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
the Lord and maintain the false Prophets at their Table or otherwise and all them who run greedily after the Error of Balaam for Reward and all them who speak evil of the things they know not all the Gehazians who covet Silver Gold and Apparel and continue to be covered with the Leprosie of Sin to the day of their Death These who were Lepers were shut out under the Law and now they are shut out by the Spirit of God none of these can be permitted to speak in Christ's Church and all them who deny the new Law of Christ and Covenant of God to be written in the Hearts of Men and Women and all them who deny the Unction of the holy One and the leadings and guidings of the Spirit of Truth that leads into all Truth to be alone all-sufficient and all such Ministers as break Christ's Command and justifie themselves in so do doing as in calling one another Master James and Master John c. None of these while in that state may or can be permitted to speak in the Church of God but if they do they are to be testified against and all them that look for Gain and seeks for Gain from their Quarters and teach for Hire and divine for Money and all them who exercise Lordship over God's Heritage and all them who beat their fellow-Servants and eat and drink with the Drunkards and all them who steal the Words one from another and say Thus saith the Lord when the Lord never spake to them and all them who use unsound Words and slattering Titles to please Men and keep not the form of sound words and all them that have a form of Godliness denying the Power I say none of these may or can be permitted to speak in the Church of God and all those who deny Scripture-Testimony concerning Christ and undervalue his divine Precepts and Commands None of these may or can be permitted to speak in Christ's Church But I had almost forgot to tell you and did forget till the Spirit of Truth brought it to my remembrance that it is impossible that either Male or Feâ—ale can speak in Christ's Church till â—hey be redeemed out of all these for the â—â—ue Church is in God and God is in his â—wn Kingdom where the rebellious and â—nd disobedient and unclean cannot enâ—er nor any Man nor Woman can enter Gods Kingdom till they be born again â—nd made new in Christ Jesus To be short all who deny the Prophets Doctrine or Christ's Doctrine his diâ—ine Precepts recorded in holy Scripture â—r deny the Apostles Doctrine I say â—â—ch are not to be permitted to speak in â—he solemn Assemblies of the Saints and â—lthough they confess all to be true yet if â—hey walk contrary in Life and Practice â—hey are to be silent in the solemn Assemâ—lies of the Righteous And all the Women that live in Pride and in Covetousness and in the vain Adornings of their outward Bodies and all that are drunken with the Cares and carnal Pleasures of this present evil World and all who useth Usurpation over the Man outward or inward are to be silent and not to speak in the Congregations of the Righteous Whoever they be Man or Woman that are found in the first Adam's nature in the fall they not witnessing a Death to that first Birth in them and a Resurrection througâ— Jesus Christ unto Life in some measureâ— I say be they man or woman the Spirit oâ— God forbids them speaking in the Church And as the Man and the Woman are aâ— one in the Lord being filled by the samâ— Spirit of God may speak in the Churcâ— as the Spirit of God gives them utteranceâ— it being not they that speak but Christ iâ— them the Spirit of Truth in them So the Man and the Woman are all one in old Adam in the fall and such old Creatures may not nor can be permitted to speak in the Church Isa 49. 22 23. Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will lift up mine Hand to the Gentiles and set up my Standard to the People and they shall bring thy Sons in their Bosom and thy Daughters shall be carried upon their Shoulders and Kings shall be thy Nursing-Fathers and their Queens thy Nursing-Mothers c. Was it not here foretold that Women also should be nourishers or Nurses in Christ's Church And if they be Nurses they must have something to give to the Children and Milk in their Breasts to the Babes And if a Woman have the Milk of the Word of God in her Breast to wit in her Heart let her not hide nor keep it back but she must give it forth to â—â—e hungry Babes for if she do not her â—reasts will grow dry O! my Soul and Life hath travelled with â—he Lord that I might see this day fulfilled â—hat this barren VVilderness might become â— fruitful Field that Kings and Queens â—rinces and their Princesses Dukes and â—heir Dutchesses and all other great Men â—nd great Women of all Ranks and Deâ—rees whatsoever among whom I have â—welt in the outward from my birth might â—ome to receive the Word of Life in themâ—elves and partake of the Promise in Christ Jesus in his Church and that they may â—ome to witness that noble Birth brought forth in them that partakes of the Milk of â—he Word of God and would cause it to issue abundantly to nourish the hungry Babes and Children of Christ O Lord God! I wait for thy Salvation to see thee perform that word that sprung in my heart concerning them even that the Wilderness should become a fruitful Field and that the fruitful Field shall become a Wilderness It is with thee O Lord to do that which no other can do even to bring down the high Mountains and to level the high Hills and to make thy Way thorow them and to exalt thy Glory in the whole Earth for thou art God and there is none else with thee all things are possible glory to thy great Name forever and evermore saith my Soul Joel 2. 28. Acts 2. 17 18. And it shal come to pass that in the last days saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophecy and your Young Men shall see Visions and your Old Men shall dream Dreams and on my Servants and on my Hand-maidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit and they shall Prophecy And now in this Age and in our Day the Lord is fulfilling his Promise and his Spirit is poured forth upon many Sons and Daughters Servants and Hand-maidens The Earnest Penny is already received and many of them are runing to and fro and trading with their heavenly Penny their heavenly Gift that the may bring the Increase and Gain to their Lord and Master Christ Jesus And Wâ— will be to them who hide their Lords Money in the Earth and put their Candlâ— under a Bushel of Earth and Wo also will be to them who stop forbid and disturb thâ— Sons and Daughters Servants and Handmaidens of the Lord in their going to and fro and improving their Lords money to wit their heavenly Gift that knowledgâ— may be encreased I say wo and misery will be the portion of such who distrub and stop them in their Travel if they Repent not Psal 2. 10 11 12. Be Wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with Trembling kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the Way When his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that put their trust in him If you rebel against him till his Wrath be kindled against you he will break you dash you to pieces one against another like a Potters Vessel And now you may see that the Promise is to Daughters as well as to Sons to Handmaidens as well as to Men-servants and that the one shall prophesie as truly as the other Hugh Wood. THE END
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
if they were to Mourn apart then who shall hinder their Rejoycing and Praising God apart when the time is come Rev. 1. 7. Behold he cometh with Clouds mark and every Eye shall see him and they also which pierced him and all Kindreds of the Earth shall Wail because of him even so Amen And the gathering is and must be to him whom they have pierced when the Lord opens the Eyes both of the Male and Female to see him whom they have pierced they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy Psal 126. 5. Those Women who were gathered together to mourn for him who was crucified and pierced it was not long that they had waited at the Sepulchre Mourning till they were made Witnesses of his Resurrection and then joy and gladness filled their Hearts yea these holy Women were made Witnesses before the Men the Lord seeing it meet in his Wisdom to reveal himself to and in the weaker Vessels that he may stain the Pride of all Flesh and bring into contempt all the honourable of the Earth Matth. 27. 55 56. And many Women were there beholding afar off which followed Jesus from Galilee ministring unto him Here was Women Ministers ministring unto Christ among which was Mary Magdalen and Mary the Mother of James and Joses and the Mother of Zebedee's Children Here was a Meeting of Women following Jesus from Galilee And who can forbid a gathering of Women following the Light of Christ out of the World from all its Affections and Lusts even through the Cross to the Death that they may witness through him the Resurrection unto Life eternal and so rejoyce and praise him together Mark 16. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the Week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen out of whom he had cast seven Devils and she went and told them that had been with him as they mourned and wept Here was Mourners and Weepers in the men's Meeting as well as among the Women And who can forbid the Women to come to the Men and declare it to the men when they are made Witnesses of the Resurrection of the Life of Jesus Christ in their own Hearts as Mary Magdalen did to the Apostles Acts 16. 13. And on the Sabbath we went out of the City by a River-side where Prayer was wont to be made and we sate down and spake unto the Women which resorted thither Here was a Womans meeting by a River-side And here Paul and those that were with him came and sate down with them and Paul spake to them and the Lord opened Lydia's Heart So as men feel a freedom from the Lord and a true desire raised up in them they may go to the womens meetings and visit the womens meetings and sit down with them and wait upon the Lord together and Pray and Prophecy together and Praise the Lord together Deborah was a Prophetess and judged Israel and was a Mother in Israel and what a Prophecy she prophesied in the Name of the Lord and what gracious Words proceeded from the Spirit of God through her you may read at large in the fourth and fifth Chapter of Judges Hannah was a good Woman and she prayed in her Heart and spoke in her Heart unto the Lord and the Lord heard her and gave her her Request he gave her Samuel and Samuel was one of the Lords Prophets and after she had brought forth her first-born she rendred Thanks unto the Lord and what gracious Words came from Gods own Spirit in this Woman you may read 1 Sam. 2. And there was a wise Woman in Abel of Beth-maacah who gave good Counsel unto Joab and to the men of the City and delivered the City from Destruction she was one that was peaceable and faithful and a Mother in Israel as you may read 2 Sam. 20. Such women as these may be permitted to speak in the Church and will not be hindred nor stopt by the Righteous But the covetous proud Priesthood of this Generation is of another mind warring against the appearance of God both in the Male and Female forbidding all either to Preach or Prophesie except those who are approved and licensed by themselves and has received-their Mark but their Building is shaken and their Foundation discovered and their Power is broken and scattered and the Consumption determined is come and coming upon them read Zach. 14. 12 13. And you may read 2 King 22. How Hilkiah the Priest found the Book of the Law in the House of the Lord and gave it to Shaphan the Scribe and he read it and also he read it to the King and we see how tender the Heart of good Josiah the King was and how he rent his Clothes and humbled himself and how he sent Hilkiah the Priest and others of his Counsellors to enquire of the Lord for him and the People and for all Judah concerning the words of the Book of the Law that had been lost and was found in the House of God for the King perceived that the Wrath of the Lord was great against them because they and their Fathers had not hearkened unto the words of the Book of the Law to do accordingly to what there was written and they went unto Huldah the Prophetess and enquired at her What! was there not a Prophet in all Jerusalem nor in Judea to enquire at that they went to the Prophetess Was there not a man that knew the Word of the Lord that they went to a Woman Yea there was howbeit they went to a woman and the Lord spake to them by a woman They read the Words in the Book of the Law without them Jer. 1. 2. But this woman read in the Book of Life Come hear all you who despise Womens Teaching and Prophecying in the Church answer me plainly What do you think of this Woman If she were in your dayes would you not forbid her and tell her that women are not permitted to teach or prophesie and that Paul permits not a Woman to speak in the Church Oh! that the Lord God may open your Eyes to see and know what Women those are that Paul speaks of there and then I know that the best of you who are against holy Womens speaking in the Church would be quiet your selves and forbear speaking in the Church till ye come to dwell in that holy Spirit wherein this holy Woman Huldah dwelt for I here declare that all men as well as women that is in their first fallen estate in their first birth in old Adam's nature let them be never so gloriously adorn'd with knowledge learning and wisdom arts parts and sciences I say they are nothing then but Women not permitted to speak in Christs Church But in the new and second Birth the man and the woman is all one in the Lord and the