Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 7
September 15, 1955
NUMBER 19, PAGE 5a

Timely Quotes From "The Apostolic Times"

Robert H. Farish, Lexington, Kentucky

January 7, 1875

"The Southern Chronicle weekly opens with a spicy leader on our newspaper writers. It mentions four classes of writers, those whose every idea seems inseparably connected with their presence, and chiefly with themselves; those who, `go for quantity rather than quality in what they write'; those whom he styles 'censorious writers'; the only genuine successors Solomon ever had; 'and those who suffer themselves to be used for the purpose of blowing other men's horns." To the last class he devotes the following remarks:

"Be careful, brethren, that you don't say too much, so as to spoil the credit really due. When I see a report in which Bro. Fulsome speaks of Bro. Biggum as the most eloquent, most logical, most learned, most effective and most pious man in the world, I am persuaded that the writer has not seen all the men in the world; that he would not have been the best judge if he had, and that somebody has made a tool of somebody else. This class of writers, of all the rest, deserve most to be pitied. But four classes of this sort are enough for one setting."

January 21, 1875

"The Gospel Advocate, in noticing the position of the 'Christian' and of Bro. Moore in regard to churches which accept the missionary plan being bound by its provisions, has a good argument on the voluntary surrender of church independence.

"The 'Christian' endorses W. T. Moore's proposition to bind all churches who adopt the Plan by the action of the representative body; and does not see how it would interfere with church independence or liberty if the churches voluntarily adopt the plan and enter into the association.

"Did the 'Christian' never hear of liberty or independence being voluntarily surrendered? Does the Presbyterian Synod interfere with church independence, and liberty? Do Baptist associations? Do Episcopal councils? Do Romish councils? Every church in these bodies enters them voluntarily. We have been taught that liberty, religious and civil, is oftener voluntarily surrendered at the instigation of ambitious leaders than otherwise. The most degrading slavery is voluntarily slavery. Then let us beware — that we do not voluntarily surrender our liberties and forfeit our privileges. We will never lose them unless by our own voluntary surrender." — D. L.

January 28, 1875

"Has a sister the right to exhort the church when the church is assembled together? Please answer through the Times and oblige many who desire to know. — E.W.R.

"She has not: for Paul says, "Let the women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted to them to speak". And he adds, "For it is a shame for women to speak in the church" — I Cor. 14: 34, 35."

"Some have tried to reduce this language of Paul to an absurdity, by saying, if women must keep silence, they must not sing. But this is wresting the scripture to make an apostle contradict himself. The same apostle who says the women must keep silence, commands all to sing. The wresting consists in putting a meaning on the words which the connection will not allow.

Paul is talking throughout the connection of public speaking or speech making and it is with reference to this that he says, "Let the women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted them to speak."

"Some, again have found authority for women to exhort in these words: "But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head". They say that prophesying means exhorting and therefore a woman may exhort. They forget the fact that while prophesying usually consisted in exhortation, both under the new and the old covenant, it was always the result of inspiration. None but prophets could prophesy. But the fact that a prophetess had the liberty of prophesying, is far from being proof that an uninspired Christian woman has the right to exhort in the assembly of the saints. It is very dangerous to our consciences and our faith to tamper with plain precepts of the scriptures, and very hazardous to the peace of the church to encourage innovations on the order established by the apostles."