[ 59 ]
God, by charging it upon his Compliance with Eve, he ſays, [1] the Woman whom thou gaveſt to be with me, ſhe gave me of the Tree, and I did eat. The Woman whom thou gaveſt to be with me, i. e. whom thou gaveſt to be my Aſſociate and Companion, without the leaſt hint of Subjection, and Dependency. Nor was there the leaſt Reaſon for any in that State, as I ſhewed before."
We ſee it is the Opinion of this Orthodox Divine, that the Sexes were equal before the Fall: And that after the niceſt Search Mr. Wollaſton and Mr. Hobbs could make into Nature, they could find no Foundation in Nature for that very great Superiority which is aſcribed to the Man.
How comes it to paſs then, that the Opinions and Cuſtoms of all Nations ſhould give him that Superiority, even where 'tis ſuppoſed they could have had no Information of the Curſe of Subjection paſſed upon the Woman? I ſay all Nations, the Exceptions being too few to deſtroy a general Rule, tho' enough to eſtabliſh Mr. Hobbs's Aſſertion, that the Superiority is not founded in Nature.
- ↑ Gen. iii. 12.
In
