The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-01-10
SHALL WON EN PREACH?
Paul's Charges TO Gentle Churches
Practically Considered,
Isolated Texts TO Establish Personal Bias
-Tattlera aud Busy Bodies Among the
Young Widows, Etc

En- News DEMOCRAT; The view Of
Canton diyinea, expressed through your
columns, have at least, tho merit Of In
diyldual opinions frankly expressed
In one case the Apostle Paul Is quoted
~ authority against q woman teaching
or preaching IN public, The writer
taking oecasiou to impress his personal
belief that q woman unscxea herself
whenever she comes before the world,
no matter how great her genius, or
splendid her endowmenla.
This Is not the FIRST time the Apostle
Paul has been quoted 70 sustain q hu
man bias, The old slave autocrats
always quoted him Os divine sanction
Tor human slavery, because ho said,
Servants, be Obedout 10 them that are
your masters according 70 the flesh,
with fear and trembling"
The liquor advocates quote him, be-
cause he said, IN letter to Timothy,
"Drnk no longer water but use little
wine for the stomach'S sake"
The advocates Of "MarrIOgels Fail
ure," quote him, because ho said, "l
would that all men we're even gs my
self say therefore 10 the
unmarried and the widows, "lt Is good
for them TO abide even as l."
The fanatcOl Mormon opponents Of
ciyll authority have fortified them
selves behind the words, "Dare any Of
you, having matter against another,
20 TO law before the unjust, and not
before the SalntsY DO ye not know the
Saints shall Judge the worldp'
The advocates Of tho divine right Of
Kings defend all oppressiors ana abuses
with the texts "llonor tho King" The
powers that be are ordained Of God"
But because blind Leaders Of the
blind have chosen TO se2e upon u few
isolated texts, bearing solely upon the
conditions and circumstances Of the
times, during which Paul wrought aud
having no relation 10 the eternal yer.
ities, fls 80 forCibly illustrated In his ex'
emplilicatiOn OF spiritual truths, II does
not follow that these set forth the real
practice and precepts Of lhegrcat Apos'
Tie OF the Gentiles.
la his work of eyaugeli2ation In
Asia Minor, Paul and his associates
were brought In contact with henthen
civilization, manners, customs ana ira.
ditiOns; people stepped IN Vices and
crimes, SOME OF which, aS h0 tells us,
cannot even be named. The character
of the converts TO the church OF COrinth
he very clearly sets forth IN | Cor, vi,
q, 10, II: "lie ye not deceived; neither
fornicatOrs, nor id0lators nor adulter.
ers, nor elleminale, nor Obusers OF
themselves with mankind, nor thieves
nor cOyetous, nor drunkardS, nor revil.
ers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
Kingdom Of God, And such were
some OF you
The character Of the women Of the
church of COrinth is set forth with
equal terseneSs, IN his eShortailon con.
corning the care of widows; "Hhe
younger widows refuse; for whom they
have bpguu TO wax wanton against
Christ they will marry; having damna'
tion because they have cast off their
first faith. And wlthal they learn 10 b0
idle, wandering from house TO houses
and not only idle but tattlers and busy
bodies, speaking the things which they
ought not"
These were the women OF the respect.
able, domestic classes, llnearned, I'M
disciplined, the yeriest children IN spir'
itual aud intellectual development,
For such ns these to speak In churches
were u scandal, indeed There was still
another objection. While the wives
aud daughters were kept In Ignorance,
the lleterae, or women of the town,
were sometimes highly accomplished
and were the matches of philosophers
In the dispu,atiOns Of the public places,
We Gun imagine some Of these seeking
admission TO the young Christian
Chulches aud the reprOach their pres
ence would bring upon tho converts,
On the one side jlbbering Ignorance, on
the other side gltterlng harlotry,
Therefore "l suffer not woman TO
speak, Let your women keep silent IN
the churches"
So much for the GENTLE women,
before the leaveu Of Christian doctrine
had done It's benehcent work. Bat
there was another and u better class
of women with whom Paul did co
operate: women born of the Christian
dispensatiOn and destined early to be-
come its chiefest gltry.
A BIBLE STUDENT,
(To lic Conlnucdl