Contents - Woman, Church & State / The Original Exposé of Male Collaboration Against the Female Sex - 2

Preface	[5]
Chapter One—The Matriarchate
Tendency of Christianity from the first to restrict woman’s liberty. Womanhad great freedom under the old civilizations. The Matriarchate; its tracesamong many nations; it preceded the Patriarchate. The Iroquois or SixNations under reminiscences of the Matriarchate. Government of theUnited States borrowed from the Six Nations. To the Matriarchate orMother-rule, is the world indebted for its first conception of “inherentrights,” and a government established on this basis. Malabar under theMatriarchate when discovered by the Portuguese. The most ancient Aryansunder the Matriarchate. Ancient Egypt a reminiscence of the Matriarchalperiod. Authority of the wife among the most polished nations of antiquity.As Vestal Virgin in Rome, woman’s authority great both in civil andreligious affairs. Monogamy the rule of the Matriarchate. Polygamy,infanticide and prostitution the rule of the Patriarchate.	[7]
Chapter Two—Celibacy
Original sin. Woman not regarded as a human being by the church.Marriage looked upon as vile. Celibacy of the clergy; their degradingsensuality. A double Code of Morals. Celibacy confirmed as a dogma of thechurch. Many notable consequences followed. Wives sold as slaves.Women driven to suicide. Influence of the church unfavorable to virtue.Women of wealth drawn into monastic life. The church in Mexico.President Diaz. Protestant Orders.	[24]
Chapter Three—Canon Law
The church makes the legitimacy of marriage depend upon its control of theceremony. Change from ancient civilization to renewed barbarism at anearly age of the Christian era, noted by historians, but its causeunperceived. The clergy a distinct body from the laity; their rights not thesame. A holy sex and an unholy one. Rapid growth of Canon law inEngland. Alteration in the laws through the separation of Ecclesiasticalcourts from the Civil, recognized by Blackstone as among the remarkablelegal events of Great Britain. Learning prohibited to women. The oath ofseven persons required to convict a priest. Husbands prohibited by Canonlaw from leaving more than one-third of their property to wives; mightleave them less. Daughters could be disinherited; sons could not be. TheReformation effected no change. Governments catering to Pope Leo XIII,at time of his Jubilee; the President of the United States sends a gift.	[50]
Chapter Four—Marquette
Feudalism; its degradation of woman. Jus primae noctis. Rights of the LordsSpiritual. Peasants decide not to marry. Immorality of the heads of theGreek and the Protestant churches. Breton Ballad of the FourteenthCentury. St. Margaret of Scotland. Pall Mall Gazette’s disclosures. Foreigntraffic in young English girls. West End. Eton. Prostitution chieflysupported by “Heads of Families.” Northwestern Pineries. Governmentalcrime-makers. Rapid increase of child criminals. The White Cross society.Baptism of nude women in the early Christian Church.	[66]
Chapter Five—Witchcraft
The possession of a pet of any kind dangerous to woman. Black cats andwitches. The fact of a woman’s possessing knowledge, brought her undersuspicion of the church. The three most distinguishing features ofwitchcraft. Opposition of the church to the growth of human will.Persecution for witchcraft a continuance of church policy for obtaininguniversal dominion over mankind. The Sabbat. The Black Mass. Womenphysicians and surgeons of the middle ages; they discover anaesthetics.Their learning; their persecution by the church. The most eminent legalminds incapable of forming correct judgment. Three notable points inregard to witchcraft. Persecution introduced into America by the “PilgrimFathers.” First Synod in America convened to try a woman for heresy.Whipping half nude women for their religious opinions. Famine caused bypersecution of women.	[94]
Chapter Six—Wives
“Usus.” Disruption of the Roman Empire unfavorable to the personal andproprietary rights of woman. Sale of daughters practiced in England sevenhundred years after the introduction of Christianity. The Mundium. Thepractice of buying wives with cattle or money regulated by law. Evil fame ofChristendom. “The Worthier of Blood.” Murder of a husband termed petittreason; punished by burning alive. Mrs. Sanio decapitated in Finland,1892, for crime of petit treason. Husbands control wives’ religion. The“Lucy Walker case;” Judge Dodge decides a husband has a propertyinterest in a wife. Davenport’s Rules for his wife. Assaulting wivesprotected by law. The Ducking Stool; its use in England; brought toAmerica by the “Pilgrim Fathers.” Salic law. Gavelkind. Women notpermitted to read the Bible. “Masterless women.” Women not admitted asa surety or witness. The Code Napoleon. Morganatic marriage. Ibsen’s“Ghosts.” Strindberg’s “Giftas.” Ancient Slavs. Russia under GreekChristianity. The Domstroii Marriage forms. Burying wives alive.“Darkest England.” Advertising wives. An English clergyman offers £100reward for the capture and return of his wife. Civil marriage is opposed bythe church. Action of the Chilian Republic.	[129]
Chapter Seven—Polygamy
Polygamy sustained by the Christian Church and the Christian State. Thefirst Synod of the Reformation convened to sanction polygamy. Favoringviews of Luther and the other “principal reformers.” Favoring action of theAmerican Board of Foreign Missions. Favoring action of a MissionaryConference in India. Mormons compared to the Puritans. Mormontheocracy similar to that of other Christian sects.	[175]
Chapter Eight—Woman and Work
God’s “curse” upon Adam. Opposition of the church to amelioration ofwoman’s suffering as an interference with her “curse.” Man’s escape fromhis own “curse.” The sufferings of helpless infants and children because ofwoman’s labor. Innutrition and the hard labor of expectant mothers the twogreat factors in physical degeneration and infantile mortality. Woman’swork in Europe and the United States. Woman degraded under Christiancivilization to labors unfit for slaves.	[191]
Chapter Nine—The Church of Today
Sin killed by sin. Woman’s inferiority taught from the pulpit today. APastoral letter. The See trial. Modern sermons on women. Lenten lecturesof Rev. Morgan A. Dix. The Methodist General Conference of 1880, rejectMiss Oliver’s petition for ordination on the plea that woman already has allthe rights that are good for her. Resolves itself into a political convention.The General Conference of 1888, rejects women delegates. The CatholicPlenary Council of 1884. Mazzini’s prophecy. The opposition of the churchto woman’s education has killed off the inhabitants of the world with greaterrapidity than war, famine or pestilence. The present forms of religion andgovernments essentially masculine.	[208]
Chapter Ten—Past, Present, Future
The most important struggle in the history of the church. Not self-sacrifice,but self-development woman’s first duty in life. The protective spirit; itsinjury to woman. Christianity of little value to civilization. Lookingbackward through history; looking forward.	[237]
Notes	[249]
Index	[289]

Matilda Joslyn Gage, 1880.

WOMAN, CHURCH & STATE	The Original Exposé of Male Against the Female Sex
by Matilda Joslyn Gage

This Book is Inscribed to the Memory of my Mother, who was at once mother, sister, friend:

Dedicated to all Christian women and men, of whatever creed or name who, bound by Church or State, have not dared to Think for Themselves:

Addressed to all Persons, who, breaking away from custom and the usage of ages, dare seek Truth for the sake of Truth. To all such it will be welcome; to all others aggressive and educational.