p. 27 | On Keeping Silence

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 16, 1858

On Keeping Silence.

Ought women to keep silence in the churches?

The wife of a Congregational minister makes the following inquiries, relative to women's keeping silence in the social meetings of worship. We clip them from an exchange.—Golden Rule.

“Who called Miriam to be a prophetess? Who made Deborah both prophetess and supreme judge of God's chosen people?

“Who made Huldah chaplain to the king, instructress of the high priest, and professor in the theological seminary at Jerusalem? What indication have we that anybody thought Anna, the prophetess, was out of her place in talking so much about Christ to the crowds at the temple as to deserve mention in the sacred record?

“Whose spirit was prophesied and poured out upon the sons and the daughters, the servants, and the handmaidens, that they might all prophesy? By what authority are Philip's four daughters put down by the inspired writer as prophetesses ‘without note or comment’? And what did they do when they prophesied?

“What did the women do of whom Paul says, ‘Help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and other of my fellow-laborers whose names are in the book of life?’

“What was Phebe's office in the church at Cenchrea?

“Why was Junia of note among the apostles? Did Paul forbid women to pray and prophesy in public, and then give them directions as to how they should appear to honor the gospel when they did pray and prophesy in public?