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who sings a pleasant sojjg, but in “LET THE WOMEN KEEP
SILENCE.”
the name of him who says “ preach
the preaching that I bid thee.”
Bl M. H. LEMBItT.
There is that in his sermons which
NVMBER I.
presses us, pursues’ us, and will not
The disputations over this Scrip­
let us go. His confessed power is
pimply the power of God’s truth, ture place it among the sayings of
plainly, clearly, logically, faithfully Paul which are hard to be under-
Rk>nd. but applying the common
•
science are impressed and stirred. rules of interpretation leaves it al­
Moved and convinced by his argu­ most without difficulty ; as the dif­
ments we cannot his appeals to ficulty arises almost wholly from
the heart. No sermon ever preached gross and persistent departures from
was more argumentative than the some of the most obvious and sim-
. one he read, from manuscript, at ple rules, first in application—that
Enfield, on the text, ‘ In due time which is of general application Is
their feet shall slide,’ at a time of given a special, and that which is
extreme deadness of religion; and 'special is given a general, till all is
yet under it the pillars of the confusion. To whom is the Cor­
church seemed to tremble, and the inthian Tetter addressed? Let us
whole audience wept aloud. The see. “ Paul called to be an apostle
apostle who confutgd^,the philoso­ of Jesus Christ. . . unto the church
phers of Greece, and converted of God which is at Corinth, to them
Courtiers in Caesars’ household, that are sanctified in Christ called
and planted churches in the lead­ saints ... I thank my God for the
ing cities in the Roman Empire, grace of God given you by Jesus
was not afraid of sustained argu­ Christ, that in every thing ye were
ment, abstruce and philosophical enriched by him in all utterance,
preaching, as his logical, profound and in all knowledge; even as the
and masterly—reasoned epistles de­ testimony of Christ was confirmed
monstrate.” But he never "read in you, so ye came behind in no
from manuscript.” And how much gift.” 1 Cor. 1. From this quotation
more powerful Edwards might have we learn that the epistle was ad­
been without bis manuscript. dressed; not to the elders, nor to the
Doubtless, when he produced his men, but to the church as a whole,
best effects he did not read, but to the sanctified in Christ, to the
Parsons, Kan.
repeated what he had written 'and saints, then no part of the church
studied well.
neither of the sexes could claim it,
OUR MANNER OF PREACH­
One thing we n£ed especially to or any part of it, as addressed to
ING.
remember, viz.: It is God’s gospel them exclusively. We farther learn
BY C. KBMDBICK.
which convert^ souls to Christ. that the members without regard
It seems to me that our manner Human power may, perhaps, some­ to sex were richly endowed with
of preaching is very much at fault; time, be an aid; but more fre­ spiritual gifts—excelled by none in
not so much when we address the quently it is a hindrance ; and then abundant supply. These two facts
world as when we speak to the we should seek to please God, not first that it was addressed to those
church. We have adopted the un- men. We labor to do them real, in Christ without regard to sex,
ecriptural, denominational style of lasting good, not to tickle their and second that all without regard
text taking, and then often failing fancy. To please men and to profit to sex were in possession of spirit­
to explain, or expound the text it­ them are by no means the same. ual gifts, these two facts will aid
self, for the sake of making a So the popular preacher, and the much interpreting and properly
pretty speech, nice divisions and a really, useful preacher are widely applying. A common and very
grand peroration, as the prophets different. God’s way is on the one mischievous mistake is to apply the
and apostles never did. And in side, man’s way on the other, and language, " Let the women keep
this we make a great sacrifice of these, like the works of the flesh silence,” to the men exclusively/and
truth and right, and a great failure and of the Spirit, " are contrary the in reference to all the women. Then
of the best success. But we do one to the other.” The world looks making the silence general, pro­
generally, present the gospel, and after men ; the church should look hibits every woman from exercising
any spiritual gift. Then as a mat­
tell sinners how to become Chris­ to God.
tians, as the denominations never
Let us receive, as axiomatic, this ter of course all said in the twelvth
truth, viz.: We can never improve and fourteenth chapters in reference
do.
But our greatest mistake is, I on the Bible style, or anything else to the exercise of gifts is applicable
to the men exclusively—all means
think, in putting, or seeking to put in the Bible.
all the men, and no woman has a
human eloquence, learning and Downey City, Cal.
gift which they are bound to respect.
* ■ T
power, for gospel argument. Here
"T emperance W ork .—It’s a " Keep silence in the churches,”—
the contrast is infinite. At this
point those we call sectarian often work of prevention and cure ; a churches in the plural. This means
surpass us. Jonathan Edwards work for the rich and the poor; a to all the churches of God it is
was a case. We read his sermons work that is slow, and yet sure; a claimed. This interpretation though,
the common one, gives the men of
with awe, for he speaks not as one work whose effects will endure.”
out or back out. Goods are sold at
fabulous prices. Chances are offer-
ered you in which all the chances
but one are against you and that
one scarcely for you. They will
sell votes on the handsomest girl,
the most popular lady, etc. If pos-
aible to get you excited and ambi-
-’ tious to wta for yeur favorito or
spend all your money. It is just as
noble to make a man drunk that
you may steal from him. But this
is done you kqow in the name of
the Aprd. Of course the Lord can
- bear
Ha» it come to this that
the Lord’s cause must subsist by
such childish, foolish, shameful
freaks? Is it true that without
tfyese lotteries and swindles, these
extortions and craftiness, the
preacher must starve, the church
rot down, the choir siflg without an
instrument, and the heathen die
without the gospel ? Ah ’ ’tis but
the price we pay for our own shame
and the disgrace of the cause of
Christ.
Then if there be a sociable, a
concert or a supper, let there be
dignity, piety and honesty as well.
Give an equivalent for what you
receive as any honest business
would suggest. Otherwise unholy
is the seed you sow. Disgust, dis­
like, disgrace, indifference and infi­
delity is the harvest you reap.
Corinth the task of keeping the wo­
men quiet in all churches far and
near ! Wrong applications have
much bewildered; but Paul, if
listened too will set us right again.
He on different occasions speaks of
churches in private houses; let it be
supposed that there were one or
two such in Corinth and the plural
word *■ s ile nce ” —
is
may be used in reference to a par­
ticular subject compatible with a
free use of the tongue upon all
others. The phrase " the woman,”
may mean two or more women—
n ot ne ce ssarily al l. As ii-i e hono r- -
able to obey all divine laws, ordin-
<
ances, and commandments, the word ,
shameful can be applied to none of
these act*. Let us no w quote Paul___ „
from Revised version. " Let the
women keep silence in the churches,
for it is not permitted unto them u
tp speak; but let them be in sub­
jection as also saith the law, and if
they would learn anything let them
ask their own husbands at home,
for it is shameful for a woman to
speak in the church.”
Let us by inspection see what aid
the apostle will render in under­
standing him. The pronouns, they,
them and their, refer to " women ”
as antecedent. Then the women
were married—had husbands. Paul
to the Ephesians says, " As the
church is subject to Christ, so let
the wives be to their husbands.”
This law was given to Eve, and
subjection of the wife to the hus­
band is the subjection of the law,
" As also saith the law.” " But let
them be in subjection,” shows that
they were not in subjection to their
husbands, but rebellious and disre­
spectful towards them, refusing to
honor them. " If they would learn
anything, let them ask* their own
husbands at home.” In the church
is the place to learn spiritual les­
sons; at home to learn secular.
Then "the women ” had asked other
men secular questions in the church.
This kind of speaking was shame­
ful. As obedience to divine re­
quirements cannot be shameful, and
as women are divinely commanded
to exercise their gifts as follows :
According as each has received a
gift minister it among yourselves as
good stewards, it follows that in
saying," it is shameful for a wo­
man to speak in the church,” he had
no reference to the exercise of any
spiritual gift, not to an act of wor­
ship. The following conclusion is
inevitable:
Paul in the above quotation was
speaking to the church members.