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pray; And in his Note upon it, he gives this very fubftantial Reason for tranflating it fo. In the Bufinefs of Prayer the WOMEN have equal Right with the Men, and God hears the Prayers • of both Sexes, and Chrift died for both. Gal.3.28. We have alfo the Authority of the Learned Doctor Hammond, who has paraphras'd the eighth and ninth Verses in this Manner.

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VERSE 8. These Directions then I give to All both Men and WOMEN: First to Men, that as the Jews wafh'd their Hands before they lifted them up at the Altar, Exod. xl. 32. Pfal. xxvi. 6. fo fhould all Chriftians pray, not only in Jerufalem, but any where elfe, with innocent Hearts, without any Anger of Malice, Quarrels of Diffenfions, preferving the Bond of (the one Lip Zeph. iii. 9.) among all.

VERSE 9. The fecond Direction I give for • WOMEN, that they come to the Affembly and pray (in like Manner as was faid of the Men • verse 8.) and that they do it in fuch Attire as is • decent, accounting Modesty and Sobriety the greatest Ornaments that they are capable of, and not fetting themselves out vainly and with • Oftentation, in curious Dreffings of Hair, in Embroidery, or Jewels, or other Ways of fumptuous Attire.

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To this Paraphrafe we fhall fubjoin a Transla tion of the 8th, 9th, 10, 11th and 12th Verses, according to the French Verfion, Publish'd at Faris, with the moral Reflections of Quesnelle, approv'd and licensed by Cardinal Noailles Archbishop of Paris, and his Predeceffor, with the Approbation alfo of other Learned Men.

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* Verfe 8. I will then that Men pray every where, lifting up pure Hands without Wrath and without Contention.

9. That the WOMEN alfo pray, being cloth'd as Decency requires: That they adorn themselves with Modefty and Chastity, and not with frizl'd Hair, nor with Ornaments of Gold, nor with Pearls, nor with Jumptuous Garments;

10. But with good Works, as it ought to be with Women who make Profeffion of Godliness.

11. Let the Women keep Silence and fhew perfect Submiffion, when they are instructed.

12. I do not permit the Women to teach, nor to ufurp Authority over their Husbands; but I order them to abide in Silence.

THE following Reflections of Quefnelle, on these Words, will fhow in what Senfe he took them to be deliver'd by the Apoftle. On Verfe 8. he fays, Salvation being for the whole World, Prayer must be made in all Places. Jefus Chrift by ranfoming, purifying and confecrating it, thro his Coming and Blood, has made it an House of Prayer. The Holiness of Temples is of no Ser⚫vice to one who prays with a wicked Heart: The most prophane Places are fit for Prayer

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* Verfe. 8. Je veux donc que les hommes prient en tout lieu, élevant des mains pure, fans colere & fans contention. 9. Que les Femmes auffi prient étant vétues comme l'honnefteté le demande : qu'elles fe parent de modeftie & de chafteté, & non avec des cheveux frifez, ni des Ornemens d'or, ni de perles, ni des habits fomptueux;

10. Mais avec de bonnes oeuvres, comme le doivent etre des Feinmes qui font profeffion de pieté.

11. Que les Femmes fe tiennent en Silence & dans une entiere Soumiffion lorsqu'on les inftruit.

12. Je ne permets point aux Femmes d'enseigner, ni de prendre autorité fur leurs maris; mais je leur ordonne de demeurer dans le Silence.

• when the Heart is Holy.-Wrath, Hatred and • Division are contrary to the Spirit of Prayer. 'Tis Charity which hears Prayer, and 'tis that ⚫ which ought to produce it.

Verf. 9. and io. Vanity, Luxury, Grandeur, the Love of the World and the Pride and Fa• fhions of it, ftifle the Spirit of Prayer in WO• MEN. In what Degree or Station foever you be, either acknowledge that Immodesty and a • foolish and exceffive Expence is oppofite to • Chriftianity, or fay, if you dare, that the A• postle and Holy Spirit are mistaken.-How can Humility, Penitence and Compunction, which are the Foundation of Prayer, agree with a • fplendid Equipage, when 'tis Pride, Vanity, • &c. which is the Cause of it.

• Verse 11. Modefty in Clothes is no great Mat⚫ter in a Woman, unless fhe join with it a Modefty of Tongue by Silence; a Modesty of Mind by a Readiness to receive Inftruction; and ⚫ a Modesty of Heart by Submiffion and Dependence. Let fuch Women as take upon them to judge and decide in Matters of Religion, learn to keep themselves within the Bounds of that Silence which the Spirit of God enjoins them.

Verse 12. To hear, to obey, to depend on her Husband, to be peaceable and quiet in the House, are the Means of a Woman's Sanctifi⚫cation, and a Law which the Apostle declares to her from God.

By these Reflections it appears, that Quesnelle took the Apostle to have enjoin'd Women as well as Men to pray every where, confequently in the publick Affembly, whenever the Spirit of God Thould influence and excite them to it. And alfo that his Injunctions to Silence or Quietness rather, which is the true Import of the Original Word (Ησυχία)

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(nouxia*) and not to teach nor ufurp Authority over the Man, were relative to Women that had Hufbands and a House or Family to look after. But as John Locke has obferv'd, neither these Words of the Apostle, nor those in 1 Cor. xiv. 38. are any Manner of Prohibition to Women's speaking in the publick Affembly, when they feel an immediate Impulfe or Influence of the Holy Spirit to pray or prophefie.

HAVING now evidently shown by Scripture, as well as by the Confent and Opinion of Men well read in the Original Language of the New Teftament, that Women are not forbid, but allow'd to pray and prophefie or preach in the Church; we fhall give the Reader Quefnelle's, and other Learned Men's Remarks, and Reflections on fome Paffages of Holy Scripture, concerning the Woman of Samaria and Mary Magdalen; by which it may be gather'd, how far their Sentiments agreed with those of the Quakers, about WOMEN'S Fitnefs and Capacity to Teach in Publick, and to convey fpiritual Knowledge, or the Doctrine of the Gofpel to others.

ON thefe Words, John iv. ver. 26. Jefus faith unto her, I that speak unto thee am bhe.-The Woman then left her Water-Pot, and went her way into the City, and faith unto the Men, Come fee a Man, which told me all Things that ever I did. Is not this the Chrift? Then they went out of the City and came unto him.

• WONDERFUL Effect this, fays Quesnelle, of • one Word of our Saviour upon the Heart of a WOMAN, who becomes the APOSTLE of her Country. He must needs have spoken to other • Ears

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Lexicon Conftantini nouxía, otium, quies, filentium; cui opponitur πολυπραγμοσύνη.

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Ears than those of the Body, fince he is more • Master of her Heart than her felf, and fince fhe forgets every Thing, to bear the Tidings of him to her Country-Men.

Verse 31. In the mean while his Difciples prayed him, faying, Mafter, eat: But he faid untothem, I bave Meat to eat that ye know not of.

JESUS cannot lofe Sight of this Soul he has 'gain'd to his Father; he follows her in Mind • and Heart; he acts in her; he is taken up with • the Zeal which hurries her to the Town, he is ⚫ upon her Tongue to give a Bleffing to the Word of Eternal Life which fhe declares to them; he ⚫feeks among that People those whom his Father has given him, that he may draw them to him; he offers them up to him, prays to him for them, he operates in their Souls to make them yielding and obedient to the Voice of this Woman. This is the Meat he feeds upon, who is • Himself our Bread and Nourishment.

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Verse 39. And many of the Samaritans of that City believed on him, for the faying of the Woman, which teftified, he told me all that ever I did.

• GOD frequently converts a Soul, that he may convert many others by Means of it. He fhews by making Ufe of the Ministry of a poor Woman, for theConverfion of aPeople fo far off the Truth, that all Inftruments are alike to Him, • who wants none, and who of Himself turns the Heart of Man as he pleases.-We must not • think it beneath us to receive from a Woman the • Inftruction we want: God is pleased sometimes ⚫ to humble Learned Men, by letting them fee their Duty by the Means of pious Women, to whom he has given his Light, to crown their Charity, their Fidelity and Zeal for his Glory:

Mark

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