Letters on the equality of the sexes, and the condition of womanGrimké, Sarah
Religion
Letters on the equality of the sexes, and the condition of woman
Grimké, Sarah
Women -- History; Women -- United States; Women's rights -- United States
It is not my intention, nor indeed do I think it is in my power, to
point out the precise duties of women. To him who still teacheth by
his Holy Spirit as never man taught, I refer my beloved sisters. There
is a vast field of usefulness before them. The signs of the times give
portentous evidence, that a day of deep trial is approaching; and I
urge them, by every consideration of a Savior’s dying love, by the
millions of heathen in our midst, by the sufferings of woman in almost
every portion of the world, by the fearful ravages which slavery,
intemperance, licentiousness and other iniquities are making of the
happiness of our fellow creatures, to come to the rescue of a ruined
world, and to be found co-workers with Jesus Christ.
‘Ho! to the rescue, ho!
Up every one that feels--
’Tis a sad and fearful cry of woe
From a guilty world that steals.
Hark! hark! how the horror rolls,
Whence can this anguish be?
’Tis the groan of a trammel’d people’s souls,
_Now bursting_ to be free.’
And here, with all due deference for the office of the ministry, which
I believe was established by Jehovah himself, and designed by Him to
be the means of spreading light and salvation through a crucified
Savior to the ends of the earth, I would entreat my sisters not to
_compel_ the ministers of the present day to give their names to great
moral reformations. The practice of making ministers life members, or
officers of societies, when their hearts have not been touched with a
live coal from the altar, and animated with love for the work we are
engaged in, is highly injurious to them, as well as to the cause. They
often satisfy their consciences in this way, without doing anything to
promote the anti-slavery, or temperance, or other reformations; and we
please ourselves with the idea, that we have done something to forward
the cause of Christ, when, in effect, we have been sewing pillows like
the false prophetesses of old under the arm-holes of our clerical
brethren. Let us treat the ministers with all tenderness and respect,
but let us be careful how we cherish in their hearts the idea that they
are of more importance to a cause than other men. I rejoice when they
take hold heartily. I love and honor some ministers with whom I have
been associated in the anti-slavery ranks, but I do deeply deplore, for
the sake of the cause, the prevalent notion, that the clergy must be
had, either by persuasion or by bribery. They will not need persuasion
or bribery, if their hearts are with us; if they are not, we are better
without them. It is idle to suppose that the kingdom of heaven cannot
come on earth, without their co-operation. It is the Lord’s work,
and it must go forward with or without their aid. As well might the
converted Jews have despaired of the spread of Christianity, without
the co-operation of Scribes and Pharisees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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