Chapter 1

I. The Spirit of Woman--The Suffering of Women--The Era of Adventure--Privation and Death in the First Colonial Days--Descriptions by Prince, Bradford, Johnson, etc.--Early Concord.

II. Woman and Her Religion--Its Unyielding Quality--Its Repressive Effect on Woman--Wigglesworth's _Day of Doom_--What It Taught Woman--Necessity of Early Baptism--Edward's _Eternity of Hell Torment_--_Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God_--Effect on Womanhood--Personal Devils--Dangers of Earthly Love--God's Sudden Punishments.

III. Inherited Nervousness--Fears in Childhood--Theological Precocity.

IV. Woman's Day of Rest--Sabbath Rules and Customs--A Typical Sabbath.

V. Religion and Woman's Foibles--Religious Regulations--Effect on Dress--Women's Singing in Church--Southern Opinion of Northern Severity--Effect of Feminine Repression.

VI. Woman's Comfort in Religion--An Intolerant Era--Religious Gatherings for Women--Formal Meetings with Mrs. Hutchinson--Causes of Complaint--Meetings of Quaker Women.

VII. Female Rebellion--The Antinomians--Activities of Anne Hutchinson--Her Doctrines--Her Banishment--Emotional Starvation--Dread of Heresy--Anne Hutchinson's Death.

VIII. Woman and Witchcraft--Universal Belief in Witchcraft--Signs of Witchcraft--Causes of the Belief--Lack of Recreation--Origin of Witchcraft Mania--Echoes from the Trials--Waning of the Mania.

IX. Religion Outside of New England--First Church in Virginia--Southern Strictness--Woman's Religious Testimony--Religious Sanity--The Dutch Church--General Conclusions.