reaches every portion of the body
politic, and the promise of Religious Liberty and a Free Republic is
at once exchanged for the despotism of Rome and the imperialism
of France. Infidelity joins hands with Rome in asking this power.
Christianity, united with patriotism, must refuse to grant the
request.

3. Mystery was employed as an instrument in securing woman's fall.
Rouse a womanly curiosity, and there is little difficulty in leading
the excited one astray. Hold out to her a key which promises to unlock
the hidden and concealed glories of the unexplored future, and woman
will be tempted again to forego God's favor and the joys of paradise
to grasp or wield it. In every heathen religion women occupied a
prominent place. Priestess or prophetess, she stood in all ministerial
offices on an equality with man. Christianity rejects the ministerial
services of women, and selects for its standard bearers men acquainted
with life, filled with religious zeal, and capable of hardy endeavor,
assuring faith and martyr patience.

The Church of Rome dealt with women as the Empire dealt with its
Caesars: it was ready to grant her apotheosis, but only when she was
safely out of this world. It was only when the light of revelation
was extinguished in her midst that the teachings of the Bible were
ignored, and woman was welcomed back to the place she held in pagan
climes and at heathen shrines.

Spiritualism, that scourge of modern times, which has swept like the
breath of a pestilence over the land, found in woman its prophetess
and minister. Satan works in erring woman now, as in the past, to
destroy and to delude. That power was resisted by Christian woman.
Many an irreligious man was saved from this delusion by the fidelity
of his wife. Many a good man has been ruined because his wife listened
to the siren voice of the tempter, and desired to explore and explain
this mystery. The forbidden fruit ever grows upon the tree beside her.
Those who would be wiser than that which is written, have plucked
and eaten it, and have given to others that which is so destructive.
Witchcraft is a womanly profession. The heathen divinities were nearly
all ministered unto by woman, and mystery was the influencing cause.
We know the result in the case of Eve. It led her away from God. It
caused her to listen to the enemy of her soul. Does it not become
woman to ask herself, "Am I losing my hold on God? Is suspicion that
some good is being withhel