Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-02-18
CoyvesbOnaence.
Written for the VcrmoRt PhGntT.
THE BIBLB POSITION or uv'O.u-
nv, or U'O.u.g.NsS RIGHTS FR ON
n BIBLE ST.r.vD-POEvT.
ny aRs. c. !. II. sTcHots, oYKArsNs.
(Continucd.)


ministers OF the gospel, we have abundant
testimony from Paul himself In his letter
to the Roman Church, Rom. xvi, Paul
writes, II commend unto you Phcbc our
sister, who is servant OF the church at
| Cenchroa, that 20 receive her in tho Lord,
as becomoth saints, and that yo assist hor
in whatsoever business sho hath mood of
you" "Greot Priscilla and Aquilla, my
helpers in Christ Jesus; unto whom not
only give thanks, but all the churches Of
the Gentiles." "Saluto Tryphona and Try
| phosa, who labor in the Lord; the beloved
| Porsis, who labors much in tho Lord"
! These women wore clothed also with the
official authority Of toaohors and ministers
| OF Christ, I. Cor. xvi, i5. Speaking or the
house Of Stcphanas, Paul cxhorts tho Cor
inthian church to submit yourselves 10
| such, and tO every one that bclpcth with us
and laboroth." PHILIPPIANS iv, o: "IIclp
| those women which labored with mo in tho
! gospel, with Clcmont also, and with other
| of my fellow laborors." Some divincs have
| attempted to explain away these evidences
! Of woman's ministry in the carly Christian
! church, asserting that thcso women were
! de1concsscs, and laborcd and helped in
temporal matters of tho church, and minis
tered TO tho material needs of the APOSTLES
and evangolsts-as one elegantly expressed
it, "madc and washed their clothes, monded
thoir stockings and scwcd on their but
tons" The deacons were chosen with ref
ercnco 70 their spiritual gifts. Those set
apart by tho apostles were said TO bo "ful
nc I,I C.,s
10 death preaching Christ with great elo-
qucncc and power. Another, Philip, "min-
iStcrcd to the church in Samaria," =" preached
Christ To tho Ethiopian, and baptized bin.
The Office of deaconess thon, corresponding
tOthat OF deacon, implies authority to preach
and baptizo. That tho ministry of these
women was limited TO temporal matters. rs
makingand mondingand washing. involves
tho conclusion that Pauls labors. and the
mission Of Christ even, occupied the same
level; for he speaks Of them rs his helpers
in Christ Jesus; as ''laborers with him in
tho gospol''-not in laundry work. They
were thanked, not only by him, for their
labors, but by ''all the churches of the Cen
tiles Fancy these sisters itnerating to
all tho churches of the Gentiles, with bags
OF stocking-yarn, needles md thread; the
Roman church, mon as we'll as wbmen, in
obedience to Paurs injunction, assisting
sister Phebe in tho business Of repairing
heels and toes, sowing on buttons, &cl
No doubt there were in those days, as In
the present, women who looked after the
creature comforts OF the clorgy, and
Pauls mention Of such is in appropriate
terms. He says of one, "Greet Mary, who
bestowed much labor on u.s." 1t may be
fairly inferred, that tho Mary here mon
toned, was ono of tho good sisters, who
made Paul and his bachelor assistants COM
Portable and tidy in person, as she bestowed
her labor on them, and there Is no record
of her boing n laborer or helper in Christ
Jesus, or that tho churches, ms such, had
anything 10 thank her for.
Great stress is laid upon texts declaring
that the man is the head of the woman; as
though hoadship implied absolute and ire
sponsible authority,-a sort OF Dictatorship
established for the special benefit of tho
dictator. But the term as used in tho Scrip-
lures, is representative, in that thoro Is mu-
tual consent associated with mutual dcpon-
dcnce. The Office of the head, rs of each Of
tho members, is dependent upon tho con-
sent and cooperation OF the other members.
Speaking OF tho church as body, Paul
says, I. Cor XII, II, 81, %, "a: "For the
body Is not one member,"-no all head
"but many. And the eye cannot say
20 tho hand, 1 have no need Of thee: nor
again the head TO the feet, have no need
Of you. Nay, much more, those mombors
Of The body which seem 10 be moro feoLle,
aro necessary :. God hath tempered
the body together, having given more abun-
dnnt honor to that which lacked, that there
should be no schism in the body, but that
the members should have the same carcuuo
of another" The head is hero spoken Of
as member, with the feet, of tho body.
Tho ofllco OF the head being ono Of mem
bcrship, is controlled and dictated 10 by tho
needs and interests OF the body, of which
Il is mombor. And hero it is important
10 remember, that the head Is not used IN
the Bible to signify Intelligence or wisdom,
but as uourishlng, chorishlng, saving. In
both tho old and new Testaments, wisdom
and intelligence arc associated with the
heart. /. Kings i'll, 8: "Give therefore thy
servant an understanding heart, to judge
tho people, that may discern between good
and evil" Prov. XVI, 2l: "The wise In
heart shall be called prudent The heart OF
tho wise tcacheth his mouth, and addeth
learning to his lips." Prov. viii, 3: o, We
simple, understand wisdom; and We fools
bo of an understanding heart. Y, s.; The
wise in heart will rocoive commandments"
Ill h,t 4, -
and hardened their heart, that they should
not see with their eyes, nor understand with
their heart, and be converted" Rom. X, 10:
"For with tho heart man bollevoth TO right
oousness. out OF the heart are the issues OF
li1e." Eph. iv, Is; "IInving tho under
standing darkoned, being alienated from
tho life OF God, through the ignorance that
Is In thom, because of the blindness of thoir
heart" Tho roligion OF Christ Is embodied
In lovo, which is the wisdom of salvation.
Hence tho heart is used to symbolic love,
or thu divine wisdom. Eph. V, p TO 80;
Paul uses the term head In the sense of saw
ing, nourlshing, chorishing. "Wives sub
init yourselves TO your own husbands, rs
unto tho Lord. For tho husband Is the
hoad of the wife, even as Christ is the head
of the church and he is tho Savior OF the
body, Therefore, rs the church is subject
to Christ, 30 also let wives be to their own
husbands In everything. 1.-THE version Of
| tho American Bible Union, by substituting
| the indicative mood for tho imperative,
| changes tho last clause from command 20
the statement Of fact, thus; "But Rs the
church Is subject TO Christ, so Oalso arc wives
/ l.. a
lovo your wives even as Christ loved the
church, and gavo himself for it, that he
| mlghtPauctiry and cleanse II, q, that
he might present It 10 himself glorious
| church, .. So ought mon to love
| their wives Ms their own bodies. He that
| loveth his wifo loveth himself For no man
ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourish-
eth and chersheth 1t, even as The Lord the