1792 FEMALE PRESBYTERIAN SERMONS. Rare Female "Written" Sermons Argue for Status Quo, Including Servants & Slaves.

A very scarce title indeed. No copies offered at auction in the records for the last 100 years and non on the market; we have never seen another example. 

A fascinating piece of social history. Hannah was the daughter of Rev. Benjamin Sowden, Minister of the Presbyterian Church in Rotterdam [d.1778] and friend and correspondent regarding matters of the American Revolution with Benjamin Franklin [See here: To Benjamin Franklin from [Benjamin Sowden], 1 June 1778 (archives.gov)]. Hannah's mother, also Hannah, died in 1763. Her funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Thomas Greaves, also of Rotterdam.

It is very unusual to have "sermons" from the pen of a female Presbyterian late in the 18th century, these perhaps the first ever published from a female Presbyterian. Of course, they were not ever preached publicly, but even to call them "sermons" was provocative enough for the time and perhaps only safe from the distance of Rotterdam. It is notable that the publisher was not any of the standard Presbyterian presses. 

What I find fascinating about these particular sermons, is that here we have a female who senses a call to communicate publicly on religious themes, but must do so through pen only because of the prohibitions against females communicating "sermons" through other modes. But they are sermons . . . she insists by the title. And yet, though she pushes to the breaking the point the constraints on her role, a significant amount of her preaching was aimed "at the poorer classes and servants," and is decidedly aimed at keeping people in their position. We people are fascinating, aren't we? 

Her themes are specially chosen to reinforce the status quo, again, which she herself is leaning against. She urges against lying [especially to employers and masters], against envy [of the wealth of employers and masters], on wisdom as better than riches [especially the riches of their employers and masters], on the respect due from servants to masters, on fidelity and obedience to masters as the duty of servants [here she bundles domestic slaves, etc.,], on diligence [working for employers and masters], and the advantages of an humble station pointed out [so stay where your put], etc. 

. . . it frequently happened, that the slaves of heathen masters were converted to Christianity; but this advantage, great as it was, instead of freeing them from their former obligations, gave them only additional motives for submitting to them with patience and humility. Compare your situation, my brethren, with theirs, see how it is improved; reflect how grateful you ought to be for your change in your favor, particularly in this land of liberty, for God has not dealt thus, even yet, with every nation; and let all such as honour not their masters, reflect, with shame and contrition of heart, on their misconduct, and resolve to amend it for the time to come. . . 

Sowden, Hannah. Plain Sermons for Plain People. London. Printed for J. Johnson, No. 72, St. Paul's Church-Yard. 1792. 181/192pp.

Good in original quarter leather, rubbed extensively at edges as shown, but very sound. Blank ffep lacking. Pastedown signed by Elizabeth Alden of Gosport, again on the preface sheet, and the rfep and rear pastedown with a lengthy devotional expostulation by Alden. Text very clean and solid generally on a faint blue paper. The final sermon in the index, on cruelty, is absent and does not appear to have been removed. Final leaf of text adhered to rfep.