is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.' Prophets were an order of public teachers in the primitive church: These only are the persons, who, the apostle says, may all prophesy. The words therefore, far from allowing, plainly forbid private Christians to start up and teach in religious assemblies.*

* The Apostle says, 1 Cor. xi. 5. Every woman, that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her * head. Hence some have inferred, that women were permitted, in public assemblies, to pray and prophesy, or preach, if they would modestly cover their heads. But this inference cannot be admitted in opposition to the Apostle's explicit and repeated prohibitions of such a practice.

In the church of Corinth there were women, who, under real or pretended inspiration, took upon them to speak in religious assemblies. In speaking they assumed a bold masculine air, throwing off their veils, which, according to the custom of the time, were a badge of female modesty, and a token of subjection to their husbands The Apostle, according to his usual caution in matters of delicacy, before he expressly condemns the prac tice, adverts to the impropriety of women's appearing with forward and assuming airs in public assemblies. "Every woman, that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoreth her head; for that is all one, as if she were shaven. For if the women be not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered

Now if it be not decent or proper for a woman to appear uncovered in a mixed assembly, it is not decent or proper for her

ers.

I will mention another passage, which has been sometimes perverted to justify private brethren in assuming the office of teachAt the time of Stephen's martyrdom, there was great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

-And

to speak or preach in such an assembly. The reason against the former, is equally a reason against the latter; viz. its inconsistency with the modesty and subjection, which become the sex. The Apostle calls it 'usurping authority over the men.' Every publick speaker, while speaking, claims a kind of superiority to the audience assumes the teacher, and lays aside the subjection of the learner.

The Apostle therefore, by requiring the women to be veiled in religious assemblies in token of subordination, implicitly forbids her to preach. If she may not prophesy unveiled, she may not prophesy at all. For there would be a gross inconsistency in wearing the veil and assuming the preacher.

Having corrected the indecency of a woman's uncovering her head to prophesy, he afterward, at a proper place in the epistle, expressly forbids the practice itself. Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home.' The same restriction he injoins in his first epistle to Timothy. 'Let the women learn in silence with all subjection; for I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man; but to be in silence,'

they, that were scattered abroad, went every where preaching the word. Acts 8.

But are we to suppose that the all, who were scattered abroad, were all the members of the Church in Jerusalem, and that all these went every where preaching? This would be absurd; for then we must suppose the women turned preachers. The church at Jerusalem was, at this time, very large. We read of three thousands at one time, and five thousands at another, converted to the Christian faith; besides other considerable accessions. A great proportion of these were in, and about Jerusalem. That all the believers in this city should go forth to preach, is not supposable: So many were not needed, nor could so many be employed, in the regions of Judea and Samaria, and the other places whither they went; for they preached to Jews only. And if the fire of persecution was so hot that no professed believer could live in Jerusalem, why were not the apostles scattered among the rest?

It is certain that the church in Jerusalem was not dispersed; for still there were in

Judea brethren and apostles; and in the city there were devout men, who carried Stephen to his burial; and disciples to whom Paul essayed to join himself, after he came from Damascus. Yea, we are expressly told, that when they, who, by this persecution, were scattered abroad, had gone as far as Phenice, Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word with success, tidings of these things came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem. Acts viii. 2-ix. 26-xi. 1, 19, 22.

Since there were still brethren with the apostles, and since we still find in Jerusalem devout men, disciples, and a church; the all, who were scattered abroad, cannot be all the Christians or believers in the city.

Who then were these all? Doubtless they were the hundred and twenty disciples, who had companied together, while Christ went in and out among them; and on whom the Holy Ghost had lately fallen. These are mentioned in the first and second chapters of the Acts, and are, once and again, called the all. These were assembled together, when a successor to Judas was elected.

They were all together in one place on the day of pentecost. On these the Holy Ghost was shed forth, and cloven tongues, like as of fire, sat on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spake with tongues.

Grotius, Lightfoot and Whitby, say, that

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they all, who were now filled with the Holy Ghost, were all the hundred and twenty.' This appears to have been a received opinion in the ancient church. Jerom, Chrysostom and Oecumenius, observe, that the Holy Ghost fell on the hundred and twenty to complete the prophecy of Joel.' Whitby says, 'It was not the whole church, or body of the laiety, that was scattered abroad, but the hundred and eight, who were full of the Holy Ghost; the persecution aiming chiefly at those, who were such as Stephen was.

These were now plainly authorized to preach the gospel, having, in a public manner, received this supernatural gift, and being, according to Christ's promise, endued with power from on high; and therefore,