Religion is a key theme throughout “Lecture IV. Duties of Contract: Wives. — Friends.” Cobbe begins this lecture on social contractual duties by speaking of the duties and responsibilities that women have to their husbands, and much of this commentary is highly religious. Cobbe frequently alludes to successful marriage as one that “brings [a couple] together to the very gates of heaven!” (100). She does this, however, by pointing out that it is by being noble, acting in charity and ambition, that spouses achieve this status of blessedness and reach the gates of heaven. It is by encouraging self-sacrifice, not selfishness, in each other that a couple may have what Cobbe calls “what marriage ought to be” (100). Cobbe’s primary point when discussing the institution of marriage is in the third vow— notably present during most church weddings— imploring wives to obey their husbands. On page 102, Cobbe writes, 

Some people tell us that it is incumbent on a woman to take and keep this vow, because she is exhorted by St. Paul to "obey her husband in the Lord." I cannot fairly argue this point, being too far outside the pale of orthodoxy to consider a moral problem to be solvable by a text. But I would remind those who quote this passage in one Epistle of the great Apostle, to remember that they are bound to attach the same authority to a parallel passage in another Epistle, wherein the same Apostle commands Slaves to obey their Masters; and actually sends back to his chain a runaway who in our day would have been helped to freedom by every true Christian man or woman in America. The whole tone of early Christian teaching, indeed, was one of entire submission to the "powers that be," even when they were represented by such insane despots as Tiberius, Caligula and Nero .

Cobbe continues on this note about the religious duty to obey and counteracts it with other religious sentiments. She speaks of her personal Responsibility as God made her a “Rational Free Agent” (105-106). It is in this manner that Cobbe continues to use the religiosity of her Victorian Era audience to challenge the very religious constructs that are partially to blame for the sexism in the system of marriage. 

Cobbe goes on to talk about religious arguments for a woman’s duty to keep a nice household resembling the “Kingdom of God” (114). This includes taking care of all creatures who are living under a woman’s roof, from her family and friends to animals. In this section we can see Frances Power Cobbe’s passion for the antivivisection movement and some of the religious components that were at play. Cobbe concludes this lecture by stating that, if women cannot uphold their religious contractual duties (specifically referring to the religious duties to keep house and provide justice to all creatures within a woman’s home), how can women expect to be given extra responsibilities in society?

Cobbe was unorthodox in many ways in her life, from her pioneering work with the feminist and antivivisection movements to her own sexuality and partnership with Mary Lloyd. Frances Power Cobbe continued to challenge assumptions in her life through her religious identity. Though she frequently uses religion in her work as a means to connect and motivate her audience (as we see clearly in Lecture IV), she does not necessarily share the same views that she utilizes for persuasive purposes. In fact, Cobbe's religious views during her life were considered quite radical for 19th century England (Bauer 62). Cobbe, though raised as a Christian in a family of very religious individuals, started having doubts about her religious identity as a young person and completely rejected the organized religion altogether. As time went on, Cobbe began to develop a sense of who God was and her own personal religion which would go on to influence her writing, legislation, and activist work in multiple movements. Though she found her faith again, she never fully returned to the orthodox Christianity that she was raised in, rather she moved through different religious identities until landing on theism (Bauer 62). Throughout her discovery of theism, Cobbe developed three main pillars of her religious identity, all of which are reflected in Lecture IV: "the notion of individual responsibility, the obligation to pursue the virtuous life, and the importance of freedom" (Bauer 63). We can see Cobbe pushing for individual responsibility-- the first of her pillars-- when she implores women to take care fo their homes and all beings inside of them (Cobbe 114). We can see Cobbe endorsing virtue-- her second pillar-- in her commentary on self-sacrifice making a marriage blessed (100). And we can see Cobbe's feelings about freedom-- her third pillar-- when she discusses personal responsibilities as a Rational Free Agent (105-106). 

Cobbe's religious identity is clearly reflected in her writing, but the so-called radical nature of Theism is not. Cobbe manages to utilize her own three pillars of religion to appeal to more orthodox women to try and persuade them of their contractual social duties.

Navigate to Editor to Minister Theodore Parker Sermons to read about what works influenced Cobbe's religious identity and see how that influenced her work outside of The Duties of Women. Or skip ahead to read about Marriage in Lecture IV!