Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-05-17
woMAN's RIGHT TO PREACH.

A'Oh BiNNRANA NiiN iNpOJ wi
Church at McMinnville, Tenn, on
Tuesday, May llth, by Rev. F. l..
Leeper:
Cor. l4:34-4O; Tim. >: lilo
The question of woman's place in
society, and the limit of her sphere
of actions, is one of the living ques-
tons of our day. Standing today
in my place as an ambassador for
Christ, / have nothing to do with the
many phases of this question that re-
late to the social and political sides
of life. Whether women shall be
voters, office-hOlders in the State,
lecturers, or leaders in the great social
or moral reformations of the day, are
questions upon which 1 may have
my opinion, and in common with all
other men, upon proper occasions
and in proper places, may freely ex-
press those opinions. But as preacher,
have nothing to do with them.
When / enter the pulpit, my own in-
dividual manhood, with its rights,
must be put aside, and l must re-
member that here 1 personify the
Lords Christ, and am to speak only
the things he hath commanded me to
speak. Where the Lord hath spoken
/ am to speak, when He shuts His
mouth | am to shut mine. / am
therefore today limited by my very
position TO the discussion of but one
phase of this question, that is, wo-
mans right to hold Office in the
Church of Christ. But before enter
ing upon the discussion of even this
question there are certain preliminary
principles to be settled, if the discus
sion is to be wise or profitable.
/. We must always remember that
the Church is peculiar institution in
this world. Amid all the various Or
CARNATIONS among men, there is none
like unto her. She was born in Gods
great purpose of redeeming mercy,
called into being by the voice of His
saving love, ana made living, work
ing agent in the world by His regen-
Grating Spirit. She was bound up
therefore in her life, not in Gods
general benevolence to men, but in
the one purpose to save men, and to
save through regenerating power OF
the Spirit and faith in the crucified
Christ. Her one mission in the
world is to seek the lost, and to bring
them to Jesus, the one Saviour, that
they may be saved. AS part of the
machinery called into being by Gods
plan of saving mercy, she is purely
the creature of His word of grace. To
her therefore the Scriptures are the
fundamental cause of her being, and
rule of life. True, in a sense, the
church is a voluntary society; that is
no one may be forced into her fold
Every one is free to elect whether he
in common with all other citizens
then the last Constitutional enact
ment would of necessity annul the
former.
In coming to the study of the New
Testament, which is the last utter,
ance to the Church of the will of hel
King, we meet with strong fac
upon the very Threshold. We find
that there were women who lefI
home, kindred and friends, and wen
constantly with Jesus in His Minis
try. These women devoted them
selves and their substance entirely t
His service. They were constan
attendants upon his Ministry ant
were as well qualified to preach al
any of His disciples, yet He never
sent one of them out to preach, bu
choose His apostles entirely from
among the men. See Luke s: 1-3
Now / am aware that if under tn,
Old Testament woman were preach
ers, then the mere absence of any
mention of women as preacher
under the New leaves the Old Tesla
ment provision in full force. TIL
authority of the Old Testament is di
rect and positive, and unless a provis
ion or command in it is anulled by
positive command from the Lord
then it abides today as the law O
Christ, of equal force and authOrit,
with any wordin the New Testament
/ simply say that the fact that Jesu
having around Him such noble wo
men to have chosen from, never il
His Ministry either before or afte
His resurrection should have chosel
one of these women and commission
ed her to preach, is a very strang
fact, if it were His will that the