theIsraelites the world had not developed that sweet patience with heresywhich animates the Andover theologians of our time, and Jezebel had aslittle forbearance with Elijah as had Torquemada with the Jews orElizabeth with the Puritans. 

Yet, to do Jezebel justice, we must ask ourselves, how did theassumedly good Elijah proceed in order to persuade her of thesuperiority of his truth? It is painful to have to relate that thatmuch overestimated "man of God" invited four hundred and fifty ofJezebel's preachers to an open air exhibition of miracles, but, notsatisfied with gaining a victory over them in this display, he pursuedhis defeated rivals in religion, shouting, "Let not one of themescape!" and thus roused the thoughtless mob of lookers-on to slaughterthe whole four hundred and fifty in cold blood! Jezebel had signalizedher advent as queen by slaying Israelitish preachers in order to puther own preachers in office. Elijah promptly retaliated at his earliestopportunity. 

It seems to me that it would puzzle a disinterested person to decidewhich of those savage deeds was more "satanic" than the other, and toimagine why Jezebel is now dragged forth to "shake her gory locks" as afrightful example to the American women who ask for recognized right toself-government. I submit, that if Jezebel is a disgrace to womankind, our dear brethren at any rate have not much cause to be proud ofElijah, so, possibly, we might strike a truce over the character ofthese two long-buried worthies. It may be well, though, to note herethat the now most offensive epithet which the English translatorsattached to Jezebel's name, originally signified nothing more than thatshe was consecrated to the worship of a religion, rival to that whichancient Israel assumed to be "the only true one. "

E. B. D. 

CHAPTER III. 

2 Kings iv. 

1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of theprophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thouknowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come totake unto him my two sons to be bondmen. 

2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, whathast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anythingsave a pot of oil. 

3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, 4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door and shalt pourout into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. 

5 So she shut the door and poured out. 

6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said untoher son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not avessel more. And the oil stayed. 

7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell theoil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest. 

The first Book of Kings had an illustrious beginning in the glories ofthe kingdom of Israel when it was entirely under King David and in thebeginning of the reign of Solomon; but the second book has a melancholyoutlook in the desolation and division of the kingdom of Israel and ofJudea. Then Elijah and Elisha, their prophets, instructed the princesand the people in all that would come to pass, the captivity of the tentribes, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the good reigns of Josiah andof Hezekiah. 

This book contains the mention of four women, but only in aperfunctory manner, more to exhibit the accomplishments of the prophetElisha than his beneficiaries. He raises the dead, surpasses ourStandard Oil Company in the production of that valuable article ofcommerce, cures one man of leprosy and cruelly fastens the disease onhis servant for being guilty of a pardonable prevarication. Only one ofthe women mentioned has a name. One is the widow of a prophet, whomElisha helps to pay off all her debts; for another he intercedes withthe Lord to give her a son; another, is the little captive maid of thetribe of Israel; and the last a wicked queen, Athaliah, who sought tokill the heir apparent. She rivalled Jezebel in her evil propensitiesand suffered the same tragic death. 

As the historian proceeds from book to book less is said of themothers of the various tribes, unless some deed of darkness is calledfor, that the men would fain avoid, then some Jezebel is resurrectedfor that purpose. They are seldom required to rise to a higher moralaltitude than the men of the tribe, and are sometimes permitted to fallbelow it. 

2 Kings iv. 

8 And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was agreat woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. 

9 And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is aholy man of God. 

10 Let us make a little chamber on the wall. 

11 And it fell on a day that, he came thither; and he turned into thechamber, and lay there. 

12 And he said to Gehazi his servant, Call this Shunammite. And shecame and stood before him. And he said, Thou shalt embrace a son. Andshe said, Nay, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. 

17 And the woman bare a son. 

18 And when the child was grown, he went out to his father to thereapers. 

19 And said, My head, my head! And he said to a lad, Carry him to hismother. 

20 And when he had brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees tillnoon, and then died. 

21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, andshut the door upon him, and went out. 

24 And she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive; slack notthy riding, except I bid thee. 

25 So she went unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. 

32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold the child was dead. 

33 He went in and shut the door and prayed unto the Lord. 

34 And lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and hiseyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his bands; and he stretchedhimself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. 

35 Then he walked to and fro; and went up, and stretched upon him; andthe child sneezed seven times, and opened his eyes, 36 And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he calledher. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. 

37 Then she fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, andtook up her son. 

Elisha seems to have had the same power of working miracles whichElijah possessed. In his travels about the country he often passed thecity of Shunem, where he heard of a great woman who was very hospitableand had a rich husband. She had often noticed the prophet passing by;and knowing that he was a godly man, and that he could be betterentertained at her house than elsewhere, she proposed to her husband toinvite him there. So they arranged an apartment for him in a quiet partof the house that he might have opportunities for worship andcontemplation. 

After spending much time under her roof, he naturally desired to makesome recompense. So he asked her if there was anything that he could dofor her at court, any favor which she desired of the king. Butshe said "no, " as she had all the blessings which she desired, except, as they had great wealth and no children to inherit it, she would likea son. She had probably heard of all that the Lord had done in thatline for Sarah and Rebecca and the wives of Manoah and Elkanah; so shewas not much surprised when the prophet suggested such a contingency;and she bare a son. 

In due time, when the son was grown, he was taken suddenly ill anddied. The mother supposed that, as by a miracle he was brought intolife, the prophet might raise him from the dead. Accordingly, sheharnessed her mule and hastened to the prophet, who promptly returnedwith her and restored him to life. She was a very discreet andjudicious woman and her husband had always entrusted everything to hermanagement. She was devout and conscientious and greatly enjoyed thegodly conversation of the prophet. She was known in the city as a greatand good woman. Though we find here and there among the women of theBible some exceptionally evil minded, yet the wise and virtuouspredominate, and, fortunately for the race, this is the case in theAmerican Republic to-day. 

2 Kings v. 

1 Now Naaman, captain of the hosts of the king of Syria, was a greatman with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had givendeliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was aleper. 

2 And the Syrians had brought away captive out of the land of Israel alittle maid, and she waited on Naaman's wife. 

3 And she said unto her mistress, Would my lord were with the prophetthat is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 

4 And one went in and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said themaid that is of the land of Israel. 

Naaman, a Syrian general and prime minister, was a great man in agreat place. He was happy, too, in that he had been serviceable to hiscountry and honored by his prince. But alas! he was a leper. It wasgenerally supposed that this was an affliction for evil doing, butNaaman was an exceptionally perfect man. 

A little maid from Israel had been carried captive into Syria andfortunately was taken into the family of the great general, as anattendant on his wife. While making the wife's toilet they no doubtchatted quite freely of what was going on in the outside world. So thelittle maid, sympathizing with her master in his affliction, told thewife there was a prophet in Israel who could cure him of his leprosy. Her earnestness roused him and his wife to make the experiment. Butafter loading his white mules with many valuable gifts, and taking agreat retinue of soldiers to dazzle the prophet with Syrianmagnificence, the prophet did not deign to meet him, but sent word tohim to bathe in the river Jordan. Even a letter from the king did notensure a personal interview. So the general, with all his pomp, wentoff in great wrath. "Are not, " said he, "the rivers of Damascus, Abanaand Pharpar, greater than the Jordan? Cannot all the skill in Syriaaccomplish as much as the prophet in Israel?" However, the little maidurged him to try the river Jordan, as he was near that point, so he didand was healed. 

2 Kings viii. 

Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, sojourn wheresoever thou canst for a famine shall come upon theland seven years. 

2 And the woman arose, and did after the saying of the man of God:

3 And it came to pass at the seven years' end, that the woman returnedout of the land of the Philistines: and she went forth to cry unto theking for her house and land. 

4 And the king talked with Gehazi saying, Tell me, I pray thee, allthe great things that Elisha bath done. 

5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restoreda dead body to life, that, behold, the woman cried to the king for herhouse and land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. 

6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the kingappointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that washers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left theland, even until now. 

In due time her husband died; and there was a famine; and she went fora season to the land of the Philistines; and when she returned shecould not recover her possessions. Then Elisha befriended her andappealed to the king; and she was reinstated in her own home. 

Elisha was very democratic. He had his servant sleep in his ownchamber and consulted him in regard to many important matters. Gehazinever forgot his place but once, when he ran after the great Syriangeneral to ask for the valuable presents which the prophet haddeclined. Both Elijah and Elisha preferred to do their missionary workamong the common people, finding them more teachable and superstitious. Especially is this true of woman at all periods. In great revivalseasons in our own day, one will always see a dozen women on theanxious seat to one man, and the same at thecommunion table. 

2 Kings xi. 

And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, shearose and destroyed all the seed royal. 

2 But Jehosheba, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, andstole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid himand his nurse. 

3 And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years. AndAthaliah did reign over the land. 

12 And Jehoiada, the priest brought forth the king's son, and put thecrown upon him; and they made him king, and anointed him; and theyclapped their hands, and said, God save the king. 

13 And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came into the temple of the Lord. 

14 And hen she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar; and sherent her clothes and cried, Treason, treason. 

20 And they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house. 

21 Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign. 

Never was royal blood more profusely shed, and never a meaner ambitionthan to destroy a reigning family in order to be the last occupant onthe throne. The daughter of a king, the wife of a king, and the motherof a king, should have had some mercy on her family descendants. Personal ambition can never compensate for the loss of the love andcompanionship of kindred. Such characters as Athaliah are abnormal, their lives not worth recording. 

2 Kings xxii. 

11 And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the bookof the law, that he rent his clothes. 

12 And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, 13 Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for allJudah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great isthe wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathershave not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according untoall that which is written concerning us. 

14 So Hilkiah the priest, and the wise men went unto Huldah theprophetess, the wife of Shallum keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dweltin Jerusalem in the college); and they communed with her. 

15 And she said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell theman that sent you to me. 

16 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, andupon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which theking of Judah hath read:

17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto othergods. 

18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall ye say to him, 19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyselfbefore the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, 20 Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thoushalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not seeall the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought theking word again. 

The greatest character among the women thus far mentioned is Huldahthe prophetess, residing in the college in Jerusalem. She was astatesman as well as a prophetess, understanding the true policyof government and the Jewish system of jurisprudence, able not only toadvise the common people of their duties to Jehovah and their country, but to teach kings the sound basis for a kingdom. Her wisdom andinsight were well known to Josiah the king; and when the wise men cameto him with the "Book of the Law, " to learn what was written therein, Josiah ordered them to take it to Huldah, as neither the wise men norJosiah himself could interpret its contents. It is fair to suppose thatthere was not a man at court who could read the book; hence the honordevolved upon Huldah. Even Shallum her husband was not consulted, as heoccupied the humble office of keeper of the robes. 

While Huldah was pondering great questions of State and EcclesiasticalLaw, her husband was probably arranging the royal buttons and bucklesof the household. This is the first mention of a woman in a college. She was doubtless a professor of jurisprudence, or of the languages. She evidently had other gifts besides that of prophecy. 

We should not have had such a struggle in our day to open the collegedoors had the clergy read of the dignity accorded to Huldah. People whotalk the most of what the Bible teaches often know the least about itscontents. Some years ago, when we were trying to establish a woman'scollege, we asked a rich widow, worth millions, to contribute. She saidthat she would ask her pastor what she ought to do about it. Hereferred her to the Bible, saying that this book makes no mention ofcolleges for women. To her great surprise, I referred her to 2 Kingsxxii. Both she and her pastor felt rather ashamed that they did notknow what their Bible did teach. The widow gave $30, 000 soon after to aTheological Seminary, being more interested in the education of boysand in the promulgation of church dogmas, creeds and superstitions, than in the education of the Mothers of the Race in the naturalsciences. 

Now, women had performed great deeds in Bible times. Miriam had helpedto lead Israel out of Egypt. Deborah judged them, and led the armyagainst the enemy, and Huldah instructed them in their duties to thenation. Although Jeremiah and Zephaniah were prophets at this time, yetthe king chose Huldah as the oracle. She was one of the ladies of thecourt, and resided in the second rank of buildings from the royalpalace. Marriage, in her case, does not appear to have been any obstaclein the way of individual freedom and dignity. She had evidently outgrownthe curse of subjection pronounced in the Garden of Eden, as had manyother of the Jewish women. 

There is a great discrepancy between the character and the conduct ofmany of the women, and the designs of God as set forth in theScriptures and enforced by the discipline of the Church to-day. Imaginethe moral hardihood of the reverend gentlemen who should dare to rejectsuch women as Deborah, Huldah and Vashti as delegates to a Methodistconference, and claim the approval of God for such an indignity. 

In the four following books, from Kings to Esther, there is no mentionof women. During that long, eventful period the men must have sprung, Minerva-like, from the brains of their fathers, fully armed andequipped for the battle of life. Having no infancy, there was no needof mothers. As two remarkable women flourished at the close of oneperiod and at the dawn of the other, we shall make no record of themasculine dynasty which intervened, satisfied that Huldah and Vashtiadded new glory to their day and generation--one by her learning andthe other by her disobedience; for "Resistance to tyrants is obedienceto God. "

E. C. S. 

THE BOOK OF ESTHER. 

Esther i. 

2 In those days when King Ahasuerus sat upon the throne in the palaceat Shushan, 3 In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princesand his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princesof the provinces being before him:

4 When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor ofhis excellent majesty many days. 

5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all thepeople that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great andsmall, seven days, in the court of the garden;

6 Where were white, green and blue hangings, fastened with cords offine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the bedswere of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black marble. 

7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, and royal wine inabundance. 

9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house. 

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded:

11 To bring Vashti the queen with the crown royal, to shew the peopleand the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. 

12 But the queen Vashti refused to come: therefore was the king verywroth. 

13 Then the king said to the wise men, 15 What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to the law?

16 And Memucan answered, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to theking only, but also to all the people that are in the provinces of theking. 

17 For this deed shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shalldespise their husbands. The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queento be brought in before him, but she came not. 

18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto allthe king's princes, which have beard of the deed of the queen. 

19 If it please the king, let there go a royal command from him, andlet it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, ThatVashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give herroyal estate unto another that is better than she. 

20 And when the king's decree shall be published throughout hisempire, all the wives shall give to their husband's honor, both togreat and small. 

21 And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king didaccordingly to the word of Memucan:

22 For he sent letters into all the provinces, that every man shouldbear rule in his own house. 

The kingdom of Ahasuerus extended from India to Ethiopia, consistingof one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, an overgrown kingdom whichin time sunk by its own weight. The king was fond of display andinvited subjects from all his provinces to come by turns to behold hismagnificent palaces and sumptuousentertainments. 

He gave two great feasts in the beginning of his reign, one to thenobles and the princes, and one to the people, which lasted over ahundred days. The king had the feast for the men spread in the courtunder the trees. Vashti entertained her guests in the great hall of thepalace. It was not the custom among the Persians for the sexes to eatpromiscuously together, especially when the king and the princes werepartaking freely of wine. 

This feast ended in heaviness, not as Balshazzar's with a handwritingon the wall, nor like that of Job's children with a wind from thewilderness, but by the folly of the king, with an unhappy falling outbetween the queen and himself, which ended the feast abruptly and sentthe guests away silent and ashamed. He sent seven different messages toVashti to put on her royal crown, which greatly enhanced her beauty, and come to show his guests the majesty of his queen. But to all thechamberlains alike she said, "Go tell the king I will not come; dignityand modesty alike forbid. "

This vanity of a drunken man illustrates the truth of an old proverb, "When the wine is in, the wit is out. " Josephus says that all the courtheard his command; hence, while he was showing the glory of his court, he also showed that he had a wife who would do as she pleased. 

Besides seven chamberlains he had seven learned counsellors whom heconsulted on all the affairs of State. The day after the feast, whenall were sober once more, they held a cabinet council to discuss aproper punishment for the rebellious queen. Memucan, Secretary ofState, advised that she be divorced for her disobedience and ordered"to come no more before the king, " for unless she was severelypunished, he said, all the women of Medea and of Persia would despisethe commands of their husbands. 

We have some grand types of women presented for our admiration in theBible. Deborah for her courage and military prowess; Huldah for herlearning, prophetic insight and statesmanship, seated in the college inJerusalem, where Josiah the king sent his cabinet ministers to consulther as to the policy of his government; Esther, who ruled as well asreigned, and Vashti, who scorned the Apostle'scommand, "Wives, obey your husbands. " She refused the king's orders tograce with her presence his revelling court. Tennyson pays this tributeto her virtue and dignity:

"Oh, Vashti! noble Vashti!Summoned forth, she kept her state, And left the drunken king to brawlIn Shushan underneath his palms. "

E. C. S. 

The feast, with the preliminary exhibition of the king's magnificentpalace and treasures, was not a social occasion in which the king andthe queen participated under the same roof. The equal dignity of womanand of queen as companion of the king was not recognized. The menfeasted together purely as a physical enjoyment. If there was anyintellectual feature of the occasion it is not recorded. On the seventhday, when appetite was satiated and the heart of the king was merrywith wine, as a further means of gratifying sensual tastes andexhibiting his power, the king bethought him of the beauty of the queen. 

The command to the chamberlains was to bring Vashti. It was such anorder as he might have sent to the jester, or to any other person whosesole duty was to do the king's bidding, and whose presence might add tothe entertainment of his assemblage of men. It was not an invitationwhich anywise recognized the queen's condescension in honoring thecompany by her presence. 

But Vashti refused to come at the king's command! An unprecedented actof both wife and queen. Probably Vashti had had previous knowledge ofthe condition of the king when his heart was merry with wine and whenthe physical man was under the effects of seven day's conviviality. Shehad a higher idea of womanly dignity than placing herself on exhibitionas one of the king's possessions, which it pleased him to present tohis assembled princes. Vashti is conspicuous as the first womanrecorded whose self-respect and courage enabled her to act contrary tothe will of her husband. She was the first "woman who dared. "

This was the more marked because her husband was also king. So far asthe record proves, woman had been obedient to the commands of thehusband and the father, or, if seeking to avoid them, had soughtindirect methods and diplomacy. It was the first exhibition of theindividual sovereignty of woman on record. Excepting Deborah as judge, no example had been given of a woman who formed her own judgment andacted upon it. There had been no exhibition of a self-respectingwomanhood which might stand for a higher type of social life than wascustomary among men. 

Vashti was the prototype of the higher unfoldment of woman beyond hertime. She stands for the point in human development when womanlinessasserts itself and begins to revolt and to throw off the yoke ofsensualism and of tyranny. Her revolt was not an overt act, or acriticism of the proceedings of the king. It was merely exercising herown judgment as to her own proceeding. She did not choose to be broughtbefore the assembly of men as an exhibit. The growth of self-respectand of individual sovereignty in woman has been slow. The sequence ofVashti's refusal to obey the king suggests at least one of the reasonswhy the law has been made, as it has down to the present day, by menalone. Woman has not been consulted, as she is not consulted to-dayabout any law, even such as bears especially upon herself, but was andis expected to obey it. 

The idea of maintaining the respect of women and of wives byworthiness and by nobility of character and of manner, had not beenborn in the man of that day. The husband was to be held an authority. His superiority was his power to command obedience. 

"And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be publishedthroughout all his empire, all the wives shall give to their husbandshonour, both great and small. "

King Ahasuerus was but a forerunner of the more modern lawmaker, whoseeks the same end of male rulership, by making the wife and allproperty the possession of the husband. That every living soul has aninherent right to control its life and activities, and that womanequally with man should enjoy this opportunity, had not dawnedupon the consciousness of the men of the times of Ahasuerus. 

Vashti stands out a sublime representative of self-centred womanhood. Rising to the heights of self-consciousness and of self-respect, shetakes her soul into her own keeping, and though her position both aswife and as queen are jeopardized, she is true to the Divineaspirations of her nature. 

L. B. C. 

Esther ii. 

After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, heremembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed againsther. 

2 Then said his servants, Let there be fair young virgins sought forthe king:

3 And let him appoint officers in all the provinces that they maygather together the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, 4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead ofVashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. 

5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name wasMordecai. 

7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter;for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair andbeautiful; whom Moredcai {sic}, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. 

8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment was heard, and whenmany maidens were gathered together, that Esther was brought also untothe king's house. 

11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women'shouse, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her. 

17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtainedgrace and favour in his sight; so that be set the royal crown upon herhead, and made her queen instead of Vashti. 

18 Then the king made a great feast, even Esther's feast; and he madea release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state ofthe king. 

Esther was a Jewess, one of the children of the captivity, an orphanwhom Mordecai adopted as his own child. She was beautiful, symmetricalin form, fair in face, and of rare intelligence. Her wisdom and virtuewere her greatest gifts. "It is an advantage to a diamond even to bewell set. " Mordecai was her cousin-german and her guardian. It was saidthat he intended to marry her; but when he saw what her prospects inlife were, and what she might do as a favorite of the king for his ownpromotion and the safety of his people, he held his individualaffection in abeyance for the benefit of his race and the safety of theking; for he soon saw the dishonest, intriguing character of Haman, whom he despised in his heart and to whom he would not bow in passing, nor make any show of respect. As he was a keeper of the doorand sat at the king's gate, he had many opportunities to show hisdisrespect. 

He discovered a plot against the king's life which he revealed toEsther, that, in due time, secured him promotion to the head of theking's cabinet. But in the meantime Haman had the ear of the king; andto revenge the indignities of Mordecai, he decided to slay all the Jewsthroughout all the provinces of the kingdom, and procured an edict tothat effect from the king, and stamped with the king's signet ring theletters that he sent by post into all the provinces. The day was setfor this terrible slaughter; and the Jews were fasting in sack-clothand ashes. 

The king loved Esther above all the women and had made her his queen. She was not known at court as a Jewess, but was supposed to be ofPersian extraction. Mordecai had told her to say nothing on thatsubject. Ahasuerus placed the royal crown upon her head, and solemnizedher coronation with a great feast, which Esther graced with herpresence, at the request of the king. She profited by the example ofVashti, and saw the good policy of at least making a show of obediencein all things. Mordecai walked up and down past her door many times aday; and through a faithful messenger kept her informed of all thattranspired, so she was aware of the plot Haman had laid against herpeople. So she made a banquet for the king and Haman, and told the kingthe effect of his royal edict and letters sent by post in all theprovinces stamped with his ring. She told him of Mordecai'sfaithfulness in saving his life; that she and Mordecai were Jews, andthat it was their people who were to be slain, young and old, women andchildren, without mercy; that their possessions were to be confiscatedto raise the money which Haman promised to put into the royal treasury, and that Haman had already built a gallows thirty feet high on whichMordecai was to be hanged. 

Haman trembled in the presence of the king, who ordered him to behanged on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai; and thelatter was installed as the favorite of the king. The family and thefollowers of Haman were slain by the thousands, and the Jews werefilled with gladness. The day appointed for their destruction was oneof thanksgiving. They appointed a certain day in the lastmonth of the year, just before the Passover, to be kept ever after asthe feast of Purim, one of thanksgiving for their deliverance from thevengeance of Haman. Purim is a Persian word. It is not a holy dayfeast, but of human appointment. It is celebrated at the present time, and in the service the whole story is told. It is to be regretted thatthis feast often ends in gluttony. 

One commentator says that the Talmud states that in the feast of Purima man may drink until he knows not the difference between "cursed beHaman" and "blessed be Mordecai. " If the Talmud means that he may drinkthe wine of good fellowship until all feelings of vengeance, hatred andmalice are banished from the human soul, the sentiment is not soobjectionable as at the first blush it appears. There is one thing inthe Jewish service worse than this, and that is for each man to standup in the synagogue every Sabbath morning and say: "I thank thee, OLord, that I was not born a woman, " as if that were the depth of humandegradation. It is to be feared that the thanksgiving feast of thePurim has degenerated in many localities into the same kind of agathering as the Irish wake. 

In the history of Esther, those who believe in special Providence willsee that in her coming to the throne multitudes of her people weresaved from a cruel death, hence the disobedience of Vashti wasprovidential. A faith "that all things are working together for good, ""that good only is positive, evil negative, " is most cheerful andsustaining to the believer. I have always regretted that the historianallowed Vashti to drop out of sight so suddenly. Perhaps she was doomedto some menial service, or to entire sequestration in her ownapartments. 

E. C. S. 

The record fails to state whether or not the king's judgment wasmodified in regard to Vashti's refusal to appear on exhibition when hiswrath abated. But the decree had gone forth, and could not be altered;and Vashti banished, no further record of her fate appears. Theking's ministers at once set about providing a successor to Vashti. 

The king in those days had the advantage of the search for fair youngvirgins, in that he could command the entire collection within hisdominions. The only consideration was whether or not the maiden"pleased" him. There is no hint that the maiden was expected to signifyher acceptance or rejection of the king's choice. She was no more to beconsulted than if she had been an animal. Her position as queen was butan added distinction of her lord and master. 

Esther, the orphaned and adopted daughter of Mordecai the Jew, was thefavored maiden. She was "fair and beautiful. " The truth of the historicrecord of the men of those days is indisputable. Down to the presentthe average man sums up his estimate of woman by her "looks. " Is shefair to look upon is the criterion. Esther was destined to play animportant part in the salvation of her people from the destructivepurposes of Haman, who had been "set above all the princes who werewith him. " This young woman, who had been crowned by her royal masterbecause she "pleased" him, was called upon by the peril of her people, whom Haman was seeking to destroy, to place her own life in jeopardy, by venturing to obtain audience with the king, without having beensummoned into his presence. 

When Esther received from Mordecai the assurance, "Think not withthyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all theJews, " he asked, "Who knoweth, whether thou art come to the kingdom forsuch a time as this?" then this young woman rose to the extremity ofthe situation. She exercised a high degree of wisdom and courage, andbade them return Mordecai this answer:

Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fastye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I alsoand my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish. --Vs. 15, 16. 

She prepared herself thus by fasting to receive and to exercise thepower of spirit. Her high purpose was only equalled by her unfalteringcourage and entire self-abnegation. Vashti had exercisedheroic courage in asserting womanly dignity and the inherent humanright never recognized by kingship, to choose whether to please and toobey the king. Esther, so as to save her people from destruction, risked her life. 

This King Ahasuerus, who, according to the record, was only a man ofselfish purposes, delighting in power and given to the enjoyment of hispassions, was the legal lord and master of two women, eachdistinguished by a nobility of character well worthy of the distinctionof queen. Their royalty was of a higher order than that of sceptres andof crowns. While we rejoice in the higher manhood which the centurieshave evolved, we are in this hour reminded of the dominatingdisposition of King Ahasuerus and the habits of those times. Adistinguished man and a scholar in this closing nineteenth centuryclaims that "the family is necessarily a despotism, " and that man isthe "ruler of the household. "

Women as queenly, as noble and as self-sacrificing as was Esther, asself-respecting and as brave as was Vashti, are hampered in theircreative office by the unjust statutes of men; but God is marching on;and it is the seed of woman which is to bruise the head of the serpent. It is not man's boasted superiority of intellect through which theeternally working Divine power will perfect the race, but thereceptiveness and the love of woman. 

L. B. C. 

THE BOOK OF JOB. 

Job i. 

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that manwas perfect and upright, and one that feared God. 

2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 

3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousandcamels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, anda very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all themen of the east. 

4 And his sons feasted in their houses; and sent and called for theirthree sisters to eat with them. 

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselvesbefore the Lord, and Satan came also. 

7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Satan answered, From going to and fro in the earth. 

8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man. 

9 Then Satan answered, Doth Job fear God for nought?

10 Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, andabout all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of hishands. 

11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and hewill curse thee to thy face. 

12 And the Lord said unto Satan, all that he hath is in thy power:only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth fromthe presence of the Lord. 

14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen wereploughing, and the asses feeding beside them:

15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they havestain the servants. 

16 There came another, and said, fire is fallen from heaven, and hathburned up the sheep. 

17 There came also another, and said, The Chaldeans fell upon thecamels, and have carried them away. 

18 There came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters wereeating and drinking. 

19 And, behold there came a great wind and smote the four corners ofthe house, and it fell upon, the young men, and they are dead. 

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and felldown upon the ground, and worshiped. 

Job ii. 

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity?curse God and die. 

10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish womenspeaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall wenot receive evil?

Job xlii. 

11 Then came there unto him his brethren, and his sisters, and theythat had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him inhis house: and they comforted him over all the evil that the Lord hadbrought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and everyone an earring of gold. 

12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning;for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and athousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 

13 He had also seven sons and three daughters. 

15 And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters ofJob; and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 

16 After this lived Job a hundred and forty years. 

17 So Job died, being old and full of days. 

The Book of Job opens with an imaginary discussion between the Lordand Satan as to the true character of Job. Satan hates him because heis good, and envies him because he is a favorite of the Lord, whoexpresses unbounded faith in his steadfastness toreligious principles. Satan replies that Job is all right inprosperity, when surrounded with every comfort; but stripped of hisblessings, his faith in a superintending Providence would vanish likedew before the rising sun. The Lord said, "You may test Job. I give youpermission to do your worst and to see if he will not remain as true inadversity as he is in prosperity. "

The Book of Job is an epic poem, an allegory, to show the grandelements in human nature, enabling mortals to rise superior to alltrials and temptations, to the humiliations of the spirit, and toprolonged suffering in the flesh. Though illustrated in the personalityof a man, yet the principle applies equally to the wisdom and thevirtue of woman. The elements of Job's goodness and greatness must haveexisted in his mother. But little is said of women in this book; andthat little is by no means complimentary. Job's wife's name was Dinah;some commentators say that she was the daughter of Jacob. Satan usesher as the last and most subtle influence for the downfall of hisvictim. Between the two forces of good and of evil, the triumph of thespiritual nature over the temptations of the flesh, the god-like in thehuman, was thoroughly proven. Job is represented as a great man. He haswealth, inflexible integrity and a charming family life, seven sons andthree daughters, immense herds of oxen, sheep, asses, camels, andservants without number. 

The spirit of evil, to test his faithfulness, strips him of all hispossessions. In one day Job's houses were destroyed, his lands madedesolate, his cattle stolen and his children carried off in awhirlwind. Job was stunned by these calamities. He put on sackcloth, shaved his head, as was the custom, and calmly accepted the situation;and his faith in the goodness of God remained. Then the spirit of evil, to test him still further, afflicted him with a terrible disease, loathsome to endure and pitiful to behold. His three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, mocked him in his misery. 

His last affliction was the disgust of his wife. She ridiculed hisfaith in God, and scoffed at his piety, as Michal did at David. She wasspared to be his last tempter when all his comforts were taken away. She bantered him for his constancy, "Dost thou still maintain thyconfidence in the God who has punished thee? Why dost thou be soobstinate in thy religion, which serves no good to thee? Why truckle toa God who, so far from rewarding thy services with marks of his favor, seems to take pleasure in making thee miserable and scourges theewithout any provocation? Is this a God to be still loved and served?'Curse God and die. '" She urges him to commit suicide. Better to die atonce than to endure his life of lingering misery. 

Deserted by wife, by friends, and, seemingly by God, too, Job's faithwavered not. The spirit of evil had done its worst. Man had proven hisDivine origin, himself the incarnation of the great Spirit of Good; andnow that Job had proved himself superior to all human calamities, he isrestored to health; and all his earthly possessions are returnedfourfold. 

Nothing more is said of his first wife, but his ten children arerestored. The names of his three daughters are significant, though noteuphonious: Jemima, the day, because of Job's prosperity; Kezia, aspice, because he was healed, and Karen-Happuch, plenty restored. Godadorned them with great beauty, no women being so fair as were thedaughters of Job. In the Old Testament we often find women praised fortheir beauty; but in the New Testament we find no notice of physicalcharms, not even in the Virgin Mary herself. Job gave to his daughtersan equal inheritance with his sons. It is pleasant to see that thebrothers paid them marked attention, and always invited them to theirdinners, and that his ten children were reproduced just as his flocksand his herds had been. 

Much more sympathy has been expressed by women for the wife, than forJob. Poor woman, she had scraped lint, nursed him and waited on him tothe point of nervous exhaustion--no wonder that she was resigned to seehim pass to Abraham's bosom. Job lived one hundred and forty years. Some conjecture that he was seventy years old when his calamities cameupon him, so that his age was doubled with his other blessings. WhetherDinah lived to cheer Job's declining years, or whether she was lured bySatan to his kingdom, does not appear; but he is supposed to have had asecond wife, by the name of Sitis--the probable mother of the secondbrood. 

E. C. S. 

BOOKS OF PSALMS, PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES

AND

THE SONG OF SOLOMON. 

PSALMS. 

Psalms xlv. 

9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy righthand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. 

10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forgetalso thine own people, and thy father's house;

11 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord;and worship thou him. 

12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift: even the richamong the people shall entreat thy favour. 

13 The King's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is ofwrought gold. 

14 She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: thevirgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. 

15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enterinto the King's palace. 

This book is supposed to have been written by David, the son of Jesse, called the sweet psalmist of Israel. He had a taste for the arts, areal genius for poetry and song. Many of the poems are beautiful insentiment and celebrated as specimens of literature, as are somepassages in Job; but the general tone is pessimistic. David's old agewas full of repinings over the follies of his youth and of his middleage. The declining years of a well-spent life should be the mostpeaceful and happy. Then the lessons of experience are understood, andone knows how to bear its joys and sorrows with equal philosophy. YetDavid in the twilight of his days seemed to dwell in the shadows ofdespair, in sackcloth and ashes, repenting for his own sins andbemoaning the evil tendency of men in general. There is a passingmention of the existence of women as imaginary beings in the Psalms, the Proverbs, and The Song of Solomon, but not illustrated by anygrand personalities or individual characters. 

Psalms ii. 

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet cameunto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. 

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness:according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out mytransgressions. 

2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 

David's treatment of Uriah was the darkest passage in his life; and tothose who love justice it is a satisfaction to know that his consciencetroubled him for this act to the end of his days. We are not toldwhether Bath-sheba ever dropped a tear over the sad fate of Uriah, orsuffered any upbraidings of conscience. 

PROVERBS

ix. , 13 A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knowethnothing. 

xi. , 16 A gracious woman retaineth honour: and strong men retain riches. 

xiv. Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh itdown with her hands. 

xvii. , 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father and bitterness to herthat bare him. 

xix. , 14 House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and aprudent wife is from the Lord. 

xxi. , 9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with abrawling woman in a wide house. 

xxi. , 19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with acontentious and an angry woman. 

xxvii. , 15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentiouswoman are alike. 

xxx. , 21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four whichit cannot bear:

22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled withmeat;

23 For an odious woman when she is married; and a handmaid that isheir to her mistress. 

xxxi. , 10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far aboverubies. 

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. 

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her handsshe planteth a vineyard. 

20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor. 

21 She is not afraid of the snow; for all her household are clothedwith scarlet. 

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk andpurple. 

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the eldersof the land. 

24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it. 

26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law ofkindness. 

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, andhe praiseth her. 

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. 

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareththe Lord, shall be praised. 

With these pen pictures of the foolish, contentious wife contrastedwith the more gracious woman, surely every reader of common sense willtry to follow the example of the latter. A complaining woman is worsethan a leaky house, because with paint and putty you can stop thedropping; but how can one find the source of constant complaints?

Heretofore Biblical writers have given to us battles, laws, histories, songs; now we have in Solomon's writings a new style in short, epigrammatic sentences. The proverb was the most ancient way ofteaching among the Greeks. The seven wise men of Greece each had hisown motto on which he made himself famous. These were engraved on stonein public places. Thus the gist of an argument or a long discussion maybe thrown into a proverb, in which the whole point will be easily seenand remembered. 

Solomon's idea of a wise woman, a good mother, a prudent wife, asaving housekeeper and a successful merchant, will be found in theforegoing texts, which every woman who reads should have printed, framed and hung up at her family altar. As Solomon had a thousand womenin his household, he had great opportunity for the study of thecharacteristics of the sex, though one would naturally suppose thatwise women, even in his day, preferred a larger sphere of action thanwithin his palace walls. Solomon's opinion of the sex in general isplainly expressed in the foregoing texts. 

Solomon is supposed to have written his Song when he was young, Proverbs in middle life, and Ecclesiastes when he was old. He gaveadmirable rules for wisdom and virtue to all classes, to men, to womenand to children, but failed to practise the lessons which he taught. 

ECCLESIASTES. 

This book, written in Solomon's old age, is by no means comforting orinspiring. Everything in life seems to have been disappointing to him. Wealth, position, learning, all earthly possessions and acquirementshe declares alike to be "vanity of vanities andvexation of spirit. " To one whose life has been useful to others andsweet to himself, it is quite impossible to accept these pessimisticpictures of human destiny. 

Eccles. Ii. 

I said in mine heart, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoypleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. 

4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:

5 I made me gardens and orchards. 

7 I had great possessions above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

8 I gathered me also silver and gold and particular treasures: I gatme men singers and women singers, and musical instruments. 

10 And whatsover mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheldnot my heart from any joy. 

13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excellethdarkness. 

14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh indarkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to themall. 

This constant depreciation of human dignity and power is verydemoralizing in its influence on character. When we consider thestruggles of the race from savagism to civilization, all the wonderfulachievements, discoveries and inventions of man, we must feel more likebowing down to him as an incarnation of his Creator than deploring hisfollies like "a poor worm of the dust. " The Episcopal service is mostdemoralizing in this view. Whole congregations of educated men andwomen, day after day, year after year, confessing themselves "miserablesinners, " with no evident improvement from generation to generation. And this confession is made in a perfunctory manner, as if no disgraceattended that mental condition, and without hope or promise of a changefrom that unworthy attitude. 

Eccles. Vii. 

26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snaresand nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape fromher; but the sinner shall be taken by her. 

28 One wise man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among allthose have I not found. 

29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; butthey have sought out many inventions. 

Solomon must have had a sad experience in his relations with women. Suchan opinion is a grave reflection on his own mother, who was so devotedto his success in the world. But for her ambition he would never havebeen crowned King of Israel. The commentators vouchsafe the opinion thatthere are more good women than men. It is very kind in some of thecommentators to give us a word of praise now and then; but from thegeneral tone of the learned fabulists, one would think that the Jezebelsand the Jaels predominated. In fact, Solomon says that he has not foundone wise woman in a thousand. 

THE SONG OF SOLOMON. 

The name of God does not appear in this Song, neither is the latterever mentioned in the New Testament. This book has no special religioussignificance, being merely a love poem, an epithalamium, sung onnuptial occasions in praise of the bride and the groom. The properplace for this book is before either Proverbs or Ecclesiastes, as itwas written in Solomon's youth, and is a more pardonable outburst forhis early days than for his declining years. The Jewish doctors advisedtheir young people not to read this book until they were thirty yearsold, when they were supposed to be more susceptible to spiritualbeauties and virtues than to the mere attractions of face and of form. 

The Church, as an excuse for retaining this book as a part of "HolyScriptures, " interprets the Song as expressive of Christ's love for theChurch; but that is rather far-fetched, and unworthy the character ofthe ideal Jesus. The most rational view to take of the Song is, it wasthat of a luxurious king to the women of his seraglio. 

E. C. S. 

BOOKS OF ISAIAH AND DANIEL, MICAH AND MALACHI. 

ISAIAH. 

The closing books, of the Old Testament make but little mention ofwomen as illustrating individual characteristics. The ideal woman isused more as a standard of comparison for good and for evil, the goodwoman representing the elements of success in building up the family, the tribe, the nation, as a devout worshiper of the God of Israel; thewicked woman, the elements of destruction in the downfall of greatcities and nations. As woman is chosen to represent the extremes ofhuman conditions she has no special reason to complain. 

The Prophets sum up the graces of the "daughters of men" in thefollowing texts:

Isaiah iii. 

16 Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking andmincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

19 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinklingornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires likethe moon, 19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, andthe tablets, and the earrings, 21 The rings, and nose jewels, 22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails. 

Before the sacred canon of the Old Testament was written there wereProphets who took the place of Bibles to the Church. It is said thatGod himself spake to the children of Israel from the top of MountSinai, but that it was so terrible they entreated the Lord ever afterto speak to them through men. So ever after he did communicate withthem through Prophets and Angels. Isaiah was of the royal family;he was nephew to King Uzziah. The Prophet in the above texts reprovesand warns the daughters of Zion and tells them of their faults. He doesnot like their style of walking, which from the description must havebeen much like the mincing gait of some women to-day. 

The Prophet expressly vouches God's authority for what he saidconcerning their manners and elaborate ornamentation, lest they shouldbe offended with his criticisms. If the Prophets could visit our storesand see all the fashions there are to tempt the daughters of to-day, they would declaim against our frivolities on the very doorsteps, andin view of the Easter bonnets, at the entrance to our churches. Thebadges which our young women wear as members of societies, pinned inrows on broad ribbons, the earrings, the bangles, the big sleeves, thebonnets trimmed with osprey feathers, answer to the crisping pins, thewimples, the nose jewels, the tablets, the chains, the bracelets, themufflers, the veils, the glasses and the girdles of the daughters ofZion. If the Prophets, instead of the French milliners and dressmakers, could supervise the toilets of our women, they would dress in farbetter taste. 

DANIEL. 

The name of this Prophet in Hebrew was "Da##il, "[FN#5] whichsignifies "the judgment of God. " His Chaldean name was Bethshazzai. Hewas of the tribe of Judah of the royal family. Josephus calls him oneof the greatest of the Prophets. 

[FN#5] Redactor's note. Text was illegible. 

Daniel v. 

Belshazzar the king made a great feast and commanded to bring thegolden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken outof the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines, might drink therein. 

3 Then they brought the golden vessels, . . . And praised the gods ofgold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 

5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote overagainst the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall: and the king sawthe part of the hand that wrote. 

6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubledhim, so that his knees smote one against another. 

7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, andthe soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men ofBabylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shewme the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and havea chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in thekingdom. 

8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read thewriting, nor make known the interpretation thereof. 

10 Now the queen came into the banquet house, and said, O king, liveforever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee. 

11 There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holygods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom Nebuchadnezzar thyfather made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans andsoothsayers; . . . Now let Daniel be called, and he will shew theinterpretation. 

13 Then was Daniel brought in; and he said, I will read the writingunto the king. 

25 And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. 

26 This Is The Interpretation Of The Thing: Mene; God Hath NumberedThy Kingdom, And Finished It. 

27 Tekel; Thou Are Weighed In The Balance, And Art Found Wanting. 

28 Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 

29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamationconcerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 

20 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 

Historians say that Cyrus was at this time besieging the city and knewof this feast, and took this opportunity to make his attack and to slaythe king. 

In the midst of the consternation at the feast the queen entered toadvise Belshazzar. It is supposed that this queen was the widow of theevil Merodach, and was that famous Nitocris whom Herodotus mentions asa woman of extraordinary prudence and wisdom. She was not present atthe feast, as were the king's wives and concubines. It was notagreeable to her age and gravity to dissipate at night; but tidings ofthe consternation in the banquet hall were brought to her, so that shecame and entreated him not to be discouraged by the incapacity of thewise men to solve the riddle; for there was a man in his kingdom whohad more than once helped his father in emergencies and would no doubtadvise him. She could not read the writing herself; but she said, letthe Prophet Daniel be called. The account she gives of the respectNebuchadnezzar had for him, for his insight into the deepest mysteries, and of his goodness and wisdom, moved the king to summon Daniel intohis presence. 

Daniel was now near ninety years of age, and for a long time had notbeen in court circles; but the queen dowager remembered him in thecourt of the king's father. She reminded her son of the high esteem inwhich he was held by his father. The interpretation whichDaniel gave of these mystic characters was far from easing the king ofhis fears. Daniel being in years, and Belshazzar still young, he tookgreater liberty in dealing plainly with him than he had with hisfather. He read the warning as written on the wall:

"Thou hast been weighed in the balance and found wanting, and thykingdom is divided and rent from thee. "

Although the exposition of the handwriting was most discouraging, yetthe king kept his promise, and put on Daniel the scarlet gown and thegold chain. 

MICAH. 

Micah ii. 

9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses;from their children have ye taken away my glory forever. 

Micah vii. 

6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up againsther mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law. 

Here the Israelites are rebuked for their cruel treatment of their ownpeople, robbing widows and selling children into slavery. Family lifeas well as public affairs seems to have become unsettled. The contemptand the violation of the laws of domestic duties are a sad symptom ofuniversal corruption. 

MALACHI. 

Malachi ii. 

11 Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord which he loved, andhath married the daughter of a strange god. 

14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness betweenthee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealttreacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 

15 That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to yourspirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 

These Israelites were always violating the national law which forbadethem to marry strange women. The corruption of the nation began, saythe historians, with the intermarriage of the "sons of God"with the "daughters of men, " meaning, I suppose, those of the tribeswho had a different religion, "He that marries a heathen woman is as ifhe made himself son-in-law to an idol. " They put away the wives oftheir own nation, and, as was the fashion at one time, married those ofother nations. This spoiled the lives of the daughters of Israel. Theywere uncertain as to their social relations, family, right to theirchildren, and support in their old age, as a paper of divorce could begiven to them at any time. The denunciations of the Prophets had nogreat weight in matters where strong feeling and sound judgmentconflicted. 

Charming women, of the Hittites and of the Midianites, with theirnovel dress, manners and conversation, attracted the men of Israel. They could not resist the temptation. When the strongest man and thewisest one are alike led captive, there is no significance in callingwoman--"the weaker sex. "

Though few women appear in the closing tragedies of the Old Testament, yet the idiosyncrasies of the sex are constantly used to point a moralor to condemn a sin. 

E. C. S. 

THE KABBALAH. 

The Bible is an occult book, and a remarkable one. About all creedsand faiths this side of Pagandom go to it for their authority. Read inthe light of occult teachings, it becomes something more than the oldbattle ground of controversy for warring religions. Occultism alonefurnishes the key to this ancient treasury of wisdom. But to turn nowto another point, it may be well to call the attention of the readersof The Woman's Bible to a few quotations from MacGregor Mathers'"Kabbalah Unveiled, " which has been pronounced by competent authoritiesthe work of a master hand. This work is a translation of Knorr VonRosenroth's "Kabbalah Denudata. "

The Kabbalah--the Hebrew esoteric doctrines--is a system of teachingswith which only the very learned attempt to wrestle. It is claimed tohave been handed down by oral tradition from angelic sources, throughAdam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the Seventy Elders, to David and toSolomon. No attempt was made to commit this sacred knowledge towriting, till, in the early centuries of the Christian era (authoritiesdiffer widely as to the date) the pupils of Rabbi Simeon ben Joachi puthis teachings into writing; and this in later ages became known as the"Zohar, " or "Book of Splendor. " Around the name of this Rabbi Simeonben Joachi, as one scholarly writer puts it, "cluster the mystery andthe poetry of the religion of the Kabbalah as a gift of the Deity tomankind. " The Zohar, which is only a part of the Kabbalah, is the greatstore-house of the esoteric teaching of the ancient Hebrews. 

Returning to the quotations referred to above, MacGregor Mathers inhis preface says: "I wish particularly to direct the reader's attentionto the stress laid by the Kabbalah on the feminine aspects of theDeity, and to the shameful way in which any allusion to these has beensuppressed in the ordinary translations of the Bible, also to theKabbalistical equality of male and female. "

Referring to the Sephiroth (the ten Kabbalistical attributes of God), Mr. Mathers says:

"Among these Sephiroth, jointly and severally, we find the developmentof the persons and the attributes of God. Of these, some are male andsome are female. Now, for some reason or other, best known tothemselves, the translators of the Bible have carefully crowded out ofexistence and smothered up every reference to the fact that the Deityis both masculine and feminine. They have translated a feminine pluralby a masculine singular in the case of the word Elohim. They have, however, left an inadvertent admission of their knowledge that it wasplural in Genesis iv. , 26: 'And Elohim said: Let US make man. '

"Again (v. , 27), how could Adam be made in the image of the Elohim, male and female, unless the Elohim were male and female also? The wordElohim is a plural formed from the feminine singular ALH, Eloh, byadding IM to the word. But inasmuch as IM is usually the termination ofthe masculine plural, and is here added to a feminine noun, it gives tothe word Elohim the sense of a female potency united to a masculineidea, and thereby capable of producing an offspring. Now we hear muchof the Father and the Son, but we hear nothing of the Mother in theordinary religions of the day. But in the Kabbalah we find that theAncient of Days conforms himself simultaneously into the Father and theMother, and thus begets the Son. Now this Mother is Elohim. "

The writer then goes on to show that the Holy Spirit, usuallyrepresented as masculine, is in fact feminine. The first Sephiracontained the other nine, and produced them in succession. The secondis Chokmah (Wisdom), and is the active and evident Father to whom theMother is united. The third is a feminine passive potency called Binah(Understanding), and is co-equal with Chokmah. Chokmah is powerlesstill the number three forms the triangle. 

"Thus this Sephira completes and makes evident the supernal Trinity. It is also called AMA, Mother, the great productive Mother, who iseternally conjoined with the Father for the maintenance of theuniverse in order. Therefore is she the most evident form in whom wecan know the Father, and therefore is she worthy of all honor. She isthe supernal Mother, co-equal with Chokmah, and the great feminine formof God, the Elohim, in whose image man and woman were created, according to the teaching of the Kabbalah, equal before God. Woman isequal with man, not inferior to him, as it has been the persistentendeavor of so-called Christians to make her. Aima is the womandescribed in the Apocalypse (ch. 12). "

"This third Sephira is also sometimes called the Great Sea. To her areattributed the Divine names, Alaim, Elohim, and Iahveh Alhim; and theangelic order, Arhlim, the Thrones. She is the supernal Mother asdistinguished from Malkuth, the inferior Mother, Bride and Queen. . . . In each of the three trinities or triads of the Sephiroth is a dual ofopposite sexes, and a uniting intelligence which is the result. Inthis, the masculine and feminine potencies are regarded as the twoscales of the balance, and the uniting Sephira as the beam which joinsthem. "

In chapter viii. We read: "Chokmah is the Father, and Binah is theMother, and therein are Chokmah (Wisdom) and Binah (Understanding), counterbalanced together in most perfect equality of Male and Female. And therefore are all things established in the equality of Male andFemale; if it were not so, how could they subsist? . . . In theirconformations are They found to be the perfections of all things--Father and Mother, Son and Daughter. These things have not beenrevealed save unto the Holy Superiors who have entered therein anddeparted therefrom, and have known the paths of the Most Holy God, sothat they have not erred in them, either on the right hand or on theleft. "

In a note in regard to Chokmah and Binah the author says: "Chokmah isthe second and Binah is the third of the Sephiroth. This section is asufficient condemnation of all those who wish to make out that woman isinferior to man. "

The Kabbalah also speaks of the separation of the sexes as the causeof evil, or as the author puts it in a note: "Where there is unbalancedforce, there is the origin of evil. " Further on it is written: "Andtherefore is Aima (the Mother) known to be the consummation ofall things; and She is signified to be the beginning and the end. . . . And hence that which is not both Male and Female together is calledhalf a body. Now, no blessing can rest upon a mutilated and defectivebeing, but only upon a perfect place and upon a perfect being, and notat all in an incomplete being. And a semi-complete being cannot liveforever, neither can it receive blessing forever. "

The following is the author's comment upon the above: "This section isanother all-sufficient proof of the teachings maintained throughout theKabbalah, namely, that man and woman are from the creation co-equal andco-existent, perfectly equal, one with the other. This fact thetranslators of the Bible have been at great pains to conceal bycarefully suppressing every reference to the feminine portion of theDeity, and by constantly translating feminine nouns by masculine. Andthis is the work of so-called religious men!"

A learned Jewish Rabbi, with whom the writer is acquainted, says:"Those who write on the Bible must be very careful when they come tospeak of the position of woman to make a clear distinction between theOld and the New Testaments. In the Old Testament, except in the secondchapter of Genesis, woman occupies a true and a dignified position insociety and in the family. For example, take the position of Sarah, ofthe Prophetess Miriam, the sister of Moses, and Deborah the Prophetess. They all exemplify the true position of woman in the Old Testament. While Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, and the chief writer in theNew Testament, condemned woman to silence in the Church and to strictobedience to her husband, making her thereby inferior to the man, theOld Testament gave free scope to the development of the Holy Spirit inwoman. To intensify this teaching upon the position of woman, we findeven the voice of the Deity telling Abraham: 'Whatever Sarah tellsthee, thou shalt hearken unto her voice, ' showing that woman in her ownhome was the guiding power. " In regard to another point this Rabbisays: "The learned Jewish Rabbis of modern times do not take the ribstory literally. And this may be said of many of the olden times. "

The Kabbalah and its learned expositors may be said to be "thethrobbing heart" of the Jewish religion, as was graphically said of themystic teachings of another occult fraternity. And in view of theKabbalah's antiquity, and the fact that it is the fountain head of thebody of the Old Testament teachings, these quotations as to the realKabbalistic teachings in regard to woman, or to the feminine aspects ofthe Deity, are of first-class importance in such a book as "The Woman'sBible. " In Kabbalistic teachings "there is one Trinity which comprisesall the Sephiroth, and it consists of the crown, the king and thequeen. . . . It is the Trinity which created the world, or, inKabbalistic language, the universe was born from the union of thecrowned king and queen. "

The rib story is veiled in the mystic language of symbolism. Accordingto occult teachings, there was a time before man was differentiatedinto sexes--that is, when he was androgynous. Then the time came, millions of years ago, when the differentiation into sexes took place. And to this the rib story refers. There has been much ignorance andconfusion in regard to the real nature of woman, indicating that she ispossessed of a mystic nature and a power which will gradually bedeveloped and better understood as the world becomes more enlightened. Woman has been branded as the author of evil in the world; and at thesame time she has been exalted to the position of mother of the Saviourof the world. These two positions are as conflicting as the generalideas which have prevailed in regard to woman--the great enigma of theworld. 

Theological odium has laid its hand heavily upon her. "This odium, " asa Rev. D. D. Once said to the writer, "is a thing with more horns, morethorns, more quills and more snarls than almost any other sort of thingyou have ever heard of. It has kindled as many fires of martyrdom; ithas slipnoosed as many ropes for the necks of well-meaning men; it hasbuilt as many racks for the dislocation of human bones; it has forgedas many thumbscrews; it has built as many dungeons; it has ostracisedas many scholars and philosophers; it has set itself against light andpushed as hard to make the earth revolve the other way on its axis, asany other force of mischief of whatever name or kind. "

And that is the fearful thing with which woman has had to contend. When she is free from it we may be assured that the dawn of a new dayis not far off. And among the indications pointing that way is the factthat the Bible itself has been "under treatment" for some time. What isknown as the "Higher Criticism" has done much to clear away the cloudsof superstition which have enveloped it. 

One of the latest works on this line is "The Polychrome Bible"--theword meaning the different colors in which the texts, the notes, thedates, the translations, etc. , are printed for the sake of simplifyingmatters. Prof. Paul Haupt, of Johns Hopkins University, is at the headof this great work, ably assisted by a large corps of the best Biblicalscholars in the world. It is not to be a revision of the acceptedversion, but a new translation in modern English. The translation isnot to be literal except in the highest sense of the word, viz. , "torender the sense of the original as faithfully as possible. " There areto be explanatory notes, historical and archaelogical illustrations ofthe text, paraphrases of difficult passages, etc. In short, everythingpossible is to be done to simplify and to make plain this ancient book. The contributors have instructions not to hesitate to state what theyconsider to be the truth, but with as little offence to the generalreader as possible. This work has been pronounced the greatest literaryundertaking of the century--a work which will prepare the way for thecoming generation to give an entirely new consideration to thereligious problem. It was begun in 1890, and will probably not becompleted before 1900. 

Another important work, small in actual size but big withsignificance, has just been issued in England under the title of "TheBible and the Child. " It is not, as its name might imply, a book forchildren, but it is for the purpose of "showing the right way ofpresenting the Bible to the young in the light of the HigherCriticism. " Its eight contributors are headed by Canon F. W. Farrar, ofEngland, and includes a number of noted English divines. An Englishwriter outside of the orthodox pale says: "It is one of the mostextraordinary books published in the English language. It is small; butit is just the turning-scale to the side of common sense in mattersreligious. The Church has at last taken a step in the right direction. We cannot expect it to set off at a gallop; but it is fairly amblingalong on its comfortable palfrey. "

The advance is all along the line; and we need not fear any retrogrademovement to the past. Canon Farrar says that the manner in which theHigher Criticism has progressed "is exactly analogous to the way inwhich the truths of astronomy and of geology have triumphed overuniversal opposition. They were once anathematized as 'Infidel;' theyare now accepted as axiomatic. " When an official of the Church ofEngland of the high standing of Canon Farrar comes out so boldly in theinterest of free thought and free criticism on lines hitherto held tobe too sacred for human reason to cross, it is one of the "signs of thetimes, " and a most hopeful one of the future. 

And now that we are coming to understand the Bible better than toworship it as an idol, it will gradually be lifted from the shadows andthe superstitions of an age when, as a fetich, it was exalted abovereason, and placed where a spiritually enlightened people can see it inits true light-a book in which many a bright jewel has been buriedunder some rubbish, perhaps, as well as under many symbolisms andmystic language--a book which is not above the application of reasonand of common sense. And with these new lights on the Bible, it isgratifying to know at the same time that the stately Hebrew Kabbalah, hoary with antiquity, and the fountain source of the Old Testament, places woman on a perfect equality in the Godhead. For better authoritythan that one can hardly ask. 

We are nearing the close of a remarkable century, the last half ofwhich, and especially the last quarter, has been crowded withdiscoveries, some of them startling in their approximation to theinner, or occult world--a world in which woman has potent sway. Theclose of this century has long been pointed to by scholars, by writersand by Prophets, within the Church and out of it, as the close of theold dispensation and the opening of the new one. And in view of therapid steps which we are taking in these latter years, we can almostfeel the breath of the new cycle fan our cheeks as we watch thedeepening hues of the breaking dawn. 

F. E. B. 

THE NEW TESTAMENT. 

"Great is Truth, and mighty above all things. "--1 Esdras, iv. , 41. 

Does the New Testament bring promises of new dignity and of largerliberties for woman? When thinking women make any criticisms on theirdegraded position in the Bible, Christians point to her exaltation inthe New Testament, as if, under their religion, woman really doesoccupy a higher position than under the Jewish dispensation. Whilethere are grand types of women presented under both religions, there isno difference in the general estimate of the sex. In fact, her inferiorposition is more clearly and emphatically set forth by the Apostlesthan by the Prophets and the Patriarchs. There are no such specificdirections for woman's subordination in the Pentateuch as in theEpistles. 

We are told that the whole sex was highly honored in Mary being themother of Jesus. Surely a wise and virtuous son is more indebted to hismother than she is to him, and is honored only by reflecting hersuperior characteristics. Why the founders of the Christian religiondid not improvise an earthly Father as well as an earthly Mother doesnot clearly appear. The questionable position of Joseph isunsatisfactory. As Mary belonged to the Jewish aristocracy, she shouldhave had a husband of the same rank. If a Heavenly Father wasnecessary, why not a Heavenly Mother? If an earthly Mother wasadmirable, why not not {sic} an earthly Father? The Jewish idea thatJesus was born according to natural law is more rational than is theChristian record of the immaculate conception by the Holy Ghost, thethird person of the Trinity. These Biblical mysteries andinconsistencies are a great strain on the credulity of the ordinarymind. 

E. C. S. 

Jesus was the great leading Radical of his age. Everything that he wasand said and did alienated and angered the Conservatives, those thatrepresented and stood for the established order of what they believedto be the fixed and final revelation of God. Is it any wonder that theyprocured his death? They had no power to put him to death themselves, and so they stirred the suspicions of the Roman authorities. 

We owe the conquest of Christianity to two things. First, to Paul. Christianity never would have been anything but a little Jewish sect ifit had not been for Paul. And the other thing is--what? The conquestover death. It was the abounding belief of the disciples that Jesus wasalive, their leader still, though in the invisible, which made themlaugh in the face of death, which made them fearless in the presence ofthe lions in the arena, which made them seek for the honor and glory ofmartyrdom, and which gave them such conquest over all fear, all sorrow, all toil, as can come only to those who believe that this life ismerely a training school, that death is nothing but a doorway and thatit leads out into the eternal glories and grandeurs beyond. 

I think that the doctrine of the Virgin birth as something higher, sweeter, nobler than ordinary motherhood, is a slue on all the naturalmotherhood of the world. I believe that millions of children have beenas immaculately conceived, as purely born, as was the Nazarene. Whynot? Out of this doctrine, and that which is akin to it, have sprungall the monasteries and the nunneries of the world, which havedisgraced and distorted and demoralized manhood and womanhood for athousand years. I place beside the false, monkish, unnatural claim ofthe Immaculate Conception my mother, who was as holy in her motherhoodas was Mary herself. 

Another suggestion. This thought of Jesus as the second person of aninconceivable trinity, a being neither of heaven nor earth, but betweenthe two; a being having two natures and one will; a being who wasignorant as a man, and who suffered as a man, while he knew everythingas God and could not suffer as God--this conception is part of a schemeof the universe which represents humanity as ruined and lost andhopeless, God as unjust, and man as looking only to a fearful judgmentin the ages that are to be. I believe that thousands of people havelived since the time of Jesus as good, as tender, as loving, as true, asfaithful, as he. There is no more mystery in the one case than in theother, for it is all mystery. Old Father Taylor, the famous MethodistBethel preacher in Boston, was a Perfectionist, and when he was asked ifhe thought anybody had since lived who was as good as Jesus, he said:"Yes; millions of them. " This is Methodist authority. 

What made Jesus the power he was of his time? In the first place, there was an inexplicable charm about his personality which drew allthe common people to him, as iron filings are drawn by a magnet. Heloved the people, who instinctively felt it, and loved him. Then therewas his intellectual power of speech. Most of the sayings of Jesus arenot original in the sense that nobody else ever uttered any similartruths before. Confucius, six thousand years before Jesus, gaveutterance to the Golden Rule. And then there was the pity, thesympathy, the tenderness of the man. And then he had trust in God--trust in the simple Fatherhood of God, that never could be shaken. Jesus taught us, as no one else has ever done it, the humanness of Godand the divineness of man, so that, standing there eighteen hundredyears ago, he has naturally and infallibly attracted the eyes, thethought, the love, the reverence of the world. 

When it is dark in the morning, and before the sun rises, there arehigh peaks that catch the far-off rays and begin to glow, while therest of the world still lies in shadow. So there are mountainous men, not supernatural, but as natural as the mountains and the sun--mountainous men who catch the light before our common eyes on theplains and in the valleys can see it, who see and proclaim from theirlofty heights far-off visions of truth and beauty that we as yet cannotdiscern. 

ANON. 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW. 

CHAPTER I. 

Matthew i. 

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteengenerations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon arefourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon untoChrist are fourteen generations. 

Saint Matthew is supposed to be distinguished from the other Apostlesby the frequency of his references to the Old Testament. He recordsmore particulars of Jesus than the others do, far more of his birth, his sayings and his miracles. 

There has been much difference of opinion among writers of both sacredand profane history as to the paternity of Jesus, and whether he was areal or an ideal character. If, as the Scriptures claim, he descendedfrom heaven, begotten by the Holy Ghost, the incarnation of Godhimself, then there was nothing remarkable in his career, normiraculous in the seeming wonders which he performed, being the souland the centre of all the forces of the universe of matter and of mind. If he was an ideal character, like the gifted hero of some novel ortragedy, his great deeds and his wise sayings the result of theimagination of some skilful artist, then we may admire the sketch as abeautiful picture. But if Jesus was a man who was born, lived and diedas do other men, a worthy example for imitation, he is deserving of ourlove and reverence, and by showing us the possibilities of human naturehe is a constant inspiration, our hope and salvation; for the path, however rough, in which one man has walked, others may follow. As a Godwith infinite power he could have been no example to us; but with humanlimitations we may emulate his virtues and walk in his footsteps. 

Some writers think that his mother was a wise, great and beautifulJewish maiden, and his father a learned rabbi, who devoted much timeand thought to his son's education. At a period when learning wasconfined to the few, it was a matter of surprise that as a mere boy hecould read and write, and discuss the vital questions of the hour withdoctors in the sacred temples. His great physical beauty, the wisdom ofhis replies to the puzzling questions of the Pharisees and theSadducces, his sympathy with the poor and the needy, his ambition forall that is best in human development, and his indifference to worldlyaggrandizement, altogether made him a marked man in his day andgeneration. For these reasons he was hated, reviled, persecuted, likethe long line of martyrs who followed his teachings. He commands farmore love and reverence as a true man with only human possibilities, than as a God, superior to all human frailties and temptations. 

What were years of persecution, the solitude on the mountain, theagonies on the cross, with the power of a God to sustain him? Butunaided and alone to triumph over all human weakness, trials andtemptation, was victory not only for Jesus but for every human beingmade in his image. 

Matthew ii. 

1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herodthe king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seenhis star in the cast, and are come to worship him. 

3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and allJerusalem with him. 

4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests together, he demandedof them where Christ should be born. 

5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea:

8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligentlyfor the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word. 

9 And they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young childwith Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshiped him: and when theyhad opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, andfrankincense, and myrrh. 

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return toHerod, they departed into their own country another way. 

13 And the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt;for Herod will seek to destroy him. 

14 And he arose, and departed into Egypt;

19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth ina dream to Joseph

20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go intothe land of Israel. 

These sages were supposed to be men of great learning belonging to asect called Magians, who came from Arabia. There was a generalfeeling that the king of the Jews was yet to be born, and that theywere soon to see the long expected and promised Messiah. Herod wasgreatly troubled by the tidings that a child had been born underremarkable circumstances. The star spoken of was supposed to be aluminous meteor the wise men had seen in their own country before theyset out on their journey for Bethlehem, and which now guided them tothe house where the young child was. Notwithstanding the commonsurroundings, the wise men recognizing something more than human in thechild, fell down and worshiped him and presented unto him the mostprecious gifts which their country yielded. Some have supposed that thefrankincense and the myrrh were intended as an acknowledgment of hisdeity, as the gold was of his royalty. 

To defeat the subtle malice of Herod, who was determined to take thechild's life, Joseph was warned in a dream to flee into Egypt with thechild and his mother. The wise men did not return to Herod ascommanded, but went at once to their own country. 

Matthew ix. 

18 Behold, there came a certain ruler, saying, My daughter is even nowdead; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 

19 And Jesus arose and followed him. 

2 And behold, a woman, which was diseased twelve years, came behindhim, and touched the hem of his garment:

21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, Ishall be whole. 

22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman wasmade whole from that hour. 

23 And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, * * *

24 He said, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. Andthey laughed him to scorn, 25 But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by thehand, and the maid arose. 

Matthew xiv. 

3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and put him in prison for Herodias'sake, his brother Philip's wife. 

4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 

5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 

6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias dancedbefore them, and pleased Herod. 

7 Whereupon he promised to give her whatsoever she would ask. 

8 And she being before instructed of her met, Give me here JohnBaptist's head in a charger. 

9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake hecommanded it to be given her, 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 

11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: andshe brought it to her mother. 

12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, andwent and told Jesus. 

Josephus says that Herodias was niece both to her former husband, Philip, and to Herod, with whom she at this time lived. Herod haddivorced his own wife in order to take her; and her husband Philip wasstill living, as well as the daughter Salome, whom he had by her. Noconnection could be more contrary to the law of God than this. John, therefore, being a prophet and no courtier, plainly reproved Herod, anddeclared that it was not lawful for him to retain Herodias. Thisgreatly offended Herod and Herodias, and they cast John into prison, Herodias waited her opportunity to wreak her malice on him, countingJohn's reproof an insult to her character as well as an interferencewith her ambition. 

At length when Herod celebrated his birthday, entertaining his nobleswith great magnificence, the daughter of Herodias danced before themall, with such exquisite grace as to delight the company, whereuponHerod promised her whatever she desired, though equal in value to halfhis kingdom. Salome consulted her mother, who urged her to demand thehead of John the Baptist. By the influence of Herodias, Herod, contraryto his own conscience, was induced to put John to death, for he fearedhim as a righteous man. 

It must have been a great trial to the daughter, who might have askedso many beautiful gifts and rare indulgences, to yield all to herwicked mother's revenge. But these deeds were speedily avenged. It issaid that Salome had her head cut off by the ice breaking as she passedover it. Herod was shortly after engaged in a disastrous war on accountof Herodias, and was expelled from his territories; and both died inexile, hated by everybody and hating one another. 

L. C. S. 

In regard to the charge against Herodias, which is current amongtheological scandal-mongers, there is not a moderately intelligent juryof Christendom (if composed half of men and half of women) which, afterexamining all the available evidence, would not render a verdict in herfavor of "Not Guilty. " The statement that She "paid the price of herown daughter's debasement and disgrace for the head of John theBaptist, " is an assertion born wholly of the ecclesiastical, distortedimagination. Not even a hint, much less an iota of proof, towarrant such an assertion, is found anywhere in history--sacred orprofane. While some anonymous writer of the early Christian centuriesdid put in circulation the charge that John the Baptist was put todeath at the instigation of Herodias (without implicating herdaughter's character, however), Josephus, on the contrary, explicitlydeclares that his death was wholly a political matter, with which thenames of Herodias and her daughter are not even connected by rumor. Says Josephus: "When others came in crowds about him (John theBaptist), for they were greatly moved by hearing his words, Herod, whofeared lest the great influence John had over the people might put itinto his power and inclination to raise a rebellion (for they seemedready to do anything he should advise), thought it best, by putting himto death, to prevent any mischief he might cause. . . . Accordingly hewas sent a prisoner, out of Herod's suspicious temper, to Macherus, thecastle I before mentioned, and was there put to death. "

Now, the jury must remember that Josephus was born in Jerusalem about38 A. D. , that he was an educated man and in a position to know thefacts in this case, owing both to his prominent position among the Jewsand to his study of contemporaneous history. But that, on the otherhand, the anonymous writers who bring Herodias' name into thetransaction, are not traceable further back than the fourth century ofour era, and that even they do not bring any charge against hercharacter as a mother. 

E. B. D. 

Matthew xv. 

21 Then Jesus departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 

22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan cried unto him, saying, Have mercyon me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed witha devil. 

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples besought him tosend her away. 

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep ofthe house of . Israel. 

25 Then came she and worshiped him, saying, Lord, help me. 

26 But he said, It is not meet to take the children's food, and tocast it to dogs. 

27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs whichfall from their master's table. 

23 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith:be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole fromthat very hour. 

Peter had a house in Capernaum; and his wife's mother lived with them;and Jesus lodged with them when in that city. It is hopedthat his presence brought out the best traits of the mother-in-law, soas to make her agreeable to Peter. As soon as Jesus rebuked the fever, she was able without delay to rise and to wait on Jesus and hisdisciples. These displays of the power of Christ in performingmiracles, according to the text, are varied, in almost everyconceivable way of beneficence; but he wrought no miracles ofvengeance, even the destruction of the swine was doubtless intended inmercy and conducive to much good--so say the commentators. He not onlyhealed the sick and cast out devils, but he made the blind to see andthe dumb to speak. 

The woman of Canaan proved herself quite equal in argument with Jesus;and though by her persistency she tired the patience of the disciples, she made her points with Jesus with remarkable clearness. His patiencewith women was a sore trial to the disciples, who were always disposedto nip their appeals in the bud. It was very ungracious in Jesus tospeak of the Jews as dogs, saying, "It is not meet to take thechildren's food, and to cast it to dogs. " Her reply, "Yet the dogs eatof the crumbs which fall from the master's table, " was bright andappropriate. Jesus appreciated her tact and her perseverance, andgranted her request; and her daughter, the text says, was healed. 

We might doubt the truth of all these miracles did We not see so manywonderful things in our own day which we would have pronouncedimpossible years ago. The fact of human power developing in so manyremarkable ways proves that Jesus's gift of performing miracles isattainable by those who, like him, live pure lives, and whose bloodflows in the higher arches of the brain. If one man, at any period ofthe world's history, performed miracles, others equally gifted may dothe same. 

Matthew xx. 

20 Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 

21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grantthat these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and theother on the left, in thy kingdom. 

Zebedee, the father of James and of John, was dead; and he was not soconstant a follower of Christ as his wife; so she is mentionedas the mother of Zebedee's children, which saying has passed into aconundrum, "Who was the mother of Zebedee's children?" Scott in hiscommentaries gives her name as Salome. Whatever her name, she had greatambition for her sons, and asked that they might have the chief placesof honor and authority in his kingdom. Her son James was the first ofthe Apostles who suffered martyrdom. John survived all the rest and isnot supposed to have died a violent death. 

A mother's ambition to lift her sons over her own head in educationand position, planning extraordinary responsibilities for ordinary men, has proved a misfortune in many cases. Many a young man who would be asuccess as a carpenter would be a failure as the governor of a State. Mothers are quite apt to overestimate the genius of their children andpush them into niches which they cannot fill. 

Matthew xxii. 

23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is noresurrection and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, hisbrother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 

25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he hadmarried a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto hisbrother:

26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 

27 And last of all the woman died also. 

28 Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of theseven? for they all had her. 

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing theScriptures, nor the power of God. 

30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given inmarriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 

Jesus reminded the Sadducees that marriage was intended only for thepresent world, to replenish the earth and to repair the ravages whichdeath continually makes among its inhabitants; but as in the futurestate there was to be no death, so no marriage. There the body evenwould be made spiritual; and all the employments and the pleasures pureand angelic. The marriage relation seems to have been a tangled problemin all ages. Scientists tell us that both the masculine and feminineelements were united in one person in the beginning, and will probablybe reunited again for eternity. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER II. 

Matthew xxv. 

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, whichtook their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh;go ye out to meet him. 

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for ourlamps are gone out. 

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough forus and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that wereready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open tous. 

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 

In this chapter we have the duty of self-development impressively andrepeatedly urged in the form of parables, addressed alike to man and towoman. The sin of neglecting and of burying one's talents, capacitiesand powers, and the penalties which such a course involve, are herestrikingly portrayed. 

This parable is found among the Jewish records substantially the sameas in our own Scriptures. Their weddings were generally celebrated atnight; yet they usually began at the rising of the evening star; but inthis case there was a more than ordinary delay. Adam Clarke in hiscommentaries explains this parable as referring chiefly to spiritualgifts and the religious life. He makes the Lord of Hosts thebridegroom, the judgment day the wedding feast, the foolish virgins thesinners whose hearts were cold and dead, devoid of all spiritualgraces, and unfit to enter the kingdom of heaven, The wise virgins werethe saints who were ready for translation, or for the bridalprocession. They followed to the wedding feast; and when the chosen hadentered "the door was shut. "

This strikes us as a strained interpretation of a very simple parable, which, considered in connection with the other parables, seems to applymuch more closely to this life than to that which is to come, to theintellectual and the moral nature, and to the whole round of humanduties. It fairly describes the two classes which help to make upsociety in general. The one who, like the foolish virgins, have neverlearned the first important duty of cultivating their own individualpowers, using the talents given to them, and keeping their own lampstrimmed and burning. The idea of being a helpmeet to somebody else hasbeen so sedulously drilled into most women that an individual life, aim, purpose and ambition are never taken into consideration. Theyoftimes do so much in other directions that they neglect the most vitalduties to themselves. 

We may find in this simple parable a lesson for the cultivation ofcourage and of self-reliance. These virgins are summoned to thedischarge of an important duty at midnight, alone, in darkness, and insolitude. No chivalrous gentleman is there to run for oil and to trimtheir lamps. They must depend on themselves, unsupported, and pay thepenalty of their own improvidence and unwisdom. Perhaps in that bridalprocession might have been seen fathers, brothers, friends, for whoseservice and amusement the foolish virgins had wasted many precioushours, when they should have been trimming their own lamps and keepingoil in their vessels. 

And now, with music, banners, lanterns, torches, guns and rockets firedat intervals, come the bride and the groom, with their attendants andfriends numbering thousands, brilliant in jewels, gold and silver, magnificently mounted on richly caparisoned horses--for nothing can bemore brilliant than were those nuptial solemnities of Eastern nations. As this spectacle, grand beyond description, sweeps by, imagine thefoolish virgins pushed aside, in the shadow of some tall edifice, withdark, empty lamps in their hands, unnoticed and unknown. And while thecastle walls resound with music and merriment, and the lights from everywindow stream out far into the darkness, no kind friends gather roundthem to sympathize in their humiliation, nor to cheer their loneliness. It matters little that women may be ignorant, dependent, unprepared fortrial and for temptation. Alone they must meet the terrible emergenciesof life, to be sustained and protected amid danger and death by theirown courage, skill and self-reliance, or perish. 

Woman's devotion to the comfort, the education, the success of men ingeneral, and to their plans and projects, is in a great measure due toher self-abnegation and self-sacrifice having been so long and sosweetly lauded by poets, philosophers and priests as the acme of humangoodness and glory. 

Now, to my mind, there is nothing commendable in the action of youngwomen who go about begging funds to educate young men for the ministry, while they and the majority of their sex are too poor to educatethemselves, and if able, are still denied admittance into some of theleading institutions of learning throughout our land. It is notcommendable for women to get up fairs and donation parties for churchesin which the gifted of their sex may neither pray, preach, share in theoffices and honors, nor have a voice in the business affairs, creedsand discipline, and from whose altars come forth Biblicalinterpretations in favor of woman's subjection. 

It is not commendable for the women of this Republic to expend muchenthusiasm on political parties as now organized, nor in nationalcelebrations, for they have as yet no lot or part in the greatexperiment of self-government. 

In their ignorance, women sacrifice themselves to educate the men oftheir households, and to make of themselves ladders by which theirhusbands, brothers and sons climb up into the kingdom of knowledge, while they themselves are shut out from all intellectual companionship, even with those they love best; such are indeed like the foolishvirgins. They have not kept their own lamps trimmed and burning; theyhave no oil in their vessels, no resources in themselves; they bring nolight to their households nor to the circle in which they move; andwhen the bridegroom cometh, when the philosopher, the scientist, thesaint, the scholar, the great and the learned, all come together tocelebrate the marriage feast of science and religion, the foolishvirgins, though present, are practically shut out; for what know theyof the grand themes which inspire each tongue and kindle everythought? Even the brothers and the sons whom they have educated, nowrise to heights which they cannot reach, span distances which theycannot comprehend. 

The solitude of ignorance, oh, who can measure its misery!

The wise virgins are they who keep their lamps trimmed, who burn oilin their vessels for their own use, who have improved every advantagefor their education, secured a healthy, happy, complete development, and entered all the profitable avenues of labor, for self-support, sothat when the opportunities and the responsibilities of life come, theymay be fitted fully to enjoy the one and ably to discharge the other. 

These are the women who to-day are close upon the heels of man in thewhole realm of thought, in art, in science, in literature and ingovernment. With telescopic vision they explore the starry firmament, and bring back the history of the planetary world. With chart andcompass they pilot ships across the mighty deep, and with skilfulfingers send electric messages around the world. In galleries of art, the grandeur of nature and the greatness of humanity are immortalizedby them on canvas, and by their inspired touch, dull blocks of marbleare transformed into angels of light. In music they speak again thelanguage of Mendelssohn, of Beethoven, of Chopin, of Schumann, and areworthy interpreters of their great souls. The poetry and the novels ofthe century are theirs; they, too, have touched the keynote of reformin religion, in politics and in social life. They fill the editors' andthe professors' chairs, plead at the bar of justice, walk the wards ofthe hospital, and speak from the pulpit and the platform. 

Such is the widespread preparation for the marriage feast of scienceand religion; such is the type of womanhood which the bridegroom of anenlightened public sentiment welcomes to-day; and such is the triumphof the wise virgins over the folly, the ignorance and the degradationof the past as in grand procession they enter the temple of knowledge, and the door is no longer shut. 

Matthew xxvi. 

6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very preciousointment, and poured it on his head. 

8 But. When his disciples saw it, they said, To what purpose is thiswaste?

9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to thepoor. 

10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye thewoman?

11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. 

12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did itfor my burial. 

13 Verily, I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached, there shall also this be told for a memorial of her. 

Matthew xxvii. 

19 When Pilate was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent untohim, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I havesuffered many things this day in a dream, because of him. 

24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather atumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before themultitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: seeye to it. 

25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and onour children. 

55 And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesusfrom Galilee, ministering unto him;

56 Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the mother of James andJoses, and the mother of Zebedee's children. 

61 And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting overagainst the sepulchre. 

It is a common opinion among Christians that the persecutions of theJews in all periods and latitudes is a punishment on them for theircrucifixion of Jesus, and that this defiant acceptance of theresponsibility is being justly fulfilled. 

Matthew xxviii. 

1 In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn came Mary Magdaleneand the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 

2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lorddescended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from thedoor, and sat upon it. 

3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:

4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 

5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye; for Iknow that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 

7 Go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;and behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him. 

8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with great joy. 

9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipedhim. 

10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: tell my brethren thatthey go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. 

Among the witnesses of the crucifixion, this melancholy and untimelyscene, there were some women who had followed Jesus from Galilee andhad waited on him, supplying his wants from their substance. Affectionand anxious concern induced them to be present, and probably they standafar off, fearing the outrages of the multitude. Words cannotexpress the mixed emotions of true gratitude, reverence, sorrow andcompassion which must have agitated their souls on this occasion. Wefind from John, who was also present, that Mary the mother of Jesus wasa spectator of this distressing scene. 

When Jesus was brought before Pilate, he was greatly troubled as towhat judgment he should give, and his hesitation was increased by awarning from his wife, to have no part in the death of that righteousman; for she had terrifying dreams respecting him, which made herconclude that his death would be avenged by some unseen power. 

E. C. S. 

THE BOOK OF MARK. 

Mark iii. 

31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, 32 And the multitude sat about him, and said unto him, Behold, thymother and thy brethren seek for thee. 

33 And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?

34 And he looked round about and said. Behold my mother and my brethren!

35 For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, andmy sister and mother. 

Many of the same texts found in the Book of Matthew are repeated bythe other Evangelists. It appears from the text that the earnestness ofJesus in teaching the people, made some of his friends, who did notbelieve in his mission, anxious. Even his mother feared to have himteach doctrines in opposition to the public sentiment of his day. Hiswords of seeming disrespect to her, simply meant to imply that he hadan important work to do, that his duties to humanity were more to himthan the ties of natural affection. 

Many of the ancient writers criticise Mary severely, for trying toexercise control over Jesus, assuming rightful authority over him. Theophylact taxes her with vainglory; Tertullian accuses her ofambition; St. Chrysostom of impiety and of disbelief; Whitby says, itis plain that this is a protest against the idolatrous worship of Mary. She was generally admitted to be a woman of good character and worthyof all praise; but whatever she was, it ill becomes those who believethat she was the mother of God to criticise her as they would anordinary mortal. 

Mark x. 

2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a manto put away his wife? tempting him. 

3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?

4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and toput her away. 

5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of yourheart he wrote you this precept. 

6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 

7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleaveto his wife;

8 And they twain shall be one flesh:

9 what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 

The question of marriage was a constant theme for discussion in thedays of Moses and of Jesus, as in our own times. The Pharisees arestill asking questions, not that they care for an answer on the highestplane of morality, but to entrap some one as opposed to the authoritiesof their times. Life with Jesus was too short and his mission too sternto parley with pettifoggers; so he gives to them a clear cut, unmistakable definition as to what marriage is: "Whoever puts away hiswife, save for the cause of unchastity, which violates the marriagecovenant, commits adultery. " Hence, under the Christian dispensation wemust judge husband and wife by the same code of morals. 

If this rule of the perfect equality of the sexes were observed in allsocial relations the marriage problem might be easily solved. But withone code of morals for man and another for woman, we are involved inall manner of complications. In England, for example, a woman may marryher husband's brother; but a man may not marry his wife's sister. Theyhave had "a deceased wife's sister's bill" before Parliament forgenerations. Ever and anon they take it up, look at it with their operaglasses, air their grandfather's old platitudes over it, give a sicklysmile at some well-worn witticism, or drop a tear at a pathetic whinefrom some bishop, then lay the bill reverently back in its sacredpigeon-hole for a period of rest. 

The discussion in the United States is now in the form of ahomogeneous divorce law in all the States of the Union, but this is notin woman's interest. What Canada was to the Southern slaves under theold regime, a State with liberal divorce laws is to fugitive wives. Ifa dozen learned judges should get together, as is proposed, to revisethe divorce laws, they would make them more stringent in liberal Statesinstead of more lax in conservative States. When such a commission isdecided upon, one-half of the members should be women, as they have anequal interest in the marriage and divorce laws; and common justicedemands that they should have an equal voice in their reconstruction. Ido not think a homogeneous law desirable; though I should like to seeNew York and South Carolina liberalized, I should not like to see SouthDakota and Indiana more conservative. 

Mark xii. 

41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the peoplecast money into the treasury; and many that were rich cast in much. 

42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she thew in two mites, which make a farthing. 

43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily Isay unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in than all theywhich have cast into the treasury:

44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her wantdid cast in all that she had, even all her living. 

The widow's gift no doubt might have represented more generosity thanall beside, for the large donations of the rich were only a part oftheir superfluities, and bore a small proportion to the abundance whichthey still had, but she gave in reality of her necessities. The smallcontribution was of no special use in the treasury of the Church, butas an act of self-sacrifice it was of more real value in estimatingcharacter. Jesus with his intuition saw the motives of the giver, aswell as the act. 

This woman, belonging to an impoverished class, was trained to self-abnegation; but when women learn the higher duty of self-development, they will not so readily expend all their forces in serving others. Paul says that a husband who does not provide for his own household isworse than an infidel. So a woman, who spends all her time in churches, with priests, in charities, neglects to cultivate her own naturalgifts, to make the most of herself as an individual in the scale ofbeing, a responsible soul whose place no other can fill, is worse thanan infidel. "Self-development is a higher duty than self-sacrifice, "should be woman's motto henceforward. 

E. C. S. 

THE BOOK OF LUKE. 

Luke i. 

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priestnamed Zacharias, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and hername was Elizabeth. 

6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all thecommandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 

7 And they had no child; and they both were now well stricken in years. 

8 And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priest's officebefore God--his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple ofthe Lord. 

11 And there appeared unto him an angel standing on the right side ofthe altar of incense. 

12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. 

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer isheard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shaltcall his name John. 

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at hisbirth. 

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drinkneither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the HolyGhost. 

Luke was the companion of the Apostle Paul in all of his labors duringmany years. He also wrote the Acts of the Apostles. 

He was a Syrian, and became acquainted with the Christians at Antioch. He is called by Paul "the beloved physician. "

Luke opens his book with the parentage and the birth of John. Hisfather, Zacharias, was a priest, and his mother, Elizabeth, was alsodescended from Aaron. They were exemplary persons. They habituallywalked in all upright course of obedience to all the commandments. Theyhad no children, but in answer to their prayers a son was at last givento them, whose name was John, which signifies "grace, or favor of theLord. "

While Zacharias ministered at the altar, an angel appeared to him totell him of the advent of his son. The vision was so startling thatZacharias was struck dumb for a season. The same angel appeared soonafter to Mary, the mother of Jesus, with glad tidings of hermotherhood. She and Elizabeth met often during that joyful period, andtalked over the promised blessings. John was born about six monthsbefore Jesus, and is sometimes called his forerunner. Elizabeth and Mary were cousins on the mother's side. 

Soon after the angel appeared to Mary she went in haste to the home ofZacharias, and saluted Elizabeth, who said, "Blessed art thou amongwomen; and how comes this honor to me, that the mother of my Lordshould cross my threshold?" Mary replied, "My soul doth magnify theLord that he hath thus honored his handmaiden. Henceforth allgenerations shall call me blessed. "

When Elizabeth's son was born, the neighbors, cousins and aunts allassembled and at once volunteered their opinions as to the boy's name, and all insisted that he should be named "Zacharias, " after his father. But Elizabeth said, "No; his name is John, as the angel said. " As noneof the family had ever been called by that name, they appealed by signsto the father (who was still dumb); but he promptly wrote on the table, "His name is John. "

Luke ii. 

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess. 

37 And she was a widow of about four-score and four years, whichdeparted not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayersnight and day. 

Anna having lost her husband in the prime of her life, remained awidow to her death. She resided near the temple that she might attendall its sacred ordinances. Having no other engagements to occupy herattention, she spent her whole time in the service of God, and joinedfrequent fastings with her constant prayers for herself and her people. She was employed day and night in those religious exercises, so saysthe text; but Scott allows the poor widow, now over eighty years ofage, some hours for rest at night (more merciful than the Evangelist). She came into the temple just as Simon held the child in his arms, andshe also returned thanks to God for the coming of the promised Saviour, and that her eyes had beheld him. 

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of thePassover. 

42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem afterthe custom of the feast. 

43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the childJesus tarried behind in Jerusalem: and Joseph and his mother knew notof it. 

44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day'sjourney: and they sought him among theirkinsfolk and acquaintance. 

45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 

46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in thetemple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, andasking them questions. 

47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding andanswers. 

49 And when they saw him, his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thouthus dealt with us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. 

49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye notthat I must be about my Father's business?

50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. 

51 And he went with them to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: buthis mother kept all these sayings in her heart. 

These texts contain all that is said of the childhood and the youth ofJesus, though we should have expected fuller information on soextraordinary a subject. Joseph and Mary went up to the feast of thepassover every year, and it was the custom to take children of that agewith them. They journeyed in a great company for mutual security, andthus in starting they overlooked the boy, supposing that he was withthe other children. But when the families separated for the night theycould not find him, so they journeyed back to Jerusalem and found himin a court of the temple, listening to, and asking questions of thedoctors, who were surprised at his intelligence. 

It is often said that he was disputing with the doctors, which thecommentators say gives a wrong impression; he was modestly askingquestions. Neither Mary nor Joseph remembered nor fully understood whatthe angel had told them concerning the mission of their child; neitherdid they comprehend the answer of Jesus. However, he went back withthem to Nazareth, and was subject to them in all things, working at thecarpenter's trade until he entered on his mission. It was a greatmistake that some angel had not made clear to Mary the importantcharacter and mission of her son, that she might not have been aseeming hindrance on so many occasions, and made it necessary for Jesusto rebuke her so often, and thus subject herself to criticism for hisseeming disrespect. 

Luke xiii. 

11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmityeighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift upherself. 

12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. 

13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was madestraight, and glorified God. 

14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, becausethat Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore comeand be healed, but not on the Sabbath day, 15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not eachone of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, andlead him away to watering?

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satanhath bound, lo, these eighteen years, he loosed from this bond on theSabbath day?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries wereashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things thatwere done by him. 

Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath day, andsaw the distress of this woman who attended worship; he called her tohim, and, by the laying on of his hands and by prayer, immediatelyrestored her; and being made straight, she glorified God before all forthis unexpected deliverance. The ruler of the synagogue, who hated thedoctrines of Jesus and envied the honor, tried to veil his enmity withpretence of singular piety, telling the people that they should comefor healing other days and not on the holy rest of the Sabbath, as ifthe woman had come there on purpose for a cure, or as if a word and atouch attended with so beneficent an effect could break the Sabbath. Jesus' rebuke of the malice and hypocrisy of the man was fullyjustified. 

The Sabbath-day-Pharisees are not all dead yet. While more rationalpeople are striving to open libraries, art galleries and concert hallson Sundays, a class of religious bigots are endeavoring to close up onthat day, all places of entertainment for the people. The large classof citizens shut up in factories, in mercantile establishments, inoffices, and in shops all the week, should have the liberty to enjoythemselves in all rational amusements on Sunday. All healthy sports inthe open air, music in parks, popular lectures in all the schoolbuildings, should be encouraged and protected by law for their benefit. 

Luke xviii. 

2 There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regardedman:

3 And there was a widow in that City; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 

4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, neither regard man;

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me. I will avenge her, lest by hercontinual coming she weary me. 

6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 

7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night untohim, though he bear long with them?

The lesson taught in this parable is perseverance. Everything can beaccomplished by continued effort. Saints hope to acquire all spiritualgraces through prayers; philanthropists to carry out their reformmeasures through constant discussion; politicians their public measuresby continued party combat and repeated acts of legislation. Throughforty years of conflict we abolished slavery. Through fifty years ofconflict we have partially emancipated woman from the bondage of theold common law of England, and crowned her with the rights of fullcitizenship in four States in the American Republic. 

The condition of the woman in this parable, bowed to the earth withall her disabilities, well represents the degraded condition of the sexunder every form of government and of religion the world over; but, unlike her, women still, in many latitudes, make their appeals in vainat cathedral altars and in the halls of legislation. 

E. C. S. 

The sentiment concerning the equality of male and female, which Paulavowed to the Galatians, is perfectly in accord with what "Luke"reports of Jesus' own custom. It will be remembered that the chiefadherents of Paul accepted only this report (and this only partly) asworthy of credit; and therein we find the statement that many femaleministers had accompanied Jesus and the male ministers, as theywandered (in Salvation Army fashion) "throughout every city and villagepreaching. " It is true that we now find a qualifying passage inreference to the female ministers, namely "which ministered unto him oftheir substance" (Luke, ch. 8, v. 3). But this is, plainly, one ofthose numerous marginal comments, made at late date (when all theoriginal manuscripts had disappeared), by men who had, doubtless, lostknowledge of women's original equality in the ministry; for Ignatius ofAntioch, one of the earliest Christian writers, expressly affirms thatthe deacons were "not ministers of meats and drinks, but ministers ofthe Church of God. "

Although this is well known, our modern theologians seem to have beenunable to avoid jumping to the conclusion that, whenever women arementioned in the ministry, it must be only as ministers oftheir substance, either as a kind of commissaries, or, at most, askindergarten officials. It is manifestly true that the early Church wasimmensely indebted to the benefactions of rich widows and virginheiresses for the means of sustaining life in its fellowship. Thecla, Paula, Eustochium, Marcella, Melanie, Susanna, are but a few of thewomen of wealth who gave both themselves and their large fortunes tothe establishment of the ethics of Jesus. Yet Paula's greatest work(from men's standpoint of great works) is rarely mentioned inChristendom, and it is significant of the degradation which womensuffered at the hands of the Church that the time came when Churchmencould not believe that she had performed it, even with Jerome'sacknowledgment confronting them, and consequently erased the word"sister" accompanying the name Paula, substituting therefor the word"brother!"

Paula founded and endowed monasteries, won to the Christian causeallegiance from one of the noblest families of Greece and Rome, andoriginated within the monasteries the occupation of copyingmanuscripts, to which civilization is indebted for the preservation ofmuch precious literature; but her most important service to the Churchwas her co-labor with Jerome in the great task of translating theJewish scriptures from the original Hebrew into Latin. It was Paula whosuggested and inspired the undertaking, furnishing the expensive worksof reference, without which it would have been impossible, and beingherself a woman of fine intellect, highly trained, and an excellentHebrew scholar, revised and corrected Jerome's work; then, finally, assisted by her brilliant daughter, Eustochium, performed the enormoustask of copying it accurately for circulation. It was the least thatJerome could do to dedicate the completed work to those ablecoadjutors, and it is an amazing thing to find Churchmen stilleulogizing Jerome as "author of the Vulgate, " without the slightestreference to the fact that, but for Paula's help, the Vulgate would nothave come into existence. But until men and women return to morenatural relations, until women cast off their false subserviency, thereby helping men to get rid of their unnatural arrogance, nothingdifferent from the injustice Christendom has shown Paula can be lookedfor. 

E. B. D. 

THE BOOK OF JOHN. 

John ii. 

And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and themother of Jesus was there:

2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 

3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, Theyhave no wine. 

4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine houris not yet come. 

5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, doit. 

7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And theyfilled them up to the brim. 

8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now and bear unto the governor ofthe feast. And they bare it. 

9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, he called the bridegroom. 

10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth goodwine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thouhast kept the good wine until now. 

John was distinguished among the Apostles for his many virtues, andwas specially honored as the bosom friend of Jesus. 

He is supposed to have lived in the neighborhood of Judea until thetime approached for the predicted destruction of Jerusalem; then hewent to Asia and resided some years in Ephesus, was banished to theIsland of Patmos by the Emperor Domitian, and returned to Asia afterthe death of that Emperor. He lived to be a hundred years of age, anddied a natural death, being the only Apostle who escaped martyrdom. John alone records the resurrection of Lazarus, and many things notmentioned in the other Gospels. 

Probably Mary was related to one of the parties to the marriage, forshe appears to have given directions as one of the family. As Joseph isnot mentioned either on this occasion or afterwards, we may supposethat he died before Jesus entered into his public ministry. There wasno disrespect intended in the word "woman" with which Jesus addressedhis mother, as the greatest princesses were accosted even by theirservants in the same manner among the ancients. Jesus merely intendedto suggest that no one could command when he should perform miracles, as they would in any ordinary eventsubject to human discretion. 

The Jews always kept a great number of water-pots filled with water intheir houses for the ceremonial washing prescribed by law. Commentatorsdiffer as to how much these pots contained, but it is estimated thatthe six contained a hogshead. The ruler of the feast was generally aLevite or a priest; and he expressed his surprise that they should havekept the best wine until the last. 

John iv. 

5. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar. 

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with hisjourney, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 

9 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat. )

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, beinga Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jewshave no dealings with the Samaritans. 

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest haveasked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked withthe woman, yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thouwith her?

As the Samaritans were not generally disposed to receive the Jews intotheir houses, Jesus did not try to enter, but sat down by Jacob's well, and sent his disciples into the town to buy some necessary provisions. The prejudices against each other were so inveterate that they neverasked for a favor, hence the woman was surprised when Jesus spoke toher. They might buy of each other, but never borrow nor receive a favoror gift, nor manifest friendship in any way. 

But Christ, despising all such prejudices that had no foundationeither in equity or in the law of God, asked drink of the Samaritanwoman. He did not notice the woman's narrow prejudices, but directedher attention to matters of greater importance. He told her though sheshould refuse him the small favor for which he asked because he was aJew, yet he was ready to confer far greater benefits on her, though aSamaritan. The living water to which Jesus referred, the woman did notunderstand. 

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. 

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said untoher, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands: and he whom thou now hast is notthy husband: in that saidst thou truly. 

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men. 

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is notthis the Christ?

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for thesaying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him thathe would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. 

41 And many more believed because of his own word. 

The woman could not understand Jesus' words because she had noconviction of sin nor desire for a purer, better life; and as soon aspossible she changed the subject of the conversation from her privatelife to the subjects of controversy between the Jews and the Samaritans. 

John viii. 

2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all thepeople came unto him: and he sat down, and taught them. 

3 And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken inadultery; and when they had set her in the midst, 4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, 5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: butwhat sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, asthough he heard them not. 

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and saidunto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stoneat her. 

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. 

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: andJesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 

10 He said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath noman condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do Icondemn thee: go, and sin no more. 

The Scribes and the Pharisees concocted a plan to draw Jesus into asnare. They concluded from many of his doctrines that he deemed himselfauthorized to alter or to abrogate the commands of Moses; thereforethey desired his opinion as to the fitting punishment for anadulteress. If he had ordered them to execute her, they would doubtlesshave accused him to the Romans of assuming a judicial authority, independent of their government; had he directed them to set her atliberty, they would have represented him to the people as an enemy tothe law, and a patron of the most infamous characters; and had hereferred them to the Roman authority, they would have accused him tothe multitude as a betrayer of theirliberties. 

John ix. 

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 

2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: butthat the works of God should be made manifest in him. 

A prevalent idea of the Jews was that, in accord with the tencommandments, the sins of the parents were visited upon the children. This is recognized as absolute law to-day; but it by no means followsthat all afflictions are the result of sin. The blindness may haveresulted from a combination of circumstances beyond the control of theparents. The statement does not disprove the law of transmission, butsimply shows that defects are not always the result of sin. 

John xi. 

Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town ofMary and her sister Martha. 

3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whomthou lovest is sick. 

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 

6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two daysstill in the same place where he was. 

17 When Jesus came, he found that he bad lain in the grave four daysalready. 

20 Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and methim: but Mary sat still in the house. 

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if then hadst been here, mybrother had not died. 

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, Godwill give it thee. 

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 

24 Martha saith unto him, 1 know that he shall rise again in theresurrection at the last day. 

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life:

28 And she went her way, and called Mary her sister, saying, TheMaster is come, and calleth for thee. 

29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 

32 When Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down athis feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brotherhad not died. 

35 Jesus wept. 

36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. 

43 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 

44 And he that was dead came forth. 

It appears that Jesus was a frequent visitor at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and felt a strong friendship for them. They livedin Bethany, two miles from Jerusalem. Many Jews came out from the cityto express their sympathy. Martha did not fully understand Jesus; sheconsidered him as a prophet who wrought miracles by faithand prayer in the same manner as the ancient prophets. 

The grief of Mary, the tears of the Jews, and his own warm friendshipfor the sisters, affected Jesus himself to tears and groans. Inappealing to Divine power, Jesus wished to show the unbelieving Jewsthat his miracles were performed by influence from above and not by thespirit of evil, to which source they attributed his wonderful works. Many who were said to witness this miracle did not believe. 

After this Jesus again rested at the home of Mary, where she washedhis feet and wiped them with the hair of her head, and then anointedhim with costly spices from an alabaster box. He then went up toJerusalem to attend the passover. 

John xx. 

The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yetdark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from thesepulchre. 

2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the otherdisciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken awaythe Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 

3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to thesepulchre. 

4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 

5 And he stooping down and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying;yet went he not in. 

6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie. 

7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linenclothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 

8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to thesepulchre, and he saw, and believed. 

9 For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must rise again fromthe dead. 

10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home. 

11 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre. 

12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and theother at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 

13 And they say unto her, Woman, Why weepest thou? She saith untothem, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where theyhave laid him. 

14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesusstanding, and knew not that it was Jesus. 

15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thouhast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will takehim away. 

16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. 

17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to myFather: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto myFather, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. 

18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen theLord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. 

Mary appears to have arrived at the sepulchre before any of the otherwomen, and conversed with Jesus. Though the disciples, in visiting thetomb, saw nothing but cast-off clothes, yet Mary sees and talks withangels and with Jesus. As usual, the woman is always most ready tobelieve miracles and fables, however extravagant and though beyond allhuman comprehension. Several women purposed to be at the tomb at sunriseto embalm the body. 

The men who visited the tomb saw no visions; but all the women sawJesus and the angels, though the men, who went to the tomb twice, sawnothing. Mary arrived at the tomb before light, and waited for theother women; but seeing some one approaching, she supposed he was theperson employed by Joseph to take care of the garden, so asked him whathad been done to him. Though speaking to a supposed stranger, she didnot mention any name. Jesus then called her by name; and his voice andhis address made him known to her. Filled with joy and with amazement, she called him "Rabboni, " which signifies, "teacher. " Jesus said untoher, "Touch me not. "

This finishes the consideration of the four Gospels--the directrecorded words of Jesus upon the question of purity; and all furtherreferences should harmonize, in spirit, with his teachings, and shouldbe so interpreted, without regard to contrary assertions by learned butunwise commentators. 

E. C. S. 

Is it not astonishing that so little is in the New Testament concerningthe mother of Christ? My own opinion is that she was an excellent woman, and the wife of Joseph, and that Joseph was the actual father of Christ. I think there can be no reasonable doubt that such was the opinion ofthe authors of the original Gospels. Upon any other hypothesis it isimpossible to account for their having given the genealogy of Joseph toprove that Christ was of the blood of David. The idea that he was theSon of God, or in any way miraculously produced, was an afterthought, and is hardly entitled now to serious consideration. The Gospels werewritten so long after the death of Christ that very little was known ofhim, and substantially nothing of his parents. How is it that not oneword is said about the death of Mary, not one word about the death ofJoseph? How did it happen that Christ did not visit his mother after hisresurrection? The first time he speaks to his mother is when he wastwelve years old. His mother having told him that she and his father hadbeen seeking him, he replied: "How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye notthat I must be about my father's business?" The second time was at themarriage feast in Cana, when he said to her: "Woman, what have I to dowith thee?" And the third time was at the cross, when "Jesus, seeing hismother standing by the disciple whom he loved, said to her: 'Woman, behold thy son;' and to the disciple: 'Behold thy mother. '" And this isall. 

The best thing about the Catholic Church is the deification of Mary;and yet this is denounced by Protestantism as idolatry. There issomething in the human heart that prompts man to tell his faults morefreely to the mother than to the father. The cruelty of Jehovah issoftened by the mercy of Mary. 

Is it not strange that none of the disciples of Christ said any thingabout their parents--that we know absolutely nothing of them? Is thereany evidence that they showed any particular respect even for themother of Christ? Mary Magdalene is, in many respects, the tenderestand most loving character in the New Testament {sic}. According to theaccount, her love for Christ knew no abatement, no change--true even inthe hopeless shadow of the cross. Neither did it die with his death. She waited at the sepulchre; she hastened in the early morning to histomb; and yet the only comfort Christ gave to this true and loving soullies in these strangely cold and heartless words: "Touch me not. "

ANON. 

THE BOOK OF ACTS. 

Acts v. 

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold apossession. 

2 And kept back a part of the price, and brought a certain part, andlaid it at the apostles' feet. 

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie tothe Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4 While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, wasit not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thineheart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 

5 And Ananias bearing the words fell down, and gave up the ghost: andgreat fear came on all them that heard these things. 

6 And the young men arose and carried him out, and buried him. 

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife notknowing what was done, came in, 8 And Peter answered her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for somuch? And she said, Yea, for so much. 

9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together totempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which haveburied thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 

10 Then she fell down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost. 

This book is supposed to have been written by Luke about thirty yearsafter the death of Jesus, as all appendix to the Evangelists. Itcontains brief mention of a few women of varied characters andfortunes. We have the usual number afflicted with religious mysteries, with the gift of prophecy, and some possessed of the devil, whopromptly comes forth at the commands of Jesus and of his Apostles. 

The case of Ananias and Sapphira was very peculiar. This example wasmade, not of avowed enemies, but avowed friends. Many expositors saythat Ananias had made a vow to give his estate for the support of theChristian cause, and that sacrilege was the crime for which he waspunished. He had, from corrupt motives, attempted to impose upon theApostles in pretending to give all that he had to the church, whilewithholding a good share for himself. He had evidently instructed hiswife to substantiate his assertions. Obedience of one responsible beingto another may ofttimes prove dangerous, even if the command comes froma husband. 

Acts ix. 

36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which byinterpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works andalms-deeds. 

37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick and died. 

38 And as Lydda was night to Joppa, and the disciples had heard thatPeter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him to come tothem. 

39 Then Peter arose and went with them, and they brought him into theupper chamber, and all the widows stood weeping, and shewing thegarments which Dorcas made. 

40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; andturning him to the body said, Tabitha, rise. And she opened her eyes:and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 

41 And when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 

Tabitha was called by this name among the Jews; but she was known tothe Greeks as Dorcas. She was considered an ornament to her Christianprofession; for she so abounded in good works and alms-deeds that herwhole life was devoted to the wants and the needs of the poor. She notonly gave away her substance, but she employed her time and her skillin laboring constantly for the poor and the unfortunate. Her death waslooked upon as a public calamity. This is the first instance of anyApostle performing a miracle of this kind. There was no witness to thismiracle. What men teach in their high places, such women as Dorcasillustrate in their lives. 

Acts xii. 

12 And he came into the house of Mary the mother of John, whosesurname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying. 

13 And as Peter knocked at the gate, a damsel came to hearken, namedRhoda. 

14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate forgladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. 

15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmedthat it was even so. Then they said, It is an angel. 

16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 

17 But he declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of theprison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to thebrethren. 

Herod the king, at this time, killed James, the brother of John, andcast Peter into prison, and intended to destroy the other Apostles assoon as he could entrap them. Peter, it is said, escaped from prison bythe miraculous interposition of an angel, who led him to the gate ofone Mary, the sister of Barnabas, where Christians often assembled forreligious worship. Although they often prayed for Peter's deliverance;they could not believe Rhoda when she said thatPeter stood knocking at the gate. 

Acts xvi. 

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city ofThyatira, which worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord openedunto the things which were spoken of Paul. 

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into myhouse, and abide there. 

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damselpossessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her mastersmuch gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are theservants of the most high God. 

18 And this did she many days. But Paul said to the spirit, I commandthee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came outthe same hour. 

19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, 20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, these men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city. 

22 And the multitude rose up against them; and the magistrates rentoff their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them intoprison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. 

Lydia, a native Thyatiran, who at this time resided at Philippi, was amerchant who trafficked in purple clothes, which were held in greatestimation. She was a Gentile, but was proselyted to the Jewishreligion, believed in the teachings of Paul and was baptized with herhousehold. She was a person in affluent circumstances; and being of agenerous disposition, was very hospitable. As the Apostles were poorlyaccommodated elsewhere, she entertained them in her own house. 

The Apostles and their friends on their way to the oratory, where theywent to worship, were met by a female slave who was possessed with aspirit of divination and uttered ambiguous predictions. She hadacquired great reputation as an oracle or fortune-teller and for makingwonderful discoveries. By this practice she brought her mastersconsiderable gain and was very valuable to them. When Paul cast out theevil spirit and restored the maiden to her normal condition of body andmind, her master was full of wrath, as she was no longer of any valueto him; and he accused Paul before the magistrates. The people were allstirred with indignation; so they stripped Paul and Silas, scourgedthem severely; and, without trial, the magistrates threw them intoprison. 

Acts xviii. 

After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth;

2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately comefrom Italy, with his wife Priscilla, (because that Claudius hadcommanded all Jews to depart from Rome, )

3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, andwrought: (for by their occupation they were tentmakers). 

18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then tookhis leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with himPriscilla and Aquila;

24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquentman, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 

25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being ferventin the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila andPriscilla had heard, they took him and expounded the way of God moreperfectly. 

It was an excellent custom of those days for educated people to bealso instructed in some mechanical trade. This served them as anamusement in prosperity, and was a certain resource in case otherprospects failed. Thus Paul was now prepared to support himself in anemergency. He was frequently compelled to work with his hands toprovide for his own necessities. 

Apollos was a native of Alexandria, in Egypt, a ready and gracefulspeaker, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. Coming toEphesus, he boldly preached in the synagogue in the presence of Aquilaand of Priscilla; and they seeing his ability, zeal and piety, saidnothing to his disadvantage, though they perceived that his views ofthe Christian doctrines were very imperfect. So they sought hisacquaintance and instructed him more fully in the gospel of Jesus. He, with great humility, received their instructions, for he had never beenmuch among Christians; and no one knew when or by whom he was baptized. 

Acts xxi. 

8 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and cameunto Cesarea, and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 

9 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. 

Philip, one of the seven deacons in Cesarea, was also an Evangelist, andhad the peculiar honor of having four daughters, all endowed with thegift of prophecy; and perhaps they gave intimations to Paul of hisapproaching trials. With Philip's four daughters, all endowed with thespirit of prophecy, and Priscilla as a teacher of great principles tothe orators of her time, and one of Paul's chosen travelling companions, women are quite highly honored in the Book of Acts, if we except thetragedy of the unfortunate wife who obeyed her husband. 

Acts xxiv. 

24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning thefaith in Christ. 

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment tocome, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when Ihave a convenient season, I will call for thee. 

Drusilla was a daughter of that Herod who beheaded James, the brotherof John, and sister to King Agrippa. She was married to the king of theEmerines, Azizas; but she left her husband and went to live with Felix. He and Drusilla were curious to hear more authentic accounts of Jesusand his doctrines. They do not seem to have been much impressed withthe purity of his teachings. Their curiosity did not arise from a loveof the truth, nor from a desire for a higher, better life, but was amere curiosity, for which it is probable that Felix was responsible, asDrusilla doubtless asked her husband at home all she desired to know. 

E. C. S. 

The Rev. Dr. Edwin Hatch expresses the latest decision of historicaltheology concerning Paul, in frankly confessing: "His life at Rome andall the rest of his history are enveloped in mists from which no singlegleam of certain light emerges. . . . The place and occasion of hisdeath are not less uncertain than are the facts of his later life. . . The chronology of the rest of his life is as uncertain as the date ofhis death. We have no means of knowing when he was born, or how long helived, or at what date the several events of his life took place. "Exactly the same may be said of Peter. The strongest probability isthat Paul and Peter were two obscure men who lived in the latter partof the first, or beginning of the second century, neither of whom couldhave seen the first century Jesus. It can easily be shown that theChristian Church admitted women into her regularly ordained ministryduring the first two hundred years of Christianity. Whether BishopDoane is ignorant of this fact, or whether he is merely presuming uponwomen's ignorance thereof, it is impossible to say. But one thing isclear, and that is, that the time has arrived when all women should beinformed of the true status of their sex in the ministry of theprimitive Church. 

The first important truth for them to learn concerning the question isthat there is a missing link of some five hundred years between theclose of that body of literature known to us as the "Old Testament" andthe compilation of that collection of letters, narratives, etc. , nowpresented to us as the "New Testament. " Girls of Christian families arecommonly inoculated in their ignorant, and therefore helplesslycredulous youth, with unquestioning belief that the New Testament waswritten in the first century of our era, by disciples who werecontemporary with Jesus, and that Peter and Paul were first centuryChristians, the former of whom had personally known and followed Jesus, while the latter was a convert from Judaism after Jesus' death, neverhaving seen the teacher himself. 

Yet he is, indeed, a very ignorant ecclesiastic, who to-day is notperfectly well aware that the above belief is pure theory, resting onnothing more stable than vague conjecture, irresponsible tradition, andslowly evolving fable. Among scholarly Christian theologians noquestions are now more unsettled than are the queries: Who wrote theGospels? In which of the first three centuries did they assume theirpresent shape? And at what time did Peter and Paul live and quarrelwith each other concerning Christian polity?

As for the passages now found in the New Testament epistles of Paul, concerning women's non-equality with men and duty of subjection, thereis no room to doubt that they are bare-faced forgeries, interpolated byunscrupulous bishops, during the early period in which a combined anddetermined effort was made to reduce women to silent submission, notonly in the Church, but also in the home and in the State. A mostlaudably intended attempt to excuse Paul for the inexcusable passagesattributed to his authorship has been made by a clergyman, who, accepting them as genuine Pauline utterances, endeavors to show thatthey were meant to apply, only to Greek female converts, natives ofCorinth, and that the command to cover the head and to keep silent inpublic was warranted, both because veiling the head and face was aGrecian custom, and because the women of Corinth were of notoriouslybad character. In support of this theory our modern apologist quotesthe testimony of numerous writers of antiquity who denounced Corinthianprofligacy. But, setting aside the fact that the men of Corinth mustalways have been, at least, as bad as the women, and that a sorry casewould be made out for Paul, if it were on the score of morals that heordered Greek women to subject themselves to such men, there are yettwo serious impediments in the way of this theory. In the first place, that wealthy and luxurious Corinth to which the writers quoted refer, was no longer in existence in Paul's time; 146 B. C. It was conqueredby the Romans, who killed the men, carried the women and children intoslavery, and levelled the dwellings to the ground. For a whole centurythe site of the once famous city remained a desolate waste, but about46 B. C. It was colonized by some Roman immigrants, and a Romanizedcity, with Roman customs, it was when Paul knew it. Now, not only didthe Roman women go unveiled, mingling freely in all public places withmen (a fact which Paul, as citizen of a Roman province must haveknown), but Paul specially commends the Greek woman, Phebe, whom heendorses as minister of the Church in the Greek city, Cenchrea (aseaport within a few miles of Corinth), and in Acts, chapter 17, we areexplicitly told that the Greek converts made by Paul, in Greece, were"chief women, " "honorable women. "

This is sufficient refutation of the argument of the clergyman whostrives to clear the character of Paul at the expense of the characterof the women of Corinth. 

E. B. D. 

EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 

Romans xvi. 

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the churchwhich is at Cenchrea:

2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that yeassist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you; for she hathbeen a succourer of many, and of myself also. 

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus:

4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only Igive thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 

6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labor on us. 

12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute thebeloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. 

13 Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, and mine. 

15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. 

Cenchrea was the seaport of Corinth, where a separate church wasfounded. Phebe was a deaconess, and was probably employed in visitingthe sick and in teaching the women in the doctrines of the Church. Sheappears to have been a woman in good circumstances, and probably hadmore than ordinary intelligence and education. Even Paul acknowledgedhimself under great obligations to her. Aquila and Priscilla had riskedtheir lives in protecting the Apostles at Corinth and Ephesus. So Paulsent his affectionate salutations and good wishes to all the women whohad helped to build up the churches and spread the Gospel ofChristianity. 

In good works men have always found a reserved force in the women oftheir generation. Paul seems to have been specially mindful of all whohad received and hospitably entertained him. The men of our times havebeen equally thankful to women for serving them, for hospitableentertainment, generous donations to the priest hood, lifting churchdebts, etc. , and are equally ready to remand them to their "divinelyappointed sphere, " whenever women claim an equal voice in church creedsand discipline. Then the Marys, the Phebes, and the Priscillas areordered to keep silence and to discuss all questions with theirhusbands at home, taking it for granted that all men are logical andwise. 

E. C. S. 

Martin Luther had good cause to declare: "There is something in theoffice of a bishop which is dreadfully demoralizing. Even good menchange their natures at consecration; Satan enters into them, as heentered into Judas, as soon as they have taken the sop. " But to returnto the primitive Church, a famous Apostle of that simple era wasPriscilla, a Jewess, who was one of the theological instructors ofApollos (the fellow-minister, or fellow-servant, to whom Paul refers inhis first letter to the Corinthians). There is strong reason to believethat the Apostle Priscilla, in co-operation with her husband, theApostle Aquila, performed the important task of founding the Church ofRome: for Paul, writing to the Christians, admits that he himself hasnot yet visited that city; there is no proof whatever that Peter everwent to Rome at all (but, on the contrary, much proof that he wished toconfine Christianity to Jewish converts); and yet Paul, hailingPriscilla by the current term which specially active Apostles andbishops used in addressing other specially active workers in theApostolate, "Helper in Christ Jesus, " eulogizes her as one known, gratefully, by "all the churches of the Gentiles, " and recognizes aChurch of Rome as established in Priscilla's own house (see Paul'sletter to the Romans, chapter 16). It is highly probable that that wasthe tiny acorn from which has grown the present great oak--the RomanCatholic Church, --which would profit much by more remembrance andimitation of the modest and undogmatic women who helped to give itbeing and who nursed it through its infancy. 

The inability of modern men to comprehend the position of women in theprimitive Church, is strikingly shown in Chalmers' commentary on thefact that Paul used exactly the same title in addressing Priscilla thathe uses in greeting Urbane, Although conceding that Priscilla hadshared the work of an Apostle in teaching Apollos "the way of God moreperfectly, " and, although he knows nothing whatever of Urbane's work, yet Chalmers unhesitatingly concludes that Urbane's help to Paul musthave been in things spiritual, but that Priscilla's must have been inregard to things temporal only: and, as Aquila and Priscilla were aninseparable couple, poor Aquila, too, is relegated to Priscilla'sassumedly inferior position! There is not, however, the slightestreason for such a conclusion by Chalmers. It is manifestly due to themodern prejudice which renders the Paul-worshipping male Protestantsincapable of comprehending that "Our Great Apostle, " Paul, was as not agreat Apostle at all, in those days, but a simple, self-sent tent-makerwith a vigorous spirit, who gladly shared the "Apostolic dignity" withall the good women he could rally to his assistance. Chalmersconjectures that if Priscilla really did help Paul, it must have beenas "a teacher of women and children, " even while the fact stares him inthe face that she was a recognized teacher of the man whom Paulspecially and emphatically pronounces his own equal. (Compare Acts, chap. 18, V. 26, with 1st Cor. , chap. 3. )

To one who uses unbiassed common sense in regard to the New Testamentrecords, there can be no question of women's activity and prominence inthe early ministry. Paul not only virtually pronounces Priscilla afellow-Apostle and fellow-bishop (Romans, chap. 16, verses 3-5), butspecially commends Phebe, a Greek woman, as a minister (diakonos), which, as we have seen, may be legitimately interpreted eitherpresbyter, bishop, or Apostle. That it was well understood, throughoutthe whole Church, that women had shared the labors of the Apostles, isevidenced by Chrysostom's specific eulogy thereupon. Phebe was thebishop of the Church in Cenchrea, and that she was both a powerful anduseful overseer in the episcopate, Paul testifies in affirming that shehad not only been a helper to him, but to many others also. (Romans, chap. 16, verses 1-2. ) Addressing that first Church of Rome (which wasin the house of Priscilla and Aquila before Paul, or Peter, or thebarely-mentioned Linus, are heard of in Rome), Paul indicates theequality of male and female Apostles by mentioning in one and the samecategory Priscilla and Aquila, Andronicus and Junia, Mary, "whobestowed much labor among you, " Amphis, Urbane, Tryphena and Tryphosa, Persis, Julia, Rufus and Hermas. 

E. B. D. 

EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS. 

1 Corinthians vii. 

2 Let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her ownhusband. 

3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewisealso the wife unto the husband. 

10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let notthe wife depart from her husband:

11 But if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled toher husband, and let not the husband put away his wife. 

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wifethat believeth not: and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him notput her away. 

13 And the woman which hath a husband that believeth not, and if he bepleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and theunbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your childrenunclean: but now are they holy. 

16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband?or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

The people appear to have been specially anxious to know what TheChristian idea was in regard to the question of marriage. ThePythagoreans taught that marriage is unfavorable to high intellectualdevelopment. On the other hand, the Pharisees taught that it is sinfulfor a man to live unmarried beyond his twentieth year. 'The Apostlesallowed that in many cases it might be wise for a man to liveunmarried, as he could be more useful to others, provided that he wereable to live with that entire chastity which the single life required. 

The Apostle says that Christians should not marry unbelievers, but ifeither should change his or her opinions after, he would not adviseseparation, as they might sanctify each other. Scott thinks that thechildren are no more holy with one unbelieving parent, than when bothare unbelieving; and he has not much faith in their sanctifying eachother, except in a real change of faith. A union with an unbelieverwould occasion grief and trouble, yet that ought patiently to beendured, for God might make use of the unbelieving wife or husband asan instrument in converting the other by affectionate andconscientious behavior; as this might not be the case, there is noreason to oppose the dissolution of the marriage. 

There are no restrictions in the Scriptures on divorced personsmarrying again, though many improvised by human laws are spoken of asin the Bible. 

E. C. S. 

In this chapter Paul laments that all men are not bachelors likehimself; and in the second verse of that chapter he gives the onlyreason for which he was willing that men and women should marry. Headvised all the unmarried and all widows to remain as he was. Paul sumsup the whole matter, however, by telling those who have wives orhusbands to stay with them--as necessary evils only to be tolerated;but sincerely regrets that anybody was ever married, and finally saysthat, "they that have wives should be as though they had none;"because, in his opinion, "he that is unmarried careth for the thingsthat belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he that ismarried careth for the things that are of the world, how he please hiswife. "

"There is this difference, also, " he tells us, "between a wife and avirgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that shemay be holy both in body and spirit; but she that is married careth forthe things of the world, how she may please her husband. " Of course, itis contended that these things have tended to the elevation of woman. The idea that it is better to love the Lord than to love your wife orhusband is infinitely absurd. Nobody ever did love the Lord--nobodycan--until he becomes acquainted with him. 

Saint Paul also tells us that "man is the image and glory of God; butwoman is the glory of man. " And, for the purpose of sustaining thisposition, he says: "For the man is not of the woman, but the woman ofthe man; neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman forthe man. " Of course we can all see that man could have gotten alongwell enough without woman. And yet this is called "inspired!" and thisApostle Paul is supposed to have known more than all the people nowupon the earth. No wonder Paul at lastwas constrained to say: "We are fools for Christ's sake. "

ANON. 

1 Corinthians xi. 

3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; andthe head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 

4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 

5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovereddishonoureth her head. 

7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is theimage and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 

8 For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 

9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 

10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because ofthe angels. 

11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither thewoman without the man, in the Lord. 

13 judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto Goduncovered?

14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have longhair, it is a shame unto him?

15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hairis given her for a covering. 

According to the custom of those days a veil on the head was a tokenof respect to superiors; hence for a woman to lay aside her veil was toaffect authority over the man. The shaving of the head was adisgraceful punishment inflicted on women of bad repute; it not onlydeprived them of a great beauty, but also of the badge of virtue andhonor. 

Though these directions appear to be very frivolous, even for thosetimes, they are much more so for our stage of civilization. Yet thesame customs prevail in our day and are enforced by the Church, as ofvital consequence; their non-observance so irreligious that it wouldexclude a woman from the church. It is not a mere social fashion thatallows men to sit in church with their heads uncovered and women withtheirs covered, but a requirement of canon law of vital significance, showing the superiority, the authority, the headship of man, and thehumility and the subservience of woman. The aristocracy in social liferequires the same badge of respect of all female servants. In Europethey uniformly wear caps, and in many families in America, though underprotest after learning its significance. 

It is certainly high time that educated women in a Republic shouldrebel against a custom based on the supposition of their heaven-ordained subjection. Jesus is always represented as having long, curling hair, and so is the Trinity. Imagine a painting of these Godsall with clipped hair. Flowing robes and beautiful hair add greatly tothe beauty and dignity of their pictures. 

E. C. S. 

The injunctions of St. Paul have had such a decided influence infixing the legal status of women, that it is worth our while toconsider their source. In dealing with this question we must neverforget that the majority of the writings of the New Testament were notreally written or published by those whose names they bear. Ancientwriters considered it quite permissible for a man to put out lettersunder the name of another, and thus to bring his own ideas before theworld under the protection of an honored sponsor. It is not usuallyclaimed that St. Paul was the originator of the great religiousmovement called Christianity; but there is a strong belief that he wasDivinely inspired. His inward persuasions, and especially his visions, appeared as a gift or endowment which had the force of inspiration;therefore, his mandates concerning women have a strong hold upon thepopular mind; and when opponents to the equality of the sexes are putto bay, they glibly quote his injunctions. 

We congratulate ourselves that we may shift some of these Biblical, arguments that have such a sinister effect from their firm foundation. He who claims to give a message must satisfy us that he has himselfreceived such a message. The origin of the command that women shouldcover their heads is found in an old Jewish or Hebrew legend whichappears in literature for the first time in Genesis vi. There we aretold that the sons of God, that is, the angels, took to wives thedaughters of men, and begat the giants and the heroes who wereinstrumental in bringing about the flood. The Rabbins held that the wayin which the angels got possession of women was by laying hold of theirhair; they accordingly warned women to cover their heads in public sothat the angels might not get possession ofthem. 

Paul merely repeats this warning, which he must often have heard atthe feet of Gamaliel, who was at that time prince or president of theSanhedrim, telling women to have a power (that is, protection) on theirheads because of the angels: "For this cause ought the woman to havepower on her head because of the angels. " Thus the command had itsorigin in an absurd old myth. This legend will be found fully treatedin a German pamphlet, "Die Paulinische Angelologie und Daemonologie. "Otto Everling, Gottingen, 1883. 

If the command to keep silence in the churches has no higher originthan that to keep covered in public, should so much weight be given it, or should it be so often quoted as having Divine sanction?

L. S. 

1 Corinthians xiv. 

34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is notpermitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be underobedience, as also saith the law. 

35 And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands athome: for it is a shame for woman to speak in the church. 

The church at Corinth was peculiarly given to diversion and todisputation; and women were apt to join in and to ask many troublesomequestions; hence they were advised to consult their husbands at home. The Apostle took it for granted that all men were wise enough to giveto women the necessary information on all subjects. Others, again, advise wives never to discuss knotty points with their husbands; for ifthey should chance to differ from each other, that fact might give riseto much domestic infelicity. There is such a wide difference of opinionon this point among wise men, that perhaps it would be as safe to leavewomen to be guided by their own unassisted common sense. 

E. C. S. 

EPISTLES TO THE EPHESIANS AND PHILLIPPIANS. 

Ephesians v. 

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the headof the church. 

24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives beto their own husbands in every thing. 

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He thatloveth his wife loveth himself. 

31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shallbe joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

33 Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wifeeven as himself: and the wife see that she reverence her husband. 

If every man were as pure and as self-sacrificing as Jesus is said tohave been in his relations to the Church, respect, honor and obediencefrom the wife might be more easily rendered. Let every man love hiswife (not wives) points to monogamic marriage. It is quite natural forwomen to love and to honor good men, and to return a full measure oflove on husbands who bestow much kindness and attention on them; but itis not easy to love those who treat us spitefully in any relation, except as mothers; their love triumphs over all shortcomings anddisappointments. Occasionally conjugal love combines that of themother. Then the kindness and the forbearance of a wife may surpass allunderstanding. 

Phillippians iv. 

2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the samemind in the Lord. 

3 And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women whichlaboured with me in the Gospel, with Clement also, and with other myfellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life. 

There were women of note at Phillippi who disagreed and causeddivisions in the Church. The Apostle therefore entreated them to makemutual concessions for the welfare of the Church. The yokefellowreferred to was supposed by some to have been the husband of one of thewomen, while others think that he was some eminent minister. But suchmention by the Apostle must have been highly appreciated by any man orwoman for whom it was intended. 

E. C. S. 

EPISTLES TO TIMOTHY. 

CHAPTER I. 

1 Timothy ii. 

9 In like manner, also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety: not with braided hair, or gold, orpearls, or costly array:

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 

11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 

12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over theman, but to be in silence. 

13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 

14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in thetransgression. 

The Apostle Paul, though older than Timothy, had travelled much withhim, and was at one time imprisoned with him in Rome. Paul hadconverted Timothy to the faith and watched over him as a father. Heoften speaks of him as my son, and was peculiarly beloved by him. WhenPaul was driven from Ephesus he wrote this epistle to Timothy for hisdirection. 

It is perhaps not fair to judge Paul by the strict letter of the word. We are not well informed of the habits of women in his time in regardto personal adornment. What Paul means by "modest apparel" (supposingthe translation to be correct), we may not precisely understand. Paulspeaks especially of "braided hair. " In his time Paul evidentlyconsidered as of account the extreme susceptibility of his sex to theeffect of the garb and adornment of women. 

The Apostles all appeared to be much exercised by the ornaments andthe braided hair of the women. While they insisted that women shouldwear long hair, they objected to having it braided lest the beautifulcoils should be too attractive to men. But women had other reasons forbraiding their hair beside attracting men. A compact braid was muchmore comfortable than individual hairs free to be blown about withevery breeze. 

It appears very trifling for men, commissioned to do so great a workon earth, to give so much thought to the toilets of women. Ordering themen to have their heads shaved and hair cropped, while the women wereto have their locks hanging around their shoulders, looks as if theyfeared that the sexes were not distinguishable and that they mustfinish Nature's work. Woman's braids and ornaments had a deepersignificance than the Apostles seem to have understood. Her necessitiescompelled her to look to man for sup port and protection, hence herefforts to make herself attractive are not prompted by feminine vanity, but the economic conditions of civilization. 

E. C. S. 

The injunction that women should adorn themselves through good workswas sensible. The Apostle did not imply that this adornment was notalready possessed by women. Neither did he testify that the generationsof men, of Prophets and of Apostles had been objects of the good worksand all the ministrations of self-abnegation, which are required onlyof the mothers of men. Comparatively few women, who have fulfilled thespecial function which man assigns to them as their chief duty in life, lack the adornment of good works. In addition to these good works ofmotherhood in the family, woman has ministered to the necessities andthe comfort of the sick, the feeble and the poor, through the centuries. 

Could Paul have looked down to the nineteenth century with clairvoyantvision and beheld the good works of a Lucretia Mott, a FlorenceNightingale, a Dorothea Dix and Clara Barton, not to mention a host offaithful mothers, he might, perhaps, have been less anxious about theapparel and the manners of his converts. Could he have foreseen aMargaret Fuller, a Maria Mitchell, or an Emma Willard, possibly hemight have suspected that sex does not determine the capacity of theindividual. Or, could he have had a vision of the public school systemof this Republic, and witnessed the fact that a large proportion of theteachers are women, it is possible that he might have hesitated toutter so tyrannical an edict: "But I permit not a woman to teach. "

Had the Apostle enjoined upon women to do good works without envy orjealousy, it would have had the weight and the wisdom of a Divinecommand. But that, from the earliest record of human events, womanshould have been condemned and punished for trying to get knowledge, and forbidden to impart what she has learned, is the most unaccountablepeculiarity of masculine wisdom. After cherishing and nursing helpless. Infancy, the most necessary qualification of motherhood is that ofteaching. If it is contrary to the perfect operation of humandevelopment that woman should teach, the infinite and all wisedirecting power of the universe has blundered. It cannot be admittedthat Paul was inspired by infinite wisdom in this utterance. This wasevidently the unilluminated utterance of Paul, the man, biassed byprejudice. But, it may be claimed that this edict referred especiallyto teaching in religious assemblies. It is strikingly inconsistent thatPaul, who had proclaimed the broadest definition of human souls, "Thereis neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male or female, but ye are onein Christ Jesus, " as the Christian idea, should have commanded thesubjection of woman, and silence as essential to her proper sphere inthe Church. 

It is not a decade since a manifesto was issued by a religiousconvention bewailing the fact that woman is not only seeking to controlher property, but claiming the right of the wife to control her person!This seems to be as great an offence to ecclesiasticism in this hourand this land of boasted freedom, as it was to Paul in Judea nineteencenturies ago. But the "new man, " as well as the "new woman, " is here. He is inspired by the Divine truth that woman is to contribute to theredemption of the race by free and enlightened motherhood. He isproving his fitness to be her companion by achieving the greatest ofall victories--victory over himself. The new humanity is to be born ofthis higher manhood and emancipated womanhood. Then it will be possiblefor motherhood to "continue in sanctification. "

The doctrine of woman the origin of sin, and her subjection inconsequence, planted in the early Christian Church by Paul, has been apoisonous stream in Church and in State. It has debased marriage andmade both canon and civil law a monstrous oppression to woman. M. Renan sums up concisely a mighty truth in the following words: "Thewritings of Paul have been a danger and a hidden rock--the causes ofthe principal defects of Christian theology. " His teachings about womanare no longer a hidden rock, however, for, in the light of science, itis disclosed to all truth seeking Minds. How much satisfaction it wouldhave been to the mothers adown the centuries, had there been atestimony by Mary and Elizabeth recording their experiences ofmotherhood. Not a statement by them, nor one about them, except whatman wrote. 

Under church law, woman's property, time and services were all at thehusband's disposal. Woman was not rescued from slavery by theReformation. Luther's ninety-five theses, nailed upon the church doorin Wittenberg, did not assert woman's natural or religious equalitywith man. It was a maxim of his that "no gown worse becomes a woman, than that she should be wise. " A curious old black letter volume, published in London in 1632, declares that "the reason why women haveno control in parliament, why they make no laws, consent to none, abrogate none, is their original sin. " The trial of Mrs. AnneHutchinson, in the seventeenth century, was chiefly for the sin ofhaving taught men. 

To-day, in free America, a wife cannot collect damages for injury toher person by a municipality. Legally her husband owns her person; andhe alone can collect damages if the wife is injured by any defect ormishap for which the administration of the municipality is responsible. This was tested in the Court of Appeals in New York in 1890. The judgesdecided that "the time and the services of the wife belong to thehusband, and if she has received wages from him it was a gift. " Thusthe spirit and the intent of the church law to make the wife a servantof the husband, subject to and controlled by him, and engrafted incommon law, is a part of statute law operative in these United Statesto-day. Blackstone admits the outgrowth of common law from canon law, in saying: "Whoever wishes to gain insight into that great institution, common law, can do so most efficiently by studying canon law in regardto married women. "

Jesus is not recorded as having uttered any similar claim that womanshould be subject to man, or that in teaching she would be ausurper. The dominion of woman over man or of man over woman makes nopart of the sayings of the Nazarene. He spoke to the individual soul, not recognizing sex as a quality of spiritual life, or as determiningthe sphere of action of either man or woman. 

Stevens, in his "Pauline Theology, " says: "Paul has been read as if hehad written in the nineteenth century, or, more commonly, as if he hadwritten in the fifth or seventeenth, as if his writings had nopeculiarities arising from his own time, education and mentalconstitution. " Down these nineteen centuries in a portion of theChristian Church the contempt for woman which Paul projected intoChristianity has been perpetuated. The Protestant Evangelical Churchstill refuses to place her on an equality with man. 

Although Paul said: "Neither is the man without the woman nor thewoman without the man in the Lord, " he taught also that the male aloneis in the image of God. "For a man ought not to have his head veiledforasmuch as he is the image of God; but the woman is the glory ofman. " Thus he carried the spirit of the Talmud, "aggravated andre-enforced, " into Christianity, represented by the following appointeddaily prayer for pious Jews: "Blessed art thou, O Lord, that thou hastnot made me a Gentile, an idiot nor a woman. " Paul exhibits fairness ingiving reasons for his peremptory mandate. "For Adam was first formed, then Eve, " he says. This appears to be a weak statement for the higherposition of man. If male man is first in station and authority, issuperior because of priority of formation, what is his relation to"whales and every living creature that moveth which the waters bringforth, and every winged fowl after his kind, " which were formed beforehim?

And again, "Adam was not beguiled, but, the woman being beguiled, hathfallen into transgression. " There was then already existing thebeguiling agency. The transgression of Eve was in listening to thisexisting source of error, which, in the allegory, is styled "the mostsubtle beast of the field which the Lord God hath made. " Woman did notbring this subtle agency into activity. She was not therefore theauthor of sin, as has been charged. She was tempted by her desire forthe knowledge which would enable her to distinguish between good andevil. According to this story, woman led the race out of the ignoranceof innocence into the truth. Calvin, the commentator, says: "Adam didnot fall into error, but was overcome by the allurements of his wife. "It is singular that the man, who was "first formed, " and thereforesuperior, and to whom only God has committed the office of teaching, not only was not susceptible to the temptation to acquire knowledge, but should have been the weak creature who was "overcome by theallurements of his wife. "

But the story of the fall and all cognate myths and parables are farolder and more universal than the ordinary reader of the Bible supposesthem to be. The Bible itself in its Hebrew form is a comparativelyrecent compilation and adaptation of mysteries, the chief scenes ofwhich were sculptured on temple walls and written or painted on papyri, ages before the time of Moses. History tells us, moreover, that theBook of Genesis, as it now stands, is the work not even of Moses, butof Ezra or Esdras, who lived at the time of the captivity, between fivehundred and six hundred years before our era, and that he recovered itand other writings by the process of intuitional memory. "My heart, " hesays, "uttered understanding, and wisdom grew in my breast; for thespirit strengthened my memory. "

With regard to the particular myth of the fall, the walls of ancientThebes, Elphantine, Edfou and Karnak bear evidence that long beforeMoses taught, and certainly ages before Esdras wrote, its acts andsymbols were embodied in the religious ceremonials of the people, ofwhom, according to Manetho, Moses was himself a priest. And the wholehistory of the fall of man is, says Sharpe, in a work on Egypt, "ofEgyptian origin. The temptation of the woman by the serpent, the man bythe woman, the sacred tree of knowledge, the cherubs guarding withflaming swords the door of the garden, the warfare declared between thewoman and the serpent, may all be seen upon the Egyptian sculpturedmonuments. "

This symbology signifies a deeper meaning than a material garden, amaterial apple, a tree and a snake. It is the relation of the soul orfeminine part of man, "his living mother, " to the physical and externalman of sense. The temptation of woman brought the soul into thelimitations of matter, of the physical. The soul derives its life fromspirit, the eternal substance, God. Knowledge, through intellect alone, is of the limitation of flesh and sense. Intuition, the feminine partof reason, is the higher light. If the soul, the feminine part of man, is turned toward God, humanity is saved from the dissipations and theperversions of sensuality. Humanity is not alone dual in the two forms, male and female, but every soul is dual. The more perfect the balancein the individual of masculine and feminine, the more perfect the manor the woman. The masculine represents force, the feminine love. "Forcewithout love can but work evil until it is spent. "

Paul evidently was not learned in Egyptian lore. He did not recognizethe esoteric meaning of the parable of the fall. To him it was aliteral fact, apparently, and Eve was to be to all womankind thetransmitter of a "curse" in maternity. We know that down to the veryrecent date of the introduction of anesthetics the idea prevailed thattravail pains are the result of, and punishment for, the transgressionof Mother Eve. It was claimed that it was wrong to attempt to remove"the curse" from woman, by mitigating her suffering in that hour ofperil and of agony. 

Whatever Paul may mean, it is a fact that the women of our aboriginaltribes, whose living was natural and healthful, who were not enervatedby civilized customs, were not subject to the sufferings of civilizedwomen. And it has been proven by the civilized woman that a strictobservance of hygienic conditions of dress, of diet, and the mode oflife, reduces the pangs of parturition. Painless child-bearing is aphysiological problem; and "the curse" has never borne upon the womanwhose life had been in strict accord with the laws of life. Science hascome to the rescue of humanity, in the recognition of the truth, thatthe advancement as well as the conservation of the race is through thefemale. The great Apostle left no evidence that he apprehended thisfact. His audacity was sublime; but it was the audacity of ignorance. 

No more stupendous demonstration of the power of thought can beimagined, than is illustrated in the customs of the Church forcenturies, when in the general canons were found that "No woman mayapproach the altar, " "A woman may not baptize without extremenecessity, " "Woman may not receive the eucharist under a black veil. "Under canon 81 she was forbidden to write in her own name to layChristians, but only in the name of her husband; and women were not toreceive letters of friendship from any one addressed to themselves. Canon law, framed by the priesthood, compiled as early as the ninthcentury, has come down in effect to the nineteenth, making womansubordinate in civil law. Under canon law, wives were deprived of thecontrol of both person and property. Canon law created marriage asacrament "to be performed at the church door, " in order to make it asource of revenue to the Church. Marriage, however, was reckoned toosinful "to be allowed for many years to take place within the sacredbuilding consecrated to God, and deemed too holy to permit the entranceof a woman within its sacred walls at certain periods of her life. "

L. B. C. 

CHAPTER II. 

1 Timothy iii. 

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; butpatient, not a brawler, not covetous;

4 One that ruleth well in his own house, having his children insubjection with all gravity:

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he takecare of the church of God?)

8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given tomuch wine, not greedy of filthy lucre. 

11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithfulin all things. 

12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their childrenand their own houses well. 

In this chapter the advice of the Apostle in regard to the overseer orbishop is unexceptionable. The first injunction that relates to womanis, that the bishop must be the husband of one wife. Under the presentideas of Christendom, the inference naturally is that the bishop wasenjoined to be the husband of but one wife. If, as appears probable, this was an injunction in favor of monogamy, it was a true andprogressive idea established with the foundation of the ChristianChurch. 

Deacons also are instructed to be the husbands of one wife. "Women inlike manner must be grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in allthings. " It is not clear whether this is spoken for the direction ofwomen in general in the Church, or for the wives of deacons. Theadvice, however, is equally good for either class. The word "sober" inthe old version is rendered "temperate" in the new one. Whether womenin those days were liable to take too much wine does not appear. Butnowhere in the Old or the New Testaments is there an account ofdrunkenness by women. 

The directions for the conduct of the bishop are explicit. He is to be"gentle, not contentious, " which sets aside much that distinguishes themasculine nature. In fact, with the exception of the qualification"apt to teach, " before forbidden, the entire list of the necessaryqualities of a bishop is that of womanly characteristics. Temperate, sober-minded (i. E. , not given to trifling speech), orderly, given tohospitality, no brawler, no striker (this supposedly refers topugilistic tendencies), but gentle, not contentious. Everyqualification is essentially womanly. 

1 Timothy v. 

3 Honour widows that are widows indeed. 

4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first toshew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good andacceptable before God. 

5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, 6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. 

8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of hisown house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an Infidel. 

9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years, having been the wife of one man. 

10 Well reported of for her good works; if she have brought upchildren, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints'feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligentlyfollowed every good work. 

11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to waxwanton against Christ, they will marry;

12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. 

13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house tohouse; and not only idle, but tattlers also, and busybodies, speakingthings which they ought not. 

14 I will therefore that the Younger women marry, bear children, guidethe house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 

15 For some are already turned aside after Satan, 16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relievethem, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them thatare widows indeed. 

No one can be desolate who has a purpose and a sphere of action, withability to work. Paul's widow, who was a widow indeed, "continueth insupplication and prayers night and day. " What an existence! Desolateindeed. Exercising but one faculty of the soul--that of supplication!Women of this period cannot be too thankful, that the numerousopportunities for educational and philanthropic work are open to themin addition to the opportunities to win subsistence in the variousavocations of life. 

The widow who was to be enrolled, to be provided for by the Church, mustbe three score years old, having been the wife of one man. Whether thisis a repudiation of second marriages, or refers to polyandry, is notapparent. This obligation of the early Church to provide for women whohad fulfilled the duties of motherhood, ministered to the afflicted, washed the saints' feet, and diligently followed every good work, is arecognition of a right principle, and which should be made a part ofsocial organization. 

But he directs that younger women be refused. Paul thought that womencould not be loyal followers of Christ and "desire to marry. " Thereforehe desires them all to marry, to bear children and to rule the family. Another inconsistency of Paul. Having stated as expressly the teachingof the spirit that the doctrine forbidding to marry was of devils, hehere again claims that when the younger widows desire to, marry theyhave waxed wanton against Christ. There is even by Paul one place inwhich woman is to be the head. If she may not teach, she may providefor the physical comfort of her husband and family. 

The Apostle accuses women of learning to be idle, going about fromhouse to house, of being tattlers and busybodies--these young widows, or unmarried women. What a spectacle the thousands of bread-winningyoung and unmarried women of to-day, would be to Paul if he could comehere! And these young women have no time to go from house to house, oreven to fulfill social obligations. And the students in our collegesand universities, Paul would not find them tattlers or busybodies. Whatcould the unmarried women of Paul's time do? They had no absorbingmental pursuit or physical occupation. Perhaps they could not read; andthere was little for them to study. Lacking mental furnishing to nobleends, they must of necessity deal with trivial matters. What could awoman do who had no home to care for, no business to attend to, perhapsnothing to read (if she could read), no social organizations in whichshe had a place and part except the religious assemblies in which shewas to be "in quietness, " "in silence"?

They were not worthy of condemnation if they were going from house tohouse and tattling. The unmarried woman will not lack opportunity forthe dignity of self-support and the ministrations of philanthropy inthe new dispensation. Womanhood and its high possibilities of mind andof heart are worthy attainments, even though not crowned with self-elected motherhood. Whether married or unmarried, the highest duty ofevery living soul, woman or man, is to seek truth and righteousness;and the liberty which is of the spirit of truth does not admit of thebondage of husband and wife, the one to the other. Freedom to seek soul development is paramount toall other demands. 

1 Timothy i. 

2 Too Timothy, my dearly beloved son: grace, mercy, and peace, fromGod the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 

5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grand-mother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; andI am persuaded that in thee also. 

Timothy, whom Paul calls his true child in faith, and whom he placedas overseer, or bishop of the first church at Ephesus, as allcommentators agree, was the child of mixed parentage, his father beinga Greek and his mother a Jewess. It is supposed that his father died inTimothy's childhood, as no mention is made of him. Timothy, then, waseducated religiously by the teaching and the example of his mother andhis grandmother. Paul expresses with fervent emotion his remembrance ofhis "beloved child, " and of the unfeigned faith which is in him, and, "which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice. "

After having instructed Timothy to exercise all the gentle virtueswhich are feminine and womanly, the Apostle in this acknowledgment thathe was the child of a devout mother and grandmother, discloses a factwhich places in no favorable light his strenuous opposition to woman'sequality in the Church. This mother and grandmother under whoseteaching Timothy had become qualified to receive the important officeof bishop, and whose faithfulness so endeared him to the Apostle, wererequired to keep silence in the Church equally with all other womenwhose evidence of faith were not so conclusive. There was nodistinction. The ban was placed upon woman solely on the ground of sex. 

The Church has only in this nineteenth century partially amended thisrecord, by establishing the order of deaconesses for women who devotethemselves to good works and to religious teaching. While in the liberaldenominations the pulpit is accessible to woman, it is only in veryrecent years that in any evangelistic denomination it has beenpermissible for woman to "teach. " The priesthood are as unwilling to-dayas was Paul in the first century, that women shall be placed on anequality in offices of distinction. Perhaps this disposition comes of adim, not fully evolved consciousness that, "when the present evolutionof woman is complete, a new world will result; for woman is destined torule the world. She is the centre and the fountain of its life, " whichthe new man has recently announced from his pulpit. 

There is no prerogative more tenaciously held by the common man thanthat of rulership. There is no greater opposition to woman's equalityin the State than there is in the Church, and this notwithstanding thefact that the Church and the pulpit are largely sustained by women. TheChurch is spiritually and actually a womanly institution, and this isrecognized by the unvarying expression, "Mother Church. " Yet manmonopolizes all offices of distinction and of leadership, and receivesthe salaries for material support. As the inevitable result, spirituallife has become so languid as to be ineffectual, and an effort is beingpersistently pushed by a portion of the Evangelical Church, a portion, too, which most strenuously keeps its women silent, to fortify theChurch by the power of civil government. 

There is no suggestion in the teaching of Jesus, as recorded, ofcompelling individuals, authorities, or powers, to acknowledge God. Thereligion of Jesus is a voluntary acceptance of truth. "God is a spirit, and they who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. " Therecan be no compulsory life of the spirit, quickened by the source oflife, light and love. The masculine idea of compelling a formalacknowledgment of God by the State is entirely unchristian. 

Until the feminine is recognized in the Divine Being, and justice isestablished in the Church by the complete equality of woman with man, the Church cannot be thoroughly Christian. "Honor thy father and thymother" is the commandment. The human race cannot be brought to itshighest state until motherhood is equally honored with fatherhood inhuman institutions. 

L. B. C. 

EPISTLES OF PETER AND JOHN. 

1 Peter iii. 

1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, ifany obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by theconversation of the wives;

3 Whose adorning, let it not be that out, ward adorning of plaitingthe hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel. 

Woman's influence is most clearly set forth by all the Apostles inmeek submission to their husbands and to all the Church ordinances anddiscipline. A reverent silence, a respectful observance of rules andauthorities was their power. They could not aid in spreading the gospeland in converting their husbands to the true faith by teaching, bypersonal attraction, by braided hair or ornaments. The normal beauty ofa sanctified heart would be manifested by a meek and quiet spirit, valuable in the sight of God as well as their husbands, and do far moreto fix their affections and to secure their esteem than the studieddecoration of fashionable apparel. Woman's love of satins, of velvets, of laces, and of jewels, has its corresponding expression in man's loveof wealth, of position, and his ambition for personal and familyaggrandizement. 

There is much talk of the poor and the needy, especially duringpolitical campaigns. In the autumn of 1896, when the workingman'sinterests formed the warp and woof of every speech, three thousandchildren stood in the streets of New York City, for whom there was noroom in the schoolhouses and no play-grounds; and yet thousands ofdollars were spent in buying votes. Large, well-ventilated homes forthose who do the work of the world, plenty of schoolhouses and play-grounds for the children of the poor, would be much more beneficial tothe race than expensive monuments to dead men, and large appropriationsfrom the public treasury for holidays and convivial occasions to honormen in high places. 

The Apostles having given such specific directions as to the toiletsof women, their hair, ornaments, manners and position, in the Church, the State and the home, one is curious to know what kind of honor isintended for this complete subordination. Man is her head, her teacher, her guardian and her Saviour. What Christ is to him, that is he to theweaker vessel. It is fair to infer that what he has done in the past hewill continue to do in the future. Unless she rebels outright, he willmake her a slave, a subject, the mere reflection of another human will. 

E. C. S. 

2 John i. 

1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a newcommandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, thatwe love one another. 

6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. 

12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paperand ink; but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that ourjoy may be full. 

Some critics conjecture that the Church at Jerusalem is meant by the"elect lady, " and the one at Ephesus by her elect sister. Otherssuppose that an eminent and honorable Christian woman was intended bythe "elect lady, " and that some other Christian woman, well known inthe Church, was intended by her elect sister. The aged Apostle wrotethis short letter to this lady, who was a person of rank, hence he didnot scruple to give to her the title of honor. He assured her childrenof his deep interest in their welfare. The word lady was always used inaddressing, or speaking of one who was an acknowledged superior. Intheir travels about the country the Apostles especially enjoyed thehospitality of families of rank. Though democratic in their principles, they were susceptible to the attractions of wealth and of culture. 

E. C. S. 

REVELATION. 

CHAPTER I. 

Revelation i. 

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew untohis servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent andsignified it by his angel unto his servant John:

2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of JesusChrist, and of all things that he saw. 

3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of thisprophecy and keep those things which are written therein: for the timeis at hand. 

4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, andpeace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and fromthe seven Spirits which are before his throne. 

John Morley once said to the priests--"We shall not attack you, weshall explain you. " The Book of Revelation, properly Re-Veilings, cannot even be approximately explained without some knowledge ofastrology. It is a purely esoteric work, largely referring to woman, her intuition, her spiritual powers, and all she represents. Even thename of its putative author, John, is identical in meaning with "dove, "the emblem of the Holy Ghost, the female principle of the Divinity. 

This book came down from old Egyptian "mystery" times, and was one ofthe profoundly "sacred" and profoundly "secret" books of the greattemple of Luxor, the words "sacred" and "secret" possessing the samemeaning during the mysteries. All knowledge was anciently concealed inthe mysteries; letters, numbers, astrology (until the sixteenth centuryidentical with astronomy), alchemy, the parent of chemistry, these, andall other sciences were hidden from the common people. Even to allinitiates the most important part of the mysteries was not revealed. 

It is not then strange that such a profoundly mystic book asRe-Veilings should be so little understood by the Christian Churchas to have been many times rejected from the sacred canon. It did notappear in the Syriac Testament as late as 1562. Neither did Luther, thegreat reformer of the sixteenth century, nor his coworker, Erasmus, respect it, Luther declaring that for his part he would as soon it hadnot been written; Calvin, also, had small regard for it. The firstcollection of the New Testament canon, decided upon by the Council ofLaodicea (A. D. 364), omitted the entire book from its list of sacredworks; Jerome said that some Greek churches would not receive it. Thecelebrated Vatican codex in the papal library, the oldest uncial orBiblical manuscript in existence, does not contain Revelation. Thecanon of the New Testament was fixed as it now is by Pope Innocent I. , A. D. 405, with the Book of Revelation still in dispute. 

Its mystic character has been vaguely surmised by the later Church, which, while claiming to be the exponent of spiritual things, has yettaught the grossest materialism, and from no part of the Bible morefully than from Revelation. It asserts a literal coming of Christ inthe literal clouds of heaven, riding a literal horse, while Gabriel(angel of the moon), with a literal trumpet sounds the blast of earth'sdestruction. A literal devil is to be bound for a thousand years, during which time the saints are to dwell on earth, "every man to havea farm, " as I once heard a devout Methodist declare. "But there willnot be land enough for that, " objected a brother. "O, well, the earthis now two-thirds water, and that will be dried up, " was the reply. Tosuch straits have Christians been driven in their efforts to comprehendthis book. 

But during the centuries a few students have not failed to apprehendits character; the Abbe Constant (Eliphas Levi), declaring it to be oneof the masterpieces of occult science. While for even a partialcomprehension of Re-Veilings, some knowledge of astrology is required, it is no less true that the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelationdemands a knowledge of astrology, of letters, and of numbers, withtheir interchangeable values as they were understood by those who wroteit, "a book written by initiates for initiates. " Sir William Drummondproved that all names of places in the holy land of the Hebrews wereastronomical. 

Not only were Hebrew feasts and seasons based upon that science, butmany Christian ones, as Easter and Christmas are due to the same cause. The festival of St. John the Baptist takes place at the time of thesun's lowest southern declination, December 22. In like manner thefestival of St. John the Evangelist occurs at midsummer day, when thesun reaches its highest northern declination. All those church periodsare purely astronomical or astrological in character. The "Alpha" and"Omega" of Revelation contain profound evolutionary truths, significative of spirit and of matter, or God unmanifested andmanifested. 

The famous seven churches of Asia, to whom this book was largelyaddressed, were all astrological and based upon the seven planets ofthe ancients. Of these seven churches that of Ephesus stood first. Onthe shores of Aegean Sea, it was famous for its magnificent temple tothe moon-goddess Artemis, or Diana. This temple was one of the sevenwonders of the ancient world, nations vieing with each other in theirgifts to add to its splendor. The moon being the emblem or "angel" ofEphesus, the cry of the multitude when Paul spake there, "Great isDiana of the Ephesians!" was an astrological recognition of the powerof the moon over human affairs. It is to be noted that none of theseven churches of Asia received the writings of Paul. In the astrologyof Chaldea, as in that of Asia Minor, the moon was first among theplanets. It must be remembered that the numbers seven and twelve, sofrequently mentioned in Re-Veilings, are of great occult significancein relation to the earth. 

The angel of the church of Smyrna, to whom the second letter wasaddressed, was the sun, "the only sun" dying and rising each day; thatof Pergamos, the beneficent Jupiter, who became the supreme god of theGreek world. The angel of Thyatira, the lovely and loving Venus, bysome deemed the most occult of the planets, sustained her old-timecharacter for lasciviousness in her connection with that church. Thefiery, warlike Mars, angel of the church of Sardis, called "the GreatKing, " and Saturn, the angel of the church of Philadelphia, areastrologically known as malefic planets. Saturn identified with Satan, matter and time, is for occult reasons looked upon as the greatmalefic. The angel of the church of Laodicea, Mercury or Hermes, the ambiguous planet, is, next to Venus, the mostoccult of all the planets; it is, masculine or feminine, the patron oflearning or of thieves, as it is aspected. Most profound secretsconnected with the spiritual interests of the race during the middleportion of the fifth round are hidden in the letter to the angel of thechurch of Laodicea. 

M. J. G. 

This book is styled the Apocalypse or Revelation, and is supposed tohave been written by John, called the Divine, on the Island of Patmos, in the Aegean Sea, whither he was banished. Professor Goldwin Smith, ina recent work entitled "Guesses at the Riddle of Existence, " thinksthat we have but little reliable information as to the writers ofeither the Old or the New Testaments. In this case the style is sodifferent from that of John, that the same Apostle could not havewritten both books. Whoever wrote The Revelation was evidently thevictim of a terrible and extravagant imagination and of visions whichmake the blood curdle. 

Revelation ii. 

18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thypatience. 

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thousufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophet, to teachand to seduce my servants. 

21 And I gave her space to repent; and she repented not. 

22 Behold, I will cast her into great tribulation. 

23 And I will kill her children and all the churches shall know that Iam he which searcheth the hearts; and I will give unto every one of youaccording to your works. 

The town of Thyatira lay to the southeast of Pergamos. The epistle tothe church was sent by John, with some commendations; but it was saidthat there was a worm at the root of its prosperity, which woulddestroy the whole unless it were removed. It is not agreed whether theexpression Jezebel, is to be understood literally or figuratively. Fromthe reading of some manuscripts it has been thought, that the wife ofthe presiding minister was intended, that she had obtained greatinfluence in the affairs of the church and made a bad use of it; thatshe pretended to have prophetic gifts, andunder that sanction propagated abominable principles. 

The figurative meaning, however, seems more suited to the style andthe manner of this book; and in this sense it denotes a company ofpersons, of the spirit and character of Jezebel, within the churchunder one principal deceiver. Jezebel, a Zidonian and a zealousidolater, being married to the King of Israel (Ahab) contrary to theDivine law, used all her influence to draw the Israelites from theworship of Jehovah into idolatry. Satan and woman are the chiefcharacters in all the frightful visions; and the sacred period ofmaternity is made to illustrate some of the most terrible upheavals innational life, as between the old dragon and the mother of the race. Whatever this book was intended to illustrate, its pictures arepainfully vivid. 

E. C. S. 

CHAPTER II. 

Revelation xii. 

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with thesun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelvestars:

2 And she being with child travailed in birth. 

3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great reddragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon hisheads. 

4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and thedragon stood before the woman to devour her child as soon as it wasborn. 

5 And she brought forth a man child, that was caught up unto God. 

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a placeprepared of God. 

13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he waswroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed. 

The constellation Draco, the Great Serpent, was at one time ruler ofthe night, being formerly at the very centre of the heavens and solarge that it was called the Great Dragon. Its body spread over sevensigns of the Zodiac, which were called its seven heads. So great aspace did it occupy, that, in mystic language, it "drew a third part ofthe stars from heaven and cast them to the earth. " Thuban, in its tail, was formerly the pole-star, or "judge of the earth!" It approached muchnearer the true pole than Cynosura, the present pole-star, which is oneand a half degrees distant and will never approach nearer than twelveminutes, while Thuban was only ten minutes distant. 

At an early day serpents were much respected; they were thought tohave more "pneuma" or spirit than any other living thing and weretermed "fiery. " For this cause high initiates were called "naga, " orserpents of wisdom; and a living serpent was always carried in thecelebration of the mysteries. During the brilliant eighteenth andnineteenth Egyptian dynasties, Draco was a great god; but when thisconstellation lost its place in the heavens, and Thuban ceased to bethe guiding sidereal Divinity, it shared the fate of all the fallengods. "The gods of our fathers are our devils, " says an Arabic proverb. When Re-Veilings was written, Draco had become a fallen angelrepresenting evil spirituality. By precessional motion the foot ofHercules rests upon its head, and we find it depicted as of the mostmaterial color, red. 

Colors and jewels are parts of astrology; and ancient cities, asEctabana, were built and colored after the planets. The New Jerusalemof Re-Veilings is purely an astrological city, not to be understoodwithout a knowledge of mystic numbers, letters, jewels and colors. So, also, the four and twenty elders of Re-Veilings are twenty-four starsof the Chaldean Zodiac, "counsellors" or "judges, " which rose and setwith it. Astrology was brought into great prominence by the visit ofthe magi, the zodiacal constellation Virgo, the "woman with a child, "ruling Palestine, in which country Bethlehem is situated. The greatastronomer and astrologer, Ptolemy, judged the character of countriesfrom the signs ruling them, as to this day is done by astrologers. 

The woman attacked by the great red dragon, Cassiopea, was known asNim-Makh, the Mighty Lady. For many centuries, at intervals of aboutthree hundred years, a brilliant star suddenly appeared in thisconstellation, remaining visible a few months, then as suddenlydisappearing. In mystic phraseology this star was a child. It was seenA. D. 945, A. D. 1264, and was noted by Tycho Brahe and otherastronomers in 1562, when it suddenly became so brilliant that it couldbe seen at midday, gradually assuming the appearance of a greatconflagration, then as gradually fading away. Since thus caught up tothe throne of God, this star-child has not again appeared, althoughwatched for by astronomers during the past few years. The Greeks, whoborrowed so much from the Egyptians, created from this book the storyof Andromeda and the monster sent by Neptune to destroy her, whileMadame Blavatsky says that St. John's dragon is Neptune, a symbol ofAtlantaen magi. 

The crown of twelve stars upon the head of the apocalyptic woman are thetwelve constellations of the Zodiac. Clothed with the sun, woman hererepresents the Divinity of the feminine, its spirituality as opposed tothe materiality of the masculine; for in Egypt the sun, as giver oflife, was regarded as feminine, while the moon, shining by reflectedlight, was looked upon as masculine. With her feet upon the moon, woman, corresponding to and representing the soul, portrays the ultimatetriumph of spiritual things over material things--over the body, whichman, or the male principle, corresponds to and represents. 

"There was war in heaven. " The wonderful progress and freedom ofwoman, as woman, within the last half century, despite the falseinterpretation of the Bible by the Church and by masculine power, isthe result of this great battle; and all attempts to destroy her willbe futile. Her day and hour have arrived; the dragon of physical powerover her, the supremacy of material things in the world, as depicted bythe male principle, are yielding to the spiritual, represented bywoman. The eagle, true bird of the sun and emblem of our own greatcountry, gives his wings to her aid; and the whole earth comes to helpher against her destroyer. 

And thus must Re-Veilings be left with much truth untouched, yet withthe hope that what has been written will somewhat help to acomprehension of this greatly misunderstood yet profoundly "sacred" and"secret" book, whose true reading is of such vast importance to thehuman race. 

M. J. G. 

Here is a little well intended respect for woman as representing theChurch. In this vision she appears clothed with the sun, and the moonunder her feet, which denotes her superiority, says the commentator, toher reflected feebler light of the Mosaic dispensation. The crown oftwelve stars on her head represents her honorable maintenance of thedoctrines of the Church. Just as the woman was watched by the dragon, and her children devoured, so was the Church watched and persecuted bythe emissaries of the Papal hierachy {sic}. The seven heads of thedragon represent the seven hills on which Rome is built; the ten horns, ten kingdoms into which the Western empire was divided. The tail of thedragon drawing a third part of the stars represent the power of theRomans, who had conquered one-third part of the earth. 

Revelation xvii. 

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness; and I saw awoman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having saves heads and ten horns. 

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and deckedwith gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in barhand. 

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great. 

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reignethover the kings of the earth. 

The woman draped in scarlet, seated on a beast, was the emblem of theChurch of Rome. The beast represents the temporal power by which it hasbeen supported. These colors have always distinguished the popes andthe cardinals, as well as the Roman emperors and senators. The horsesand the mules were covered with scarlet cloth to answer thedescription, and the woman was decked in the brightest colors, in goldand jewels. No one can describe the pomp, splendor and magnificence ofthe Church of Rome. The cup in the woman's hand contained potions tointoxicate her victims. It was the custom at that time for public womento have their names on their foreheads, and as they represented theabominations of social life, they were often named after cities. Thewriters of the Bible are prone to make woman the standard for all kindsof abominations; and even motherhood, which should be held most sacred, is used to illustrate the most revolting crimes. What picture can bemore horrible than the mother, in her hour of mortal agony, watched bythe dragon with his seven heads and ten horns!

Why so many different revising committees of bishops and clergymenshould have retained this book as holy and inspiring to the ordinaryreader, is a mystery. It does not seem possible that the Divine Johncould have painted these dark pictures of the struggles of humanitywith the Spirit of Evil. Verily, we need an expurgated edition of theOld and the New Testaments before they are fit to be placed in thehands of our youth to be read in the public schools and in theologicalseminaries, especially if we wish to inspire our children with properlove and respect for the Mothers of the Race. 

E. C. S. 

APPENDIX. 

"Ignorance is the mother of devotion. "--Jeremy Taylor. 

The following letters and comments are in answer to the questions:

1. Have the teachings of the Bible advanced or retarded theemancipation of women?

2. Have they dignified or degraded the Mothers of the Race?

Dear Mrs. Stanton:--I believe, as you said in your birthday address, that "women ought to demand that the Canon law, the Mosaic code, theScriptures, prayer-books and liturgies be purged of all invidiousdistinctions of sex, of all false teaching as to woman's origin, character and destiny. " I believe that the Bible needs explanation andcomment on many statements therein which tend to degrade woman. Christtaught the equality of the sexes, and Paul said: "There is neither malenor female; ye are all one in Christ Jesus. " Hence I welcome "TheWoman's Bible" as a needed commentary in regard to woman's position. 

Phebe A. Hanaford. 

If the suggestions and teachings of the various books of our Bible, concerning women, are compared with the times in which severally theyprobably were written, in general they are certainly in advance of mostcontemporary opinion. The hurtful blunder of later eras has been thesetting up of early, cruder standards touching the relations of men andof women, as moulding influences and guides to broader civilizations. They cannot be authoritative. 

I believe that the Bible's Golden Rule has been the real substratum ofall religions, when fairly applied from their own point of view. Butthe broader and more discriminating applications of the ruletheoretically both to men and to women in every relation of life havemade, and necessarily must have made, most of the earlier practicalregulations and teachings, beneficent perhaps in their day, perniciousin ours when regarded as still authoritative. Interpreted by itsfundamental principles, in the light of its time--not in the fastincreasing light of ours, which, as I understand it, is yoursearchlight and that of your collaborators--I have very little quarrelwith the Bible. But neither have I much quarrel with Buddhism, withPaganism in general, or with any serious religious cult, tested in thesame way. 

Turn on the light and so change the point of view. But criticism ofancient creeds, literatures or morals, to be entirely fair and just. Must be comparative criticism. To be broadly comparative it mustvirtually include contemporary and intermediate as well as existingcreeds, literatures or morals. Very sincerely yours, Antoinette Brown Blackwell. 

Like the shield which was gold on one side and silver on the other, the Bible has two sides or aspects. As travellers approaching theshield from opposite directions quarrelled over its nature because eachsaw only that side which he had approached, people have differed intheir view of the Bible and its influence upon mankind because only oneaspect has been visible to them. 

Acceptance of the Bible literally tends to retard the development ofboth man and woman, and consequently the establishment of theirhighest and best relation to each other, a relation uponwhich depends their usefulness to the community. Both the law of Mosesand the teachings of Paul, thus considered, belittle woman more thanthey exalt her. While words of praise and promises of future place andpower are not altogether lacking, this is the impression left upon themind of the reader who is not able to pass around to the other side andgain another view. 

Exoterically considered, the Bible offers less of the ethical and thespiritual than of the physical possibilities of woman as the complementto man; but esoterically considered, it is found to exact the spiritualpossibilities above the rest--above even the like possibilities of theman. The Bible has been, and will continue to be, a stumbling-block inthe way of development of inherent resources, consequently of thetruest civilization, in proportion to the strength of its exotericaspect with the people. It will cease to be a stumbling block andbecome a powerful impetus in the desired direction instead, when itsinner meaning becomes revelator, companion and friend. 

In the literal rendering of the Bible, woman appears first and aboveall as man's subordinate; but this inner meaning shows her first andabove all as the individual equal with him, and afterward hiscomplement, or what she is able to be for him. Portrayed as the motherof the Saviour of the world, one woman is exalted above all women whenonly physical motherhood is seen; and the consequence has been that onewoman has been worshiped and the sex has been crucified. This one womanhas been lifted above her place; and all women have fallencorrespondingly below it. 

Not till "the light that lighteth every man that cometh into theworld" shall pierce with its rays the darkness of the sensuous nature, will woman's spiritual motherhood for the race, be discerned as the wayof its redemption from that darkness and its consequences. As thatlight is uncovered in individual souls the inner meaning of the Biblewill appear, woman's nature as the individual and her true relativityto man be seen. Then the mistakes which have been ignorantly made willbe rectified, because both sides of the shield will be seen. Men andwomen will clasp hands as comrades with a common destiny; religion andscience will each reveal their destiny and prove that truth which theBible even exoterically declares that "the woman is the glory of theman. "

Ursula N. Gestefeld. 

It is requested that I shall answer two questions:

1. Has the Bible advanced or retarded woman's emancipation?

2. Has it elevated or degraded the Mothers of the Race?

If by "emancipation" is meant the social, legal and political positionof women, and if by the "Bible" the authorized version of the OldTestament, it would be difficult to prove that the opponents of thatemancipation have not derived their narrow views from many passages inthe Bible. This, however, applies only to the exoteric interpretation, the weak points of which have been so mercilessly exposed in Part I. Of"The Woman's Bible. "

The Divine wisdom whose occult truths form the basis of Judaism, ofChristianity and of all other religions, has nothing to do with thesubjection of sex: and to be fair we must confess that there are manytexts in the exoteric version which proclaim the equality of woman, notably the first chapter of Genesis. I believe that H. P. Blavatskywas right when she said of the Bible: "It is a grand volume, amasterpiece composed of clever, ingenious fables, containing greatverities; but it reveals the latter only to those who, like theInitiates, have a key to its inner meaning; a tale sublime in itsmorality and didactics truly--still a tale and an allegory; a repertoryof invented personages in its older Jewish portions, and of darksayings and parables in its later additions, and thus quite misleadingto any one ignorant of its esotericism. "

This being the case, the discussion which "The Woman's Bible" raisesis to my judgment somewhat futile. It is said that from Genesis toRevelation the Bible degrades woman. Does it not, as it stands, equallyin many passages degrade the conception of the Supreme Being? Manynoble and Divine truths have been utterly degraded by the coarsefallacies of men. All this is so sure to be made clear in the nearfuture that I am doubtful of the wisdom of laying too much stress onpassages whose meaning is entirely misunderstood by the vast majorityof Christians. 

Slowly we see a light breaking. When the dawn comes we shall have arevision of the Bible on very different lines from any yet attempted. In the meantime may we not ask, Is there any curse or crime which hasnot appealed to the Bible for support? Polygamy, capital punishment, slavery and war have all done so. Why not the subjection of women? Letus hold fast that which is good in the Bible and the rest will modifyitself in the future, as it has done in the past, to the needs ofhumanity and the advance of knowledge. 

London, England. 

Ursula Bright. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton:--Dear Madam: I have received your letterand the specimen of "The Woman's Bible" which you have sent me. I havenot had time to examine it minutely; but I have been aware of yourpurpose from the beginning. I am afraid that I cannot say anythingwhich you will wish to print; for I look upon the Bible verydifferently from what you do. 

I have no superstitious reverence for it, but hold it in high regardas a valuable collection of very old literature well representing thethought and the life of a great, earnest people at different periods oftheir career. As such, it is full of precious lessons of wisdom and ofsweet and beautiful poetry. I certainly could not endorse Mr. White'sstatement; for I have very recently in public lectures spoken of thegreat value of this collection as one of the best educators of thecommon people in Christendom generally, and especially in Scotland andthe United States. I should say the same, so far as my knowledgeextends, of the Koran and other so-called sacred books. 

That the superstitious worship of the Bible as a direct revelationfrom God, and the practice of using what is merely the history of humanlife as authority for human action now, or as prophecy, has produced orstrengthened great evils in the world I readily admit, and I welcomeall the thorough and searching criticism which can be applied to theBible, but nothing is gained by exaggeration. There are noble examplesof woman in the Old Testament of the heroic type, as in the NewTestament of the tender and loving one. 

The whole subject of the relations of the sexes is a deep anddifficult one; and the ages have been struggling with it. That woman ishandicapped by peculiarities of physical structure seems evident; andaccording to the character of the age these are more or lessunfavorable. Civilization in many instances has emphasized andincreased them to her great disadvantage; but it is only by making herlimitations her powers that the balance can be restored, and in an ageof more intellectual and spiritual superiority this will come to pass. I read this in the development of woman's life in education, inindustry and in self-support. 

I have tried to express my views frankly, although I cannot fullyillustrate them in a brief letter, which is all I have time for atpresent. Your own active mind will follow out whatever there is ofvalue in my thought. Yours very respectfully, Jamaica Plain, Mass. 

Ednah D. Cheney. 

The Bible--both the books of the Old Testament and of the New, expressthe views in regard to woman which prevailed when those books werewritten. The conception in regard to woman was that she was naturallyman's inferior, that her position should be one of subordination, thatshe should have no will of her own, except as it was in accord withthat of her father, husband, or master. 

The enlightened portions of the world have gradually been outgrowingthese ideas. This progress has constantly been opposed by the influenceof Bible teachings on the subject. The influence of the Bible againstthe elevation of woman, like its influence in favor of slavery, hasbeen great because of the infallibility and the Divine authority withwhich the teachings of the Bible have been invested. If the Bible had, like other books, been judged by its actual merits, in the light ofreason and common sense, its teachingsabout woman would have had no authoritative weight; but when millionshave for centuries been brought up to believe that the Bible is aninspired and infallible revelation from God, its influence has beenmischievous in a thousand ways. 

A collection of books which teaches, as from God, that man was madefirst for the glory of God, and woman for man simply; that woman wasfirst to sin, and therefore should be in submission to man; thatmotherhood implies moral impurity and requires a sin offering (twice asmuch in the case of a female as a male child), must have continued tokeep woman in a degraded condition just in proportion as such ideashave been believed to be true and inspired by God. 

The advancement of woman throughout Christendom has been going on onlywhere these doctrines have been outgrown or modified through theinfluence of science, of skepticism, and of liberal thought generally. That the Bible does teach that woman's position should be one ofsubordination and submission to man, and that through her first camesin into the world, is indisputable; and I do not see how suchteachings, believed to be direct from God, can be accepted withoutretarding woman's progress. Mr. Lecky and others have shownhistorically that these Oriental conceptions have distinctly degradedwoman wherever they have prevailed. 

What we should naturally expect to have resulted from theseconceptions is shown by experience actually to have been the result ofsuch teachings, enforced by the authority of Moses and of St. Paul. 

The idea of woman's equality with man in all natural rights andopportunities finds no support in the Bible. The doctrine that there isneither male nor female, neither bond nor free, in Christ Jesus, had nopractical application to social conditions. It left the slave inchains, and the woman in fetters. Where the old theological dogmasrespecting woman are the least impaired, woman's condition is the leasthopeful. Where the authority of reason is in the ascendant, or where itis superseding the authority of book revelations, of creeds and ofchurches, woman's position is the most advanced, her rights are themost completely recognized, her opportunities forprogress the most fully allowed, and her character the most fullydeveloped. 

Sarah A. Underwood. 

A solution, in accordance with the fundamental laws of ethics, of thewoman question, which is a part of the great social question, can bearrived at only by a transformation of the social order of things, madein conformity with the principle of equal liberty and equal justice toeach and every one. 

As a necessary proposition to let this principle be universallyrecognized, we must designate the philosophical view of the world, based upon scientific Materialism, which former, penetrated by theconviction that the natural doctrine of evolution also retains itsvalidity with regard to the mental, vital principles of humanity, believes in the social, political and ethical evolution of humansociety, from which progressive evolution the equal claim to all socialrelations of the female and the male halves of humanity are inseparable. 

As the firmest enemy of modern ethics based upon scientific knowledgeof natural laws, there stands the Christian religion, the outspring ofthe Jewish one, which former, resting upon the principle of thenecessary subordination of woman to man, in consequence thereofenergetically combats the attempts for equal rights to both sexes, and, as far as lies in its power, ever will and must combat the same. 

To the influence of the Christian Church upon social conditions we mustin the first instance ascribe that, notwithstanding all advances ofculture, the mental development of the female sex has beensystematically kept back through all these tens of centuries. And notonly for the reason that the Christian religion considers woman as acreature inferior to man, owing to the legendary eating of the apple byEve ("Satan, " says St. Augustine, "considered the man to be lesscredulous and approachable"), but also--and possibly foremost of all--for the reason that the Christian Church knows very well that in woman, intellectually undeveloped, and therefore easy to be led, and ready tolend a willing ear to priestly promptings, it possesses its mostpowerful ally, and knows that it would lose that powerful support assoon as women, by a thorough mental training, by an elevating educationadapted to their condition of mind and of fortune, would be taken awayfrom clerical influences. 

As a contrast to the lying statement, which falsifies the historicalfacts, that the Christian religion has raised the condition of woman, the Christian Church offers to woman nothing but serfdom. And it is thefirst duty of those women who combat for right and liberty to unite inthe fight against religious obscurity, against the powers of darknessand the suppression resting on the Church, that revolution of the mindfor which the most elevated thinkers of all time have suffered andfought, and to whose deeds alone we owe all advances in the mentalfreeing of humanity and all accomplishments of the awakeningconsciousness of justice. 

Vienna, Austria. 

Irma Von Troll-Borostyani. 

My Dear Mrs. Stanton:--I thank you very much for the book which I havereceived and shall consider with interest. I respond at once andheartily to the inquiry with which you have honored me. I consider theBible the most wonderful record of the evolution of spiritual lifewhich our race possesses. The sympathetic justice displayed by theChrist when he said, "Let him that is without sin cast the firststone, " will be the inspiration of the future for man and for womanalike. 

With cordial remembrance of the past and hope for the future, I am

Sincerely yours, Hastings, London, England. 

Elizabeth Blackwell. 

Since it is accepted that the status of woman is the gauge ofcivilization, this is the burning question which now presents itself toChristendom. If the Bible had elevated woman to her present status, itwould seem that the fact could be demonstrated beyond question; yetto-day the whole Christian world is on the defensive, trying to prove thevalidity of this claim. Despite the opposition of Bible teaching, womanhas secured the right to education, to speak and to print her thoughts;therefore her answer to these questions will decide the fate ofChristian civilization. 

In Genesis the Bible strikes the key-note of woman's inferiority andsubjection; and the note rings true through every accepted and rejectedbook which has ever constituted the Bible. In the face of this fact, the supreme effort of the Christian Church has been to inculcate theidea that Christianity alone has elevated woman, and that all otherreligions have degraded and enslaved her. It has feared nothing so muchas to face the truth. 

Women have but to read the Bible and the history of Christianity inconjunction with the sacred books and the histories of other religionsto discover the falsity of this claim, and that the Bible cannot standthe light of truth. The Bible estimate of woman is summed up in thewords of the president of a leading theological seminary when heexclaimed to his students, "My Bible commands the subjection of womenforever. "

In an address to the graduating class of a woman's college in England, Mr. Gladstone, in awarding the diplomas, said: "Young women, you whobelong to the favored half of the human race, enormous changes havetaken place in your positions as members of society. It is almostterrible to look back upon the state of women sixty years ago, upon themanner in which they were viewed by the law, and the scanty provisionmade for their welfare, and the gross injustice, the flagrantinjustice, the shameful injustice, to which in certain particulars theywere subjected. Great changes are taking place, and greater areimpending. " For centuries England has been the light of the Christianworld; yet what an indictment is this against Christian England by thegreatest living defender of the Bible and the Christian religion. 

This one statement of Mr. Gladstone at once refutes the claim that theBible has elevated woman, and confirms the idea of the president of thetheological seminary. Add to these declarations the true condition ofwomen to-day, and the testimony that the Bible bears against itself, and the falsity of the claim that it has elevated woman is at onceestablished. If Mr. Gladstone acknowledges the "gross, flagrant andshameful injustice" to woman sixty years ago in Christian England, whatcan be said of woman's condition six hundred, or sixteen hundred yearsago, when the Bible held the greatest sway over the human mind andChristianity was at the zenith of its power, when it was denied thatwoman has a soul, when she was bought and sold as the cattle of thefield, robbed of her name, her children, her property, and "elevated"(?) on the gibbet of infamy, and on the high altar of lust by thedecree of the Christian priesthood?

If it can be proven that during the last thousand years the Christianclergy, with the Bible in their hands, have pointed out or attempted toremove one single cruelty or wrong which women have suffered, now isthe opportune time to furnish such proof. Now, to-day, when womanherself is rising in her mental majesty, and when her wrongs are beingrighted, Christianity is dead in the strongest brains and the mostheroic hearts of Europe and of America; and now, when the myth and themiracle of Bible teaching have lost their hold on the minds of people, this is the very age when the position of woman is more exalted than ithas ever been since Chrisianity {sic} began. 

If even the claim that the Bible has elevated woman to her presentstatus were true, when the light is turned on to the social, domesticand religious life of the Christian world, this achievement reflects nocredit on Bible teaching. After nineteen hundred years no woman'sthought has ever been incorporated into the ecclesiastical or civilcode of any Christian land. 

Monogamic marriage is the strongest institution of the Christiansystem; yet all the men of the Old Testament were polygamists; andChrist and Paul, the central figures of the New Testament, werecelibates and condemned marriage by both precept and example. InChristian lands monogamy is strictly demanded of women; but bigamy, trigamy, and polygamy are in reality practised by men as one of themethods of elevating women, Largely, the majority of men have onelegal wife; but assisted by a small per cent. Of youths and ofbachelors, Christendom maintains an army of several millions ofcourtesans. Thousands of wretched women are yearly driven to graves inthe potter's field, while manhood is degraded by deception, bydrunkenness and by disease; and the blood of the innocents cries outagainst a system which thus "elevates" woman. 

The Bible says that "a tree is known by its fruit;" yet this tree iscarefully pruned, watered, and tended as the "Tree of life" whosefruit, in the words of Archdeacon Farrar, "alone elevates woman, andshrouds as with a halo of sacred innocence the tender years of thechild. " The Bible records that God created woman by a method differentfrom that employed in bringing into life any other creature, thencursed her for seeking knowledge; yet God declares in the Bible: "Mypeople are destroyed for lack of knowledge. " "Because thou hastrejected knowledge I will reject thee. " "Add to your faith virtue, andto virtue knowledge, " and knowledge is the savior of the human race. 

Ever since Eve was cursed for seeking knowledge, the priest with theBible in his hands has pronounced her the most unnatural, untrustworthyand dangerous creation of God. She has been given away as a sheep atthe marriage altar, classed with the ox and the ass, cursed inmaternity, required to receive purification at the hands of the priestfor the crime of child-bearing, her body enslaved, and robbed of hername and of her property. 

The ownership of the wife established and perpetuated through Bibleteaching is responsible for the domestic pandemonium and the carnivalof wife murder which reigns throughout Christendom. In the UnitedStates alone, in the eighteen hundred and ninety-seventh year of theChristian era, 3, 482 wives, many with unborn children in their bodies, have been murdered in cold blood by their husbands; yet the Christianclergy from their pulpits reprove women for not bearing more childrenin the face of the fact that millions of the children who have beenborn by Christian women are homeless tramps, degraded drunkards, victims of disease, inmates of insane asylums or prisons, condemned tothe scaffold, or bond slaves to priests or to plutocrats who revel inwealth at the expense of women whom it is claimed that the Bible has"emancipated andelevated. "

"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceiveme. " This declaration of the Bible puts the brand of infamy upon everywoman who ever bore a child; and this, it is claimed, elevates theMothers of the Race. The wife who places her destiny in the keeping ofthe father of her children bestows upon him the wealth of heraffection, who is to bear the blood and the name of her husband toconquests yet undreamed of, and to generations yet unborn, is by Divinedecree made a fountain of iniquity. Would not men and women ratherpluck their tongues out by the roots than brand with infamy the motherswho went down into the valley and the shadow of death to give birth tothem?

Place the Bible Trinity of "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" beside theHomeric trinity, "Father, Mother and Child, " and prove that the Biblehas elevated woman. The Homeric conception of woman towers like theNorway pine above the noxious growth of the Mosaic ideal. Compare themen and the women of the Bible with the stately figures culled from thetemple of Pagan antiquity. Zipporah denouncing Moses as a "bloodyhusband, " Abraham sending Hagar and his child into the desert andpocketing twice over the gains from his wife's prostitution; Lot andhis daughters; Judah and his daughter-in-law, Onan; Yamar, the Levite, and his concubine; David and Bath-sheba; Solomon in the sewer ofsensualism; Rahab, Aholibah, Mary of Bethlehem, and Mary Magdala. 

Place these by the side of the man and the woman, Hector andAndromache, of the "Iliad, " who called upon the immortal gods to blesstheir child of love; the virgin Isis with her son Horus; the Vedicvirgin Indrance, the mother of the savior-god, Indra; Devaki and herDivine child, Chrishna; Hipparchia, Pandora, Protogenia, Cornelia, Plotina, and a host of the noble and virtuous of Pagan history. Proveby comparing these with the position of woman in Christendom that womanowes all that she is to the Bible. 

Compare Ruth of the Bible with the magnificent Pagan, Penelope, whorefused the hands of kings, was as true to her love as the star is tothe pole, who, after years of waiting, clasped the old wanderer inrags to her heart, her husband, her long-lost Ulysses; yet thisPagan woman lived ten centuries before the laws of Moses and of Christwere promulgated. While there are millions of Penelopes in Christendom, there are other millions of women, after centuries of Bible teaching, who lie outside the pale of motherhood, and even outside of the pale ofswine-hood. Under Bible teaching the scarlet woman is "anathema, marantha, " while the scarlet man holds high place in the Sanctuary andthe State. 

The by-paths of ecclesiastical history are fetid with the records ofcrimes against women; and "the half has never been told. " And what ofthe history which Christianity is making to-day? Answer, ye victims ofdomestic warfare who crowd the divorce courts of Bible lands. Answer, ye wretched offspring of involuntary motherhood. Answer, ye fivehundred thousand outcast women of Christian America, who should havebeen five hundred thousand blessings, bearing humanity in yourunvitiated blood down the streams of time. Answer, ye mental dwarfs andmoral monstrosities, and tell what the Holy Bible has done for you. 

While these answers echo through the stately cathedrals of Biblelands, if the priest, with the Holy Bible in his hands, can show justcause why woman should not look to reason and to science rather than toScripture for deliverance, "let him speak now, or forever after holdhis peace. "

When Reason reigns and Science lights the way, a countless host ofwomen will move in majesty down the coming centuries. A voice will cry, "Who are these?" and the answer will ring out: "These are the mothersof the coming race, who have locked the door of the Temple of Faith andthrown the key away; 'these are they which came out of greattribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the'fountain of knowledge. "

Josephine K. Henry. 

My Dear Mrs. Stanton:--To say that "the Bible for two thousand yearshas been the greatest block in the way of civilization" is, misleading. Until the Protestant reformation, the Bible was hiddenfrom the common people by the hierarchs of the Roman Catholic Church;and it is only about three centuries that it has been read in thevernacular. 

I cannot agree with you that "the Bible degrades women from Genesis toRevelation. " The Bible, which is a collection of ancient literature, historic, prophetic, poetic and epistolary, is valuable as showing thestatus of woman at the time when the books were written. And theadvice, or the commands, to women given by Paul in the Epistles, against which there has been so much railing, when studied in the lightof the higher criticism, with the aid of cotemporary {sic} history andGreek scholarship, show Paul to have been in advance of the religiousteachers of his time. 

All these commands that have offended us in the past appear in hisEpistles to the churches in cities of Greece, where marriage was bitterslavery to women. Paul was aiming to uplift marriage to the level ofthe great Christian idea, as he uttered it, in Gal. Iii. , 28: "There isneither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neithermale nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. " Christianity issimply the universal fatherhood of God, and the universal brotherhoodof man. And Paul was declaring this in the utterance which I havequoted. All the unjust distinctions of race and of caste, all theoppressions of slavery and the degradations of woman were effaced bythe two cardinal doctrines of pristine Christianity; and Paul seems tohave lived up to his teaching. 

I cannot say that "Christianity has been the foe of woman. " The studyof the evolution of woman does not show this. My later studies havechanged many of my earlier crude notions concerning the development ofwoman. She has developed slowly, and so has man; and the history of thepast shows that every activity of man which has advanced him has beenshared by her. 

There is so wide a belief among orthodox people, nowadays, in whatProfessor Briggs calls "the errancy of the Bible, " that I doubt if youwill be attacked, no matter how startling may be your heresies in PartII. Nobody cares much about heresy in these days; and my desire towithhold my name from your work, as an endorser, comes from my utterignorance of it, and from my belief that I shoulddisagree with you, judging from your letter before me. 

Yours very truly, M. A. Livermore. 

My Dear Mrs. Stanton:--You have sent to me the following questions:"Have the teachings of the Bible advanced or retarded the emancipationof women? Have they dignified or degraded the Mothers of the Race?"

In reply I would say, that as a matter of fact, the nations whichtreat women with the most consideration are all Christian nations; thecountries in which women have open to them all the opportunities foreducation which men possess are Christian countries; coeducationoriginated in Christian colleges; the professions and the trades areclosed to us in all except Christian lands; and woman's ballot isunknown except where the Gospel of Christ has mellowed the hearts ofmen until they became willing to do women justice. Wherever we find aninstitution for the care and the comfort of the defective or thedependent classes, that institution was founded by men and women whowere Christians by heredity and by training. 

No such woman as Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with her heart aflameagainst all forms of injustice and of cruelty, with her intellectillumed and her tongue quickened into eloquence, has ever been producedin a country where the Bible was not incorporated into the thoughts andthe affections of the people and had not been so during manygenerations. 

I think that men have read their own selfish theories into the Book, that theologians have not in the past sufficiently recognized theprogressive quality of its revelation, nor adequately discriminatedbetween its records as history and its principles of ethics and ofreligion, nor have they until recently perceived that it is not in anysense a scientific treatise; but I believe that the Bible comes to usfrom God, and that it is a sufficient rule of faith and of practice. Ibelieve that it is no accident which has placed this Book at theparting of the ways between a good life and a bad one, and enshrinedit at the centre of the holiest scenes which the heart can know, placing it in the pastor's hand at the wedding and at the grave, on thefather's knee at family prayer, in the trembling fingers of the sick, and at the pillow of the dying, making it the hope of the penitent andthe power of God unto salvation of those who sin. 

To me the Bible is the dear and sacred home book which makes ahallowed motherhood possible because it raises woman up, and with herlifts toward heaven the world. This is the faith taught to me by thosewhom I have most revered and cherished; it has produced the finestcharacters which I have ever known; by it I propose to live; andholding to the truth which it brings to us, I expect to pass from thisworld to one even more full of beauty and of hope. 

Believe me, honored co-worker for the enfranchisement of women, Yours with sisterly regard, Frances E. Willard. 

Among the letters in reply to the interrogatories propounded are two, noticeable because they are in such a striking contrast to that of Mrs. Josephine K. Henry, which immediately precedes them. Their first markedcharacteristic is their total lack of facts which are sufficient tosustain the conclusions therein stated. Conceding for the purpose ofthis discussion the truth of Mrs. Livermore's assertions contained inthe first paragraph of her letter, she fails absolutely to show thatthe Holy Scriptures have been of any benefit, or have rendered any aid, to woman in her efforts to obtain her rights in either the social, thebusiness, or the political world; and unless she is able to presentstronger or more cogent reasons to justify that conclusion than anywhich are therein specified, I shall be compelled to adhere to mypresent conviction, which is, that this book always has been, and is atpresent, one of the greatest obstacles in the way of the emancipationand the advancement of the sex. 

In regard to the letter of the distinguished President of the Woman'sChristian Temperance Union, her position is entirely indefensible andcompletely lacking in logical conclusions. Her leading proposition isin substance that to the extent that the Christian religion hasprevailed there has been a corresponding improvement in the conditionof women; and the conclusion which she draws from that premise is thatthis religion has been the cause of this advancement. Before I admitthe truth of this conclusion I must first inquire whether or not thepremise upon which it is based is true; and judging from the fact thatthe condition of women is most degraded in those countries where Churchand State are in closest affiliation, as in Spain, in Italy, in Russiaand in Ireland, and most advanced in nations where the power ofecclesiasticism is markedly on the wane, the inference is obvious thatthe Bible and the religion based upon it have retarded rather thanpromoted the progress of woman. 

But, granting that her premise is true, her conclusion by no meansfollows from it. She desires her reader to infer that the existence ofChristianity in certain countries is responsible for the high degree ofcivilization which there obtains, and that the improved condition ofwomen in those countries is owing entirely to the influence of thatreligion therein. This is what the logicians would call a non sequitur, which means a conclusion which does not follow from the premises stated. 

It is now a well-settled principle recognized by all writers upon thescience of logic, that the co-existence of two facts does notnecessarily imply that one is the cause of the other; and, as is oftenthe case, they may have no relation to each other, and each may existindependently of the other. Many illustrations of this fallacy might bepresented were it necessary to do so; but I will refer to only one ofthem. I have heard it asserted that more murders and other crimes arecommitted in Christian countries than in any others. Whether this betrue or false, I am not prepared to state; but if it were proven to bea fact, could one justly contend that the influence of the Bible is infavor of the commission of crime? Indeed, there would be more reasonfor so thinking than there is for the opinion which she holds, asnumerous passages may be found in that volume which clearly justifyboth crime and vice. 

The truth of the matter is, as Mrs. Stanton, Mrs. Henry, and othercontributors to "The Woman's Bible" have clearly proven, that whateverprogress woman has made in any department of effort she hasaccomplished independently of, and in opposition to, the so-calledinspired and infallible "Word of God, " and that this book has been ofmore injury to her than has any other which has ever been written inthe history of the world. 

E. M. 

"Have the teachings of the Bible advanced or retarded the emancipationof women?"

"Have they dignified or degraded the Mothers of the Race?"

There are always two sides to every question. It sometimes happensthat the Christian, the historian, the clergyman, and the devotee, intheir enthusiasm, are long on assertion and short on proof. Turning thelight on the past and present, the writer of this comment asserts "as amatter of fact that the nations which treat women with the mostconsideration are all" civilized nations. If the condition of woman ishighest in Christian civilization, the question arises, Is itChristianity or civilization which has accorded to women the "mostconsideration"? Christianity means belief in the tenets laid down in abook called the Bible, claimed to be the Word of God. Civilizationmeans the state of being refined in manners from the grossness ofsavage life, and improved in arts and in learning. If civilization isdue entirely to the teachings of the Bible, then, as claimed, womanowes to Christianity all the "consideration" which she receives. 

We claim that woman's advancement is due to civilization, and that theBible has been a bar to her progress. It is true that "woman receivesmost consideration in Christian nations;" but this is due to the mentalevolution of humanity, stimulated by climate and by soil, and theintercommunication of ideas through modern invention. All the Christiannations are in the north temperate zone, whose climate, and soil arebetter adapted to the development of the race than any other portionsof the earth. Christianity took its rise in thirty degrees northlatitude. Mohammedanism took its rise in the torrid zone; and asit made its way north it advanced in education, in art, in science, andin invention, until the civilization of Moslem Spain far surpassed thatof Christian Europe, and as it retreated before the Christian swordfrom the fertile valleys of Spain into the and plains of Arabia itretrograded, after giving to the world some of the greatest scientifictruths and inventions. 

The women of the United States receive "more consideration" and arebeing emancipated more rapidly than are the women of Europe; yet, inEurope, Christianity holds iron sway, while in America the people arefree to accept or to reject its teachings; and in the United States, out of a population of seventy millions, but twenty-two millions haveaccepted it; and a large percentage of these are children, who have notarrived at the years of discretion, and foreigners from ChristianEurope. The consideration extended to woman does not depend upon theteachings of the Bible, but upon the mental and material advancement ofthe men of a nation. Now if it can be proven that Bible teaching hasinspired men to explore and to subdue new lands, to give to the worldinventions, to build ships, railroads and telegraphs, to open mines, toconstruct foundries and factories, and to amass knowledge and wealth, then the Bible has been woman's best friend; for she receives mostconsideration where men have liberty of thought and of action, haveprospered materially, builded homes, and have bank accounts. 

The women in the slums of Christian London and New York receive nomore consideration than the women in the slums of Hong Kong or Bombay. If the nations which give the most consideration to women do so becauseof their Christianity, then it logically follows that the moreintensely Christian a class or an individual may be, the greaterconsideration will be shown to their women. The most intenselyChristian people in Christendom are negroes; yet it is anincontrovertible fact that negro women receive less consideration, andare more wronged and abused, than any class on the earth. The women ofthe middle and upper classes in Bible lands receive consideration justin proportion to the amount of intelligence and worldly goods possessedby their male relatives, while the pauper classes are abused, subjected, and degraded in proportion to the ignorance and the povertyof the men of their class. 

The Church is the channel through which Bible influence flows. Has theChurch ever issued an edict that woman must be equal with man beforethe canon or the civil law, that her thoughts should be incorporated increed or code, that she should own her own body and property inmarriage, or have a legal claim to her children born in wedlock, whichChristianity claims is a "sacrament" and one of the "holy mysteries"?Has the Church ever demanded that woman be educated beyond the Bible(and that interpreted for her) and the cook book, or given a chance inall the callings of life to earn an honest living? Is not the Churchto-day a masculine hierarchy, with a female constituency, which holdswoman in Bible lands in silence and in subjection?

No institution in modern civilization is so tyrannical and so unjustto woman as is the Christian Church. It demands everything from her andgives her nothing in return. The history of the Church does not containa single suggestion for the equality of woman with man. Yet it isclaimed that women owe their advancement to the Bible. It would bequite as true to say that they owe their improved condition to thealmanac or to the vernal equinox. Under Bible influence woman has beenburned as a witch, sold in the shambles, reduced to a drudge and apauper, and silenced and subjected before her ecclesiastical andmarital law-givers. "She was first in the transgression, therefore keepher in subjection. " These words of Paul have filled our wholecivilization with a deadly virus, yet how strange is it that theaverage Christian woman holds the name of Paul above all others, and isoblivious to the fact that he has brought deeper shame, subjection, servitude and sorrow to woman than has any other human being in history. 

The nations under Bible influence are the only drunken nations on theearth. The W. C. T. U. Will certainly not claim that drunkennesselevates woman; indeed, its great work for our sex is a splendidprotest against this idea. Throughout Christendom millions of wretchedwomen wait in suspense and in terror for the return of drunkenhusbands, while in heathendom a drunkard's wife cannot be found unlessa heathen husband is being Christianized by Christian whiskey. TheChinese women have their feet compressed, but, unlike Christian women, they do not need their feet to give broom drills or skirt dances forthe "benefit of their church. " The child-wives of India need to berescued and protected, but no more than many adult wives in Bible landsneed protection from drunken and brutal husbands. The heathen wifeseeks death on her husband's funeral pyre, but the Christian wife isoften sent to death by a bullet in her brain, or a knife in her heart. 

It is said that "woman's ballot is unknown except where the Gospel ofChrist has mellowed the hearts of men until they became willing to dowomen justice. " justice through the ballot has been accorded only tothe women of Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and far away New Zealand. In these States the people are honest, industrious and law-abiding; butthe "influence of the Gospel of Christ, " according to religiousstatistics, is so small it would take a search-warrant to find it, while Utah is full of Mormons and New Zealand is a convict dumpingground for Christian nations. Is this the extent of justice to womenafter the "influence of the Gospel of Christ has mellowed the hearts ofmen" for nineteen hundred years?

The fact is that woman has been elevated in spite of Bible influence. Every effort that woman has made to secure education has beenchallenged by popes, bishops, priests, moderators, conferences andcollege presidents, yet against all these protests she has battereddown the doors of Christian colleges and is now studying the Bible ofScience in conjunction with the Bible of the Christian religion. Withincreasing knowledge woman is founding her faith on reason anddemonstrated truth, instead of taking it second-hand from priest, parson or presbyter. 

Remove from Bible lands the busy brains and hands which have guidedthe plow and the locomotive, driven the machinery of the mine, thefoundry, the factory, the home, the mental and the physical labor whichhave brought material prosperity, broadened the mind, subdued thebrutal instincts, and humanized the race--remove all these and leavebut the Bible and its influence, and where, let me, ask, would woman beto-day? Where, indeed, would man be? A crouching and cowering slave tothe Bible doctrine of the Divine right of kings, living as the brutesof the field, as he did when Bible Christianity was at the zenith ofits power. Wherever in Christian lands man has been a slave, woman hasbeen the slave of a slave. 

Imagine the condition of woman if to-day should be removed fromChristian civilization the school, the steam engine, the smokestack andthe printing press, and leave but the Scriptures, the steeple and theparson. Would Elizabeth Cady Stantons, Mary A. Livermores and FrancesE. Willards be the products of this strictly Christian civilization?

Christianity has instilled into woman the canting falsehood that thewomen of all other religions are degraded and immoral. Through tyrannyand falsehood alone is Christianity able to hold woman in subjection. To tell her the truth would rend the temple of faith in twain andstrike terror to the heart of the priest at the altar. Nothing but thetruth will set woman free. She should know that Christian Englandcaptures the Hindoo girl to act as a harlot to the British soldier, andthat a Christian chaplain is commanded to see that she performs herduty. She should know that in Christian Austria the maiden must partakeof the Holy Eucharist before she will be granted a license as aprostitute. She should know that Christian Europe and America tradeupon the bodies, the hearts and the hopes of millions of wretchedwomen, victims of ignorance and of poverty, and that the centres, ofChristian civilization are seething cauldrons of immorality, dissipation and disease, which spread ruin and despair in the shadow ofthe loftiest cathedrals and palatial Christian temples. 

These things are too shocking for pure Christian women to know, sothey expend their prayers and pelf on the "poor heathen" who have neverheard that Adam ate an apple, or that the whale swallowed Jonah. Christianity feeds and fattens on the sentiment and the credulity ofwomen. It slanders the women of India, of China and of Japan that itmay rob the woman of Europe and of America. Dr. Simmons, of theNational Hospital at Yokohama, who has lived in the Orient for thirty-five years, says:

"The family in Japan is the cornerstone of the nation. The father andthe mother are regarded with reverence. Politeness and self-restraintare instilled into children, and an uncivil word is rarely heard. TheJapanese are truthful and honest. The wife has equal influence with thehusband; while divorce is rarely heard of in Oriental lands; and lawsare more stringent protecting the chastity of women. "

O that women could learn the truth! The laws of the Orient are againsttrafficking in young girls, but Christian England, which has an ironhand on the throat of India and a sword thrust into her heart, carrieson a lively trade in native and foreign women, to be the prey of theChristian soldier, who makes way for the Christian missionary. Here, inChristian America, marriageable young women are trotted off to church, the theatre or the ball, and practically set up for sale in the marketof holy matrimony; and the Christian minister, for a consideration, seals the "Divine mystery. " The Church would indignantly deny that itis a marriage mart, but denial does not throttle the truth. 

Truth makes her way slowly but surely, because the eternities arehers. Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the greatest liberator of our time, has, with magnificent courage, pressed into humanity's Thermopylae, andturned the light on the superstitions which have visited cruelties andwrongs on woman, and this, too, under a system which claims to extend"great consideration" to the Mothers of the Race. O women ofChristendom! will ye not seek the truth? Leave the priestly mendicantswho demand your devotion and your dollars, leave to their religion theheathen women on the banks of the Yangtse-Kiang and the Ganges, andturn your eyes to millions of your enslaved, toiling, strugglingsisters in Christendom whom it is claimed the Bible has elevated; andremember that these are the victims upon whom the "glad feet" of theGospel have been trampling for two thousand years. 

Versailles, Ky. 

Josephine K. Henry. 

The Christian theory of the sacredness of the Bible has been at thecost of the world's civilization. Whether we regard the work ascustodian of the profoundest secrets of the "ancient mysteries, " aspiritual book trebly veiled, or as the physical and religious historyof the world in its most material forms, its interpretation by theChurch, by the State, and by society has ever been prejudicial to thebest interests of humanity. Science, art, inventions, reforms ofexisting wrongs, all, all have been opposed upon its authority. Thateven the most enlightened nations are not yet out of barbarism is dueto the teachings of the Bible. 

From "Thou shalt not make any graven image, or any likeness ofanything in heaven above, the earth beneath, or the waters under theearth, " down to "A woman shall not speak in church, but shall ask herhusband at home, " the tendency of the Bible has been to crush outaspiration, to deaden human faculties, and to humiliate mankind. FromAdam's plaint, "The woman gave me and I did eat, " down to Christ's"Woman, what have I to do with thee?" the tendency of the Bible hasbeen degradation of the divinest half of humanity--woman. Even theChristian Church itself is not based upon Christ as a savior, but uponits own teachings that woman brought sin into the world, a theory indirect contradiction, not alone to the mysteries, but to spiritualtruth. But our present quest is not what the mystic or the spiritualcharacter of the Bible may be; we are investigating its influence uponwoman under Judaism and Christianity, and pronounce it evil. 

Matilda Joslyn Gage. 

There is nothing tending to show that the women spoken of in the Biblewere superior to the ones we know. There are to-day millions of womenmaking coats for their sons; hundreds of thousands of women, true, notsimply to innocent people falsely accused, but to criminals. Many aloving heart is as true to the gallows as Mary was to the cross. Thereare hundreds of thousands of women accepting poverty and want anddishonor for the love they bear unworthy men; hundreds and thousands--hundreds and thousands--working day and night, with strained eyes andtired hands, for husbands and children--clothed in rags, housed in hutsand hovels, hoping day after day for the Angel of Death. There arethousands of women in Christian England working in iron, laboring inthe fields and toiling in the mines. There are hundreds and thousandsin Europe, everywhere, doing the work of men--deformed by toil, and whowould become simply wild and ferocious beasts, except for the love theybear for home and child. 

We need not go back four thousand years for heroines. The world isfilled with them to-day. They do not belong to any nation, nor anyreligion, nor exclusively to any race. Wherever woman is found, theyare found. There are no women portrayed in the Bible who equalthousands and thousands of known to-day. The women of the Bible fallalmost infinitely below, not simply those in real life, but thecreations of the imagination found in the world of fiction. They willnot compare with the women born of Shakespeare's brain. You will findnone like Isabella, in whose spotless life, love and reason blendedinto perfect truth; nor Juliet, within whose heart, passion and puritymet like white and red within the bosom of a rose; nor Cordelia, whochose to suffer loss rather than show her wealth of love with those whogilded dross with golden words in hope of gain; nor Miranda, who toldher love as freely as a flower gives its blossom to the kisses of thesun; nor Imogene, who asked, "What is it to be false?" nor Hermione, who bore with perfect faith and hope the cross of shame, and who atlast forgave with all her heart; nor Desdemona, her innocence soperfect and her love so pure that she was incapable of suspecting thatanother could suspect, and sought with dying words to hide her lover'scrime. 

If we wish to find what the Bible thinks of woman, all that isnecessary to do is to read it. We shall find that everywhere she isspoken of simply as property--as belonging absolutely to the man. Weshall find that, whenever a man got tired of his wife, all he had to dowas to give her a writing of divorcement, and that then the mother ofhis children became a houseless and homeless wanderer. We shall findthat men were allowed to have as many wives as they could get, eitherby courtship, purchase, or conquest. The Jewishpeople in the olden time were, in many respects, like their barbarianneighbors. 

Anon. 

The Bible, viewed by men as the infallible "Word of God, " andtranslated and explained for ages by men only, tends to the subjectionand degradation of woman. Historical facts to prove this are abundant. In the dark days of "witchcraft"--through centuries--alleged witcheswere arrested, tried in ecclesiastical courts, tortured and hung orburned at the stake by men under priestly direction, and the greatmajority of the victims were women. Eve's alleged transgression, andthe Bible edict in the days of the reputed Witch of Endor, "Thou shaltnot suffer a witch to live, " being the warrant and Divine authority forthis awful slaughter of women. 

In the days of chattel-slavery in our country, the slave-laws, framedby men only, degraded woman by making her the defenseless victim of herslave-master's passions, and then inflicting a cruel stab, reaching theheart of motherhood, by laws which made her children follow thecondition of the mother, as slaves; never that of the father, as freewomen or men. The clergy became slaveholders and defenders of slaverywithout loss of priestly position or influence, and quoted "Cursed beCanaan" as their justification. 

The Lord gave the Word, great was the company of those that publishedit. --Old version of the Bible, 68th Psalm. 

The Lord giveth the Word, and great is the multitude of women whopublish it. --Revised version of the Bible, 68th Psalm. 

Here is "a reform" not "against Nature, " nor the facts of history, butis true to the Mother of the Race, to her knowledge of "the Word, " toher desire to promulgate it, to her actual participation in declaringand proclaiming it. And true to a present and continuous inspirationand influx of the Spirit, it is giveth, and not "gave, " in the past. And this one recognition of woman as preacher and Apostle forbids theassertion that woman is degraded from Genesis to Revelation. 

The light of a more generous religious thought, a growth out of theold beliefs, impelled the learned "Committee on Revision" to speak thetruth in regard to the religious character and work of women, and theyhave exalted her where before she was "degraded. "

This revision is also prophetic of this era, for never were womendoing so excellently the world's work, or, like Tryphena and Tryphosa, prophesying the light still to come. 

Catharine A. F. Stebbins. 

The general principles of righteousness and justice laid down in theBible have elevated the race in general, the mothers included, and haveaided in securing reforms for women, as well as for other classes. Butthe specific texts of Saint Paul enjoining subjection upon women haveundoubtedly been a hindrance. 

Alice Stone Blackwell. 

1. In my opinion the teachings of the Bible have advanced woman'semancipation. 

Look at the freedom of the Jewish women of the Old Testament--ofMiriam, Deborah, Abigail, Ruth and Esther. In comparison, where werethe Gentile women who knew not God?

2. The teachings of the Bible, particularly the New Testament, havedignified the Mothers of the Race. Christ was very severe to the menwho were sinners, he called them Scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites, and pronounced, "Woe be unto you. " He even whipped the money changersout of the temple. But no rebuke to woman ever fell from his lips savethe gentle one to Martha, that she cared too much for her home and hernice housekeeping. Christ's mission meant the elevation of womanhood. Compare Christian countries with the heathen countries, and see howChristianity elevates and heathenism degrades womanhood. 

I have studied the questions in the Indian Territory in our own UnitedStates. Under the influence of the Christian missionaries theIndian woman is an important factor in Church and State. Where theGospel of Christ is not preached the women are slaves to the men. Intheir long tramps they do not even walk beside their husbands, butfollow behind like dogs. I am aware that small ministers still preachfoolishness, defining "woman's sphere, " but the real BiblicalChristianity elevates womanhood. 

Sarah M. Perkins. 

My Dear Mrs. Stanton:--I regard the Bible as I do the other so-calledsacred books of the world. They were all produced in savage times, and, of course, contain many things that shock our sense of justice. In thedays of darkness women were regarded and treated as slaves. They wereallowed no voice in public affairs. Neither man nor woman werecivilized, and the gods were like their worshipers. It gives mepleasure to know that women are beginning to think and are becomingdissatisfied with the religion of barbarians. 

I congratulate you on what you have already accomplished and for thework you are now doing. Sincerely yours, Eva A. Ingersoll. 

In reading some of these letters and comments I have been deeplyimpressed with the difficulty of substituting reason for superstitionin minds once perverted by a false faith. Women have been taught bytheir religious guardians that the Bible, unlike all other books, waswritten under the special inspiration of the Great Ruling Intelligenceof the Universe. Not conversant with works on science and highercriticism, which point out its fabulous pretensions, they cling to itwith an unreasoning tenacity, like a savage to his fetich. Though it isfull of contradictions, absurdities and impossibilities, and bears thestrongest evidence in every line of its human origin, and in moralsentiment is below many of the best books of our own day, they blindly worship it as the Word of God. 

When you point out what in plain English it tells us God did say tohis people in regard to woman, and there is no escape from itsdegrading teaching as to her position, then they shelter themselvesunder false translations, interpretations and symbolic meanings. Itdoes not occur to them that men learned in the languages have revisedthe book many times, but made no change in woman's position. Thoughfamiliar with "the designs of God, " trained in Biblical research andhigher criticism, interpreters of signs and symbols and Egyptianhieroglyphics, learned astronomers and astrologers, yet they cannottwist out of the Old or New Testaments a message of justice, liberty orequality from God to the women of the nineteenth century!

The real difficulty in woman's case is that the whole foundation ofthe Christian religion rests on her temptation and man's fall, hencethe necessity of a Redeemer and a plan of salvation. As the chief causeof this dire calamity, woman's degradation and subordination were madea necessity. If, however, we accept the Darwinian theory, that the racehas been a gradual growth from the lower to a higher form of life, andthat the story of the fall is a myth, we can exonerate the snake, emancipate the woman, and reconstruct a more rational religion for thenineteenth century, and thus escape all the perplexities of the Jewishmythology as of no more importance than those of the Greek, Persian andEgyptian. 

Elizabeth Cady Stanton. 

"THE WOMAN'S BIBLE" REPUDIATED. 

At the twenty-eighth annual convention of the National-American WomanSuffrage Association, held in Washington, D. C. , in January, 1896, thefollowing, was reported by the Committee on Resolutions:

"That this Association is non-sectarian, being composed of persons ofall shades of religious opinion, and that it has no official connectionwith the so-called 'Woman's Bible, ' or any theological publication. "

Charlotte Perkins Stetson moved to amend by striking out everythingafter the word "opinion. "

Anna R. Simmons moved, as an amendment to the amendment, to omit thewords "the so-called Woman's Bible, or. "

This was followed by a long and animated discussion, in which thefollowing persons participated:

Frances A. Williamson, Helen Morris Lewis, Annie L. Diggs, CarrieChapman Catt, Rachel Foster Avery, Henry B. Blackwell, Laura M. Johns, Elizabeth U. Yates, Katie R. Addison, Alice Stone Blackwell and Rev. Anna Howard Shaw, speaking for the resolution; and Charlotte PerkinsStetson, Mary Bentley Thomas, J. B. Merwin, Clara B. Colby, HarrietteA. Keyser, Lavina A. Hatch, Lillie Devereux Blake, Caroline HallowellMiller, Victoria Conkling Whitney, Althea B. Stryker, and Cornelia H. Cary speaking against it. 

The President, Susan B. Anthony, left the chair and spoke with muchearnestness against the adoption of the resolution as follows:

"The one distinct feature of our Association has been the right ofindividual opinion for every member. We have been beset at every stepwith the cry that somebody was injuring the cause by theexpression of some sentiments that differed with those held by themajority of mankind. The religious persecution of the ages has beendone under what was claimed to be the command of God. I distrust thosepeople who know so well what God wants them to do to their fellows, because it always coincides with their own desires. All the way alongthe history of our movement there has been this same contest on accountof religious theories. Forty years ago one of our noblest men said tome: 'You would better never hold another convention than let ErnestineL. Rose stand on your platform, ' because that talented and eloquentPolish woman, who ever stood for justice and freedom, did not believein the plenary inspiration of the Bible. Did we banish Mrs. Rose? No, indeed! Every new generation of converts threshes over the same oldstraw. Twenty-five years ago a prominent woman, who stood on ourplatform for the first time, wanted us to pass a resolution that wewere not free lovers; and I was not more shocked than I am to-day atthis attempt. The question is whether you will sit in judgment on onewho has questioned the Divine inspiration of certain passages in theBible derogatory to women. If she had written approvingly of thesepassages, you would not have brought in this resolution because youthought the cause might be injured among the liberals in religion. Inother words, if she had written your views, you would not haveconsidered a resolution necessary. To pass this one is to set back thehands on the dial of reform. It is the reviving of the old timecensorship, which I hoped we had outgrown. 

"What you should do is to say to outsiders that a Christian hasneither more nor less rights in our Association than an atheist. Whenour platform becomes too narrow for people of all creeds and of nocreeds, I myself shall not stand upon it. Many things have been saidand done by our orthodox friends that I have felt to be extremelyharmful to our cause; but I should no more consent to a resolutiondenouncing them than I shall consent to this. Who is to draw the line?Who can tell now whether Mrs. Stanton's commentaries may not prove agreat help to woman's emancipation from old superstitions that havebarred her way? Lucretia Mott at first thought Mrs. Stanton hadinjured the cause of all woman's other rights by insisting upon thedemand for suffrage, but she had sense enough not to bring in aresolution against it. In 1860, when Mrs. Stanton made a speech beforethe New York Legislature in favor of a bill making drunkenness a causefor divorce, there was a general cry among the friends that she hadkilled the woman's cause. I shall be pained beyond expression if thedelegates here are so narrow and illiberal as to adopt this resolution. You would better not begin resolving against individual action or youwill find no limit. This year it is Mrs. Stanton; next year it may beme or one of yourselves who will be the victim. 

"Are you going to cater to the whims and prejudices of people who haveno intelligent knowledge of what they condemn? If we do not inspire inwoman a broad and catholic spirit, they will fail, when enfranchised, to constitute that power for better government which we have alwaysclaimed for them. You would better educate ten women into the practiceof liberal principles than to organize ten thousand on a platform ofintolerance and bigotry. I pray you, vote for religious liberty, without censorship or inquisition. This resolution, adopted, will be avote of censure upon a woman who is without a peer in intellectual andstatesmanlike ability; one who has stood for half a century theacknowledged leader of progressive thought and demand in regard to allmatters pertaining to the absolute freedom of women. "

The Resolution was then adopted by a vote of 53 to 41. 

"The Truth shall make you free. "--John viii. , 32-

THE END. 

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WOMAN, CHURCH AND STATE. 

By Matilda Joslyn Gage. 

This is Mrs. Gage's latest and crowning work. It is the book to showhow the Church has enslaved women, and kept and keeps her in aninferior position. Every woman ought to read it. Every liberal man andwoman will want it. 

Cloth, $2. 00; Half Leather, $3. 00. 

(Complete in One Vol. )

Address

Matilda Joslyn Gage, 120 Fleurnoy St. , Chicago, Ill. 

FREE THOUGHT MAGAZINE H. L. Green . . . Editor and Publisher. 

Price:--$ 1. 00 a Year; 15 Cents a Single Copy. 

Editorial Contributors:

Judge C. B. Waite, Thaddeus B. Wakeman, B. F. Underwood, Helen H. Gardener, George Jacob Holyoake

Testimonials:

Col. Robert G. Ingersoll:

"Every Liberal in this country ought to take the Free ThoughtMagazine, and I hope they will. "

Elizabeth Cady Stanton:

"I like the Free Thought Magazine because it breathes the spirit ofliberty. It deserves the support of all Liberal thinkers. "

Hon. Geo. W. Julian:

"It fills a place and meets a want which is not supplied by any otherpublication, and it deserves the support and encouragement of all trueLiberals. "

Helen H. Gardener:

"I have always liked and admired the Free Thought Magazine. I am gladto hear it is to be enlarged though I am sure that all of us weresatisfied with it before. "

Hon. D. K. Tenney:

"It stands decidedly in the front rank of publications designed toclear the religious atmosphere of the delusions, superstitions anddogmas which for so many centuries have misled and cursed the world. Itdeserves the sympathy and support of all who favor the highest thoughton gravest subjects. "

B. F. Underwood:

"The Free Thought Magazine, which has steadily improved from thefirst, is now a publication that reflects great credit upon its editorand corps of contributors. It contains many strong and fine articles. Free Thinkers everywhere ought to sustain it handsomely by taking it, and by making an effort to induce others to subscribe. "

T. B. Wakeman, Esq. :

"I do hereby solemnly certify that, in my humble but honest belief, the improved Free Thought Magazine is the greatest and best FreeThought and Liberal Organ of all real or would-be emancipated souls inthe United States, and that its regular perusal is the most healthy andeffective means of grace possible for such souls to enjoy, and toimpart to others to secure their salvation in this world. "

Address Free Thought Magazine, 218 E. Indiana St. , Chicago, Ill. 

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24-26 Vandewater Street, Near Frankfort Street. New York City

THE PACIFIC EMPIRE

A Weekly Publication Conducted By Women For Women. 

It is devoted to the interests of women and the development of art andliterature in the Pacific Northwest. It contains serial and shortstories depicting true characters and original types of the Wild West;"Household Work, " "What to Wear, " "Literary Comment, " and "Woman'sWork" filling its pages. It is the one woman's journal of the PacificCoast. 

Subscription Price, $1. 00 per Year in Advance. 

L. M. Miller, C. C. Coggswell, Editors. 

Address

Tire Pacific Expire

Portland, Ore. 

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Greenville, Jersey City, N. J. 

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THE BOSTON INVESTIGATOR

Lemuel K. Washburn, Editor. Ralph Washburn Chainey, Associate Editor. 

The Oldest and Most Progressive Reform Journal in the United States. 

The Investigator is devoted to Universal Mental Liberty. For more thansixty years this paper has maintained the battle for Liberty against aworld of opposition. It has borne the brunt of the battle. Thus it maywell be called "the tried and true friend of human rights. " It has hadfor its grand aim the elevation of man through the truth and moraleducation. In short, the Investigator is the people's paper. 

Col. R. G. Ingersoll says of it: "It is the best of all the Liberalpapers. "

Published every Saturday, at $3. 00 per year, by the BostonInvestigator Publishing Co. , at the Paine Memorial Building, 9 AppletonStreet, Boston, Mass. 

Specimen Copies Free. 

Address

The Boston Investigator Co. 

Paine Memorial Building, Appleton St. , Boston, Mass. 

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