Sacerdotal Breeches.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 206, 6 September 1901, Page 3

Sacerdotal Breeches.

(To the Editor of the Times )

Sin, —In the Bible the word breeches occurs once ; so its use is respectable. There is a story told of a peasantwoman who having accustomed herself to play with, and carry a young calf in her arms, and daily continuing to do so as it grew up, obtained this by custom, that when grown to be a groat ox she was still able to boar it. Such is the power of custom : and if ladies persevere, the right to grace the pulpit is likely soon to be theirs.

It may prove instructive, as certainly it may be suggestive, to slightly review what women liavo done for religion—at least in tho past. Tho first woman Eve assuredly donned the sacerdotal small-clothes when in her light-hearted anxiety she persuaded her astonished husband to taste the delicious viands which in her laudable quest after knowledge she had discovered. As Eve was, what are her daughters of to-day? Alas for her penetration; and, O ! sadness incalculable, for her discovery 1 penetration and discovery in their sublimest aspects have not yet fallen to the lot of woman : a shrewd power to forecast possibilities—l admit—are often—yet not very often—given to these children of tho household of natural faith, those impulsive and unreasoning sisters, lovely and frail. As we read—Miriam was the next woman to don the sacerdotal breeches, when in company with her weakling priest-brother, she rated Moses : smitten with leprosy, she was forbidden intercourse with her people, shut up in lonely solitude to muse on her arrogance, mourn her disease, and bewail her daring presumption.

The example of Miriam likely settled tho position of woman in tho Hebrew Commonwealth. Deborah was very probably a strong-willed, voluble-tonguod lady, her like lias not been, nor is now, in request among marrying men : her sarcasms on the coward shirkers in the hour of danger, are perfect. Tho bluc-stocking amongst ourselves is regarded almost as a social fright—perhaps justly so. Ruth, Hannah, Ruldah, and others, are illustrations of tho freedom accorded to women who were trustworthy, and also of the esteem in which they were hold by the Hebrew nation. But in the decadence of the race the books of Macabus reveal an alarming change : —“ The badness of men is better than the goodness of

women.” In New Testament times tho position of social—not public—equality assigned to woman is as it should be. The memories of Mary, Martha, the woman of Samaria, and others have boon honored with the most splendid recognition ever accorded to tho sex, in words the noblest that ever passed human lips. In St. Paul’s career, his first European convert was tho woman Lydia, a person of model womanly reserve and hospitality. Norcas, a representative of woman’s work of charity among tho sick and poor. Priscilla, who expounded the way of God more perfectly to Apollos, is a representative of another kind of labor, recognised in tho New Testament as proper to woman — that of instruction, but in privato ; for St. Paul refuses to woman the right of speaking in the public meetings of the congregation. He distinctly refers to Phoebe, Persis, and other women as efficient fellow-helpers in the spread of the gospel; but so as not to contradict himself or the Holy Spirit. This testimony of St. Paul is to be clearly understood in reference to the private assistance givon him in his work by those Godly and discreet women —their work such as we have to-day in the Zenana and tho like mission-workers in India and elsewhere among the heathen.

There have been many mischiefs perpetrated on Christianity by women ; a long list lies before mo culled from Schaafe's Theological ■ Dictionary ; gathered from various countries and at various epochs, and all melancholy to

ponder. On the—“ You are cordially invited —” card at foot appears a verse from the literary bungle—the Revised version of the Bible : —“ The Lord giveth the AVord ; the AA'omen that publish the tidings are a great host.” Tho Psalm from which tho verse is taken is considered by commentators of established ability and reputation—not like the pygmies we have so many of to-day—not to warrant such a forced, and foreign assumption, namely, that of a prophecy of a numerous and successful ministry. Such a view arises from the rendering of the whole Tsalm by the lxx of very doubtful reliance, and also from the A’uigate. Now. the whole notion of the women preachers simply arose from the time-immemorial customs of all nations of granting tc bands of maidens the privilege of celebrat ing a triumph, here in this Psaln evidently alluded to: is in favor of thi mere announcement of the fact—and o that only—that Jehovah has triumphec over all opposition. So much for tb straw the drowning eagerly grasp at. Neither John Knox nor John AVeslc; woul 1 permit trumpery-trumpeting frou the mouths of ladies sacerdotally be breeched. lam not aware that the Hoi Spirit hath repudiated the teaching c Saint Paul.—l am, etc.. G. H. Wilson.