The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1893-06-09
PRO AND CON.
Shall Women Be Licensed to
Preach!
Both Sides OF this Interesting 0ues.
ton Ably Discussed,
by the Editor of the Sunday School
Times, and the Late Kev. j. c.
Mitchell, ID. ID.
From the sunday-school Times.

What etumbling-bIOck is made of
the letter OF the Sculptures, when II
Is taken as limiting, instead Of IA sug-
gesDug, tue spirit Of the inapirrd
text. y few sentences in Paui's let
tiers to individuals ami to local
churches, illustrative OF sound prin-
cipies OF action, concerning the use of
medicine, aud the respect to be paid
to Oriental views of the place OF wo-
man in pubic assemblies are per-
Verted into absolute commandments
for all times and places. Paul SAYS
emphatically to Timothy: "Be no
longer drinker Of water, but use "A
little VINE for thy stomach's sllle
and thine often infirnlities." What
Nh absurdity to claim that THAT is an
unVarying injunction to every Chris.
tiap, or every Christisn pastor, to
quit water AZ beverage Yet Il
popular method OF Interpreting
Scripture would necessitate that con-
clusion. So again in the words about
womsn's place in the churches.
There is great deal Of needless con-
fusion on this subject. A kentucky
lady asks a. follows:
Will the Editor ot The Suuday-school
Times, or some OF the contributors, give
us AN article on the subject of women
giving their testimony for Christ in
prayer meetings and revival meetings?
This request is not from idle curiosity,
but it is of serious Importance to lay
self and many others who are anX-
iously searching for the truth as it is
tanuht in tho Sorinturas NUhafha II ba
a compliment" to the sex or not.
And Southern theological student
thus asks in the same line:
As have been a subscriber for some
years 10 The Sunday-school Times, and
highly respect the opinion of its editor,
Or. II. Clay Trumhull, l take this
liberty OF asking him what meaning he
would give TO certain expression
which occurs in Corinthians IA: "a, So,
as whether women should be allowed to
pray, testify, etc in our prayer-meet-
ings and other meetings, outside of the
preaching service i think they should,
but meet many who think otherwise.
The passage referred to is: LET
! the woman keep silence in the
churches; for it is not permitted them
to speak but let them be in suffice
! tion, AS also saith the law. And if
they would learn anything, let them
| ask their own husbands st home: for
it is shameful for II woman to speak
in the church.n II thi- injunction OF
! Pauls weIe to be taken in dead
! literalness, then not oUly must wo-
man refrain from taking part in any
OF tue sefv ces Of the church even
the congr. gstioual singing, but il
she "wOulh learn anything" she
must not ask her pastor about il, o.
III elder brother, or younger sister
but ste must ask her husband al
home, and if she hasn't husband
she must consent to live and die in
ignorance The bare suggestion OF
this il sufficient to show the injus
tice OF the claim that the counsel wa'
meant 30 be taken thus literally. Il
is evident that Paul is not here intro
duciug Il new teaching which il
wholly different from that whicl
was prevalent under "the law" bu
that he is declaring tuth which il
consistent with all that is taught OF
the subject, by precept and by Illus
traton, in the Old Testament and il
the New. And what are those Othe
teachings? Miriam was a prophet
ess. She led the praises OF Code
peopIe in a time when they wer,
made God S witnesses before all tht
world. Deborah was not ouly 1
prophecies, but ruler and leader il
Israel. "She Judged Israel" aud sh
directed the military movements 0
Israel Huldah was a prophecies
She declared the word of God to kim
and priest and. scribe alike. Micah
the prophet Of God, pointed bsck t.
Miriam as one of Gods leaders il
Israel And Joel, another prophet o
God, foretold that in the better day
of the Messiah the daughters" o
the Lords people should prOphes.
under the guidance of the Spirit o
God. This is the way it was accord
ing to the Old Testament record
- How was it according to the New
} Anna was a prophecies in the tempt
: courts. Elizabeth and Mary spOk
songs of praise, which the gOspe
. records tor the benefit of future gen
; erations, together with the prOphesy
ings of Anna. Priscilla WAS CON
panion of Paul in his jOurneyinl
: and she was one OF those who in
proved the eloquent ApollOs' theO
ogy; when they "eApounded unit
/. him the way of God more perfectly.
!, Paul refers to her as one Of his "heiI
!, ers in Christ Jesus" unto whom nC
only he was ready to "give thankt
but also all the churches Of the Ger
tiles" AS Paul says that there wa
|. a church in her house, she coul
hardly have helped speaking i
) church, unless she went outdoors Il
reet.presching. Philip the evang'
list had seven unmarried daughtel
who prophesied, and no apOst
seems to have had any rebuke fC
them. Even Paul, who is cited
opposed to woman's having an
I part I'm public services, refers to IL
: Importance Of wOman's having h'
head covered when she does pray
prophesy. In short, If IL were foun
that Psups wOrds-in the two
a three texts which are taken out Il
q proof in that dlrectiOn-sre to oe vi
derstood "a showing that God 10
> bids TO woman part IN the teachin
~ - -. II, hia nuhIiQ nrai6