Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-02-21
A Clergyman's Views.

A CIergyman's Views.
The opening lecture of series by
the Rev. DR.. Morgan Dix was given re.
Gently in New York. The general SUBJ
ject Of the course is "The calling Of
Christian woman and her training to
fulfil it," and the topic discussed first
was "The Place of Woman in this
World"
Women are, he remarked in many re
spects more competent than men, and
examples are numerous enough-say in
literatme-of her admirable abilities.
Sill, there are points at which even
the best women diverge, and at which
some uncousciously get astray, and the
priests, who are Spokesman and mouth
pieces of the church, and ought to be
able to help forward a solution of those
entanglements by declaring her mind on
some points.
We are brought at once to the ques.
ton OF the place OF women in the
world-what God meant her to do, what
he did not mean her to do-a theme of
perplexing iruitiulness because opinions
Of thinking people vary so widely con.
corning it. Indeed, it is part of the
general restles5ness and upsetting of
our times, which boast nevertheless Of
the general, illuminative, and aggres.
siye intelligence, while the multitudes
are found dsputing everything, doubt.
ing much of what was once universally
believed, and cropping painfully in be-
wilderment. Our own religion, in which
we have been trained, is, OF course, as
sailed on all sides, and Professionalism
itself, once lauded on all sides as the
source OF all civil and social blessings,
is now araigned, put on its defense, and
hidden TO show whether it has not failed
in every one of the objects demanded in
religion, as teacher of the ignorant,
helper of the weak, and q comforter
in sorrows.
Modern innovators run just now on
two lines: Woman's rights and duties,
aud woman's training and education. 1t
is insisted that they have rights that
some body is Withholding; that they
might do and get to be doing work
which, under existing restrictions, legal
or moral, they are now not permitted to
do. But it is clear that in this question
of rights is contained the deeper one
OF power. There can be no right to do
and be until God has given the power to
do and be, and so the question of
woman's rights and duties brings us at
once to the question of her place in
creation. For to create, to make to be,
is to enter into, in some degree, the
power and force of the Divine; and each
created being varies in this respect;
and the question is, What did God give
to woman in her creation? What are
her power and force, her place? That
will determine her duties and rights
We are led to the same point the mo-
ment We begin to think of woman's
training. For We are all agreed that
education does not consist in mere
examining with facts, an idea happily
exploded. 1t is rather the drawing out,
the educating what is. already within,
the developing character and life
power. But what are the powers? What
is the nature? What is to be educated!
For what object, to what end, how? All
this brings up tho questions, What is a
woman as God made her? What is her
place in the world? And since we hear
such glib talk about "hlgher education"
this may be suggested i'll advance that
the question about education is whether
it starts with the truth about woman's
place, work and calling; and if it does
not, but proceeds on some untrue
theory, making her what she was not
meant to be, then it is not higher
education, but lower whatever the
outward form may be. 1t thus lowers
her and helps on the disorganization Of
society.
The question about the place and
work of woman in the world is really a
question about her place and work in
her homo and in society. For the crea.
ton OF man and the existence of society,
according to the Bible account, are one
in time; as soon as there was man and
woman they made home, and as soon
as there were many homes they formed
by aggregation social life, the larger
life of the state. And so the question
OF woman's education is question OF
fitting her for her duties in her home,
firstly; and, secondly, if for any reason
able need she need go beyond it, for
her work is q system which is based
on the home, and receivable finally into
the home.
So, then, whatever works toward de-
stroying the home or detaching woman
from the home idea, any uniting her
for the place in the home, any making
her, through ease, selishness, or luxury,
or curiosity OF learning, or overesteem,
or ambitious rivalry of man. disloyal to
the spirit and ministry OF home is,
practically, her Reinforcement, her deg
radiation, overturning the settled order
of the world, and fouting the ordin-
ances and DEGREES OF God himself. Aud
the true measure and glory of a woman
is to order, comfort, and adorn her
home.