Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-08-13

if they had committed the objectionable
sin, whatever that may be?
The narrowness, the intolerance, the
bigotry Of churches have seldom been
more strlkingly exemplified than by the
general exclusion of woman from the
study and practice of what is called di-
vinity. Since the first agitation of wom-
ans rights in this country, near so years
ago, she has been allowed to preach in a
few cases. as she has been allowed to do
everything else, but only in Universal
lst, Unitarian and Independent puIpits.
The strict orthodoxists are as violently
opposed as ever to her occupancy of the
sacred desk, so named-are unwilling
to listen to any presentment of her
claims. To their mind the sacerdotal
Office can be filled by man alone. Any
opinion or suggestion to the contrary is
the rankest Of rank heresy.
This is the true doctrine Of the Roman
Catholic church. whose ceaseless boast
it is that it has never changed, never
deviated an iota, from its primal for
nation. And the Protestant church, not
withstanding its constant notifications,
has been scarcely less obdurate in re-
gard to woman pastors Indeed it de-
MES to woman any and every approach
to equality with man in ecclesiastic
honor and dignity. She is wholly subor-
dinated-he for God only, as Milton
swaggeringly put it, she for God in
him. The entire attitude of the evan
gelic churches toward her has been and
still IS the attitude Of despotism.
She is merely permitted to serve-to
serve always and superabundantly She
is forever called on to work, to do most
of the drudgery, to prostrate and efface
herself for the churches and their advan-
tage. Even when she is chosen dele
gate, as she is occasionally, to a general
assembly she is either unjustly, basely
rejected or her claims are disputed. In
stead of protesting and raging with
righteous Indignation, as she would be
fully justified in doing, she meekly re-
tires rather than introduce discord How
much the churches depend ON and profit
by her humility, which would be beau
tiful if it were not slavishl
What an endless, unceasing, incalcu-
liable debt Of gratitude the churches the
-. ID qvee--. 70 woman Shqhe dawn
Of Christianity. Her influence has al
ways been vital, inexhaustible, all i'm
portant. What would they, what could
they, have done without her? Her help,
her sustainment, has never been greater
than it is today. She has remained faith
full, unanswering, when man has fallen
away from them. Has she not held them
together? But for her would they not
have perished? Has not her absolute
kept them alive? Is she not
their strength, their health, their very
soul? In the old world not less than in
the new she may be always found at
church, but the mass of men are absent.
She devoutly worships. while they crit
icise, doubt, renOunce. She is a the
ologic creature naturally. Man is not
She is cOnstitutionally believer. He is
"a skeptic. She hungers
for faith, cleaves to it, is comforted by
it. He will not, as rule, accept faith
unless it agrees with his temperament
or his reason, and his tendency is against
the supernatural
Woman would seem to be specially
adapted by birth, culture and aspiration
for pastorship. The few who are pastors
appear to have found their vocation.
They discharge their duties conscien-
tiously and satisfactorily. Those who
have heard them usually want to hear
them again and again and are apt to
ask why they are SO limited in number.
There can hardly be so women in the
pulpit in the whole republic, and there
are thousands and thousands of men,
most of them, like most members of
other professions. obviously disqualified
for their calling. Hundreds Of them are
able, eloquent, interesting, as we all
know. But are not these shining excep-
tions compared with the multitude? Are
not their congregations drawn more by
a sense of duty to be performed than by
any expectation of the matter or manner
of the promised discourse?
Can anything be much duller to a
mere worldly mind than the average
orthodox sermon i'll small town? The
man who las any power or originality,
the least grace or charm, will not stay
there He is sure to be called to large
center and to gain reputation fully
equal to his desert. No man is more
likely to be appreciated than clever
minister, be his creed what it may. In
deed he is apt to be overrated because
his audience are commonly prejudiced
in his favor Almost anything a clergy
man may say is ostensibly approved.
At least he is not criticised. Freedom
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