Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-07


no Bible It is favored Polygamy all
over China, all over India, all over At
rica. ell over Persia, all over heathen-
dom, save as the missionaries have
done their work; while polygamy does
not exist in England and the United
States, except in defiance of law. The
Bible abroad, God honored monog
amy. The Bible not abroad, God
abhorrcd polygamy.
BEAUTIFUL BIBLE PICTURES OF wo-
MAN.
Another false charge which infidelity
has made against the Bible is that it is
antagonistic to woman that it enjoins
her degradation and belittles her mis-
sion. Under this impression many
women have been overcome by the
plague of infidelity. Is the Bible the
enemy of woman2 Come into the
picture gallery, the Louvre, the Lux
embourg of the Bible, and see which
pictures are the more honored Here
is Eve, a perfect woman as perfect a
woman as could be made by perfect
God. Here is Deborah, with her
womanly arm hurting a host into the
battle. Here is Miriam, leading the
Israelitish orchestra on the banks OF
the Red sea. Here is motherly Han
nah, with her own loving hand replen-
ishing the wardrobe of her son Samuel,
the prophet. Here is Abigail, kneel-
trrr Dt fl,n foot Df fhn foiy
the four hundred wrathful men, at the
sight of her beauty and prowess, halt,
halt-a hurricane stopped at the sight
of water lily, a dewdrop dashing
back Niagara. Here is Ruth putting
to shame all the modern slang about
mothers-in-la as she turns her back
on her home and her country, and
faces wild beasts and exile and death,
that she may be with Naomi, her hus-
bands mother. Ruth, the queen of
the harvest fields; Ruth, the grand
mother of David; Ruth, the ancestress
of Jesus Christ. The story of her vir-
tues and her life sacrifice the most
beautiful pastoral ever written. Here
is Vashti defying the bacchanal of
thousand drunken lords, and Esther
willing to throw her life away that she
may deliver her people. And here is
Dorcas, the sunlight of eternal fame
gliding Ter philanthropic needle, and
the woman, with perfume in a box
made from the hills of Alabastron,
pouring the holy chrism on the head of
Christ, the aroma lingering all down
the corridor of the centuries Here is
Lydia, the merchantess of Tyrian pur-
pie, imm0rtalized for her Christian be-
havior. Here is the widow with two
mites, more famous than the Peabodys
and the LenoXes of all the ages, while
here comes in, slow of gait and with
careful attendants and with espe-
cial honor and high favor, leaning on
the arm of inspiration, one who is the
Joy and pride of any home so rarely
fortunate to have one, an old Christian
grandmother GRANDMOTHER Lois. Who
has moro worshipers today than any
being that ever lived on earth except
Jesus Christi Mary. For what pur-
pose did Christ perform his first miracle |
upon earth3 TO relieve the embarrass-
ment of n womanly housekeeper at the
falling short of a beverage. Why did
Christ break up the silence of the tomb, |
and tear off the shroud, and rip up the
rocks2 1t was to stop the bereavement
of the two Bethany sisters. For whose
comfort was Christ most anxious in the
hour of dying eXcruciation2 For a
woman, an old woman, a wrinkle faced
woman, woman who in other DAYS
had held him in her arms his first
friend, his last friend, as it is very apt
to be-his mother. All the pathos Of
the ages compressed into one utterance,
Behold thy mother" Does the Bible
antagonize woman2
CHRISTIAN AND PAGAN WOMAN CON. |
TRASTED.
If the Bible is so antagonistic to
woman, how do you account for the
difference in womans condition in China
and central Africa, and her condition |
in England and America2 There is no
difference except that which the Bible
makes. In lands where there is no Bi-
BILE she is hitched like beast of bur
den to the plows, she carries the hod, |
she submits to indescribable indigni- |
ties she must be kept in a private !
apartment and if she come forth she |
must be carefully hooded and relig I
iously veiled, ms though it were a shame
to bo a woman. Do you not know that
the very FIRST thing the Bible does when
II comes into new country is TO strike |
of the shackles of woman's serfdomi
o woman, where are your chains to
day. Hold up both your arms and let
us see your handouts Oh, we see the !
handcuiTsl They are bracelets of gold
bestowed by husbandly or fatherly OF
brotherly or sisterly or loverly atfec-
ton. Unloosen the warm robe from
your neck, o woman, and let us see the
yoke of your bondage, Oh, l find the
yoke a carcenet of silver, or string OF
carnelians, or cluster of pearls that
must gall you very much! Tow bad
you must all have il
Since you put the Bible on your
stand in the sitting room has the Bible
been TO you, . woman, curse or
bleSSingl Why is it that a woman
when she is troubled will 20 70 her
worst enemy, the Biblei Why do Won
not so for comfort TO some of the great
inildel books-Spinoza's "Ethics.n or
3. IL