The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-08-19
than whom. under Turkish rule, no
more miserable class ever existed.

In Greece the doctrine OF the
natural equality of the sexes was in
dulged in only by u few philosoph-
ers, particularly Plato. Education
and free intercourse of women were
left to courtesans. Toll and seclu.
sion and abundant ignorance form
ed the condition of the mothers and
sisters of the citizens.
With all her masculine vigour aud
glory, Greece fell, gradually atroph
led, because one half of her had
been, of set purpose, intellectually
and politically paralysed. Not long
ago the wife of wealthy Greek
peasant sought protection against
the cruelty of her husband. He had
bound her almost naked to stake
in the street in cold weather, and
urged the passers-bv to strike her.
chastising them when they refused.
The Court exonerated the
husband on the ground of the
wife's INSTRUMENTATION. "We eau.
not afford it said, Ito teach wo-
man to disobey the commands of her
husband" Aud Rome, proud Rome,
began nobly but ended in degrade.
ton. In her early days her women
could boast of numerous privileges
of which they were afterwards de.
prived. As their liberties became
narrowed social deprayity Increased.
The nobility of her matrons and the
purity of her young daughters were
things of the past. Female ignor-
ance became virtue, and every ac-
complishment in art of learning was
regarded as fit only for women of
loose morals. Music, dancing, sing
ing, reading, were all interdicted.
! Under Christilnized Rome and the
institution of the Canon Law, the
position of women not in Rome only
but throughout ali Christendom,
was still further degraded. All pre-
tence to equal rights was swept
away. The Church held and taught,
that woman was created to serve
man and to submit to his desires.
Even to-day the English law, in the
spirit of the Canon Law, holds that
u wife is the servant of her husband.
Official Christianity described the
most innocent relations of the sexes
as naturally corrupt.
Nature was subordinated to q de.
PRAYED theology. Kingsley says
1.-THE Christian Church was swamp
ed by hysteria from the third to the
sixteenth century" The Reforma-
ton left woman little better than
before. Luther gave as his opinion
and that OF six other great reform
ers that polygamy was nowhere con.
demned b. the Bible. As to educa.
tion, "No gown or garment" he
said, "worse became woman than
that she should be wise.' That pop
ular clergyman, the Rev. Knox Lit
tie, in his Sermon to Women" 1880.
says, "There is no crime that man
can commit which iustifies his wife
in leaving him. 1t is her duty to
subject herself to him always, and
no crime that he can commit iusti.
fies her lack of obedience. If he be
a bad and wicked man, she may
gently remoustrate with him, but
refuse him never!"
Il is not to Christianity, but tc
science, not to our preachers, but tt
our thinkers, that the race owes its
progression, and that the bonds o.
women are being loosened. No great
English woman has ever appeared
but some dignitary of the Church
has attempted TO smother her or hel
schemes of reform. Mary Somer
vile was publicly denounced by
Dean Cockburn of York, and as late
rs April oath, 1884, Dean Burger
wrote in a Liberal paper, ''The Dali.
News" against the proposed admis
sion of women to examinations fol
honours at Oxford University. HI
described it as "a moral revolution
disastrous to q woman's best inter
ests." He went on to give the pur
pose of Creation. how she was de
signed to be "the complement o
mans being ''his chiefest earthl,
Joy" "but all this will be brought tt
an end at once if you teach her tt
try to be (what she can never be
Gomez mans equal, much less mans
superior. Henceforth she will have
to be kept down." and SO on accord.
ing to the old formula. Do these
GOOD oentlamen raolly heljeve tho