Mistress of Herself: Speeches and Letters of Ernestine Rose, Early Women's Rights Leader

Debate at the Third National Woman’s Rights Convention on Biblical Authority for Women’s Rights

1 debateatthe third national Woman’s rights Convention on biblicalauthority forWomen’s rights By Ernestine L. Rose and Antoinette L. Brown September 9, 1852 Syracuse, New York In her second public appearance at the convention, Rose engages in debate with Antoinette Brown (later Antoinette Brown Blackwell), the first woman ordained as a minister in the United States, about the place of the Bible in women’s rights reform. Their debate, with competing resolutions proposed by each of them, was a significant focus of discussion at the convention. Rose’s resolution was passed following the debate. On the third and final day of the convention, in both the morning and afternoon sessions, Brown again raised the topic of biblical authority and this time the resolution was tabled. This debate would recur over many subsequent women’s rights conventions, culminating in the great divorce debate at the 1860 national convention (See 11 May 1860). Rose and Brown were colleagues and friends who traveled the same lecture circuit , and would continue to do so.Though Rose engaged in sharp debate with Brown, she was always courteous, acknowledging that Brown had the same right to be a minister and interpret the Bible as a man did. Indeed, Rose hoped that Brown, with the same credentials and expertise, would best the male ministers at their own game, but preferably not at women’s rights conventions. In January 1855, joined by Susan B. Anthony, Rose and Brown would make a comprehensive tour of central New York State, collecting signatures for a petition to the state legislature on women’s rights (Kolmerten 1999, 164). Brown, as a minister, could more easily persuade those who sought religious justification for women’s rights; while Rose was more persuasive with those who preferred rationalist secular political arguments. In any case, their debates brought drama to the lecture series. The following speeches and resolutions are excerpted from Proceedings of the Woman’s Rights Convention, held at Syracuse, September 8th, 9th & 10th, 1852, which were published the same year. Most of Rose’s speech concluding the first day of Bible debate was also published as one of a series of Woman’s Rights Tracts (No. 9) that were widely circulated at the time. n antOinette L.brOWn Resolved, That the Bible recognizes the rights, duties and privileges of Woman as a public teacher, as every way equal with those of man; that it enjoins upon her no subjection that is not enjoined upon him; and that it 14 ernestIne l.rose truly and practically recognizes neither male nor female in Christ Jesus. God created the first human pair equals in rights. possessions and authority. He bequeathed the earth to them as a joint inheritance; gave them joint dominion over the irrational creation; but none over each other.—(Gen., 1, 28.) They sinned. God announced to them the results of sin. One of these results was the rule which man would exercise over woman—(Gen., 3, 16.) This rule was no more approved, endorsed, or sanctioned by God, than was the twin-born prophecy, “thou (Satan) shalt bruise his (Christ’s) heel.” God could not, from His nature, command Satan to injure Christ, or any other of the seed of the woman. What particle of evidence is there then for supposing that in the parallel announcement he commanded man to rule over woman. Both passages should have been translated will, instead of shall. Either auxiliary is used indifferently according to the sense, in rendering that form of the Hebrew verb into English. Because thou hast done this, is God’s preface to the announcement. The results are the effects of sin. Can woman then receive evil from this rule, and man receive good? Man should be blessed in exercising this power, if he is divinely appointed to do so; but the two who are one flesh have an identity of interests, therefore if it is a curse or evil to woman, it must be so to man also. We mock God, when we make Him approve of man’s thus cursing himself and woman. The submission enjoined upon the wife, in the New Testament, is not the unrighteous rule predicted in the Old. It is a Christian submission due from man towards man, and from man towards woman: “Yea, all of you be subject one to another”—(1 Pet., 5, 5. Eph., 5, 21; Rom., 12, 10, &c.) In 1 Cor. 16, 16, the disciples are besought to submit themselves “to every one that helpeth...