them the Son is a name, the Virgin a fact; plicit faith: they have also a reverent sense the Son an abstraction, the Virgin a reality! of two superiorities over them, where man Because minds of this class are incapable has but one, two intelligences higher than of wide and comprehensive thought, the lesser their own,-God the supreme, and man his object occupies the whole space, obscuring vicegerent. In all matters involving the exthe distance. Giving all they are called upon ercise of pure reason and abstract powers of to give to the Blessed Virgin, they have no thought, woman feels her inferiority and more to give; their reservoir is dry. There need of guidance, while fully alive to ceris, we fully believe, no more sure way of tain gifts in herself that man wants. But raising a dense superstition than setting all the more, because she feels that she has speculative minds-minds absorbed in mys- a province of her own, does she submit to teries and separate from the business of life her head in things beyond her easy, natural -to teach the ignorant. The conclusions, range, where thought is a conscious, suswithout the processes that have led to them, tained, laborious effort. Prone to worship, -if they take effect upon ignorance at all,— prone to lean, unvisited by doubt, apt to are pretty sure to be apprehended with a learn, she has a pleasure in submission, in material grossness in proportion to the fan- bowing to authority, in the consciousness tastic subtlety of the train of argument that that her trust outstrips her reason, in a led to them. Thus an imaginative ascetic double faith,-faith in her religion and in spiritualizes the concerns of this life and the him that teaches it. This docility to her habits and manners of mortals, and transfers teacher is given to man in trust. She is anthem to his dealings with angels and de-swerable to God; but men are answerable parted saints. By an infinite elaboration, he to her and to their conscience for the use connects himself with the unseen world; they make of this influence. We may say through a vast chain of intelligence, he sup- that this docility makes it easier to women poses himself able to communicate with the than to men to be believing and devout; but departed. A letter to St. Stanislas is written it also leads them captives to a blinder suunder a perfect understanding of a vast, perstition and a lower phase of hero worcomplicated, invisible agency, which shall ship than men often fall into, when they convey to the saint the thoughts and words discard those safeguards of intuitive percepof which he desires him to be cognizant; tion and mother wit with which they are but this practice, in the hands of the vulgar, gifted. Logical extremes, subtleties, and loses all intricacy of idea. They write be- refinements are congenial to woman's nacause they are given to understand that, if ture if she is led to them by a sufficiently they put a request in the form of a letter, persuasive and competent authority; but and address it to a saint in heaven, it will be this leader is essential, and she must be granted. They have not a higher notion of able to see and recognize her natural guide, Omnipotence and Omnipresence than this the masculine intellect. transaction, followed by this response, pre- but woman is not led in the highest affairs sents. These attributes are in act ascribed of the soul by woman. She does not act in to the object addressed, though not necessa- the management of thought and the regularily in words; the disciple, in ignorance, tion of faith without the sanction of her commits a sin from which the intellectual natural head. And who can say that in acuteness of the teacher preserves him. What requiring this guidance she is not fulfilling he teaches is a transfer of that trust in man, a law of her being, without which the whole which is the greatest earthly snare, to the order of things could not be maintained? courts of heaven; what the learner receives The feeling of women towards their spiritis the idea of an omnipotent Being who is ual guide and pastor, which is so constant yet not the supreme Being. a theme for satire and ridicule, is only one form of acknowledging this subservience. Men have no feeling that answers to this sentiment toward their teachers in spiritual things, and they despise it in woman, or are angry, or envious, as the case may be; but this difference caused by sex is, in the sim

This working of one class of minds upon another of an absolutely different training and organization is shown in its extreme effects where women accept the teaching and act out the subtleties of scholastic asceticism. Women have by nature a large, im

Man leads man,

plest and noblest sense of the word, natural within just limits, but also of all things liable to abuse, if the one side allows sentiment to become sentimentalism, and the other, with conscious, cunning hands, plays upon the weakness for inferior purposes, for mere power and aggrandizement, or for the sake of parading a train of zealous followers. Under these conditions, the differences we claim as a just basis of influence become the most fertile source of mischief and extravagance that can be named.

But this, we must call it, sentimental expansion of the heart towards "deified" feminine nature, though congenial to humanity under certain conditions and forms, is clearly not congenial to others. No one can pretend that it finds any response with men engaged in the practical affairs of life. It recommends itself to the simple and ignorant under certain teachings; to subordinate races, by nature impressionable and unreasoning; and it wakes a strong passion of devotion in women of excitable natures, whose reason has In immediate connection with this question not been cultivated, and who, being enis the cultus of the Virgin at the point it has couraged to place themselves under the long been tending to, and has now reached. patronage of a benignant being who underWe venture to say that if there had been no stands and sympathizes with their trials and appeal, unlawful and unwarrantable, to the temptations more intimately even than He weaknesses of women as such, in the pop- who took upon him our flesh deigns to do, ular inculcation of this worship, it could find it easy to conform themselves to so never have attained its present form. We indulgent a doctrine, and one which invites suppose that no one will dispute that as a certain unrestrained, uncritical expansivecetics and women have developed and fos-ness of thought and phrase; but to ordinary tered it to its present proportions. Women men the strain of devotion, and of the lanaccepting the teaching of men who acquire guage in which it is expressed, is puerile. a more absolute sway over the feminine im- They may not acknowledge as much to themagination for recoiling from their domestic selves; they may not discriminate or know influence, and shrinking from and hardening what dogma it is in the Christianity set themselves against their attraction. Men before them which gives this impression; but and women can in no state be absolutely we think wherever this ardent devotion to the independent of one another. While they Virgin has a very prominent place, the active think at all, they must contemplate man- ruling male population will be found to treat kind under this distinction, this double as-religion, or perhaps we should say devotion, pect, and even find something agreeable in as a thing for the inferior classes and for the difference, and if the interest in each other is checked in its obvious manifestation, it does not therefore cease to affect the mind, or to influence the train of thought; the natural changes into the transcendental, the material into the ideal. Hence, the men who have shunned the companionship and influence of women as inconsistent with the And this seems to bring us to a question heights of sanctity have elaborated in their which must have perplexed, or at any rate cells the idea of a woman of divine and im- been discussed by, every mind. Are women maculate perfections; and women, on their more religious than men? It seems on the part, have received this representation as face of it as if they must be. It is not only almost the revelation of purified and sub- in Santiago, or in Paris, that the congregalimed masculine intelligence, as something tions are made up of women. Who preponexcogitated by men raised above the weak-derate in our own churches? who make up ness of humanity, and thus gifted to por- our weekly congregations? who remain long. tray the ideal of perfect and divine woman-est, and are the most tractable pupils in our hood. The result, we see, is doubtless a Sunday-schools? who attend our religious natural consequence of principles and prac-meetings? who are the readers of religious tices which might have seemed, at the outset, to tend to a wholly opposite develop

ment.

women, not a personal affair. And there, too, we shall see that the instructors in religion will virtually give up the men as beyond their reach, and apply all their power and energies to strengthen their influence on women as the only means of maintaining a hold on society.

books? who respond most readily to the teacher's lessons? who hang with most attention and trust on the preacher's words? wno

repay his efforts with the most cordial that what seems the superior religious eleresponse? who Can be most constantly ment in women cannot all ring true metal; pointed out as the friend of his ministerial that constitutional religion, an aptitude by labors? to whom does he go for sympathy nature to receive impressions, to accept and help? We might enlarge on this theme teaching-though excellent qualities when for pages. Certain it is that the greater rightly used-may be abused, may be hollow, portion of religious effort, even in our own and may imply nothing at all. The religion country, might seem to be expended on and of the renewed nature is a thing apart from by women. Is it really, then, better to be this bias or temperament, and we may say is born a woman? Is salvation easier and more of no sex. The whole teaching of St. Paul attainable by women? Does it meet in them is of this character; with him, where he with fewer obstacles and impediments? If enforces the great truths of the Gospel, there this greater impressionableness is to be a is literally neither male nor female; to all sign, if this readiness of response is to argue he says, "In understanding be ye men," all that at first sight it seems to do, there neither man nor woman does he address, or, could be but one answer; but it is very clear that the question cannot be settled by statistics. Multitudes of religious teachers and writers do so settle it, unquestionably; but we think not to the interests of true religion. We believe our whole popular religious literature is influenced by this impression, whether consciously held or no. We cannot take up a tract or a treatise that has sold by its thousands or hundreds of thousands, without feeling convinced that the writer has had the feminine reader in his thoughts. He trusts to his unsupported assertion; he launches into forms of interpretation and lines of speculation, he utters prophesies and takes retrospects, which he would not venture upon if he thought meneducated men-would read him. All schools have this exclusively feminine literature. Women, we should feel sure, buy Dr. Cummings's effusions; women buy all the vague, diffuse, fanciful, and often daringly ignorant commentaries, and paraphrases, and "characters" drawn from Holy Scriptures. Women are the recipients of nine tenths of the tract societies' publications. Women read the religious tales by which men support their own views, and convict those of their opponents.

shall we say, humor, as such, in speaking of spiritual things. When he singles out the Christian women of the Church for exhortation, it is to enforce upon them such moral duties as nature itself teaches, and which stood in danger of being forgotten under the new illumination. Every Christian doctrine is enforced, without consideration of sex, on both alike, not because such a precept or practice was especially adapted to the tenderness or weakness of woman. And yet, as being all things to all men, this principle of selection might have been looked for if it had been comformable to the purity and the growth of the gospel. It is clear that some in his day had begun this system of one-sided teaching. There were men to lead silly women captive, and silly women to be so led by them. In the question of that worship of the Virgin, which is so congenial to the women of Roman Catholic populations, and seems to be a distinguishing mark of their religion as opposed to that of men, we do not say that the adaptation of it to the feelings and temperament of women has been deliberate; but they have responded with enthusiasm, and men have not,—that is, men who carry on the business of life,—and hence the whole tone of teaching and the method of It is a great deal easier in all these cases enforcing it have become feminine, perto adapt the subject to the reader than to suasive to women, and regarded by men as a take the line of adapting the reader to the cultus, beautiful, perhaps, but only adapted subject; but when the easier method is to the feminine understanding. It is for followed, and popular religion addresses them, men feel, and to satisfy the demands itself mainly to what are considered the natural characteristics of the feminine mind, a counter and evil influence works beneath the seeming good, very injurious to the permanent interests of the cause at heart. And if so, we are necessarily driven to assume

of feminine sentiment, that the Virgin is portrayed in the manifestations of herself which are put forward for popular instruction, as with a laxer sense of justice than is compatible with our idea of God's perfections, with a strong partisanship, with a romantic

tenderness for picturesque sinners, with an can be really eloquent on the subject of the almost indiscriminate appreciation for homage Virgin, and say the prettiest things, and yet as such, as well as with an especial indulgence | let it be seen that they themselves do not parfor women's errors and weaknesses. We ticipate in the remotest degree in the faith would not wound any one's sense of rever- that wins their sentimental homage, and ence; but no man can read "The Glories of Mary," and not own all this, though the truths might be differently rendered. And how much does this weak element affect the whole standing of revelation in men's minds whose insight into domestic religion is of this nature? For what may not this elaborate system of superstition and fanaticism be answerable?

which they think so beautifully congenial to woman's nature. They can applaud her in the tasks of benevolence or asceticism to which she devotes herself, without feeling committed to a step in the same direction. And where this is carried on long enough, and thelanguage is gallant and fervent enough there will be found a sort of acquiescence in it as being a hopeful sign, as tending to good, as opening out to woman her mission as the regenerator of man. This is the task which such writers are quite willing she should take upon herself, at least as the educator of infancy,—the task which, as we have said, the clergy have to impose upon her in despair of any direct influence; for which priest and sceptic alike encourage her to fit herself by an enthusiasm which shall overrun reason and judgment: for where women are viewed and treated by men as a sex,-as a class,-they are never encouraged to cultivate their judgment; it is their essentially feminine qualities which are to be developed and set to work. Men think they have reason; what they like to see in women is something peculiar to them and characteristic. Thus, because men are sceptical, women are to be credulous; because men criticise evidence, they are to require none; because men argue, they are to accept at a word. Great things are expected from this one-sided growth; it is to carry with it a persuasive charm; but where this system is in fullest play, it is pretty clear that the means by which one sex is unduly stimulated deaden and repel the other. Where the women are, as we should say, most superstitious in their religion, the men are most frankly unbelieving; and, through the influences of habit, each party, instead of laboring to convert the other, learns to acquiesce in the state of things, as at least natural, and therefore excusable, if not part of the very nature of things.

Wherever women are singled out for religious work and service, independent of and in advance of men, we have learned to entertain a certain suspicion. Women, as we see, are tractable, and, under influential and stimulating teaching, will combine to undertake great things both in labor and self-denial. To us it seems as if neither the labor nor the self-denial were on a perfectly safe basis while it is so distinctly feminine. For one thing, the women themselves learn to regard religion as their own speciality. In their books they set a higher standard for their own sex than for men. Sins are tolerated in men that would sink women utterly below sympathy. They even pardon in men positive unbelief as a sort of inherent infirmity, not to be too curiously inquired into, while the faith of woman is to be immaculate according to the writer's pattern. This indulgence cannot but indicate something false in their whole system. We are not hard upon them. Men have set them this example; but it is a sign that sentiment rather than reason and understanding is the guiding impulse at work. Perhaps we see this most clearly in the foreign literature of the day, though there is abundant evidence of it in our own. The most popular and widely influential French writers seem to have lost the power of even reverencing religion but as they see it reflected in woman. A woman absorbed in devotion is adorable; and quite as adorable whether the object of her devotion recommends itself to the reason of the In our own society something parallel observers or not. In her they can admire sub- takes place. Where the men cry down sermission to constituted authority, zeal, ortho- mons, the fine ladies run after popular doxy, and strictness, though they will touch preachers, and manifest an exceptional zeal none of them with one of their fingers; they in the reception of any strange doctrine,—a will fall in love with her superstitions, and willing fanaticism, one might think, as a sort talk second-hand raptures about them. They of set-off. Thus the husband derides every

by the conflict of men's opinion,-vacillating, uncertain in his own views,--who hangs suspended between the claims of orthodoxy and the glare of the nineteenth century's illuminations,—has recourse to women, with as ready and eager a dependence as the rest. He may not be very sure about anything under dispute in his own person; he may be conscious that the Church has not in him a champion of faith invulnerable; but if he can set the women to work,—if he can inspire them with zeal for the souls and bodies of the poor and helpless,-if he can permeate our dense, ignorant masses with woman's charity, or woman's simple faith, happily undisturbed by the doubts, that afflict deeper intellects, he will be doing the Church a counterbalancing service. Through him a work will have been effected; influence is still orthodox; and when this storm of doubt has passed over, as all storms

sober discourse as insufferable, and all pul- | add, the holder of spiritual office, whose pit eloquence as contemptible, while the wife, state of mind is consciously at odds with perhaps, is among hundreds of other women his ecclesiastical position,-who is shaken eagerly listening for the precise date of the end of the world, or the battle of Armageddon, or the promise of a millennium close at hand. But in all this the men are most to blame. In the family life, unless the head guides and leads, a certain eccentricity is inevitable. We speak of classes, not individuals. The naturally devout and impressionable, being denied sympathy, are thrown upon excitement. This religion we cannot think a thing to be relied on; but at least it is better than none. And the religion of every community which wants the active cooperation of practical men, must owe much of whatever force it has to excitement. It will have a morbid, intermittent character; it must inevitably be deficient in bone and fibre, and it must be subject to abuses of a peculiar character,-abuses arising from a general unchecked submission of the judgment, which, in extreme cases, and where this dependence is played upon by designing do pass, a work will have been making proghands, results in a cowardly self-desertion; that miserable tendency, conspicuous in many phases of fanaticism, to transfer to others the inalienable charge of conscience, to put into other hands the decision of the question, "Am I right or wrong?" "Is this moral or immoral?" and to rejoice in being a mere tool,—the infatuated slave of another will.

his

In

ress, through the agency on one hand, and among members on the other, of classes to whom all the questions of critics and cavillers are unintelligible or immaterial distinctions; and he has been the first impulse; he has all along labored by proxy. It is hardly too much to say of some persons' apparent creed, that they actually give over a sex to orthodoxy, so that things are true as women In days when a certain wave of scepticism hold them which as men they dispute. But passes over society,—and we fear our time is here the boasted religiousness of woman, by one of them,-women are, no doubt, guard- which is often meant her native conservaians of lay faith, and as such are often the tism, is imperilled as in no other case. resource and consolation of priest and pastor the ordinary conditions of priestly or clerical of many a different school. Through them influence,-the influence denounced at Santithe work of the Church can be still carried ago, the theme of Michelet's book (" Priests, on, and a cheering evidence of success and Women, and Families "), the subject of genefficiency maintained. The advocate for a tle satire in our own society,-women are led life of rule, of exclusive devotion to good by some form of development; their leader works or religious service, finds women is really a leader, strong, at least, in profesready to accept the hardest tasks, and thus sion, and secure of his ground. They respect to throw themselves into the breach which him for his faith, whether sound or not, for men have so little mind to face. The his assumed insight into the divine counsels, preacher of religious emotions, calls, assur- for a confidence-or, perhaps, audacityances, finds women still ready to be struck, which answers, in their minds, to infalliand even convulsed, by his thunders, when bility. They lean on him because they bethe men stand aloof. The good parish-lieve him a pillar; but if the teacher himpriest finds women his faithful hearers or self vacillates, if there hangs about him the willing helpers, when the men follow their faintest suspicion of tottering or uncertainty, secular callings unheeding. And, let us then either his influence will be nil, or, if