The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-02
SHALL WOMEN PREACH /?

THE QUESTION AFrInMATIvELY ANSWERED. AT
THE BAPTIST MINISTERS CONFERENCE.
Without TAX ing formal vote yesterday the Baptist
Minister'S Conference decided tho question: hall
women preach ~ in she affirmative by the weight ana
force their opinionx The question was brought up
incidentally by Rev. Robert u. Hull oil the Tabernacle
Church. this CITY, who read essay on 'The social
Meetings OF the Church" lie first told his brethren
that there model IN the Now Testament alter
which such meetings could be patterned. lie then
described tho character OF tho religious meetings
OF the apostolic Gays and the persons who par
ticipated IN them and showed that all tnosc meet
ings were social; that The moaern Church has
away from the simplicity OF those early gath
crings and that the setting up OF one man, MINISTER
or lay an, control the meetings OF The Church mas
IL tenaency to destroy personal religious liberty and
drive the people away from the house OF God 10 tho
course OF his DESCRIPTION OF what social meetings
ought be Mr. Hun expressed ms emphatic approval
OF women talking IN meetings. Brother Lodge DIS
scntcd IRON this the prohibition of Pani with
weighing more thun anything that he hnd ever read
or he ard on tho other side Dr. d. H. Miller. OF Green
poIni /. L. differed with Brother Lodge and wished
tnat women wou ii talk CHI .rch anu less out
of n Mr Gait was In favor Of women speaking ~
hgiocs meetings. also but he would nave tho subjects
oil remarks chosen beforehand ana tue persons 70
speak appointed. But tnis would crush out the spon-
tanety the meetings, which some oil his brethren
could DOT Indorsc
Bro,ncr OSBORN wished that women would talk
more IN meetings; "or,r ne said, 'thcy have the
happy faculty generally OF saying the right thne at
the right time, mucn more pleasantly tnd forci-
OF cxhortation Of a godly woman will produce much
better and important effects than iinc sermons
o. the ministers brilliant addresses OF other men
ANA as all our churches are made up largely ~
women much vital power OF the Church u lost by
prohibiting women speak, Dr. Snrles, TOO would
rather have thc speak Than have such long pauses
as sometimes occur IN the social meetings Dr. SAN
son wcnt back 70 Homer aud NrgiI to SHOW that
women TOOK part iD religious meetings, aud that IA
time OF the apostles this also was the custom.
lie also gave The exegeucal meaning Of tue Greek
word calico TO show tuat Paul prohibited not speak
ing cxboraton by women In the Church, put "con-
necte DISCOURSE which the word means And tins,
In l. Corinthians, agrees with l. Timothy, when no
suffers not a 10 teach nor to ururp abe author
ity over man Ms a teacher. Women were allowed TO
propnesy-that In to relate Christian experience and
1--WE word OF oxnor aton but not to preach sermons
az did or DO.
other brethren also favored tho participation by
women ali the social meetings OF tue Church; but
as to the direction aud concuct OF such meetings
opinions varied. Some would have them wholly
spontaneous others would have the mi MISTER or one
OF the lay m.n take charge. some would have ore
order OF and some another; Dut nearly all
were agreed that, whatever the order or drection
women should speak