The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-21

bishop. thou shalt lay thy hands upon
her 10 the presence Of the presbytery,
aud of the deacons and ~deaconesses,
and shalt say: 0 eternal God. the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. the
Creator of man and of woman, who
didst replenish with the Spirit Miriam
aud Deborah aud Anna and Huldah,
who didst not disdain that thy OILY
begotten Son should be born Of a
woman; who also 10 the tabernacle of
the testimony. and in the temple, didst
ordain women to be keepers of thy
holy gates-do thou now also look down
upon this thy servant who is to be
ordained to the office of deaconess, and
grant her thy Holy Spirit. aud cleanse
her from all flthiness of flesh and
spirit. that she may worthily discharge
the work which is committed to her to
thy glory. and the praise of thy
Christ, with whom glory and alteration
be to thee and the Holy Spirit forever.
Amen
Salute Prisca and Aquila' says
Paul, my fellow-workers in Christ
Jesus" putting the oma before the
man doubtless because she was the
more helpful Of the two. Then come
Tryphaena and Tryphosa and Persis,
three women who labored 10 the Lord.
He mentions also the mother of Rufus,
aud Julia aud the sister of Nereus.
All this shows clearly the part the
women played in church work in the
city of Rome. Ia almost every epistle
the apostle wrote, there is some sort
of meotioo like this. and ", are driven
to the conclusion that the ome did a
great deal towards building up and
maintaining the churches Of the apostle
lie day.
2. 1t is clear, too, from what Luke
says 10 the Acts. that the women voted
in the churches. When Peter. in that
upper chamber" advocated the cleo
ton of some one to take the place of
the fallen Judas, women we're present,
and the just superstition is that they
voted along with the others. Acts i
a.. The multitude Of the disciples
elected the seven who we're to minister
to the wants Of the poor, aud no reason
is given to lead us to suppose that the
women we're excluded. At any rate, it
is sure that they are nowhere forbidden
to vote in the New Testament.
3. 1t seems too that women prayed
in the churches. Acts i: ID. says.
after naming the apostles. "These all
With one accord continued steadfastly in
prayer, With the women, and Mary the
mother of Jesus, aud his brethren"
In I Cor. xi: 5, we read, but every
woman praying OF %propbesying with her
head unveiled dishouoreth. her head"
This simply means that when she prays
in the church. her demeanor must be
decorous and her behavior modest.
4. Thus far, many Of us 60
together. She can work, vote or pray
10 the church; but if oue suggests
that that she be allowed to speak, the
objection is raised that the Scriptures
forbid such a thing For many years
I held to his view also. | now want
to give you the result of al honest
investigation of the matter, and let
each reach his own conclusions.
There are two Scriptures used to
prove that a woman should not speak
in a mixed assembly. | will take them
up in order.
In l Cor. xiv: 81, 35, Paul says.
Let the women keep silence in the
churches ; for it is not permitted unto
the women to speak; but let them
be in subsection, as also saith the law.
Aud il they would learn anything,
let them ask their own husbands at
home; for it is shameful for a woman
to speak in the church" At first
glance, this does seem to settle the
question /; but little investigation
shows differently. What is the apostle
discussing? Order in the church is his
subject almost throughout the whole
letter. 1t seems it had been reported
to him that many things uuseemly
we're being done at Cerinth, and this
epistle was intended to correct them.
But l will cou6oe myself to this one
chapter. His advice is as follows:
v. %, speak so as to be understood by
the uulearned v. "a. don't talk too
much v. %, if one cannot speak
inteliigibly, let him keep silent; Y. 80,
let one speak at a time; V. 80, God is not
a God of confusion. Then ne adds,
LET the keep silence in the
churches" that is, let them keep
good order. V. 50, if they want to
learn anything. let them ask their hus-
bands at home. | see nothing iu this
more than that the women, untaught
and unlettered, deeply concerned now
about this new doctrine, had fallen Into
the ha bit OF asking questions during the