Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-02-11
C0ryeSb0ndence.
Written for The Termont Rhgnir.
THE BIBLB POSITION or U'O.H-
Nv, or Iy'O.E.f.V-S RIGHTS FEf ON
II BEBLB STANDPOINT.
DT MRS. c. l. II. NICHOLS, OF KANSAS.
(Continued.)

woman as sex, and no public recognition |
of her subjection as wife, [bating Moses
law of divorce till we come TO the Book OF |
Esther-to the history of the heather ma
tions among whom the Jews were scattered
in their captivity. And here we find Ahas-
uerus, a GENTLE king, issuing the "decree
for mems sovereignty" "the law for the
subjection of women" [See heading, Es-
ther 1, chapter u. The simple fact that
this ruler of the greater part of the known
world, issued such a decree, is in itself evil
dence that no such relation had been pre-
viously recognized as sanctioned by legiti- !
mate authority. The circumstances which |
initiated, and the reasons given for, the is |
suing of this decree, are far from compli- |
mentary to its originators. We are told |
that "king Ahasuerus made Il feast to all
his princes and his servants, the power of
Media and Persia, the mobiles and princes |
of the provinces being before him, when he
showed the riches of his glorious kingdom,
&C., during an hundred and eighty days"
At the end of the $50 days "the king made
feast for all the people that were in Shu-
shan, in the palace, both for great and small,
seven days, in the garden of the kings pail
ace, and they gave them royal
wine in abundance, and the drink
ing was according to law; none constrain-
ed for 50 the king appointed to all the o...-
GERS of his house, that they should do ac-
cording to every mans pleasure. Also,
Nashti, the queen, made feast for the
women, in the royal house." mot in the
court of the garden with the mem. On the
seventh day, when the heart of the king
was merry with wine, he commanded
to bring Nashti, the queen, before him,
with the crown royal, to show the people
and the princes her beauty, for she was fair
to look upon" Nashti revolted from such
a compromise of her womanly delicacy,
contrary as it was to the customs of her day
and people, for women to appear unveiled
in an assembly Of men, and aware, proba-
bly,, that the king was so far gone in in his
cups as to be capable of disgusting iamil-
iarity of speech and manner, refused to
obey the kings command. Therefore was
the king very wroth and said 10 the
wise men-the seven princes of Media and
Persia, what shall we do to queen
Nashti, according to the law" &c. [As the
wise men cited no law, but recommended
the making of one, we are left TO infer that
| there was no law suited to the easel. "And
Memucan answered, Vashti, the queen,
hath not done wrong to the king only, but
also to all the princes and to all the people
that are in all the provinces of the king.
For this deed of the queen will come abroad
to all women, 50 that they will despise their
husbands in their eyes, .. Likewise
will the ladies of Media and Persia saw tIis
day to all the kings princes-who have
| heard of the decd of the queen. Thus will
| there arise too much contempt and wrath"
Memucan proceeds to advise the king to
'send forth a royal commandment to be
written among the laws of the Medes and
| Persians, that II be not altered q. And
when the kings decree which he shall
make shall be published throughout all his
empire, (for it is great) all the wives will
give to their husbands honor, both to great
and small" q. And the king did ac-
cording to the word Of Memucan. For he
sent letters into all his provinces, and to
every people after their language that eve
nv man should bear rule in his own house,
Here we have the history of the law OF
mems sovereignty originating in drunk
en- debauch. Womanly self-respect requir-
ed Vashti TO act as she did, and to the lat
o'' -, ,,.,,,'.,
"o,''''''''','' ~ s'' y ,'v"o' ~ =
u'suoio'eu qu,on' Al i'i' " |'','' -
80, .,s-,.e, =. -.
vi 'no" soI eio'sn'y oiis '''''e' III
s''"ocs 50 no"oi"o'o W "o'''''''S ''"''
proprety and virtue.
we reau III the DooA oi Ezra 'n"' "'o''
thnn 'o,ouo jews returned from '"e prov
inces OF Ahasuerus, whittier their iather
had been LED captive centuries peiore' It
rebuild Jerusalem. we also learn iron
sacred history, that by the association
the Jews with these heather nations, theil
customs and laws had become heathenlzed
Christ and his apostles denounced the ira
dtions nterpolated by degenerate priests
in the Jewish law. 1t is reasonable lnier
encc, that among the laws and customs
borrowed from their heather captors, Will
whom they intermarred, was this law TO
the subsection of women, since we find nj
, mention of any such law or custom in tn
; previous history of the Jews. 1t was t.
9 this law, prevailing among the Gentle ma
tions, that Paul and Peter in their letters Il
r the churches of the Gentiles, exhorted be
e lieving wives to submit, "that the word o
t God be not blasphemed, '-"that If an.
= obey not the word, they also may wlthou
e the word be won by the conversation OF tn
wives"
LET your women keep silence in tn
churches" is spoken of by commentator
on the New Testament, as jewish ord
4 nance, and was no doubt restriction du
r to this heathonish and comparatively mod
1 ern subsection of the wife. Paul places tn
t two in this light, !. Cor XIX, ~; 'Let you
l women keep silence In the churcheS, ior
, is not permitted unto them 10 Spe"h pu
they are commanded TO De unuer opeu'e"''
r as also saith the law. Or, Ol"rk says We