Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-11-23

Chief among those who have been m ost
active in thus revising the Scriptures in the
interest oftheir sex are Elizabeth Cady Stan
ton, Mrs. Mary A. Liverrhore,. Lille DeverN
eaux Blake, Mrs. Sarah A. Underwood among
many others. Mrs. Robert G. Ingersoll Is
one OF those who have had hand ii reviving
the Scripture in the interest of women. Only
about one-tenth of the Scriptures Is
brought under revision by these ladies.
for they have confined their work to those
texts and chapters directly referring to
women. The work Of going over the Bible
was parceed out among them, each TAX ing
some special chapters with which she was
most familiar.
In the introduction which follows the pref
ace, Mrs. Stanton asks:
"Why Is it more ridiculous for women to
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 state Why Is it
more ridiculous to arraign ecclesiastics for
their false teaching and acts of injustice to
women than members of congress, AMI the
house of commons Why Is it more auda-
oious to review Moses than Blackstone, the
Jewish code OF laws than the English system
OF jurisprudence
II do not believe that any man ever saw or
talked with God; do not believe that God
inspired the Mosaic cOde or told the his
torians what they say he did about woman,
for all the religions on the face Of the earth
degrade her, and so long as woman accepts
the position that they assign her, her emanci-
patton Is impossible In Genesis Mrs. Stan
ton finds reason for belief that the Trinity Is
really composed Of Father, Mother and Son.
This theory is based on verses 26, 27 and %
in the first chapter.
The first step in the elevation Of woman to
her true position, as All equal factor In
human progress, is the cultivation OF the
IN, hos al
and equality, tho recognition by the rising
generation OF an ideal Heavenly Mother, to
whom their prayers should be addressed as
we'll ss to Father.
"The assertion OF the supremacy of the
woman in the marriage relation Is contained
In v, "a Therefore shall u man leave his
father and his mother and cleave unto his
wife, Nothing is said OF the headship Of
man, but h0 n commanded to make her the
head Of the household. the home, a rule fol-
lowed for centuries under the Matriarchate."
In regard to the apple gathering in the
Garden of Eden, and its conse
quences, Mrs. Stanton remarks
"In this prolonged interview, the un-
prejudiced rather must be impressed with
the courage the dignity and the lofty am
biticu Of the woman. The tempter evidently
had profound knowledge Of human nature,
and saw ut glance the high character of the
person he met by chance in his walks in tho
garden. He did not try to tempt her from
the path OF duty by brilliant jewels, rich
dresses worldly luxuries or pleasures, but
with the promise of knowledge. with the
wisdom Of the gods.
Ellen BattelIe Dietrich follows, with n
treatise in which she claims that the
first three chapters OF Genesis con
tain 1.-TWO entirely separate and very CON
Trajectory stories of creation, written by tw,
different but equally anonymous authors.
To emphasize her arguments she uses th'
'deadly parallel" and remarks that the ser
pent proved more truthful than God. Mrs
Stanton pursues the same idea in chapter
two, in which tho fashioning Of Eve out OF
Adams rib Is dealt with. And Lille Devo-
reaux Blake, writing on the same subject
says:
"Like Socrates or Plato, his powers Of con-
versation and asking puzzing questions
were, no doubt, marvellous, and reused in
the woman that intense thirst for knowledge
that the simple pleasures OF picking flowers
and talking with Adam did not satisfy. Com
pared with Adam, she appears to great ad-
vantage throughout the entire drama.
Clara Berwick Colby is quiet orthodox
when she exclaims, ut the end of the fourth
chapter: "Nothing can -urpass in grandeur
the account In the first chapter OF Genesis OF
the creation of the race.
She comments with touch OF sarcasm,
however, when referring to NOah's ark she
remarks: "The paucity OF light and air in
this ancient vessel shows that woman had no
part in its architecture, or series OF port
holes would have been deemed indispensa.
ble." She also calls attention with some sat.
isfaction to the fact that while it is twice re.
corded that God COMMANDED Abraham to
obey Sarah, ''you cannot find anywhere u
direct command OF God or of Christ for the
wife to obey the husband"