Wichita eagle., 1886-11-09
THE BIBLE AND WOMENS RIGHTS.
D tie Editor OF the Eagle.

| logical one upon the relations or the Diblt
to the woman suffrage question. She il
reported as saying that the majority of thu
women connected with this work fol-
woman's advancement are in the christian
church, therefore they are right in asking
what the Bible has to say on the woman
question; also, that the Old Testament re
cognized the equality Of woman, both il
the creation, in the history and the laws.
In my reading of the Bible have failed
to find any teachings on the suffrage ques
ten. Bat what it teaches on woman's sub
ordination to man is abundant, clear and
specific.
Woman by creation was made one with
man, as in Genises 1877: God created man
in His own image, in the image of God
created He them, male and female, created
He them" 1t was to man (male and fe-
MALE that the daminion over the earth was
given.
In the second chapter and eighteenth
verse God said: ''It is not good that man
should be alone. l will make one help
meet for him" That Adam needed an
helpmeet is evidence that alone he was
not perfect The woman was essential
to his completeness as man. She was
made of the rib taken from Adams side,
and when she was brought to him he said,
this is bone of my bones and flesh of my
flesh = therefore shall man
leave his father and mother and shall cleave
unto his wife and they shall be one flesh. !"
Here is an explicit assertion of the unity of
manhood, the two become one flesh. Thisun
ity is also implied in the sentence of expul
sion from Eden, ''and the Lord God said
behold, nan has become as one Of us to
know good and evil" : : So He
drove out the man. The fact that Adam
taken out Of man gives him the precedence
which is accorded 10 him as the head Of ere
alton, including women. As St. Paul says
the imam is the head of women" Man
seems to have been originally superior to
the woman only in position-thcre was
equality but under headship.
The sins Of our first parents did not
produce any inherent inequality between
the sexes but it materially changed their
relations towards each other. 1t was as a
punishment for her transgressiOn that sen
tence of bondage was pronounced upon
woman. Unto the woman God said: Il
will greatly multiply thy sorrows y
thy desire shall be to thy husband and he
shall rule over thee" This teach
ing is both explicit and au-
thoritative. Woman is placed in subordin
alton to her husband and her creator, as a
penalty for her disobedience. Somuch for
the express teachings Of the Old Testament
On this subject
There is much that is inferential to the
same purport. So far as can be learned
The condition of woman down to the time
Of Moses was most deplorable. In the laws
rights which were recognized and in the
exercise of which she was protected Her
status was much more favorable to her |
oeace and happiness down nearly to the
inc of Christ. But in the Jewish laws
Which elninated directly from Jehovah,
here is an entire exclusion of woman from
III participation in the government of the
la;ion and in the tabernacle and temple
ervIcc. She was appointed to no office |
ither in church or state, and she was eligi-
Ne to none. 1t is true that Deborah was
Judge in Israel; but this was not a national
'ilice. Judges were raised up of God in
ines OF great spiritual declension and of
oppression. They were for special exigen-
les, and held their Offices temporarily. 1t
5 not unlikely that Deborah may have
zen the only person in the nation who had |
efficient faith in the God of Israel to be a
udge of the people; for the man whom she
allied to the command Of an army had
ACRE faith in her than in the Almighty who
romised him victory. Thus we see that
he indirect teachings of the Old Testament
o not IN the least contravene the command
f God, thy husband shall rule over the.
But the sentence is fulfilled even more lit
rally than was originally intended.
In turning to the New Testament we
nd the same truths taught as in the old.
'ur Lord nowhere either directly or by
implication, changes the existing relations
{ the sexes. He does not set aside the
alignment of His Father upon disobedient
-oman. He gave no intimation that the
urse laid upon woman was removed or
7ould be removed during this dispensation
Affairs. He declares that the whole law
lust be fulfilled, not a jOt or title would
Ill. He counselled submission. patience,
orbearance in this life, promising her not
MY restoration to her eduric position, but
conceivable glory in the coming kingdom
xce'lei by none. But neither she nor
IAN was to look for anything but sorrow,
Altering and selfdenial in this life. They
lust bear the burden brought upon thems
elves to the end of time.
The apostles. too, plainly taught the
uty Of obedience to the husband. We
uote Il few of the numerous passages to
ais effect. In Titus, IL, 3. wives are COM
handed ito be ohedient to their own hus
anjs. Colossians iii, s, Wives. submit
ourselves unto your own husbands as it is
i in the Lord" l. Peter. So. Likewise