The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-01
The new WOMAN'S BIBLE.
\ Prop.s 10 be a Book 10 Put InStrsoll
10 SHANE.
PNUlNT PLIsGS At HOLY WRIT.
mrs. Elizabeth Cadv stanton hepndiates
thc Ten COMMANDMENTS, the Pent".
teuch and the story of the Creation.
Probable Eject OF the BOOB


mart OF tho woman's bible. just issued.
An inspection Of advance sheets OF this
work shows it TO be little less IMAM "a
handbook OF infidelty. IL ridicuies the
biblical story Of the creation, denies that
God ever talked directly with any man,
strips the patriarchs OF their haios anu
denounce Moses as a common iahir.
Indeed. Moses could not have Jared worse
"a the book If Colonel lngersoii had VIII
ton A. The style Is not so fiippant as he
would have used, but il is none the less
irreyerent and blasphemous. As an ex-
annie of the iconoclasuc tendencies or
the new woman, IL Is something awful 10
.onternplate Mrs. Elizabeth Il. Grannls
saws the book will be a decided detrinent
10 the cause of woman suffrage. Mrs'
Anna H. Shaw says 1t is the brilliant el-
FUSION of prcjudiced women. Or. Joseph
If. Rylance says the very title OF the
book is ridiculous and is mere CLOAK ior
"A bitter attack upon Christianity
Elizabeth Cady stanton Is the hedo anu
front OF (he wOman's bible enterprise
Ioined with her in the production Of this
first part, which consists OF comments
on the pentateuch. are Lille DeVereauN
Blake Rev. Phoebe HanafoTd. cara
Rewick Colby. Ellen Battelle Dietrlch'
Ursula y. Gestcfeld. Mrs. Louisa SOuth-
work and Frances Ellen Burr The meth
cd Of work adopted 10y these leaders
az the new woman movement is descrlDed
Nv Mrs stanton ia the preface as ioi-
lows:
Ench person purchased two bibles ran
through them from Genesis 10 heVcld-
lions. marking ali tho texts that concern
cd women. The passages we'e cut OUT
and pasted IN "a blank book and the COM
~ underneath.
WILD DASH INTO PRINT.
The feminine audacity Of this plank is
mot ant 10 commend itself 10 theological
.tudents The international committee
ON the revision OF the Bible labored twen-
~ wears before their work was anywhere
u,lr completion. Upon that committee
were the most eminent Hebrew anu
Greek scholars OF the world. DouD'iui
or obscure passages were gone over
scores OF times, and tho text as prlh'eu
passed the critical judgment Of the most
learned th4ologians Of Great Britain and
the United States. Mark the difference
batween their method of work and that
- this committee OF new women NOT
one Of the latter. IL is said, Is either a
Hebrew or Greek scholar, ana instead
of devotifg years TO their self-iInposeu
task they merely rushed through the
blble last summer, wrote commentaries
on such passages as excited their interest.
and rushed them 10 the printer
Why such product should be called
n womans bible is a mystery. 1t is
equally surprising that wel-known Chris
tian women should aid in the undertake
ing Even II IL was meant merely as a
protest against woman's status as defined
In the bible the plan was i'll advised and
presumptuous. From the very start
keynote Of inhdelity Is struck which can
not but ALLEVIATE thousands OF women
from the so-called emancipation move
ment with which Mrs. stanton has so
long been associated.
MRS. STANTON'S INTRODUCTION.
Here is what this female lngersoll says
in her introduction two part l:
Why is II more ridiculous for women 10
protest against her present status in the
old and new Testaments, in the ordinances
and discipline of the church, than In the
statutes and constitution of the slater
Why is ii more ridiculous to arraien &c
clesiastics for their false teaching and
acts OF injustice TO women than members
Of Congress and the House OF Commons!
Why is IL more audacious 10 review
Moses than Blackstone the Jewish code
OF laws than the English system of juris-
prudence?
The sentimental feelings We all have for
those things we were educated 10 believe
sacred do not readily yield TO pure rea-
son. | distinctly remember tho shudder
that passed over me on seeing a mother
take our family Bible TO make q high seat
for her child at table. Ii seemed such
Dissertation ] was tempted 10 protest
against its use for such a purpose, and
this, too long after my reason had repu-
dated SIS divine authority.
Bible historians claim special inspira-
a. l. "a al, UFa-f. ant
tanning most contradictory records of the
same events, OF miracles opposed TO all
known laws. Of customs that degrade
the female sex of all human and animal
life. stated in most questionable language
that could not be read I'm promlscuous
assembly and call all this '.he word of
God
10 not believe that any man ever saw
or talked with God. do not believe that
God inspired the Mosaic code or told the
historians what they say he did about
woman FOR all the religions on the face
OF he earth degrade her, and so hong as
woman accepts the position that they
assign her emancipation is impossible.
GENESIS TAKEN Up.
The first twelve chapters in the book
deal with Genesis. Here Mrs. stanton
makes the startling discovery that the
Holy Trinity Is composed Of a Heavenly
Father mother and SON she finds her
authority In the passage which says;
SO God created man IN his own image,
in the image OF God created he him; male
and female created he them
Mrs. Stanton's commentary on this
reads:
Here Is the sacred historians first ac-
count OF the advent OF woman; stimuli
taneous creation of both sexes in the
image OF God. 1t is evident from the
language that there was consultation IL
the Godhead and that the masculine and
feminine clements were equally represent
cd
The FIRST step In the elevation of wo-
man TO her true position as an equal
factor in human progress. is the cultiva-
ton OF the religious sentiment in regard
20 ner dignity and equality, the recoeni-
ton by the rising generation of an ideal
Heavenly Mother 10 whom their prayers
should be addressed as well as TO a Fa-
Their
II language has any meaning. we have
IN these texts a plain declaration of the
existence OF the feminine clement IN the
Codhead. equal in power ana glory with
the masculine. the Heavenly Mother and
fatier,
As TO woman's subsection, on which
18th the canon and the civil law delight
10 dwell, II is important TO note that equal
dominion Is given 20 woman over every
living thing. but not one word is said
giving man cofnlnion over won a.
l.llen Battele Dietrich comes Next in the
role of commentator. She insists that the
first three chaoters II Genesis contain
1.-TWO entirely separate and very contra
dict,ry stories OF creation. written by
two different. but equally Anonymous au-
thors." She gives extracts 10 prove that
the serpent was more truthful than God.