The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-09-30

sible for Her to Be Better
 Than Man and Also Worse
 Than Man
 At the Norwood Methodist church yes- terday morning the well known author preacher the Rev. R. E. Tyler. preached the fourth of the series of sermons on Human Trinity and Triangle from the text of II King 4:26: "Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is It well with the chid?" The fourth sermon took mp the special topic of Woman good and bad, American and foreign, old and new, wife and mother and woman's club. life from the text of Titus 2:5: Keepers of Home" The Rev. Dr. Tyler said in part:
 "The discussion of woman of course, is difficult and delicate task. It is true, however, that when man talks of women he can't be certain of anything he says. Someone has said that when you get through withsyour treatise on women, go back over it and change all the negatives to affirmatives all hayes to have nots,
 
 as near right.
 We can't in short talk go into de tails, but will try to touch upon the main things, pressing issues. Woman rs the best thing in the world and the worst As man, an honest man, in the beginning, I will admit that there is some truth in the criticism; that this is kind of a man made world; that modern society Is not so much a human but masculine so- ciety It can hardly be said to be the divine plan since three to one in favor of the women compose 1t. The coming of civilization, the spread of democracy. the asserting of ndividualism and the seek ing of personal peace and happiness have of wife and mother.
 Increase of DivOrces ss with one divorce out of every 10 mar riages at the present time, and increasing. at the astonishing rate of three times as fast as our population, as is shown by the latest statistics, it would seem that the end of the family life is in sight. The in- crease in divorce is the cry of the women for liberty, they are wearied of the roll
 
 inc. Nora in Dolls House, speaks, I believe that before all else l am a human being just as much as you are, or at least that I should try to become oee' This influence has come on down to the present, with increasing momentum. American women everywhere cry out !, against the smallness of their lives-the | limitations that encompass them. yet the whole world is hers today. She is en- | throned in the heart of America, the God dess of Liberty, while millions kneel be- fore her shrine to pay her homage, plac- | ing upon her brow a wreath and crown bestudded with earths choicest diadems. Male and female created He them. | (Genises 1:2T. She is not an accident, but divinely planned complement and | counterpart of man. However, in olden times she was simply so much chattle, unwelcomed as a babe, untaught as q child, enslaved as wife, despised as q widow and unwept when dead-denied the 1, right of a soul. But today the Bible has lifted her to the highest earthly | throne. We-flnd there that she was mads out of a finer mterial than man. Dirt was sufficient for man, but it 'took the
 finest human bone for woman. She is. | therefore capable of rising higher and ] failing lower than man. The home never rises above nor falls below woman: TOT | can a city or country rise higher or fall | lower than it's homes. Woman is sir;t- l ply to be a helpmeet equally yoked to- | gether with man. The Creator did not use bone from the feet that she should be trampled upon by man, nor from the 1 head that she should fly so high above him, but from his side that she should be equal with him and from near his heart, to be beloved.
 | Cuape of Civilization
 "The gauge of civilization has always been determined by the condition of wom- anhood. Plato classed woman with chll- dren and servants. The Buddhist women were known as The most dangerous snares spread for mem Mohammedan | tradition says: T have not left any ca lamity more hurtfu to man than wom- an The Hebrews got the idea tha. 1 through her evil came. and through hor | we must die. The idea passed into Chris | tianity and Tertullian said each one wes an Eve and ought to go through life mourning. And later people thought that | the Bible dealt with men simply, pa triarchs, kings. prophets, disciples, etc, with no mention of wives, mothers-snful | creatures like woman
 But on a rereading you will find that 1 womans influence has not always been 1 exerted through the son and husband, | for the names of Cleopatra. Catherine and Isabella. Elizabeth and Victoria, ana our Frances E. Willard and Jane Ai- dams are synonymous with definite achievements. You will find also on thi- l reinvestigation that the Bible contains | 100 female characters. She appears in the Old Testament as queen. judge, pro phetess and poet. as well as keeper of | the home She is seen in the New Testa- ment as prophecies and poetess of the messahship and mother of our Lord. Women attended the public services. were ] Christs special friends and became dea- 1 conesses in the early church. The Bible began with Eve and closes with the mar rage idea-woman. woman. woman. Not always good woman for the highest ideals were not always up. Bible history makes | mention of the evils as well as the good and so much as our modern problem of | three women to one man If it existed in the time of David and Solomon was | handled more openly than now. Step by 1 step. however, women have been lifted | from beasts of burden to queens of f.honor everywhere. In fact. the American girl today is the sensation of the world and | so are some of our grown up women If not little more so. They take the older countries by storm. Kidnapping lord or | duke here and there and yet in .he l worlds rose garden no higher tyne of | true womanly womanhood can be found 1 than our American beauties.
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