HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 3, 4.-Woman's ri_qhts. I. WOMEN HAVE RIGHTS WHICH MEN CO:lnIONLY DENY THEM. The justice of the Mosaic law and too just privileges accorded to women in the J ewieh state stand out in -favourable contrast with the almost universal injustice which marks the historic relations of men with women. In barbarous nations women are requiretl to do the hardest manual labour. In semi- civilised nations they are kept in ignorance, idleness, and jealollS seclusion. In more advanced nations they are hampered with needless social restrictions which prevent them from enjoying their fair privileges 11s human beings. This injustice may be traced to (1) the superior brute force of men, (2) the n11tural retiring nature of woman, 11nd (3) false sentiment which dishonours true modesty. ChiYalrous customs and domestic affection may soften the effects of injustice, but they do not remove the fact. Il. WOMEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO PROVE THEIR OWN RIGHTS AND C.HACITIES. Hitherto one half of the human i·ace bas taken upon itself to settle the position aDll destiny of the other half. Women have been tre11ted as though men knew their rights and capacities better than these were known to themselves. It is at least just that women should be allowed some liberty of choice, some opportunity for proving their capacities to the world. If they then fail they take a, lower position fairly. But it is most unreasonable to assert that they IJ9.ye ~10t certain capacities, whil~ men are jealously ~l?sing eve1~ ch11nnel_ through :which they might prove the ex1Stence of those c11pa01ties by puttmg tliem mto practice. III. SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES REQUIRE JUSTICE TO WOllEN. This is required by the law (Num. xxvii. 8). It is still more fully required by Christianity. Tile spiritual privileges of the gospel are equa¥y op_en to men and women. _The elevation of women is one of the most beneficial fruits of the gospel (Matt. llVl, 13 ; Luke x. 38--42; Phil. iv. 3). 266 THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. [cH. XVII. 1-18.
IV. JUSTICE TO WOMEN DOES NOT IMPLY THE EQUALITY OF WOMEN WITH MEN, There must ever remain essenti,tl differances between the careers of men cmd women in many dil'ect\ons, o~ing to the essential differences of their physical o.nd mental natures. Justice does not demand that all should receive the same privileges, and pe1fo1m tile same duties, but that there should be fairness in the distribution. V. THE EXERCISE OF RIGHTS BY WOMEN CARRIES WITH IT THE OBLIGATION OF ?ORRESPOKDn<G DUTIES. Duty corresponds to right. The extension of 1·ights mcreases the obligat10n of duties. If women obtain larger privileges, injustice they will be ca.!led up<m to undertake heavier responsibilities. Happily this was realised in Scripture history. The women of the Bible enjoying greater advantages than their neighbours are often distinguished by peculiarly noble conduct. ·women are conspicuous for deYotion and sacrifice among the early disciples of Christ (Luke ,iii. 2, 3). Much of tile best work of Christendom has been done by good women. There is large vrnrk in the Church for women now.-W; F. A.
Yer. 6.-Wom.an's rights._ This is rather a remarkable case. The family of l\Iaclur, one of tile most warlike m Israel, ho.d contributed more to the conquest of Gilead than any other, and there had been accordingly allotted to them a large share of it. It so happened that in one branch of the family there wo.s not a single male among the children. Five wome.n alone represented a warlike sire. They appeal to Moses, with an energy derived from their great ancestor, to prevent the passing of their property out of their hands. It is apparently the last cause which comes before Moses before his death. The greo.t lawgiver takes occasion from it to make a general law applica hie to all such cases. If there be a son left, then the son in- herits; the-daughter being supposed to find her provision in that of the husband she marries, and to be supported by her brother till she does so. But in the case of there being no brother, they were to inherit their father's land, and marry in their o~n tribe, so that the tribe might still retain its possessions intact, and all families have maintenance for their representatives, even though male issue should fail. It falls to Joshua to apply the principles Moses laid down, and accordingly he gives the five ladies " an inheritance amongst the sons" of Manasseh. We do not suggest that Moses legislated in the spirit of the advanced theorists on woman's rights; it would have been impossible for one so wise to legislate some thousands of years ahead of the general sentiments of mankind. But it is worth noting how ready Moses was to do justice by the weaker sex; and to pass a law, doubtless little to tile mind of the rough men who would look enviously on women inheriting con- siderable estates. It raises the question how far Moses would have sanctioned the views of those who plead that men and women should stand on exactly equal platforms before the law. We can only briefly suggest the answer to this question. Every woman under the Mosaic legislation was more or less su.fliciently provided for, The double portion of the firstborn was, by the uso.ge of the East, assigned him chi_efly tllat he might support his widowed mother and unmarried sisters. When marnage was universal, a temporary provision of this kind was all that was required. And wllere land was not wealth, but only the material out of which it could be gathe~ed, we do not wonder at the law dividing the land (after the eldest son's double port10n) equally among the other son8. Wherever, on the other hand, no sons were left, then the daughters divided equally the property between them, subject to the restriction that they should marry within their own tribe. We may venture to suggest that tile spirit of these laws would, in the altered circumstances of our country, be altogether in fayour of the equal distribution of property between sons and daughters. The patriarchal system that gave the widow and the .unmarried daughters an established home in the old family house which the elder b1·other inherited, and made their maintenance a charge upon the double birthright, ho.a passed away ; and it is no longer the case that sisters share whatever an elder Ron inherits. Marriage is l!either so early nor so universal now. And in the multi- plicity of remunerative plll'suits open fo men in our land there is no longer any special reason for restricting the inheritance of the land to those able personally to OH, XVII, 1-18.] THE BOOK OF JOSHUA. 267