St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-26
WONEAN's PROMOTION.

WONEAN'S PROMOTION.
In numbers and wealth the Methodist
church is the foremost religious denomi-
nation in this country. 1t has always
been Singularly progressive church,
even to the extent sometimes of expos
ing itself to the charge of radicalism.
But judged by the standard of success.
which. after all is the criterion of merit
i'll all religious as well as material
affairs, the Methodist church has never
yet planted its foot in forward more
ment that did not rest on solid ground.
Hence there is an awakened interest
throughout the country to know the re-
suit of the pending proposition to adj
nit women to full lay representation in
the church councils.
THIS question was brought up before
the last general conferences, and after
protracted discussion and grave de-
liberation the question was RENTED to
the several annual conferences with i'll
structlohs to pass upon it for the future
guidance OF the general conference. If
the proposition is approved by ma
Jority of the annual conferences, there
is scarcely a doubt but that woman rep
reSentatiOn will become a permanent
feature of Methodism. and in that event
wnman's elevation to the pulpit in the
Methodist church will only be a matter
Of time. The months of October and
November are the times for holding the
annual conferences. A good many
have already been held where the
proposition has rec eived favorable con-
sideration; and if those which are TO
follow are llke-minded, woman equality
in the church will be recognized by
American Methodism.
Women have always had more free
dom in the Methodist church than in
other denominations. When JOHN IVES
LEY revolted against the Church of En-
gland on account of what he was
pleased to call its cold forma ities and
its dead religion. he enlisted the emo
lions Of human nature in support of the
new cause, and succeeded in founding
sect that will live as long as the emo
tiOnal nature in man exists. The relIg-
iouS faith in mankind is so closely allied
to the emotional nature as to be insep-
cradle. As long as we accept the def
milton of faith to be the substance of
things hoped for, we cannot eliminate
the emotional from the religious life.
Women possess stronger emotional nat
ures than men; therefore it follows
that women are more religious than
men. And, being more religious, it is
in the logical course of affairs that
they should be the most active and
influential in church work. And being
the most active and potential, it would
seem to be in strict accordance with
both the human and divine sense of
justice that the sisters in the church
should have at least all equal voice with
the brethren in the management
of church affairs. Their repression
for these 1000 years has been
partially due 20 the teachings of
PAUL. who was an old bache-
lor and imbued with bachelors
prejudices, and who was constantly in
siSting that women should keep silent
in the church and that they should sit
with covered heads and closed lips as
the symbols of their sex degr edation.
PAUL's morbid view of woman's inferi-
ority has been accepted as the orthodox
Interpretation of WOman's true relation
to the church militant: not so much be-
cause that it impressed mankind with
its justice, as that it afforded man him
self all excuse to exercise that domi-
neering principle which has already
been abnormaily de veloped in the male
part of creation. 1t is refreshing sign
that we are ma king some progress to-
wards the millennium when an abstract
principle of right is about to be formu-
lated into practice, even in religious
denomination.
There is an apparent propriety that
the Methodist church should be the
first to inaugerate this innovation in
church government. Aswe have stated,
it is the most progressive of all denomi-
natl0ns.a and is as aggressive as progress
i've. But for its attack on slavery. that
institution would be in existence to-
day. And, as we have said it has always
bestowed more freedom upon its female
members than other churches. The
ministry whom JOHN WESLEY sent to
America to lay the foundation of Meth
odlSm gave woman an elevated position
i'll the church. On various occasions
Bishop AsBURY licensed women as ex-
horters, and it was the custom then, as
| it is now, in Methodist congregations to
call upon women to lead in the PRAYER
meeting. and to conduct the exercises
of the class room. Hence there can be
no sort of inconsistency in best0wing
| the church franchise upon the female
Ard oil -
| that when the Methodist church has ex-
| perimented with the new reform, and
| has found it TO be powerful agency in
increasing the power and spreading the
influence of its eccelesIticai organiza-
| ton. other denominations will follow
| the example of MethOdIsm. SO that it
| will come to pass there will be more fe-
male heraIds of Zion than belong to the
male persuasion.
1t does not follow, however, that
woman's ecclesiastical emancipation ne
cessitates her political promotion. In
some of the conferences where this sub
| Ject has been discussed, the objection
has been urged to the pending PROPOSE
ton that if adopted it would open the
! door to woman's suffrage. The argu-
| ment is that, her equality in the church
being once established. woman would
be invested with power to compel the
recognition of her equality in political
affairs. 1t should be remembered, how
ever, that church and state are SCI arate
in this country, and there can be no
sort of analogy between the govern
ments of the two. Moreover, woman's
4 L ~
such low things as politics. Home and