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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47200	The woman-preacher of Samaria a better preacher, and more sufficiently qualified to preach than any of the men-preachers of the man-made-ministry in these three nations / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1674 (1674)	Wing K236; ESTC R218789	20,048	40

as the first Woman was Seventhly Such Women as transgress the Law and not come to be under Grace as said Paul They are to be under Obedience as also saith the Law so read the words going before and behind in both places and you may observe that a seven fold sort of Women are not permitted by Paul to speak in the Church and as is said no doubt there were of all these sorts of Women among them of Corinth and Ephesus who were not permitted to speak who had need of these Instructions for commonly such particular Instructions are not given concerning such things where there is not need or where none are guilty But what if Paul had said so concerning all the Women at Corinth and Ephesus where Timothy at this time was when he wrote to him concerning Women that he did not permit them to speak will it therefore follow that no Women are to speak in any Case in the Church I will put you in mind of one of your School Rules which is this a particularibus ad universale non val●t consequentia i. e. from particulars unto universal the consequence is not valid therefore though it had not been permitted either unto some or all of these two particular Churches of Corinth or Ephesus to speak because they might at that time being but young not have the requisite qualifications it will not follow that Universally all Women every where else ought not to speak yea these called Presbyterians may remember how they have both allowed and countenanced Women both to Pray and speak of their Experiences in their private Meetings and yet they cannot deny but their private Meetings are a Church for inded a Church according to the Greek and Latin word is nothing else but a Convention or gathering of the People whether few or many so that Three Six or Twelve is as really a Church as 300 600 or 1200. And further let us once more take notice of the Apostles words and we shall find that they do not signifie an absolute forbidding of Women in any case to speak teach or Preach in the Church I permit or suffer not a Woman said he to teach in the Church but if they will learn any thing let them ask their Hu●bands at home For the better understanding of which I am to remember you that even according unto Pauls own words there was in that day a two-fold manner of speaking in the Church One by Commandment another by permission and this distinction Paul himself useth writing unto the Corinthians when he said as touching some particular things 1 Cor. 7.6 But I speak this by permission said he and not of Commandment also in divers other places he writeth thus I say not the Lord now this sort of speaking was used in the Church in two particular Cases 1. In the propounding or asking of a Question for there were in the Church some who asked Questions and some who Answered the Unlearned Asked and the Learned Answered which is the most proper way of Catechising 2. This sort of speaking to wit by Permission was used in the Church in matter of Advice and Counsel relating to the affairs of the Church where men according to the Wisdome given them of God finding the Spirit of the Lord present with them enlightning them and directing them might speak their mind in Cases by way of Counsel and Advice as seeing the Expediency and use of it for a certain time though they were not to enjoyn it as a Command And Paul himself useth this same Distinction destinguishing betwixt things lawful and things expedient so that some things may be lawful which are not expedient and some things may be both lawful and expedient and yet not commanded of God and a man as immediately taught by the Spirit of the Lord in his heart may see both the lawfulness and expediency of a thing and may speak by the spirit of the Lord moving him in the Church concerning both the lawfulness and expediency of that thing and yet he may say I speak not this by Commandment as if what he said were a Commandment unto them yea the Spirit of the Lord may command and move him to declare unto them that the thing in hand before them is not a Command but an Expedient thing and fit to be done at that time Now in these two Cases of speaking by Permission in the Church as first in that of asking Questions and secondly in that of giving Advice or Cousel simply by a permission if they would contend that Women ought not to speak in the Church all that they can pretend with any shew or colour of Reason at most is That Women are not to speak in the Church by permission if they speak they are not to do it by permission but by commandment whereas it is permitted unto Men at times to speak in the Church by permission when not by commandment an unlearned man may be permitted to ask a Question in the Church which is not permitted unto a Woman nor is it needful for she may ask her Husband at home But if the Spirit of the Lord Command or move a godly and Spiritually Learned Woman to speak in this case she is the Lords more than her Husbands and she is to speak yea though the Husband should forbid her for she ought rather to obey God than Man And in Christ Iesus there is neither Male nor Femal● but all are one in him as the Apostle said So both these Cases are in a matter of Freedom or Permission not in a matter of Necessity or Command therefore though Women may not speak by permission which Men may do yet they may speak by Command as when the Lord commandeth or moveth them by his Spirit And that Women spake in the Church is most evident from the second Chapter of Acts which was a very solemn time and also a very solemn Convention for the Scripture saith Expresly Acts 1.14 that among the Apostles Mary with other Women were present and it is said Acts 2.4 And they were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance So here the Women were filled with the Holy Ghost and spake as the Apostles did for it is said so of them all universally and it appeareth further that the women spoke in this solemn Assembly from the Apology of Peter which he made in the defence of the womens Prophecying or speaking out of Ioels Prophecy where it was Prophecyed by Ioel that the Lord would pour out his Spirit upon all Flesh both Male and Female Sons and Daughters Men Servants and Maid-Servants and they shall Prophecy and so that Prophecy was eminently fulfilled at that time as at other times afterwards And also before this time the Lord made use of women to witness speak or declare and that unto the eleven Apostles that Christ was risen from the dead Luke 24.9 10. And was not this Convention a Church And did not the Lord after his Resurrection first of all appear unto a woman to wit Mary Magdalene And did not he command her to speak unto the Apostles and Instruct them concerning his Resurrection Go said he unto my Brethren and say unto them I ascend to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God Yea and not onely the Scripture but also the Church History telleth us of women who taught and Instructed Men as particularly that woman who converted the Nation of the Iberians unto the Christian Faith as Eusebius relateth FINIS

or composed Speeches or Discourses they shall make Merchandise of you And so it is seen at this day for as they make their Sermons by Art and take great pains as they say to Compose and Frame them so they make Merchandise of them and sell them unto the people for Money yea cause people to give them Money over and over again for the same and thus they they beguile them and make Merchandise of them also so did not this Woman she did not go home and study what she should say but she spoke what freely rose in her heart as the Lord taught her and though her words were but few yet they are very material and weighty and came no doubt from the Wisdom of God revealed in her for her own wisdome could never have taught her such excellent words and so excellently to prove that he was the Christ from her own experience He hath told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ 10. Her Preaching had this good effect They came unto him saw himself and heard him and as some believed because of the Womans saying so it is said Many more believed because of his own word and then their Faith had sure footing and found the right Foundation to wit his own word then they generrally came to hear himself and so believed because they heard himself as they declared themselves yet she was an occasion unto them by her speaking But whom hath these of the Man-made-Ministry brought this length that they are come unto Christ himself and heard him and seen him nay both Teachers and People cry out generally this is not to be expected in this Life all Vision and Revelation is ceased And no doubt as they came unto him outwardly and heard him and saw him outwardly so they came unto him and heard and saw him inwardly otherwise they could not have believed in him nor loved him as they did nor been blessed by him if they had not seen him and heard him with another eye than the outward which many heard him and saw him him with who remained Unbelievers and were not blessed And so now by these Ten Instances it is manifest how this Woman-Preacher of Samaria was a better Preacher than any of the Men-Preachers of the Man-made-Ministry who called the men of Sychar out of the City unto Iacob's Well to see Christ now Sychar signifieth Drunkenness and doth fitly answer unto the natural and unconverted state and now Iacob's Well Typefieth the Spirit of Christ which is the Well of Living-water in true Believers and so out of the natural state and Spirit of this World she called them unto the Spirit of Christ there to come unto him and to see him The 29th of the First Month 1673. Post-script BUT say the Men-Preachers of the Man made-Ministry Women ought not to Preach because the Apostle expresly saith But I suffer not a Woman to teach nor to Vsurp Authority over the Man but to be in silence To which I say first what if I should understand by the Woman in this place the flesh as Bernard an Ancient Father in the Church who is of great account both among them called Papists and Protestants doth understand it for thus he writeth about five hundred years ago In sermone de septem Spiritibu● Fol. 87. Edit Paris Ad Spiritum enim debet fieri Conversio Carnis ut serviat ipsa non serviatur ei ut dicat Spiritus servo sno veni veniat fac hoc faciat illud sic enim erit uxor nostra sicut vitis abundans salvabitur per geuerationem filiorum qui sunt opera bona si fuerit ipsa quidem in lateribus domus nostrae i. e. in abscondito humili loco anima vero resideat in medio tanquam domina tanquam Pater familias tanquam Iudex That is in English For the Flesh ought to be Converted unto the Spirit that she may serve and not be served that the Spirit may say unto his Servant come and it cometh do this and it doth it for so our Wife shall be as a fruitful Vine and shall be saved by bearing of Children which are good works if she be indeed in the sides of our House that is in a secret and low place but let the Soul remain in the midst as a Mistress as a Master of the Family as a Judge Behold how Bernard understandeth by the Woman which Paul suffereth not to teach our flesh and Paul speaking of this Woman that she shall be saved in Child-bearing Bernard expoundeth these Children to be good works notwithstanding she shall be saved saith Paul in Child-bearing or in bearing of Children if they continue in Faith and Charity and Holiness with Sobriety 1 Tim. 2.12 13 14 15. And that the Apostle saith if they continue what is to be understood by these words Whether outward and Natural Children or such Children as Bernard expoundeth to be good works Or is a Woman saved by bearing outward and Natural Children to wit Male or Female Children or can the Faith and Holiness of these Children save the Woman I have made use of the Authority of Bernard in this place not as if I would have People believe this Exposition simply or mainly because Bernard hath said so But indeed because the Men of the Schools and those called Clergy-Men lay such weight upon the Authority of the Fathers who commonly say We are to receive the Exposition of the Scripture from the Fathers and if the Expoposition of a Scripture be called in question we are to hear what such an Ancient Father as Bernard or Agustine or Ierome saith upon it and that is to determine the Case if especially the Scripture it s●lf say nothing to the contrary Let them hear therefore Bernard in the Case and leave off their proud and insolent words against the People called in derision Quakers as if they understood the Scriptures all contrary to the mind of the Ancient Fathers for let this be told them that not onely in this particular but in most of all the things of weight wherein we differ from the present Clergy-men so called we have the Ancient Fathers more on our side than they have as it may be made appear if God permit in due season And also let those weak and illiterate Man made-Ministers who pretend so much to Learning and reading and yet have so little of it forbear their frothy jearings and mockings of our Friends as touching the meaning of the Scriptures lest in so doing they be found mockers of them whom they call their Fathers of whom either mediately or immediately they borrow or rather steal any thing they have to say though oft knowing neither what they say nor whereof they affirm I have had an occasion given me not long ago by some of these Men to return them this advice some of them going about to represent it as a most ridiculous and inconsistent Exposition to expound by the