The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-18

Of the Democratic party any moro than
their open assaults ore permitted to over
throw It's power. Vote for FLowED and
eHxHHAN. tho Democratic candidates, and
keep New York whore 1t belongs.
Should Women Preach?
Tho Methodist Ecumenicd Council de-
voted Tuesday to considering the justice
and expediency Of admitting women to the
pulpit. From the outset ofthe debate there
was disclosed o marked difference Of atti-
tude between tho members Of the American
and European sections. It appears that
several OF tho British Methodist organiza-
lions already allow women to preach. and
that some requested permission to send
women delegates to the Washington confer
ence. permission which was refused. As
regards cogenoy Of argument and eloquence
Of appeal. the advocates Of woman's fitness
for the discharge OF clergyman's duties
undoubtedly had the best Of It. so far "a the
sympathies Of onlookers were concerned.
80 far as tho discussion turned on theo-
logical data. the speakers divided according
as they adhered to the letter Of PAUL's
well-known Injunction. or % they preferred
to follow the example Of JESUS and to carry
out the spirit Of His teachings. The Church
Of Rome. the so-called Orthodox or Greek
Church. the Church Of England. the Luz
theran and Calvinistic Churches Of the Con-
tinent. the Presbyterian Church on both
sides OF the Atlantic. the American Episco-
pal Church. the English and American Con-
gregational Churches. and most Of the
Methodist organizations In both hemi-
spheres. have up to the present time &C.
copied rs binding the words Of PAUL: Let
your women keep silence In the churches.
for 1t Is not permitted unto them to speak"
Yet OF recent years there have not been
wanting. In England at all events. vigorous
upholders Of woman's qualifications for the
pulpit. and. as the experience Of this Con-
ference demonstrates. they are particularly
numerous In the Methodist body.
1t is by them contended that woman q 1T
ness for the Christian ministry was de-
clared by JESUS Himself. when. far from
admitting that MARTHA. by conflning her
mans proper sphere. he averred that her
hold to follow the Saviour. had chosen the
better path. They maintain. further. that
the whole tendency OF CHR1sT's references
to women was to Lift them to full equality
with men and to rescue them from the po-
sltion Of subordination. not to say servi-
tude. which they occupied In Palestine. as
in all other Oriental countries. Nor do they
hesitate to express a conviction that PAUL
himself propounded no immutable rule Of
universal application. but gave precept
adapted to particular occasion. It cannot
be supposed. they argue. that tho Apostle
would have enjoined silence upon women
could he have foreseen how well they would
DO qualified to speak by the opportunities
OF education and the civil rights which they
enjoy In all English-speaking countries.
The debate on this subject In the confer
ence was opened by Bishop NNDE. who
denied the competence Of any individual
man. OF Of any body OF mon. to define the
sphere OF woman. She was defining It for
hsrself. he said. and 1t was for ministers of
tho Gospel to consider how far 1t became
them to try to bar out Of the pulpit sex to
which the doors of all other liberal profess
slons wore being rapidly unlocked. There
was not. indeed any other vocation where.
- he believed. the qualities especially
characteristic of woman. such az tenderness
and pity. were more needed and more fruit
full than they would be In the Christian min
istry. Bishop NNDR was followed by the
Rev. ". D. WALTERS, Secretary Of tho Lon
don Wesleyan Mission, who has had pro-
longed experience Of woman's adaptability
to missionary labors. He recounted what
had been done by women for the needy and
benighted population Of East London and
Bouth London. and he added that his case
would have been much more forcibly pro-
sAnted II some Of his feminine co-workers
had becn suffered to speak for themselves.
On the whole. the strongest plea for the
admission OF women to every department
Of religious work was made by the Rev.
WILLIAM GoRMAN Of Belfast, Ireland. He
pointed out that already woman was al
lowed to bring all her helpful virtues and
graces to the altar. except the power Of her
speech. She might sing hymns and work
IN the homes established to succor and re-
deem the fallen: she might pray by the
bedside OF the dying; sho might train up
her son. like SAMUEL. to preach: she might
help her husband to prepare his sermons:
but sho was not permitted to preach her.
self. She was welcomed to the platforms Of
Theosophlsts. who understood better than
some Christians the influence exerted by
the voice OF woman on the moral and emo
tonal nature. To whom" asked Nr. COR
MAN In conclusion. lis the presence of
woman III tho pulpit obnoxious9 II to any.
then lot the pulpit DO removed. but lei
woman DO left"
Women found Mt least one resoluto up
holder among the American members Of
the conference. in Prof. J. +. lands OF Day
ton. Ohio. He was Of tho opinion that In
the work OF exhortation aud conversion
men might show themselves even moro
skilful and discreet than mon. They wore
able to manage their husbands; why should
they not be also able To control congrcga-
tion Prof LANDIg went on to put woman's
right OF admission to tho pulpit on the
ground that the greater part Of those vino
attend church arc women, who indisputably