Discourses on Divers Texts of Scripture, Discourses 1 · Sermon 16
1. CO…. …. 5.1 Cor. 11. 5.
Every woman praying or prophecying with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head.
I Have chosen this of the woman, rather then that of the man going before it, for the Theme of my Discourse; First, because I conceive the fault, at the reformation whereof the Apostle here almeth, in the Church of Corinth, was the womens only, not the mens. That which the Apostle speaks of a man praying or prophecying, being by way of supposition, and for illustration of the unseemlinesse of that guise which the women used. Secondly, because the condition of the sex in the words read, makes something for the better understanding of that which is spoken of both; as we shall see presently.
What I intend to speak upon this Text, shall consist of these two parts; First, of an enquiry, what is here meant by prophecying, a thing attributed to women, and therefore undoubtedly some such thing as they were capable of. Secondly, what was this fault for matter and manner, of the women of the Church of Corinth, which the Apostle here reproveth.
To begin with the first, and which I am like to dwell longest upon; Some take prophecying here, in the stricter sense, to be foretelling of things to come; as that which in those Primitive times, both men and women did, by the powring out of the Holy Ghost upon them; according to that of the Prophet Ioel, applied by S. Peter to the sending of the Holy Ghost at the first promulgation of the Gospel: I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophecy, and your young men shall see visions. And that such Prophetesses as these, were those four Daughters of Philip the Euangelist, whereof we read Acts 21. 9.
Others take prophecying here in a more large notion, for the gift of interpreting and opening Divine mysteries contained in holy Scripture, for the instruction and edification of the hearers; especially, as it was then inspired and suggested in extraordinary manner by the Holy Spirit, as Prophecy was given of old; according to that of S. Peter, Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. So because many, in the beginning of the Gospel, were guided by a like instinct in the interpretation and application of Scripture, they were said to Prophecy. Thus the Apostle useth it in the fourteenth Chapter of this Epistle, where he discourses of spirituall Gifts, and before all prefers this of Prophecy; because he that prophecieth, (saith he) speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
But neither of these kinds of Prophecy sute with the person in my Text, which is a woman: For it is certain the Apostle speaks here of prophecying in the Church, or Congregation; but in the Church a woman might not speak, no not so much as ask a question for her better instruction, much lesse teach and instruct others. This the Apostle teacheth us in this very Epistle, Chapter the fourteenth; even there where he discourseth so largely of those kinds of Prophecy: Let your women (saith he) keep silence in the Churches: For it is not permitted unto them to speak, foreign but to be subject: And if they will learn, let them ask their husbands at home. Again in the first of Timothy, the second and the eleventh, Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. 12. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Note here, that to speak in a Church Assembly, by way of teaching or instructing others, is an act of superiority, which therefore a woman might not do, because her sex was to be in subjection, and so to appear before God in that Garb and Posture, which consisted therewith; that is, they might not speak to instruct men in the Church, but to God she might.
To avoid this difficulty, some would have the word foreign in my Text, to be taken passively, namely, to hear, or be present at Prophecy, which is an acception without example, either in Scripture, or any where else. It is true, the Congregation is said to pray when the Priest only speaks; but that they should be said to preach, who are present only at the hearing of a Sermon, is a Trope without example. For the reason is not alike: In prayer the Priest is the mouth of the Congregation, and does what he does in their names, and they assent to it by saying, A men. But he that preaches or prophecies is not the mouth of the Church, to speak ought in their names, that so they might be said to speak too; but he is the mouth of God speaking to them. It is not likely therefore, that those who only hear another speaking or prophecying to them, should be said foreign, no more, as I said, then that all they should be said to preach, who were at the hearing of a Sermon.
What shall we do then? Is there any other acception of the word prophecying left us, which may fit our turn? Yes, there is a fourth acception, which if it can be made good, will sute our Text better (I think) then any of the former; to wit, that prophecying here should be taken for praising God in Hymnes and Psalms. For so it is fitly coupled with praying: Praying and praising, being the parts of the Christian Liturgy. Besides, our Apostle also in the fourteenth Chapter of this Epistle, joyns them both together; I will pray, saith he, with the spirit, and will pray with understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing, that is, prophecy, with understanding also. For, because Prophets of old did three things: First, foretell things to come: Secondly, notifie the will of God unto the people: And thirdly, uttered themselves in musicall wise, and, as I may so speak, in a poeticall strain and composure: Hence it comes to passe, that to prophecy in Scripture, signifies the doing of any of these three things, and amongst the rest, to praise God in verse or musicall composure.
This to be so, as I say, I shall prove unto you out of two places of Scripture; and first out of the first of Chronicles, ch. 25. where the word Prophecy is three severall times thus used: I will alledge the words of the Text at large, because I cannot well abbreviate them; These they are; v. 1. Moreover David and the Captains of the Host, separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Ieduthun, who should prophecy with Harps, with Psalteries, and with Cymbals: and the number of the men of Office according to their service was, 2. Of the sons of Asaph, Zaccur, and Ioseph, and Nathaniah, and Asarelah, the sons of Asaph under the hands of Asaph, which prophecied according to the order of the King. 3. Of Ieduthun, the sons of Ieduthun, Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Ieshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah (and Schimei) six, under the hands of their Father Ieduthun, who prophecied with a Harp to give thanks, and to praise the Lord. Lo here, to prophecy Vide etiam 2 Chr. 29. 3…. & 35. 15.and to give thanks, (or confesse) and to praise the Lord with spirituall songs, made all one. Nor needs such a notion seem strange, when as even among the Latins, the word vates signifieth both him that foretels things to come, and a Poet: for that the Gentile Oracles were given likewise in verse: And S. Paul to Titus, cals the Cretian Poet, Epimenides, a Prophet; as one, saith he, of their own Prophets said, foreign And the Arabians (whose language comes the nearest both in words and notions to the Hebrew) call a chief Poet of theirs (Princeps omnium Poetarum (saith …rpenius) quos unquam vidit mundus) Muttenabbi, that is, Prophetizans, or Propheta foreign. Now then if Asaph, Ieduthun, and Heman prophecied when they praised God in such Psalms, as are entituled unto their severall Quires; as we find them in the Psalm-Book, (for know that all the Psalms entituled to the sons of Korah, belonged to the Quire of Heman, who descended from Korah,) why may not we, when we sing the same Psalms be said to prophecy likewise? namely, as he that useth a prayer composed by another, prayeth; and that according to the spirit of him that composed it; So he that praiseth God with these spirituall and propheticall composures, may be said to prophecy according to that spirit, which speaketh in them.
And that Almighty God is well pleased with such service as this, may appear by that one story of King Iehoshaphat, in the second of Chronicles, who when he marched forth against that great confederate Army of the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, the Text there tels us, that having consulted with his people, He appointed singers unto the Lord, that should praise the Beauty of holinesse, as they went out before the 2 Chron. 20. 21.Army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever, (that is, they should sing the one hundred and sixth Psalm, or one hundred thirty sixth, which begin in this manner, and were both of them not unfit for such an occasion;) And when they began to sing Verse 22.and praise, (saith the Text) the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Iudah, and they were smitten.
A second place where such kinde of Prophets and prophecying, as we speak of, is mentioned, is that in the first of Samuel, in the story of Sauls election, where 1 Sam. 10. 5 10.we reade, That when he came to a certain place, called the Hill of God, he met a company of Prophets comming down from the high place, (or Oratory there) with a Psaltery, a Tabret, and a Pipe, and a Harp before them, and they prophecied, and he with them. Their Instruments argue what kinde of Prophecy this was; namely, praising God with spirituall songs, and melody. In what manner, is not so easie to define or specifie: But with an extemporary rapture, I easily beleeve. And if we may conjecture by other examples, one of them should seem to have been the Praecentor, and to utter the verse or ditty; the rest to have answered foreign, the extremes or last words of the verse; For after this manner we are told by Philo Iudaeus, that the Essens (who were of the Iewish Nation) were wont to sing their Hymnes in their foreign, or worshipping places. And after the self-same manner, Eusebius tels us, did the Primitive Christians, having in all likelihood learnt it from the Jews, whose manner it was; the same is witnessed by the Author Constitutionum Apostolicarum in his second Book, and fifty seventh Cha. where describing the manner of the Christian Note to sing foreign, i. alternis choris, and answer foreign are diverse. Vid. Hook. l. 5. p. 261.service; after the reading of the Lessons of the Old Testament, (saith he) foreign Let another sing the Psalms of David, and the people, succinere, or answer, foreign. (….) foreign, the extremes of the verses. Some footsteps of which custome remain still with us (though perhaps in somewhat a different way) when in those short versicles of Liturgy, being sentences taken out of the Psalms, the Priest says or sings the first half, and the People answer the latter; quasi foreign. As for example, in that taken out of Psal. 51. 17. the Priest says, O Lord open thou our lips; The People or Chorus answer, And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. But whatsoever the ancient manner of answering was, thus much we are sure of, that the Iews in their divine lauds were wont to praise God after this manner, in Antiphones or Responsories; as (to let passe other testimonies, and the use of their Synagogues to this day derived from their Ancestors,) we may learn by two speciall Arguments; one from the Seraphims singing, Esay the sixth, where it is said, that the Seraphims cried one unto another saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his Glory. Note, they cryed one unto another. Secondly, from the use of the Hebrew verb foreign, which in the proper and native signification thereof being to answer, is also used for to sing: as in the Psalm, where we translate, Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, Psa. 147. 7.sing praise upon the Harp unto our God; in the Hebrew it is foreign, Answer unto the Lord in thanksgiving, sing praise upon the Harp unto our God. And Isay 27. 2. In that day sing ye unto her, a vineyard of red wine. In the Hebrew, Answer ye unto her. And Numbers 21. in Israels song of the Well; Spring up, O Well, sing ye unto it. In the Hebrew it is, Answer unto it. And Moses speaking of those that were worshipping the golden Calf, Exodus 32. 18. It is not the voyce of them that shout for mastery, nor the voyce of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I heare; In the Hebrew, the voyce of them that answer one another. And so in other places. But to put all out of doubt, look Ezra 3. 11. where it is expresly said, The Levites, the sons of Asaph, sung together by course, in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord, because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Hence was derived the manner of praying, and praising God in the Christian service, alternis vicibus, in a musicall way, and, as it were, by way of prophecying and versifying; even though we do but speak it only; as you know the Poet says, Amant alterna Camaenae. Thus I have taken occasion somewhat to enlarge this particular; That we our selves might the better understand the reason of what we do, and what precedents, and whose example we follow therein. And thus much of prophecying.
I come now to the second thing, I propounded to speak of; namely, what was that fault among the Corinthians, which the Apostle here taxeth: For the right understanding whereof, I say two things; First, for the offenders, that they were the women, and not the men. That which the Apostle speaketh concerning men, being by way of supposition only, and to illustrate his Argument against the uncomly guise of the women à pari: this appears, because his conclusion speaks of women only, and nothing at all of men. Secondly, for the quality of the fault, it was this; that the women at the time of praying and prophecying were unveiled in the Church; notwithstanding it was then accounted an unseemly and immodest guise, for women to appear open and bare-faced in publique. How then, will you say, should it come to passe, that Christian women should so much forget themselves, as to transgresse this decorum in Gods House, and service which they observed other where? I answer, from a phantasticall imitation of the manner of the she-Priests and Prophetesses of the Gentiles, when they served their Idols, as their Pythiae, Bacchae, or Maenades, and the like; who used, when they uttered their Oracles, or celebrated the rites and sacrifices of their Gods, to put themselves into a wild and extaticall guise, having their faces discovered, their hait dishevelled, and hanging about their ears: This these Corinthian women (conceiting themselves when they prayed or prophecied in the Church, to be acting the parts of she-Priests, uttering Oracles like, the Pythiae, or Sibyllae, or celebrating sacrifice, as the Maenades, or Bacchae) were so fond, as to imitate (as that sex is prone to follow the fashion) and accordingly cast off their veils, and discovered their faces immodestly in the Congregation, and thereby (as the Apostle speaks) dishonoured their heads; that is, were unseemly accoutred, and dressed on their head: which he proveth by three Arguments; partly from Nature, which having given women their hair for a covering, taught them to be covered, as a sign of subjection; the manner of this covering being to be measured by the custome of the Nation: Lastly, by an Argument à pari, from men, for whom even themselves being Judges, it would be an uncomely thing to wear a vail, that is, a womans habit; so by the like reason, was it as uncomely for a woman to be without a vail, that is, in the guise and dresse of a man. And howsoever the Devils of the Gentiles, sometimes took pleasure in uncomelinesse, and absurd garbs and gestures; yet the God whom they worshipped with his holy Angels, who were present at their devotions, loved a comely accommodation, agreeable to Nature and Custome, in such as worshipped him. For this cause therefore (saith he) ought a woman to have a covering on her head, because of the Angels. Lastly, he concludes it, from the example and custome both of the Iewish and Christian Churches, neither of which had any such use, for their women to be unvailed in their sacred assemblies: If any man (saith he) be contentious, (that is, will not be satisfied with these reasons) let him know, that we, (that is, we of the Circumcision) have no such custome, nor the Church of God. For so, with S. Ambrose, Anselme, and some of the ancients, I take the meaning of the Apostle to be in those words.
Thus you have heard briefly, what was the fault of these Corinthian Dames, which the Apostle here taxeth. From which we our selves may learn thus much; That God requires a decent and comely accommodation in his House, in the act of his worship, and service; For if in their habit and dresse, surely much more in their gestures, and deportment; he loves nothing that is unseemly in the one, or in the other.