LADIES IN SACERDOTAL BREECHES.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 212, 13 September 1901, Page 3

LADIES IN SACERDOTAL BREECHES.

1 COMMONSENSE V. BIBLICAL INSPIRATION. (To the Editor of the Times.) Siii,—lt is said of tha great German strategist, Count Von Moltka, that upon once being asked if he could explain in a few words the secret of his wonderful insight and strategical powers, he replied, “Common sense”; but, as tho writor remarked, common sense must in this case be an extremely uncommon faculty. It is said that nothing can persuade the Hindoos to believe the earth is round or that it moves, for the simple and to them indisputable reason that The Koran (their Bible) says nothing whatever about the world being round or moving, hut infers rather that it is flat and stationary. It is useless, so one writer says, appealing to their common sense —they apparently have none. Likewise the fact that Confucius taught hundreds of years ago that cleverer men than those of his generation lived hundreds of years evon before him, enabled him to lay down a law that future generations must accept all knowledge handed down to them from their forefathers, must in faot always act as lawyers do, on precedent, and not attempt to think for themselves. This doctrine certainly enables the Chinese to arrive at to them satisfactory conclusions about various matters in a very simple fashion. For example, a Chinaman of a more imaginative turn of mind than the rest of his countrymen conceives the i lea that a number of important advantages would be gained to his district or the country generally, by say constructing a bridge across a certain river. He goes to tho official in authority with a view to getting his idea carried into effect. The official's chief question is, has there ever been a bridge over the river at this particular point before? No. Well that is an all sufficient reason to the Confueian mind that there is no necessity for one now. Common senso is not brought to bear on the question at all. Thero is a great deal of this spirit predominating the thoughts and actions of every Christian race, and it is well illustrated by tho letters which have lately appeared in your columns, entitled “ Sacerdotal Breeches,” signed by Mr G. H. Wilson. In these letters the writer infers that because our Bible (or those who wrote the Bible) says that women must not preach or be heard in Church, this is an indisputable reason why they should remain silent and leave preaching to their wise and more Godly brothers.

Now I may not be as wise as some men who have lived hundreds of years ago—why, I cannot say, seeing that my antecedents generation after generation for hundreds of years have had the benefits of all the wisdom given to the world in ancient and suooeeding generations by these wise men of old —but if the question were put to me as to whether women should don the surplico and preach in Church, I should not turn to the Bible for information upon this point, but I would just ask myself this common-sense question, “ Does allowing women to preach produce more evil or more goodness in the world ?” If after giving them every opportunity they produce more evil than good, then by all ‘means let tho practice be condemned. But so long as their preaching is prodactive of more goodness than evil, as it certainly has been in the past, then by all means give them every encouragement to preach and do good in the world and elovate their fellow beings, notwithstanding anything to the contrary that people who do not use common sense would have us believe some of the writers of the Bible advocated in bygone ages.—l am, etc.,

Author of A New Religion."

(To the Editor of the Times.) Sir, —I desire to withdraw the intimation that I would not reply to anonymous criticisms. and thank “ Brown” and “Header” for their letters in the Times of the 11th instant.—l am, etc., G. H. Wilson.