ligious persecution, and
cover your fair fame with infamous slander, because you dared to sit
here and hear me strike a blow at infinite injustice.

Every injustice that has ever been fastened upon women in a Christian
country has been "authorized by the Bible" and riveted and perpetuated
by the pulpit. That seems strong language, no doubt; but I shall give
you an opportunity to decide as to its truth. I will now bring my
witnesses. They are from the "inspired word" itself, and therefore
must be all that could be desired. I will read you a short passage from
Exodus xx. 22; xxi. 7-8:

22 And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto
the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I talked with you
from heaven. ********

7 _And if a man sell his daughter_ to be a maid-servant,
she shall not go out as the men-servants do.

8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to
himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her
unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath
dealt deceitfully with her.

The Lord doesn't object to a man selling his daughter, but if any one
thing makes him angrier than another it is to have her go about as the
men-servants do after she is sold. On a little point like that he is
absolutely fastidious. You may here notice that God took the trouble
to come down from heaven to tell the girl what not to do after she was
sold. He forgot to suggest to her father that it might be as well not
to sell her at all. He forgot that. But in an important conversation one
often overlooks little details. The next is Joshua xv. 16-17:

16 And Caleb said, He that smiteth Kirjath-sepher, and
taketh it to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife.

17 And Othniel the brother of Caleb [and consequently the
girl's uncle] took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter
to wife.

Please to remember that the said Caleb was one of God's intimates--a
favorite with the Almighty. The girl was not consulted; the father paid
off his warriors in female scrip. The next is Gen. xix. 5-8:

5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where _are_
the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out
unto us that we may know them,

6 And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door
after him,

7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

8 Behold now, I have