Some Reflections Upon Marriage.: With additions.Astell, Mary
Philosophy
Some Reflections Upon Marriage.: With additions.
Astell, Mary
Marriage; Women -- Social conditions
Some Men will have it, that the Reason of our LORD’s appearing first to
the Women, was, their being least able to keep a Secret; a witty and
masculine Remark, and wonderfully Reverent! But not to dispute whether
those Women were Blabs or no, there are many Instances in Holy
Scripture, of Women who did not betray the Confidence repos’d in them.
Thus _Rahab_, though formerly an ill Woman, being converted by the
_Report_ of those Miracles, which, though the _Israelites saw_, yet they
_believed not in_ _GOD_, _nor put their Trust in his Word_, She
acknowledges the _GOD_ of Heaven, and, as a Reward of her faithful
Service, in concealing _Joshua_’s Spies, is, with her Family, exempted
from the Ruin of her Country, and also, has the Honour of being named in
the _Messiah_’s Genealogy. _Michal_, to save _David_’s Life, exposes her
self to the Fury of a Jealous and Tyrannical Prince. A Girl was trusted
by _David_’s grave Counsellors to convey him Intelligence in his Son’s
Rebellion; and when a Lad had found it out, and blab’d it to _Absalom_,
the King’s Friends confiding in the Prudence and Fidelity of a Woman,
were secur’d by her. When our LORD escaped from the _Jews_, he trusted
Himself in the Hands of _Martha_ and _Mary_. So does St. _Peter_ with
another _Mary_, when the Angel deliver’d him from _Herod_, the Damsel
_Rhoda_ too, was acquainted with the Secret. More might be said, but one
would think here is enough to shew, that whatever other great and wise
Reasons Men may have for despising Women, and keeping them in Ignorance
and Slavery, it can’t be from their having learnt to do so in Holy
Scripture. The Bible is for, and not against us, and cannot without
great Violence done to it, be urg’d to our Prejudice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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