Some Men will have it, that the Reason of our LORD’s appearing first to the Women, was, their being least able to keep a Secret; a witty and masculine Remark, and wonderfully Reverent! But not to dispute whether those Women were Blabs or no, there are many Instances in Holy Scripture, of Women who did not betray the Confidence repos’d in them. Thus _Rahab_, though formerly an ill Woman, being converted by the _Report_ of those Miracles, which, though the _Israelites saw_, yet they _believed not in_ _GOD_, _nor put their Trust in his Word_, She acknowledges the _GOD_ of Heaven, and, as a Reward of her faithful Service, in concealing _Joshua_’s Spies, is, with her Family, exempted from the Ruin of her Country, and also, has the Honour of being named in the _Messiah_’s Genealogy. _Michal_, to save _David_’s Life, exposes her self to the Fury of a Jealous and Tyrannical Prince. A Girl was trusted by _David_’s grave Counsellors to convey him Intelligence in his Son’s Rebellion; and when a Lad had found it out, and blab’d it to _Absalom_, the King’s Friends confiding in the Prudence and Fidelity of a Woman, were secur’d by her. When our LORD escaped from the _Jews_, he trusted Himself in the Hands of _Martha_ and _Mary_. So does St. _Peter_ with another _Mary_, when the Angel deliver’d him from _Herod_, the Damsel _Rhoda_ too, was acquainted with the Secret. More might be said, but one would think here is enough to shew, that whatever other great and wise Reasons Men may have for despising Women, and keeping them in Ignorance and Slavery, it can’t be from their having learnt to do so in Holy Scripture. The Bible is for, and not against us, and cannot without great Violence done to it, be urg’d to our Prejudice.
However, there are strong and prevalent Reasons which demonstrate the Superiority and Pre-eminence of the Men. For in the first Place, Boys have much Time and Pains, Care and Cost bestow’d on their Education, Girls have little or none. The former are early initiated in the Sciences, are made acquainted with antient and modern Discoveries, they study Books and Men, have all imaginable Encouragement; not only Fame, a dry Reward now a-days, but also Title, Authority, Power, and Riches themselves, which purchase all Things, are the Reward of their Improvement. The latter are restrain’d, frown’d upon, and beat, not _for_, but _from_ the Muses; Laughter and Ridicule, that never-failing Scare-Crow, is set up to drive them from the Tree of Knowledge. But if, in spite of all Difficulties Nature prevails, and they can’t be kept so ignorant as their Masters would have them, they are star’d upon as Monsters, censur’d, envied, and every way discouraged, or, at the best, they have the Fate the Proverb assigns them, _Vertue is prais’d and starv’d_. And therefore, since the coarsest Materials need the most Curing, as every Workman can inform you, and the worst Ground the most elaborate Culture, it undeniably follows, that Mens Understandings are superior to Womens, for, after many Years Study and Experience, they become wise and learned, and Women are not Born so!