The Project Gutenberg EBook of Women of Early Christianity, by
Alfred Brittain and Mitchell Carroll

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Title: Women of Early Christianity
Woman: In all ages and in all countries, Vol. 3 (of 10)

Author: Alfred Brittain
Mitchell Carroll

Release Date: May 20, 2010 [EBook #32451]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WOMEN OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY ***

Produced by Renald Levesque

_WOMAN_

VOLUME III

_WOMEN OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY_

BY

Rev. ALFRED BRITTAIN and MITCHELL CARROLL, Ph.D.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
J. CULLEN AYER, Jr., Ph.D.
OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY

[Illustration 1: _SEEKING SHELTER After the painting by Luc
Oliver Merson

Notwithstanding all that is said in these ancient writings in
the attempt to do her honor, we must conclude that the glory of
the halo which beautifies the head of the real Mary is derived
by reflection from the moral splendor of her Son.... We need
such a poetic creation as Mary; and her place at the head of all
the daughters of earth is the more secure and effective because
her figure in authentic history is but a shadowy outline. The
ideal woman whom all mankind loves and reverences as Virgin,
Mother, and Saint, is objectified by concentrating in Mary of
Nazareth all possible feminine grace, beauty, and purity._]

_Woman_

_In all ages and in all countries_

_VOLUME III_

_WOMEN OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY_

BY

Rev. ALFRED BRITTAIN
AND
MITCHELL CARROLL, Ph. D.

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
J. CULLEN AYER, Jr., Ph. D.
_Of Harvard University_

_ILLUSTRATED_

_PHILADELPHIA
GEORGE BARRIE & SONS, Publishers_

COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY GEORGE BARRIE & SONS

Entered at Stationers' Hall, London

INTRODUCTION

WHEN the historian has described the rise and fall of empires and
dynasties, and has recounted with care and exactness the details of the
great political movements that have changed the map of continents, there
remains the question: What was the cause of these revolutions in human
society--what were the real motives that were operative in the hearts
and minds of the persons in