nsation; and this text alone,
twice given by inspiration, even if there were no other, would establish
the right of women to all the immunities and ordinances of the Christian
Church.

I Cor. xiv, 34, 35, is always presented by the opponents of women's
privileges as positive proof that women should not take a public part
in religious worship: "Let your women keep silence in the churches, for
it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be
under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any
thing, let them ask their husbands at home, for it is a shame for a
woman to speak in the Church."

In the passage first quoted in this chapter, Paul gives explicit
directions for the manner in which women should be arrayed while
speaking in the Church. Since, then, there can be no contradiction in
the Word of God, and we have positive proof that women did speak in
public assemblies by permission of the apostles, nothing remains but to
reconcile the two texts so apparently contradictory, by ascertaining to
what kind of a public assembly the apostle had reference in the text
last quoted. By reference to the verses preceding this text in the
fourteenth chapter of First Corinthians, it will be seen that the
apostle is pointing out the impropriety and unprofitableness of
speaking in unknown tongues; and of the contention and disorder that
then existed at Corinth. False teachers had caused dissension and
tumults in the Church; and, besides, the whole system of Christianity
was violently assailed by both the Jews and the pagans. The disciples at
Corinth were in the midst of a great controversy. According to Eastern
ideas, it was an outrage upon propriety and decency, not only for a
woman to take part by publicly asking questions, or teaching in any such
disorderly assembly, but even for her to be present therein. To avoid
the very appearance of evil, they were to absent themselves from these
contentious meetings because it was a shame for a woman to speak or
contend in such riotous assemblies. It is more than probable that
Christian women had done so prior to this; and therefore Paul warns them
against such improprieties; not, however, forbidding them to pray or
prophesy in the Church, providing they "covered their heads." The
Gospel proclaims an equal freedom to all; Paul earnestly asserting (Gal.
in, 28), that "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
free, there is neither male nor f