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ANSW. This would be plainly fo, if their Interpretation were to be followed, who are of Opinion, that by praying and prophefying here, was meant to be prefent in the Affembly, and joining with the Congregation in the Prayers that were made, or Hymns that were fung, or in hearing the Reading and Expofition of the Holy Scriptures there. Butagainst this, that the Hearing of Preaching or Prophefying, was never call'd Preaching or Prophefying, is fo unanswerable an Objection, that I think there can be no Reply < to it.

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THE Cafe in short seems to be this: The • Men prayed and prophefied in the Affemblies, and did it with their Heads uncovered: The • WOMEN alfo fometimes prayed and prophefied too in the ASSEMBLIES, which when they did, they thought, during their performing that Action, • they were excufed from being vailed, and might ́ ́be bare-headed, or at least open-faced, as well as the Men. This was that which the Apostle re• ftrains in them, and directs, that tho' they pray'd or prophefied, they were ftill to remain vailed. 3. THE next Thing to be confider'd, is, what is here to be understood by Praying and Prophefying. And that feems to me to be the performing of fome particular publick Action in the Affembly by fome one Perfon, which was for that Time peculiar to that Perfon, and whilft it lafted the reft of the Affembly filently affifted. For it cannot be fuppofed, that when the Apoftle says, a Man praying or prophefying, that ⚫he means an Action performed in Common by

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the whole Congregation; or if he did, what • Pretence could that give the Woman to be un⚫vailed more during the Performance of fuch an Action, that at any other Time? A Woman

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must be vailed in the Affembly, what Pretence then or Claim could it give her to be unvailed, that fhe join'd with the reft of the Affembly, in the Prayer that fome one Perfon made? Šuch a Praying as this could give no more Ground for • her being unvailed, than her being in the Assem bly could be thought a Reafon for her being unvailed. The fame may be faid of Prophefying, • when understood to fignify a Woman's joining with the Congregation in finging the Praises of God. But if the Woman prayed as the Mouth of the Affembly, &c. then it was like the might think. fhe might have the Privilege to be un• vailed.

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PRAYING and PROPHESYING, as has been fhewn, fignifying here the doing fome peculiar Action in the Affembly, whilft the rest of the Congregation only affifted, let us in the next • Place examine what that Action was.

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As to

Frophefying, the Apoftle in exprefs Words tell us, Ch. xiv. 3. and 12. that it was speaking in the Affembly. The fame is evident as to Fraying, that the Apostle means by it praying publickly, with an audible Voice in the Congregation. vid. Ch. 14.

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C 4. Ir is to be obferved, that whether any one pray'd or prophefy'd, they did it alone, the Reft remaining filent, Ch. xiv. 27-33. So that even in these extraordinary Praises which any one fung to God by the Immediate Motion and Impulse of the HOLY GHOST, which was one of the Actions called Prophefying, they fung alone. And indeed how could it be otherwife? For • who could join with the Person so prophefying in Things dictated to him alone by the Holy Ghost, which the others could not know, till the Perfon prophefying uttered them? 5. PRO

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5. PROPHESYING, as St. Paul tells us, ch. xiv. 3. was speaking unto others to Edification, Ex• hortation and Comfort: But every speaking to ⚫ others to any of thofe Ends was not Prophefying, but only then when fuch Speaking was a Spiritual Gift, perform'd by the Immediate and Extraordinary Motion of the Holy Ghost, vid. ch. xiv. 1, 12, 24, 30. For Example, finging Praises to God was call'd prophefying; but we fee when Saul prophefied, the Spirit of God fell upon him, and he was turn'd into another Man 1 Sam. x. 6. Nor do I think any Place in the • New-Teftament can be produced wherein Prophefying fignifies bare Reading of the Scripture, 6 or any other Action performed without a Supernatural Impulse and Affiftance of the Spirit of God. This we are fure, that the Frophefying ⚫ which St. Paul here fpeaks of, is one of the extraordinary Gifts given by the Spirit of God, • vid. ch. xii. 10. Now that the Spirit of God, and the GIFT of Prophefie fhould be poured out upon WOMEN as well as Men in the Time of the Gofpel, is plain from Acts ii. 17. And then where could be a fitter Place for them to utter their Prophefies in than the Affemblies?

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BUT against the Practice of WOMEN'S Praying and Preaching in the publick Affemblies, fome object these Words of the Apoftle, Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded 1 Cor. 14. to be under Obedience: as alfo faith the Law. And 34. if they will learn any Thing let them ask their Hufbands at Home, for it is a Shame for Women to speak in the Church. Here fay they, the Apostle forbids Women to Preach, and fays, 'tis a Shame for them to speak in the Church.

BUT

BUT to this we anfwer: Had the Apostle's Words been, Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches, for it is not permitted unto them to prophefie; or it is a Shame for Women to prophefie in the Church, we fhould have thought then that the Women had been forbid to preach: But, the Apostle having but a little before directed, that when a Woman pray'd or prophefy'd, fhe fhould have her Head cover'd, fhows plainly that he allow'd of Women's praying and prophefying in the Church, provided they did it with their Heads cover'd: And we have fhewn before that there were Women at the Time of Pentecoft, on whom the Spirit was pour'd, and it appears by the Context that they spoke in that firft Affembly or Church; for 'tis faid, they were All filled with the Holy Ghoft, and fpake as the Spirit gave them Utterance. Therefore we think the Apoftle could not by the Words above objected, intend to hinder Women from fpeaking in the Church who were indued with the Gift of Frophefy, for then he would have been inconfiftent with himfelf, who had in the fame Epiftle exprefs'd his Defire that. All might prophefy, and directed in what Manner a Woman as well as a Man fhould prophefy.

THEY therefore, who fay the Apostle by the Words above objected, has forbid All Women to Speak or Prophesy in the Church, muft allow the Speaking in that Place, to be restricted to fome other Meaning than bare Speaking, or they will make the Apostle to contradict himself, who has defin'd Prophefy to be fpeaking to Edification, Exhortation and Comfort, and defir'd that all the Church of Corinth might speak with Tongues, but rather that they prophefy'd.

Now,

Now, if by the Original Word axer* to speak, be understood unneceffary and inconfiderate Speaking (and the Word is moft commonly us❜d in that Senfe by Greek Authors) then may the latter Words of the Apostle be very well reconcil'd with the former. And indeed the Context it self fhews plain enough that it was unneceffary and inconfiderate

* Aa av to speak, faith Leigh in his Critici Sacra, is vulgarly taken in the bad Part, and fignifies, Temerè & inconfideratè verba fundere & effutire, Rafhly and inconfiderately to pour out Words which had been better kept in. And in this Senfe Conftantine and Scapula, Authors of the two beft Greek Lexicons, have explained the Word aaλev.* They fay 'tis commonly and for the moft Part taken for Rash and Inconfiderate Speaking, without any Manner of Choice or Difcretion. And is not asking of Queftions in the Church in Time of Divine Worship, to speak inconfiderately and without Discretion, and the very Thing which the Apoftle faid was a Shame to Women?

Do those who condemn the Quakers for letting Women preach in their Meetings, and yet permit Women to make Responses in their Churches, and !fing the Pfalms of David in Metre, take the Apoftle to have forbid all Manner of Speaking in Women? Is the Apoftle's Injunction, Let your Women keep Silence In the Churches, better obferv'd by Women who when ever they come to Church, fing out aloud Words ready prepar'd to their Hands, than by Women who only fing Praifes to God as they find themselves influenced and mov'd by the Holy Spirit? And is not the often repeating other Men's Lines in the Church, by Women who know not their Meaning, or never truly experienced the Sense of them, as much forbid by the Apoftle as Women's speaking only what they have experienced, and what immediately arifes in their Minds from the Influence of the Love and Goodness of God?

* Lexicon Conftantini, axaéw, loquor, fæpè in malam partem accipitur, ut, fit temerè & inconfiderate, citraque deledum aliquem verba efurire: cui opponitur διαλέγομαι & λε G Unde celebratum illud Eupolidis apul Gellium, naxev a pisos, ¿Suvara TRTOS XEyew, id eft, ad garriendum pracipuus & opἀδυνατω timus, verùm ad loquendum nemo minus idoneus,

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