the Church and by him they are strengthened and assisted to be teachers of good things The King's Daughter is all glorious within and it is from this Glory within Christ Jesus in them that they do prophesie and speak in the Church or else their Doctrine is not received but rejected by the Children of Light be they Male or Female The Lord hath given a good measure of discerning to many in this day and hath opened that Ear in many that can try and taste Words as the Mouth doth Meat and know from what Fountain every Word cometh Such teaching as the Woman of Samaria taught the Men of Samaria John 4. 29. is not to be slighted and neglected she said unto them Come see a man that told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ And many of the Samaritans of the City believed on him for the saying of the Woman and came unto Christ and were confirmed in their Faith Here was an effectual Preacher and here was an open hearted People she was made Instrumental to them in that she prevailed with the People and they were a noble minded People because they received her Testimony and came unto Christ and so was confirmed in the truth of her Testimony O! how may the Professors of this Age be ashamed and confounded in themselves when they read this the Samaritans believed but they will not believe The Lord hath sent out his Servants and faithful Messengers both Male and Female to invite you all to come unto Christ and to turn unto Christ's Light in you And our Testimony is and hath been all along since God raised us up to be a People that this is he and not another that tells us all things whatsoever we have done It is he and not another that searches the Heart of every man and woman and tryeth their Reigns and sheweth unto them their Thoughts but oh alas who among you believes our Report or who among you believes the Testimony of the holy Scriptures concerning this first and only Principle of the Doctrine of Christ Jesus see Jer. 17. 10. see also Psal 7. 9. and 1 Chron. 28. 9. and Rev. 2. 23. and Amos 4. 13. See and read these Scriptures for if you will not believe Moses and the Prophets neither will you believe though one were raised from the Dead and sent to you And my Testimony is one and the same with the holy men of God That he that formeth the Mountains and createth the Wind and declareth unto Man what is his Thought and maketh the Morning darkness and treadeth upon the high places of the Earth the Lord the God of Hosts is his Name And Paul the faithful Servant of Jesus Christ saith 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examin your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates Oh! who among you receives this that Christ Jesus the Son of God is in you Have you yet turned your Minds with your whole Affections and Desires to him in you You say you believe the Scriptures and that Paul was a true and faithful Minister of Jesus Christ if you do than take his Counsel and obey the Scriptures and turn to him in you and you will find that a day in his Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere O turn you turn you speedily and in haste to Christ Jesus the true Light in you which searcheth your Hearts and tries your Reins I say turn while your Day lasteth and while the precious Light is in you while his Spirit striveth with you lest his Spirit cease striving with you any more and your Day pass over and the Door be shut and you without left in a Night of utter Darkness O dreadful Darkness c. But now to our purpose in hand Exod. 15. 20. And Miriam the Prophetess the Sister of Aaron took a Timbrel in her Hand and all the Women went out after her with Timbrels and with Dances and Miriam answered them Sing ye to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea Here were Women assembled to Praise the Lord in the day when God delivered his People out of Aegypt and here was Songs of Deliverance sung unto the Lord by holy Women in the day when God had thrown the Horse and his Rider into the Sea Here was Women met and here was Women Prophetesses a part from the Men and yet we read not that Moses reproved them nor that Aaron reproved them And now in this Day wherein God is delivering his spiritual Israel out of Egypt from under the Bondage of spiritual Pharaoh and bringing them through the Red Sea and by his mighty Power and out-stretched Arm casting the Horse and his Rider to wit the Beast and the Whore into the bottom of the Sea I say in this day our Women in their travel being made Witnesses of the Work of God and of the wonderful Deliverances wrought by his outstretched Arm of Power cannot but meet together and praise God together without outward Symbals and speak often one to another and stir up one another in the Grace of God that brings their Salvation and hath called them and brought them out of Darkness to be partakers with his Saints in Light And they who are against them in this Practice of meeting together and of prophecying one by one when met together and Praying and Praising together I say they who are against them in this holy and comely Order are not of Moses's Spirit nor of Aaron's Spirit but in a contrary Spirit Numb 11. 29. Wâ—uld God that all the Lords People were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them And the Lords People are Women as well as Men Daughters as well as Sons Hand-maidens as well as Men-Servants as before is said Zach. 12. 12. And the Land shall mourn every Family apart the Family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Nathan apart and their Wives apart the Family of the House of Levi apart and their Wives apart the Family of Shimei apart and their Wives apart All the Families that remain Mark that remain every Family apart and their Wives apart Here the Prophet of the Lord Zachariah tells us that there shall be Men and Womens Meetings both apart the one from the other Object But some may say This is in the dayes of Mourning c. Answ Yea it is in the day of Mourning for the day of Mourning goeth before the day of Joy and Rejoycing Blessed are they said Christ Matth. 5. 4. that Mourn for they shall be Comforted And the reason of their Mourning is given in the 10th Verse of Zach. 12. They shall look upon me whom they have Pierced and they shall Mourn for him c. And so you may see that the gathering is to him whom they have pierced And
A Brief TREATISE OF Religious Womens MEETINGS Services Testimonies According to the Scriptures of Truth Also something concerning Womens Prophecying and Teaching c. With some other observable things distinguishing the Holy from the Vnholy in the Scriptures cited And an Objection answer'd which is commonly rais'd from Paul's words 1 Cor. 14. 34 c. and 1 Tim. 2. 12. c. Wâ—itten for the Satisfaction of all that desire to be informed by one who by the free Grace of God is become a Searcher of the Scriptures and a lover of Truth in the inward parts both in the Male and Female and is made a Witness in his day that God is pouring out of his Spirit both upon Sons and Daughters Servants and Hand-maids according to his Promise Joel 2. 28. Acts 2. 17 18. Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle 1684. Womens Meetings in the Practice there of prov'd out of the Scriptures of Truth and also something concerning Womens Prophecying and speaking in the Church and who is permitted and who not with other observable things as they fall in from the Scriptures cited MAry and Elizabeth did meet in the Name of the Lord in the house of Zacharias as you may read Luke 1. 39. And you may see what a blessed Meeting it was Elizabeth was filled with the holy Ghost and did prophesie and Mary did magnifie the Name of the Lord and her Spirit rejoyced in God her Saviour and did likewise prophesie so both of them had the Testimony of Jesus which is the Spirit of Prophesie Rev. 19. 10. Here was the blessed Order Ye may all prophesie one by one that all may learn and all be comforted 1 Cor. 14. 31. This was the Order of Christ's Church who walked and lived in the comely Order the Spirit of Truth dwelling and living in their hearts who led and guided them and and brought them into this Order of the Gospel But when Antichrist came to be set up in mans heart he led them from this Order and preacht against this Order and forbad this Order and persecuted and doth persecute them who are found in this Order calling Christ's comely Order Disorder In Christ's blessed Order Women met together as well as Men and preached and prayed together and prophesied one by one as well as Men. In this Meeting there is no mention made that there was any man at it and yet you may see they were filled with the holy Ghost and did prophesie and speak blessed words one to another as you may read at large in that first Chapter of Luke And though Zacharias was a Priest and righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless yet we do not read that he reproved them nor that he forbad them But the Dragon and his Servants are wrath with the Woman the true Church and makes war with them which keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ Rev. 12. 17. And the testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit of Prophesie as before is said which the Lord God hath promised to pour forth upon Daughters as well as Sons upon Hand-maids as well as well as Men-servants Joel 2. 28. Acts 2. 17 18. But the seed of the Woman Christ Jesus will bruise the serpent's head and is a bringing his sons and daughters servants and hand-maidens into the order of his own Gospel again Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I said Christ in the midst of them Here was but two that we read of at this Meeting Mary and Elizabeth and we see he was in them it is he in them that preacheth and prophesieth it is he in them that speaks or else the Serpent speaks but it was Christ Jesus that spake in those holy women for they were filled with his holy spirit of Truth and prophesied sweetly in his Name It was the serpent that instructed Eve when she taught her husband Adam to break God's command and to eat of the fruit of the forbidden Tree and you may see what was the end of such eating O cursed Doctrine for they were both driven out of the Garden of God to the ground that brought for thorns thistles it is to be lamented that we have too many teachers such as Eve was in this our Age Day and Generation both of men and women as clearly appeareth by the fruits their inward ground bringeth forth to wit Bryars Thorns and Thistles but such Earth said Paul Heb. 6. 8. is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Such Teaching as this such Doctrine as this is forbidden both by Law and Gospel whether it proceed from men or women The Women who live in Pride and in the Vanities of their Minds cannot be teachers of good things But Women who are turned to Christ Jesus and by him redeem'd out of the vanities of this present evil World out of the Lusts of the Flesh out of the Lusts of the Eyes and out of the Pride of Life being fill'd with the spirit of Truth such womens teaching such womens praying and prophecying in the Church is not forbidden neither by Law nor Gospel they being first taught themselves by the eternal free spirit of God which is poured forth upon daughters as well as sons upon hand-maids as well as upon men-servants upon the female as well as upon the male for the man and the woman is all one in the Lord it was the serpent that at first made the difference and it is the serpent and his instructed that keep up the difference And you who are against Womens speaking in the Church what do you think of Anna the Prophetess that good old Widâ—ow who spake of Christ to all them that looked for Redemption in Jerusalem Do you think this good old Woman did right in so doing This Woman knew him and gave thanks to the Lord even in the Temple and spoke in the Temple of him even publickly to them all and yet we do not read that she was judged and rebuked for so doing neither was she hurried and put out of Doors nor put in Prison nor banished out of the Town good old Simeon who was inspired with the Spirit of God reproved her not neither did he forbid her but they joyned in their Testimony being filled by the same Spirit and gave thanks to the Lord together and spake of Christ one by one both being in the Temple together the one spake after the other as they were moved by the same Spirit of God and as the holy Ghost revealed unto them so they brought it forth they neither added nor diminished And here was the good Order the comely and lively Order the Man and the Woman in the Restoration by Christ Jesus made Meet-helps one to another in the work of the Gospel joyning their Testimony together speaking and prophecying of Christ in the Temple to all them who looked for Redemption in Jerusalem they are
and fighting among themselves again contending for the true Christ when neither of them has him revealed as appears by their Fruits Now when Elisha the man of God heard that the King had rent his Clothes that he sent to the King saying Wherefore hast thou rent thy Clothes let him come now to me and he shall know that there is a Prophet in Israel O that all Kings and Rulers were turned to the true Prophet Christ Jesus to the true Light in themselves and would direct all their People to him then their Rents and Divisions would quickly come to an end for he is the Healer of the Breaches and he is the Prince of Peace all his subjects are peaceable their Song is Glory to God in the Highest and on Earth Peace and good Will towards men Now when Naaman was come to the Prophet he directed him to wash in Jordan seven times and be clean but Naaman was wroth because the manner of his Cure came not according to what he had imagined to himself as you may read in the 11 12 verses of that chapter but his Servants gave him good counsel So you may see that it is good for great Men to have good Servants that may give good counsel in the time of need and pacifie wrath in time of Anger and it is good for Masters to take Advice from honest faithful Servants for if Naaman hâ—d gone away in his wrath and not taken his Servants counsel to obey the Prophet his Lâ—prosie had remained with him and he had not been cured There one thing more that I cannot let pass before I proceed to another place and that is concerning the Covetousness of Gehazi We see that the Prophet of the Lord Elisha would receive none of Naaman's gifts and although he urged him yet he refused Here is a true mark of a Prophet of the Lord and of a Disciple of Jesus Christ freely they receive from the Lord and freely they give to the People they covet no man's Gold Silver nor Apparel Honest Paul who was a faithful Minister and Apostle of Jesus Christ was such an one as is witnessed Matth. 10. 7 8. As ye go Preach saying The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand heal the Sick cleanse the Lepers raise the Dead cast out Devils freely ye have received freely give Also read Acts 20. 34 35. 1 Cor. 4. 11 12. 2 Thes 3. 8. But Gehazi received them and run after Naaman with a Lye in his Mouth to get the Silver and to get the Garments as too to many this day run after the great Men and great Women of the Nations with a Lye in their Mouth coveting the Gold and the Silver and the Apparel But what should I say more the Leprosie of Naaman did cleave unto Gehazi and the Leprosie of Gehazi doth cleave to his Seed forever according to the Prophets words And now the Gehazians have lost the knowledge of the true Prophet and they have lost the knowledge of spiritual Jordan and therefore their Leprosie remains their Sin remains their Defilements remain and they have now lost hope of ever being cleansed on this side of the Grave and preach this for Doctrine to the People And they are very angry with any that speak of a possibility of being made clean For a Body of Death and Sin say they will remain and Imperfection will remain while we are on this side of the Grave But what have I to do with them or what should I say more of them for the Day breaketh and the Light ariseth wherein they shall be made manifest to all that will but open their Eyes to see them and they that will not must continue in blindness and at present I will leave them with that saying of Christ Matth. 15. 14. Let them alone they be blind Leaders of the Blind c. And now to our purpose in hand Phlip the Evangelist had four Daughters Virgins which did Prophesie as you may read Acts 21. 8 9. And Paul and others of the Disciples tarried many dayes in Philip's House and yet we do not read that Paul reproved them for prophecying So here you may see that in those dayes there was Daughters that had the Spirit of Prophesie and did Prophesie And also we read Acts 18. 26. That not only Aquila but also Priscilla his Wife were Expounders of the Way of God and Aquila was a Trades-man and Tent-maker and Paul was of the same Craft And we read in Phil 4. 3. That there were Women which laboured with Paul in the Gospel And so you may see that there were Women-labourers in the Gospel as well as Men and yet we read not that Paul rejected their labour because they were Women And so you see there were Women-Prophetesses Women-Expounders and Women-Labourers and yet not rejected nor reproved by any of the Apostles that I read of And Paul desires Titus to speak the things which become sound Doctrine that the aged Men be sober c. and that the aged Women likewise be in Behaviour as becometh Holiness or holy Women not false Accusers not given to much Wine teachers of good things that they may teach the younger Women to be sober c. read Tit. 2. throughout and there you will see that Paul alloweth Women to be teachers of good things as well as Men and that Spirit is judged that would hinder what God aloweth or stop that mouth which God opens And if Women did not meet together how could the Elder teach the Younger Or it may be queried If their teaching the younger Women be not most proper comly and effectual in a Meeting apart from the Men But it clearly may be seen that God alloweth Women to labour in the Gospel and to teach good things and he hath promised to pour out his Spirit upon the Women as well as the Men and they are to meet often together and to speak often one to another and to wait upon God together and think upon his Name together and praise his Power together and call upon his Name together as well as the Men and the elder in the Truth to teach the younger in the Truth Obj. But some may say Seeing it is so clear from the Scriptures of Truth that there hath been Women labourers in the Work of the Gospel and Women-Prophetesses and Women-Expounders of the Way of God and that it is commanded the Elder Women to teach the Younger c. How shall I know what Women those are that Paul forbids to speak in the Church Answ All Women that are apt to usurp Authority over their Husbands all Women that are under the Law and that have not learned true subjection and every Woman that hearkens to the Voice of the Serpent and is deceived by him as Eve was while they continue in that state cannot nor may not be permitted to speak in the Church of God And all the Jezebelians who paint their Faces and tire their Heads and persecute the Prophets of