The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-04-13
The Women preaohsr..

A strong current of feeling is being
excited at the present time on the sub
ject of woman's preaching. II NAV con-
tinue TO increase untilthe matter is taken
in hand by some Of the giants in the
land, and properly settled upon scrip
tural grounds. There are more than
twenty candidates who are clamoring
now to enter the ministry, trying TO SET
aside the injunctions Of the apostle irj
this matter upon the prctext, that the
passages usually quoted were only tenn
porary instructions given for the time
then being, and were not intended to
establish an usage for all time. II is
claimed that st. Paul was n man of TOO
much gallantry and file feeling TO make
this rule for all the world: "Let your
women keep silence in the churches,
for il is not permitted them to speak,
Again, al suffer not woman to teach,
nor to usurp authority, &c." Cor. IA:
"a. Tim. 2:l2. Such passages, it is
affirmed, had temporary use. But the
occasion having passed away, the rule
is no longer to be enforced. Assuming
this position, somebody invited Miss
Oliver to preach before the Methodist
preachers conference in New York, a
week or two since. But an objection
was made to hearing the lady. on the
ground that the conference ought not to-
sanction or recognize the official minis-
try of women. DIR. Buckley, of SIAM
ford, Conn, led and carried the opposi-
ton. He said, Why not assume that
the gospel was temporary affair, or
the injunction to be "Born again" or.
"Repent and believe the gospel were
intended for the people of that age alone.
He further quoted the late DR.. Finney
of Obcrlin, as having said to his stu
dents in regard to the tendency of run
ming after female preachers, that il was
an ''aberratlon of amativeness," and was
directly in opposition to the clearest do
clarations of the gospel. A vote being
taken, it was determined by a large
majority not to hear the lady preach.
Thereby the preachers meeting declared
itself opposed to tho Official ministry of
women. BY the press and some of the
ministers, Miss Oliver has been pulled
and patroniZed as an efficient co-work-
er Tor year or more past, but is set
aside finally.
To the gifted and accomplished lady
principal of the Troy Conference Acad-
envy, an address is assigned to be de-
livered before the Sabbath school organ
ization connected with the Methodist
Conference, which meets at Pittsburgh,
N. y, on the 18th of April. That there
will be i'll her address rich display of
talent, we entertain no doubt, for she is
a lady of decidedly fine ability. And
added to her many other qualifications
she has cultivated the graces of elo-
quencc. When she arises to address an
audience her whole soul leaps to her
face, which, though not particularly fine,
''Maid of Orleans" and she is then pass ,,s
ing fair. Her voice is sweet and musi-
cal, her meditation is perfect, her
words are generally well chosen. As
sentence follows sentence with deem
persuasive cadence, every lineament of
her feature beams as if bathed to trans
port in "King Solomon's deem brazen
sea- Good judges who have heard her
speak well of her discourses. She does
not style herself a preacher, or lecturer.
but having won the admiration ofcount-
less thousands on the camperounds of
Chatauqua, Ocean Grove, and else
where, we judge the 'aberration of am
ativeness" was moved to its DEPTHS.
She is indeed pleasant speaker.
We do not believe that every woman
pastor finds that Office paradise. II is
announced that Mrs. Hannaford, pastor
of an Universalist church in Jersey
City, n. Y, is deeply in trouble. Ii is
claimed that the church has gained
largely in numbers and strength during
the three years she has presided there
but now the sisters, who are in the ma
lority, prefer man pastor. The posi-
bilities are, that Mrs. Hannaford may
withdraw with most or all of the breth-
rem. and organize new church. There
will then remain emphatically a sister
church, who are not affected by any
elaboration Of amativencss," to procure
such man as pleases them, and go OH
The system of female incumbency is
on trial, and if the scriptures do not set
tie 1t, or if it does, and that rule is
SCI aside, this may be the way to adjust
II In the absence of better authority.
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