CHAPTER VIII.

ON THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN.

WHILE, by the bulk of the Christian world, the public preaching and praying of women is strictly excluded, and it is even considered indisputable, that their peculiar duties in society, and the offices of the Christian preacher are absolutely incompatible, Friends believe it right, freely and equally, to allow the ministry of both sexes. That this is indeed a necessary consequence of those sentiments respecting the ministry which I have already endeavoured to unfold, must be plain to the reflecting reader. Since we conceive, on the one hand, that all true ministry is uttered under the immediate influence of the Spirit of Christ-and since, on the other hand, we confess that the wind bloweth where it listeth-we cannot, reasonably, do otherwise than make way for the exercise of the gift by those persons, of every description, whom the Spirit may direct into the service, and whom the Great Head of the church may be pleased to appoint as his instruments, for the performance of his own work. It is, indeed, declared that "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets:" and hence it may be inferred that, in the conduct of our gifts, we ought not to neglect the dictates of a sound and enlightened discretion: but we believe that we must not limit the Holy One of Israel, or oppose to the counsels of infinite wisdom our own fallible determinations. We dare not say to the modest and pious female, "Thou shalt not declare the word of the Lord," when we believe that, from an infinitely higher authority, there is issued a directly opposite injunction, "Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak."

Now, that women are often led to proclaim the word of the Lord among us that it is laid upon them as an indispensable duty—that they are, from time to time, constrained, under the influence of the

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Spirit, to rise up in our meetings for worship, in order to instruct, exhort, convince, and console; or to kneel down and address the Most High, as the organs of the assembly; and further, that their services of this description are frequently accompanied with life and power, and greatly tend to the edification of their hearers-are facts, the truth of which long experience has taught us; and which no persons, who are intimately acquainted with our Society, will be disposed to deny.

Nor is there any thing either astonishing or novel in this particular direction of the gifts of the Spirit. Nothing astonishing, because there is no respect of persons with God: the soul of the woman, in his sight, is as the soul of the man, and both are alike capable of the extraordinary as well as the general influences of his Spirit. Nothing novel, because, in the sacred records of antiquity, there are found numerous examples of women, as well as of men, who were impelled to speak to others on matters of religion, by the direct and immediate visitations of the Holy Ghost. It was, doubtless, under such an influence, that Miriam responded to the song of Moses; that Deborah uttered her psalm of triumph; that Hannah poured forth, in the temple, her acceptable thanksgivings; that Huldah prophesied to king Josiah and his officers; that the aged Anna spake of Christ" to all them that looked for redemption in Israel" that Elizabeth addressed the mother of her Lord and that Mary sang praises to her God and Saviour. Of the individuals now mentioned, Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah, are expressly called prophetesses. The wife of Isaiah was a prophetess. We read, also, of false prophetesses-a circumstance which plainly indicates that there were true prophetesses, who were the objects of their imitation, and from whom they were distinguished.2

Among the early ministers of the Gospel dispensation, particular mention is made of the four daughters of Philip, who prophesied or preached. The same office probably devolved, in a very eminent manner, on Priscilla, the wife of Aquila, to whom all the churches of the Gentiles gave thanks, and whom Paul expressly calls his helper," or, as in the Greek, his "fellow-labourer in Christ."

3 Acts xxi. 9; comp. xv. 32; 1 Cor. xiv. 3.

4 Rom. xvi. 3, 4; comp. Greek text of ver. 21; 2 Cor. viii. 23; Phil. ii. 25; 1 Thess. iii. 2.

Again, on another occasion, the apostle speaks of the women who "laboured" with him "in the Gospel." In order, however, to establish the point now under consideration, nothing further would be necessary than a reference to the history given, in the book of Acts, of that great day of Pentecost, when the Spirit was so abundantly poured forth on the disciples of the Lord Jesus. It is recorded, in that history, that when the men and women were collected together, to the number of about one hundred and twenty, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake as the Spirit gave them utterance. Here we have the declaration of a plain and indisputable fact; and that fact is of the more importance because of its agreement with the prediction of the prophet Joel. It was expressly provided and ordained, as is amply proved by that celebrated prediction, that, in the last days, or under the last dispensation, the Spirit should be poured forth "upon all flesh❞—that no distinction should, in this respect, be made between the male and the female that the daughters as well as the sons, the handmaidens as well as the servants, should receive the heavenly gift, and prophesy.3

On the other hand, however, it has often been remarked, that Paul, in one passage of his epistles, has commanded women to "keep silence in the churches ;" and, in another, declares that he suffers them not "to teach." The passages alluded to are as follows: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And, if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church." Again: "I will, therefore, that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner, also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, &c. . . . . Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence; for Adam was first formed, then Eve."5

Now, on the comparison of these injunctions with the other passages of Scripture already cited, and especially with the prophecy of Joel, and the history of its fulfilment, the interpreter of the sa

1 Phil. iv. 3.

4 1 Cor. xiv, 34, 35,

2 Ch. i. 14, 15; i. 1–4. 3 Acts ii. 16-18, 5 1 Tim. ii. 8-13,

cred volume appears to be driven into one of two decisions: the first, that the apostles and prophets, whose works must be ultimately traced to the same divine Author, have contradicted one another; and this on a point of considerable practical importance: the second, that the public speaking of women, so positively forbidden by Paul, was not that description of speaking which was prompted by the immediate impulses of the Holy Spirit.

Even were it impossible to throw any further light on the question, I presume there are few readers of Scripture who would hesitate in choosing the latter alternative; especially since it is quite unreasonable to suppose that the apostle would venture to forbid any ministry which was inspired, and which was therefore fully sanctioned by his divine Master. But, in adopting this conclusion, we are yet further confirmed by critical evidence.

In the former of these passages, the clew to the apostle's real meaning, in forbidding the public speaking of women, will be found in the words of ver. 35-" And, if they will learn any thing," says he, "let them ask their husbands at home." It has already been observed, that the whole of this chapter of the epistle to the Corinthians relates to their assemblies for divine worship, and was intended to correct certain abuses which had rendered those assemblies unprofitable and disorderly. Now, in the Jewish synagogues, after the pattern of which the meetings for worship of the earliest Christians were, probably, in many respects, regulated, it was customary for the hearers to question the ministers on such points of their doctrine as might require further explanation; and it appears probable that a similar practice had been introduced into the church of Corinth, and that the women of that church were remarkably prone to it. Such a practice might, under peculiar circumstances, be allowed to men, and especially to the elders and overseers, who were possessed of authority in the body, and were the managers of the congregations; but it was, evidently, very inconsistent with that diffidence which ought ever to distinguish the character and manners of females. The apostle, therefore, enjoins them to keep silence in the church, and to restrain their eager desires for further instruction, until they could obtain it in private, from their own husbands. "In the synagogue," says the learned

1 See Lightfoot, Hor. Heh. in loc,

Benson, "any man who had a mind might ask questions of his teachers, and demand a further explanation of what had been said. And this custom was also transferred into the primitive Christian church, and that with the approbation of St. Paul. Only, he would not permit the women to do so; as the Judaizers at Corinth would have had them. No: if they wanted to have any further instructions, they were to ask their own parents or husbands at home; and not enter into such conferences publicly in the church." Such, then, we may conclude, was the public speaking forbidden by the apostle, and not that inspired ministry which originated in the will of Christ, and was immediately prompted by his Holy Spirit.

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The second passage, above cited, is worded in a manner somewhat obscure; but appears to be best construed (according to the opinion of various commentators)-as conveying an injunction that women, as well as men, should pray every where, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. Having issued this injunction, together with one relating to attire, the apostle proceeds to command the women in the church of Ephesus (in conformity with his directions to those at Corinth) to "learn in silence with all subjection ;" and, further, he expressly declares that he suffers them not "to teach." The verb "to teach" is one of very general import; and, together with its derivative nouns, is applied in Scripture to religious instruction of various descriptions; but, in this passage, it probably designates a specific duty or faculty in the church, which is repeatedly distinguished by this apostle from the gift of prophecy or preaching. Now, although both these faculties, as enjoyed in the primitive church, are described as being divinely bestowed, there is reason to believe, that the impulses of the Spirit were of a far more direct and positive nature in the one case than in the other. I conceive that the teaching, which the apostle suffered not to be

1 On the Public Worship of the first Christians, Com. on Epist. vol. i, p. 628.

2 See Poole's Synopsis.

3 1 Tim. ii. 8, 9. Βούλομαι οὖν προσεύχεσθαι τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐν παντὶ τόπω, κ. τ. λ. Ὡσαύτως καὶ τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν καταστολή κοσμίω, μετὰ αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφρούνης, κοσμεῖν ἑαυτὰς, «. T. λ. "I will, therefore, that men pray every where, &c. Likewise, also, the women, in a modest dress, comp. 1 Cor. xi. 5; (I would have them) adorn themselves with shamefacedness and sobriety," &c.

4 Rom. xii. 6, 7; 1 Cor. xii. 28; Eph. iv. 11.