The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-18
A Sermon by Mrs. r. Z. Is. Shaffcr
OF Drummer.
AUTHORITY or WOMEN TO PREAHC
she luotes the Scripture, showing
That women Can Preach ms Wei
as Men and Proves II.

Subject. "Oil that Soothes tue Iroup'cu
Waters"
Text Hebrews I. o. Thou hast loved
righteousness and hated inIquity there
fore God. even thy God, hath annotated
thee with the oil OF gadpess above thy
fcllows"
Wherever in the sacrcd writings the
word oil occurs 1t always typiies the Holy
Spirit. and Paul. In addressing the Hebrew
letter TO the Aramiac Christians In Palen-
tine. begins. MS can be Hecl by careful
study OF the first chapter. With list OF
quotations from various prophets whose
writings constitute old testament history.
and he t,scs the very words spoken by God
himself TO His Son. and to humanity. The
real and only troubled waters with which
tho children Of God have TO contend on
earth. are caused by an absence OF this oil
Of gladness from their lives, and this In
turn IL induced by false INTERPRETATION
OF tbs words spoken by Cnrist and His
disciples.
The education of each Individual In the
result OF environment hence we would
deal chafitably and lovingly. hut withal
Justly and impartiaIly with tboso who
differ from US.
Much turbulence Of feeling Is caused
everywhere over The question oi spiritual
authority for women to preach the gospel
Of Christ, and wc want TO determine
somewhat along that limo this evening by
reference to what We lind In the Bible
concerning the subject. and the correct
meaning thereof.
First. every student of the science OF
reason knows that the reliliyo value OF
terms depends on their omprohensiyeness
ana consequently the term ''prophosy'
comprehcnds or includes the term
preach" In other words prophesy meIis
NIL that preach does and more; hence. that
any one VINO prophcslcs also breaches,
though preacher is not necessarily "A
prophet
Webster dcilncs prophecy thus: ITO In.
strnct IN religious doctrines. 10 interpret
or explain scripture or religious subjects
to preach, to cXhort,"
In Eaekicls prophecy where he describes
the vision OF dry boncs in the thirty sew
cnth chapter and seventh verne lie ugea
these words. Prophecy on these bones
and say, etc, 10 that We ace prophecy
here aiHo meant to speak. Now observe
Paul8 much quoted words. The whole
aorln milan BETTER. and particularly the
fourteenth ohapicr Of the First Episllo
was written In reply to an inquiry Gent
noto this fact, and We can usually judge
tho character Of questions asked by the
nature OF the replies made TO them Notice
In The thirty first verse Paul says For
yo may oil prophecy one by one. that an
may learn. aud all may be oomfortcd." Now
what right has any one to infer that among
theso 'all' thtre were no women? Indeed
we know that ihei.. az now the converts
TO Christianity were more largely composed
81 women than men. Through the thirty
fourth and thirty-ffth veraea Paul evil
drntly quotes an extract from the com
municalion he had received. for In the
thirty sixth verse he aays. What? Came
the Word Of God out from YOU Or came
It to you only" In other words, Have |
hech among you teaching ami preaching
christ und sim you have no moro wis-
donl than to ask mo such a question as
mat How can any intelligent reader
reconcile The fact OF Paul making such an
exclamation concerning his own teaching?
bcs'dos. the thirty fourth aud thirty-flft
verses are purely hcathen. aud not in any
acnH' Christian doctrine
we read, too, that HhIlip tho !,amnri-
tan, had -four daughters who did prophe-
Hy hence who did preach. IA Joel Ind
predicted 500 years before that they would
az All thlB Pauline and prophetic author
NY IN favor or women preaching
me second chapter Of paul'a first letter
10 Iilnothy presents what appears 10 be
somewhat more formidable arguments un-
VI they TOO, are subjected to the keen dig
Hecling blade of logical reason he II re-
mombtred. Paul wna speaking to ana NJ
II vastly different class Of beings thcn rom.
pared 10 those he would address I'm n
'hrlStian congregation now. iio was n
man too learned TO have said such thin.a
10 women Of today. could be possibly have
loroh,'n tneir educational aud generally
uaVt,'l achievements More probably ho
would nave counseled men some ,ncn n,
lonht~to learn OF any mans via 4, Inv
ma none OF his own or one yho woa ~
hhie TO ictch him. but to learn ao,, hin,
al any cost. He sayA, II suffer moi i, No
man TO uHurp authority" General mr. dc.
nn.tFc rchnoning rs valuable aomoth,ns
'nu VIII some Aolpn please rise up and en-.
p'a,h VINO Ia allowed to usurp authority
over any one anywhere in a ciyiliyed nnn,
munltyP usurratlon OF anylblnr ia m
II am rightly informed, In this dav ent
age which fact materially icsnens M
Wolsh' OF fnuiA words with modern chris.
,ian people. NH'l"7
In the fourteenth verse Of tbo socor,
chhfter NJ First Timotny, however Ia ,o,,r1
vac most astonishing abatement for n
lusloian ana scholar to make. that think
EXISTS anywhere on earth. And Ad,n
was not deceived. but tho woman hSir,'
deceived, was In the tran.ercssIon :
'u'"E,n" huoh an argument presented bv
~ "n,N hwycr to an Intelligent hlrv n,
inc nineteenth century, That bo So,
shlly ana deserving OF soyercat pu,ts,s
~, ,n' nv was Tho culprlt who ahmed lenornn,.
~, ana the one who sinnod enualIv ana
wa. not deceived should be held r,,I,,i.s'
anu given sole authority TO teach the rel,g'
ron OF purify end holiness, Where ala ,,a,,
ieerh matt CHANGING beyond him fa
moment however, whose b me highor
a en"y, INA, OF Paul or Christi Are m,
,nas',' 'o religion or belief higher M.
,mori,y Than The founder or orlrlnntorg ~,
Nv, suppose a difference nrose IN
cue Florence Civilization aa,oeiatlnn ~
10 whcm would rbe public apnenl 49, ~.
higher authority, President McN.,S 'no
,narias ~ crl,tenton' We have besn |
ss a ronia woriu thus Ear. hui Christ
,puhlrr OF lsis rellgion on earth said ~
Tue woman Go and tell the bre,hr"n
Jiis ~on oolld ,hs authority Of one OF
'',a o. hseris exceed that think mo, "
rho whole truth. when examined in m.
'snt OF modern education aud sensibIs
'sason, 10. there ID no Christian co,um,nd |
M sIua A.