Let The Women Keep Silence.

White Ribbon, Volume 3, Issue 29, 1 November 1897, Page 8

Let The Women Keep Silence.

The conclusion arrived at by a majority of the members of the Christchurch Diocesan Synod (which held its sittings last month) that women shall not l>e allowed to speak or vote at parish meetings, would have roused our indignation greatly were it not that the comic side of the question appeals to us strongly, helping to restore the menial balance and soften our asperity. The old well-worn arguments, which one would have thought could not in decency be resuscitated, were all served up afresh : ij, 9 Women’s incompetency in business matters; tfv»ir inferiority of brain ; the danger of their admittance driving men out of the Church ; the fear of such a step leading to an ecclesiastical revolution; and, in fact, of its being the thin end of the wedge, leading—Heaven only know's where—probably to the Church’s entire disintegration. One reverend gentleman besought his brethren to remember the words of St. Paul He did not specify which words, but we believe all present took for granted that he referred to those that have since been paraphrased : “ Let the women keep silence all.” The reverend gentleman evidently forgot that even Paul, imbued as he was with Jewish traditions regarding women, had so far imbibed the spirit of his Master as to recognise and honour several women as having “ laboured with him in the Gospel.” This didn’t mean that they sewed their fingers to the bone, or begged from door to door in order that Paul should have a good stipend, or a well, appointed parsonage. But it meant that they took an active part with him in spreading the good news. What blasphemy ! what sacrilege ! cries the Church dignitary But whether the Church will or no, the time is coming when the Church will recognise and welcome women into its folds —not as drudges or underlings, but as honoured equals with those who have so long usurped authority. That this is not a forlorn hope is shown by the manly and sensible speeches made in Synod in support of Mr Dunnage's resolution—“ That it is desirable that women should have the right to speak and vote at parish meetings.” The voting was as follows:—Ayes: Clergy, 16; Laity, 14. Noes: Clergy, 32; Laity, 15. It will be seen from these figures that one-third of the clerics, and

half of the laymen were progressives Such a proportion constitutes more than “ a little leaven.” and so we have hopes for the future of the Church. In connection with Archdeacon Harper’s remarks on the inferiority of women’s brains, and their consequent incapacity for grasping and dealing with ecclesiastical questions, it may be interesting to recall a few words spoken by Canon Wilberforce in a recent sermon preached at Westminster Abbey—- “ When in the irresponsible self-com-placence of a supposed superiority, man dares to depreciate women intellectually, morally, and socially, he is guilty of two errors. First, he denies an elemental truth of creation; and secondly, he is publicly advertising the slowness of his owrn perceptions of Christian enlightenment.”