The True Woman: A Series of Discourses, to Which Is Added Woman vs. BallotFulton, Justin D. (Justin Dewey)
Religion
The True Woman: A Series of Discourses, to Which Is Added Woman vs. Ballot
Fulton, Justin D. (Justin Dewey)
Husband and wife; Women -- Religious aspects -- Christianity; Women -- Suffrage
of sex in the triviality of purpose, the love of gossip, the petty
interests, the feeble talk, the ignorance, the vanity, the love of
personal display, the white hand dangled over the pulpit, the becoming
vestment, and the embroidered stole, which we are learning gradually
to look upon as attributes of the British curate. So perfect, indeed,
is the imitation, that the excellence of her work may, perhaps, defeat
its own purpose, and the lacquered imitation of woman may satisfy the
world, and for long ages prevent any anxious inquiry after the real
feminine Brummagem."
The tendency thus truthfully described furnished the seedling out of
which grew the Monasticism of the past, and in which the Ritualism of
the present finds its underlying cause. The Church of Rome harnesses
woman to her system, and compels her to contribute greatly to its
prosperity. In Europe the people tire of those great establishments
and endowments, which rest like an incubus on the national life.
In America we are so blind that we foster them by grants from our
legislatures, by giving up the care of hospitals to their use, where
the weak are subjected to the influences of superstition, and the
thoughtless are led astray. Another avenue to power is opened by the
ballot. Grant this to that church, which, through a fatherhood of
priests and a sisterhood of nuns, reaches every portion of the body
politic, and the promise of Religious Liberty and a Free Republic is
at once exchanged for the despotism of Rome and the imperialism
of France. Infidelity joins hands with Rome in asking this power.
Christianity, united with patriotism, must refuse to grant the
request.
3. Mystery was employed as an instrument in securing woman's fall.
Rouse a womanly curiosity, and there is little difficulty in leading
the excited one astray. Hold out to her a key which promises to unlock
the hidden and concealed glories of the unexplored future, and woman
will be tempted again to forego God's favor and the joys of paradise
to grasp or wield it. In every heathen religion women occupied a
prominent place. Priestess or prophetess, she stood in all ministerial
offices on an equality with man. Christianity rejects the ministerial
services of women, and selects for its standard bearers men acquainted
with life, filled with religious zeal, and capable of hardy endeavor,
assuring faith and martyr patience.
The Church of Rome dealt with women as the Empire dealt with its
Caesars: it was ready to grant her apotheosis, but only when she was
safely out of this world. It was only when the light of revelation
was extinguished in her midst that the teachings of the Bible were
ignored, and woman was welcomed back to the place she held in pagan
climes and at heathen shrines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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