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    Sjfl T^I^E LEA DUE . [No. 311, Saturday,...

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    OXFORD MANICH/3EISM. Oxford will not tol...

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    Women And La.W Refobm. Lord Palmeksto^ A...

    relations of life , where a sufficient force of numbers , and . a . sufficient weight of concurrent opinions can " be brought to bear . The principle applies particularly to that question which is somewhat absurdly called " the rights of woman . " We know no rights of woman that are separated from the rights of man . There is no injury inflicted upon the one that does not " recoil upon the other . If the Turk keeps woman in . subject slavery , the Turk himself becomes a degenerate slave . The brightest days in the history of Islam were those when the Saracen of Spain was a model of

    chivalry , when Abd-er-Rahman imprisoned the contumacious fair behind a wall of loose gold Ingots , from which she could release herself by appropriating-the precious bricks . The laws of Islam might give to the Saracen . King the right of coercing the lady ' s will , but a higher law deprived the Prince of the power ; and in obedience to that higher law , he rendered himself a greater , a stronger , and a happier man . That principle of social vitality holds good at the , present day , and will hold good as long as plants grow and men breathe . The law holds good most especially in the vitality of-all relations that exist between man and

    woman . The man who can absolutely and literally carry oxit the rule to demand nothing and yield everything , shall exercise a sway such as no despot can attain , It is remarkable that in commerce alone has the sound principle of governing been freel y developed , atnd ; that an absolute trust in the free working of iihe natural convictions , affections , and necessities of educated men , has been permitted tojbringfbrth the fullest results of civilisation . At present we 1 'have to deal with a chaotic

    state of opinion , where antiquated prejudice mingles with the crudest aspiration . We have ladies and gentlemen pressing ; upon parliament petitions iframed in every conceivable spirit ; wei' - ¦ have reformers demanding the laws of the millennium , while our highest authorities are declaring themselves unable to grapple with the absurdest relics of the middle ages . We have already related the case of Talbot versus T ? a *^ 6 t . - 'One of « the most respectable

    judges on ^ fehe" Irish bench had given a judgmerit based , as we believe , upon misconception ; ! he took -up-the allegations in lieu of the evidence , and delivered judgment on the case asserted instead of the case proved—that is , on a < ease not before him . Resting on -the high character , the learning , and probity of the j ridge , the other judges 'have declared it impossible > tb xeojen the question ; arid judicial courtesies elose the door against 'justice . In the-natuxal order bf things , 'the husband ought td ^ have proceeded to . the House-of Lords for

    the p urpose of civilly confirming and settling the divorce which he had obtained ecclesiastically : he had suspended that-Ulterior stage , and no appeal on behalf of * the wife seemed to be possible . Here was a distinct grievance , and the friends of the lady went to the House of'Gomttfons , the proper resort in all grievances of < the people . The very apjpeal spontaneously taken up by Mr , John George Pihllimore was

    treated as a scandal . It was an interference of the Commons with the judges , they cried . It was , however , really an appeal to the Commons fox making good a defect in the state of our law . 'It happens , 'luckily , that the ' husfcattd does proceed in the House of Lords , and w ^ Shap , therefore , have a higher appeal . ' Justuses render ^ to tho one party only through tbfe accident ; that the opposing party is willing tovjiaakevthe * appeal . This is in itself a crying vmj B > MA an'illustration of the infamous state ot piej-lawl ¦ ; J ^ e ^ ate 6 f ^ hehxw does but mark the state yjS ^ . SW ^ * " *<* tho , state of public opihidn-te disgracefta ^ caii ^ the public which

    has an . opinion on the subject , of one kind or other , indulges the vices of cowardice , hypocrisy , and procrastination . If our matrimonial law , as it now exists , has been designed in perfect wisdom , Lord Campbell is right ; we ought to hare new enactments in order to punish peoj ^ e who depart fro m it in the leas t degree . < 5 re ^ iia Green is , as that learned Scotch-English-Irish Lord-Chancellor Chief-Justice declares , an abomination . The English people looks solemn and shakes its head , as if nodding the opinion that Lord Campbell , is right ; but

    as to its custo ? ns—let us look around , from Gretna Green to the Consistory Court , and ask what they are ? There is every variety of laxity under the veil of hypocrisy . " The rights of woman ! " Why , there can be nothing but the wrongs of woman , and of man , where profligacy , veiled in the cowl of hypocrisy , dispenses statutes which give licence under cover of prohibition . It is not Parliament that denies the Tights of woman , but men themselves , women themselves .

    The practical question at the present day is , whether the public as a body is prepared to render justice to the component parts of itself as individuals . We have had many cases of the grossest injustice for which , chivalry apart , the simple spirit of equity ought to make us demand redress . It still is the law that the woinan accused of matrimonial infidelity has no effectual position before the tribunal ; it still is

    the law that the fault which is alleged against the iroman , can in . very few instances be alleged against the husband : the English love of fairness has not yet settled that point . We published the other . clay a petition signed by several ladies , showing how women are debarred from equal rights over their own property : mere tradesmanlike probity ought to make tis call for a redress of that grievance . In many States of the American Union the consent of

    the wife is required before the husband can part with family property , even though it come through himself—marriage being recognised there as giving more than a one-sided community of interest . If a girl is deceived , the only redress is through some fiction , by which it is pretended that her father or somebody else " loses her services . " Society has settled that a husband may marry his aister-inlaw after the death of his wife , but Society has

    neglected to make Parliament register that law . The jurisdiction in matrimonial cases is still reposed in those ecclesiastical courts that have , become a joke , a scandal , and a disgrace to the country . There is abundance of interest in these questions , plenty of latent public opinion , numbers enough to influence a Parliamentary vpte , if those who have these reforms at heart would only speak out and come together . But they live in terror of that cohservatrix of all abuses— " Mrs . GrundyI "

    Sjfl T^I^E Lea Due . [No. 311, Saturday,...

    Sjfl T ^ I ^ E LEA DUE . [ No . 311 , Saturday , = - ' iiLUJll —!! ¦ g ± i * "" » ' r In I » n fm ~ ii in - , 1 ill Tli 1 - i i n 111 Ml ¦ i i i | - i i . w ¦ i i n " ' ' " i , i i i ¦ i . i ..,,. '

    Oxford Manich/3eism. Oxford Will Not Tol...

    OXFORD MANICH / 3 EISM . Oxford will not tolerate a Christianity that is reconciled to human understanding , or to the instincts implanted in us by the Author of our being . The intellectual head of the Church wMch calls itself " of England , " revolts from any new'light that would convert it and its dogmas to a consistent Christianity . Oxford has just made a demonstration—has performed a studied " mystery" before the world , for the

    express purpose of sotting itself right . We have already mentioned the really great and beautiftll idea thrown out by Mr . Jowett , which so completely reconciled a fundamental doctrine of the Church of England to tho broadest principles of religion , to the doctrines of other seats , and to tho Catholic and Eternal Church of Humanity . Through the Atonement , argued * Mr . Jowett , God is not reconciled to humanity by the satisfaction of

    revenge , as some feigned heathen deity might be ; and even man can forgive a debt . In the sacrifice of Jesus perishing for the attestation of a truth , man is reconciled to God . " God is unchangeable ; it is we who are reconciled to Him , not He to us . " There is no difficulty in understanding this interpretation : it is consistent with all of truth -which limited human nature is permitted to know ; and so far a & that particular doctrine is concerned , the new construction removed every barrier between

    the Church of England and the Universal Church . It necessarily offended those whose idea of religious truth lies in the unintelligibleness of doctrines , and the exclusiveness of forms . The accusers were found ; J . D . Macbride and C . P . Golightly recorded an appeal to " Mr . Vice-Chancellor , '' saying , " These passages appear to us to contain doctrines contrary to that of'the Church of England , as set forth in her Articles of Religion and Book of Common Prayer . " Mr . "Vice-Chancellor at

    once put Benjamin Jowett to the test , by calling upon him to sign the Thirty-nine Articles over again . He signed them . It does not appear to have occurred to J . D . Macbride and C . P . GoMGHTiiY " , that if this plain and simple understanding of the Atonement were contrary to the Thirty ^ niae Articles and the 'Prayer Book , it was so much the worse for the Thirty-nine and the Book ; but it seems there are means of reconciling this , the desiderated

    Fortieth Article , to the others , since the author of the Fortieth can ^ again affix his signature to the Thirty-nine . It is not for us to tinderstand how the feat was accomplished ; the process is reconditely effected dnimo imponentis . Sufficient for us the fact ,-that an intelligible , natural , and religious view of the Atonement has found its expression within the Church of England . A great fact , we say ; but Oxford will not tolerate the reconcilement .

    If Mr . Jowett had refused to sign the Thirty-nine Articles , the Pharisees that reside on the junction of the Thames and Isis would probably have made him a new sacrifice for the sake of truth ; but as he disappointed them of that opportunity , they 'were 'forced to take a different course . , Wanted , a Champion ; and one was found , in Dr . TSdward Meyrick Goulburn , Head Master of'Rugby School , Chaplain to the Lord Bishop of Oxford . He mounted

    the ecclesiastical rostrum , struck his apostolic fist on the pulpit ( drum ecclesiastic ) , and made it resound again with the true rataplan of Church parade . On the first Sunday in Lent he preached before the University of Oxford his sermon " On the Goodness and Severity of God as manifested in the Atonement ; " and tho counterblast is published " by request of the Vice-Chancellor . " Here , then , is the manifestation of Oxford against Benjamin Jowett .

    " We must , " says Dr . Goulburn , " ascertain that we are roote 6 V » and grotinded in the ' principles of the doctrine of Christ , ' for assuredly unsoundness » of thci groundwork would vitiate the whole structure of our religious belief . We must be careful to accept , with the utmost simplicity , the intimations of the Holy Scriptiwe . We are children , —natural instincts , and even our so-called moral sense , are no safe guides ; childish notions and puerile instincts as little help us to

    understand the doctrine of the " Vicarious sacrifice , as the little child of an Alpine region can understand tho severity of the father that makes him walk at a distance on the ice to disperse the weight , and buries him in the snow , to sheltor him from the night cold . Nay , it is part of God ' s dealings with us , to try ns by our moral sense . He would have us firmly bo-< JUove , that He is love , goodness , wisdom , holiness , justice , truth . Believe , I say , and not see To the Patriarch Abraham He put the quos-

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), March 8, 1856, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_08031856/page/14/