Wichita eagle., 1889-03-31
WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE VS.. DIVINE
LAWS.


Christians on the subject of woman'S
suffrage, and what say will be the con-
victions of much study and observation.
| Oppose woman's suffrage, because it i:
an organized attempt to overthrow God 5
established laws between man and
woman. That relation is plainly sci
forth in Gods word. After the disobe-
dience of the first pair curse was sep,
arately pronounced on each. Adam was
punished equally with Dive only in diff
ferent way, and man cannot escape the
curse pronounced upon his progenitor.
The ground still brings forth thorns and
thistles and in the sweat Of his face does
man still eat head. And although man
is charging his conquests over nature
every year, compelling her forces
to minister to his wants, his
days are still full of sorrow, care and
trouble. A part of Ewes punishment
was submission to the authority of her
husband-''he shall rule over thee"
In the Jewish theocracy and kingdom
woman was studiously excluded from
ali participation in the services of the
J
/ government. And when God would
| show the low and debased estate of His
chosen nation he says: LAS for my peo-
pie, children are their oppressors and
women rule over them"
There was, however, many safeguards
! thrown around woman in the Mosaic
laws which did not exist in the sur
rounding heather nations. In these,
/ ,l, CHI 10 10
| helpless victim Of mans passion, lust and
| power.
There can be no dispute of the fact
that the condition of woman generally
has been that of subordination to man;
he has ruled over her with a rod Of iron.
An amelioration of her situation COM
menced with the advent of Christianity.
Our Savior did not give any direct
teaching on this subject, but the whole
tenor of the doctrines and principles He
inculcated were calculated to lessen the
hardships of her position. But He did
not remit the punishment which His
Father had inflicted.
After the organization of the church,
Paul sets forth the relation of husband
and wife as types of Christ and his
bride (the church) as follows: ''Wives,
bands as unto the Lord, for the husband
is the head of the wife as Christ is the
head of the church. Therefore as the
church is subject unto Christ, SO let the
wives be to their own husbands in
everything. Husbands, love your wives,
even as Christ loved the church
and gave Himself for it. But l
suffer not woman to teach
20,
We learn from this that SO long as
Christ remains the head of the church,
so long must man remain the head of
the woman. There was no abrogation
of the sentence pronounced upon both of
the sexes at the advent of christianity.
Both are still under the curse and so
must remain until the end.
If what has been said be true, it fol-
lows that our Legislators who passed the
law giving women the right to vote, are
exercise that right. They, too, are fight
inc against Gods declared law on this
subject.
This is not, as many argue, question
of fitness or ability on the part of woman
to fill public offices. No reasonable man
denies this. She is mans equal in men
question of right and wrong, obedience
and dlsobedience. God has placed wo-
man in subordination to man, forbidding
her to exercise authority over him. The
suffrage movement is for the avowed
purpose of throwing off this yoke and
changing the relation of the sexes, and
to allow woman to assume and WELD au-
thority over man in church and state.
T.. IA f,,IC 10 bk,
plainly expressed teaching of our Lord.
Under the Christian dispensation wo-
man is raised as nearly, PROBABLY, to the
plane of iher Edenic standing as she
will ever reach in this life. She i5senti-
tied to receive all the blessings which
come to the race through redemption by
Christ. She was endowed with spiritual
gifts in the early church, and in numer-
Gus instances are women mentioned APP
provingly by name for their helpfulness
and good works in the church. Their
sphere OF usefulness is practically unllm
tied. They are denied nothing except
the one thing-authority over mainland
this denial is limited TO this life. In that
which is to come the bride of Christ the
church) is to sit with Him on His thrrne
and participate in the administration Of
the government of the universe. Wo-
mans desire for authority and rule will
then be fully met But to attain to that
high distinction she must exercise self
denial here, and be willing cheerfully to
accept the position In which God, in His
omniscience has placed her. Is not the
reward of patient submission to this one
privation Infinitely great. =
| will add few words on the matter
of Ewes transgression. The advanced
women suffragists contend that Eve
brought the greatest possible boon to the
race. viz: knowledge of good and
evil by eating the forbidden fruit. The
assumption is made that Adam and Eve
were adult ninnies; mature and full
grown physically, but with minds and
intellects entirely undeveloped- There
is not much revealed on this point, but
all there is is directly contradictory to
such an assumption. In the first place,
1t is an insult 10 Jour Creator TO suggest
such an idea 1t is uncomfortable TO
reverent mind that God would create a
man In His own image and likeness, give
him dominion over all the earth, bring all
animals before him TO give them names,
and leave him q simpleton. He must
have had large, extensive knowledge 10
perform what God required of him. And
Eve to be fit companion for Adam
must have shared with him 10 large ex-
tent in his knowledge. The narrative
shows that Eve understood Gods COM
mand not To eat of the forbidden tree