Margaret Fell· 1666· quakerism
A groundbreaking 1666 treatise by Margaret Fell that provides a biblical justification for women's right to preach and speak in the church. It is one of the earliest and most influential works of feminist theology, reinterpreting Pauline prohibitions (1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy) and highlighting the central role of women as the first witnesses to the Resurrection.
By Margaret Fell, 1666.
"And it shall come to pass, in the last days, saith the Lord, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh; your Sons and Daughters shall Prophesie." — Acts 2:17; Joel 2:28.
"It is written in the Prophets, They shall be all taught of God, saith Christ." — John 6:45.
"And all thy Children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the Peace of thy Children." — Isa. 54:13.
Whereas it hath been an Objection in the minds of many, and several times hath been objected by the Clergy, or Ministers, and others, against Women's speaking in the Church; and so consequently may be taken, that they are condemned for meddling in the things of God.
The ground of which Objection is taken from the Apostle's words, which he writ in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. 14. vers. 34, 35; and also what he writ to Timothy in the first Epistle, chap. 2. vers. 11, 12. But how far they wrong the Apostle's intentions in these Scriptures, we shall show clearly when we come to them in their course and order. But first let me lay down how God himself hath manifested his Will and Mind concerning Women, and unto Women.
And first, when God created Man in his own Image: "In the Image of God created he them, Male and Female: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply." [Gen. 1] Here God joins them together in his own Image, and makes no such distinctions and differences as men do; for though they be weak, he is strong; and as he said to the Apostle, "His Grace is sufficient, and his strength is made manifest in weakness." [2 Cor. 12:9] And such hath the Lord chosen, even the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and things which are despised, hath God chosen, to bring to nought things that are. [1 Cor. 1] And God hath put no such difference between the Male and Female as men would make.
It is true, "The Serpent that was more subtle than any other Beast of the Field," came unto the Woman with his Temptations, and with a lie—his subtlety discerning her to be more inclinable to hearken to him—when he said, "If ye eat, your eyes shall be opened." And the Woman saw that "the Fruit was good to make one wise." There the temptation got into her, and she did eat, and gave to her Husband, and he did eat also, and so they were both tempted into the transgression and disobedience.
Therefore God said unto Adam, when he hid himself upon hearing his voice, "Hast thou eaten of the Tree which I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?" And Adam said, "The Woman which thou gavest me, she gave me of the Tree, and I did eat." And the Lord said unto the Woman, "What is this that thou hast done?" and the Woman said, "The Serpent beguiled me, and I did eat."
Here the Woman spoke the truth unto the Lord. See what the Lord saith, vers. 15, after he had pronounced Sentence on the Serpent: "I will put enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." [Gen. 3]
Let this Word of the Lord, which was from the beginning, stop the mouths of all that oppose Women's Speaking in the Power of the Lord; for he hath put enmity between the Woman and the Serpent; and if the Seed of the Woman speak not, the Seed of the Serpent speaks. God hath put enmity between the two Seeds, and it is manifest that those that speak against the Woman and her Seed's Speaking, speak out of the enmity of the old Serpent's Seed. God hath fulfilled his Word and his Promise: "When the fullness of time was come, he hath sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons." [Gal. 4:4-5]
Moreover, the Lord is pleased, when he mentions his Church, to call her by the name of Woman by his Prophets, saying, "I have called thee as a Woman forsaken, and grieved in Spirit, and as a Wife of Youth." [Isa. 54] Again, "How long wilt thou go about, thou back-sliding Daughter? For the Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a Woman shall compass a Man." [Jer. 31:22]
David, when he was speaking of Christ and his Church, saith, "The King's Daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is of wrought Gold; she shall be brought unto the King: with gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they shall enter into the King's Palace." [Psal. 45] And also King Solomon in his Song, where he speaks of Christ and his Church, where she is complaining and calling for Christ, he saith, "If thou knowest not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way by the footsteps of the Flock." [Cant. 1:8] And John, when he saw the wonder that was in Heaven, he saw "a Woman clothed with the Sun, and the Moon under her feet, and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars." [Rev. 12]
Thus much may prove that the Church of Christ is a Woman, and those that speak against the Woman's speaking, speak against the Church of Christ, and the Seed of the Woman, which Seed is Christ. That is to say, those that speak against the Power of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord Speaking in a Woman simply by reason of her Sex, not regarding the Seed, and Spirit, and Power that speaks in her—such speak against Christ, and his Church, and are of the Seed of the Serpent, wherein lodgeth the enmity.
Christ Jesus, when he came to the City of Samaria, where Jacob's Well was, where the Woman of Samaria was; you may read in John 4 how he was pleased to preach the Everlasting Gospel to her. When the Woman said unto him, "I know that when the Messiah cometh, when he cometh, he will tell us all things," Jesus saith unto her, "I that speak unto thee am he." This is more than ever he said in plain words to Man or Woman (that we read of) before he suffered.
Also he said unto Martha, when she said she knew that her Brother should rise again in the last day, Jesus said unto her, "I am the Resurrection and the Life: he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth shall never die. Believest thou this?" She answered, "Yea Lord, I believe thou art the Christ, the Son of God." Here she manifested her true and saving Faith, which few at that day believed so on him. [John 11:25-26]
Also that Woman that came unto Jesus with an Alabaster Box of very precious Ointment, and poured it on his Head as he sat at meat; it is manifested that this Woman knew more of the secret Power and Wisdom of God than his Disciples did, that were filled with indignation against her. Therefore Jesus saith, "Why do ye trouble the Woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me; Verily, I say unto you, Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this that this Woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her." [Matt. 26; Mark 14:3]
Luke saith further, "She was a sinner," and that she stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears and did wipe them with the hair of her head. And when Jesus saw the heart of the Pharisee that hath bidden him to his house, he turned to the Woman, and said, "Simon, seest thou this Woman? Thou gavest me no water to my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears... Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven her, for she hath loved much." [Luke 7:37-50]
Thus we see that Jesus owned the Love and Grace that appeared in Women, and did not despise it. He received as much love, kindness, compassion, and tender dealing from Women as he did from any others. For Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of Joses beheld where he was laid: "And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the Mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices that they might anoint him... And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they came unto the Sepulchre... and they went down into the Sepulchre." [Mark 16:1-4; Luke 24:1-2]
As Matthew saith, the Angel said unto the Women, "Fear not, I know whom ye seek, Jesus which was Crucified: he is not here, he is risen." [Mat. 28] Now Luke saith, that two men stood by them in shining apparel and said, "He is not here; remember how he said unto you when he was yet in Galilee, That the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." And they remembered his words, and returned from the Sepulchre, and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest.
It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James, and the other Women that were with them, which told these things to the Apostles, "And their words seemed unto them as idle tales, and they believed them not." Mark this, ye despisers of the weakness of Women, and look upon yourselves to be so wise: but Christ Jesus doth not so, for he makes use of the weak.
When he met the Women after he was risen, he said unto them, "All Hail," and they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him; then said Jesus unto them, "Be not afraid; go tell my Brethren that they go into Galilee, and there they shall see me." [Mat. 28:10; Mark 16:9] And John saith, when Mary was weeping at the Sepulchre, that Jesus said unto her, "Mary;" she turned herself, and saith unto him, "Rabboni," which is to say Master; Jesus saith unto her, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my Brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God." [John 20:16-17]
Mark this, you that despise and oppose the Message of the Lord God that he sends by Women: what had become of the Redemption of the whole Body of Mankind, if they had not believed the Message that the Lord Jesus sent by these Women, of and concerning his Resurrection?
And if these Women had not thus, out of their tenderness and bowels of love, who had received Mercy, and Grace, and forgiveness of sins, sate watching, and waiting, and weeping about the Sepulchre until the time of his Resurrection, and so were ready to carry his Message—else how should his Disciples have known, who were not there? Oh! blessed and glorified be the Glorious Lord; for this may all the whole body of mankind say, though the wisdom of man, that never knew God, is always ready to except against the weak; but the weakness of God is stronger than men, and the foolishness of God is wiser than men.
And now to the Apostle's words, which is the ground of the great Objection against Women's Speaking. First, 1 Corinthians 14: Let the Reader seriously read that Chapter, and see the end and drift of the Apostle in speaking these words. For the Apostle is there exhorting the Corinthians unto charity, and to desire spiritual gifts, and not to speak in an unknown tongue; and not to be Children in understanding; and that the Spirits of the Prophets should be subject to the Prophets; for God is not the Author of confusion, but of Peace. And then he saith, "Let your Women keep silence in the Church, &c."
Where it doth plainly appear that the Women, as well as others that were among them, were in confusion. For he saith, "How is it Brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a Psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a Tongue, hath a Revelation, hath an Interpretation? Let all things be done to edifying."
Here was no edifying, but all was in confusion speaking together; therefore he saith, "If any man speak in an unknown Tongue, let it be by two, or at most by three, and that by course, and let one Interpret, but if there be no Interpreter, let him keep silence in the Church." Here the Man is commanded to keep silence as well as the Woman, when they are in confusion and out of order.
But the Apostle saith further, "They are commanded to be in Obedience, as also saith the Law; and if they will learn anything, let them ask their Husbands at home; for it is a shame for a Woman to speak in the Church." Here the Apostle clearly manifests his intent; for he speaks of Women that were under the Law, and in that Transgression as Eve was, and such as were to learn, and not to speak publicly, but they must first ask their Husbands at home. It was a shame for such to speak in the Church. And it appears clearly, that such Women were speaking among the Corinthians, by the Apostle's exhorting them from malice and strife, and confusion.
And what is all this to Women's Speaking that have the Everlasting Gospel to preach, and upon whom the Promise of the Lord is fulfilled, and his Spirit poured upon them according to his word? [Acts 2:16-18] And if the Apostle would have stopped such as had the Spirit of the Lord poured upon them, why did he say just before, "If anything be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace? and you may all prophesy one by one."
Here he did not say that such Women should not Prophesy as had the Revelation and Spirit of God poured upon them; but their Women that were under the Law, and in the Transgression, and were in strife, confusion and malice in their speaking. For if he had stopped Women's praying or prophesying, why doth he say, "Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head; but every Woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head?" [1 Cor. 11:3-13]
Also that other Scripture, in 1 Timothy 2, where he is exhorting that Prayer and Supplication be made everywhere, he saith in the like manner also, "That Women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety... Let Women learn in silence with all subjection, but I suffer not a Woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the Man, but to be in silence: for Adam was first formed, then Eve."
Here the Apostle speaks particularly to a Woman in Relation to her Husband, to be in subjection to him, and not to teach, nor usurp authority over him; and therefore he mentions Adam and Eve. But let it be strained to the utmost—that they should not preach nor speak in the Church—of which there is nothing here.
Yet the Apostle is speaking to such as he is teaching what to wear and what not to wear; such as were not come to wear modest apparel, and such as were not come to shamefastness and sobriety. And such are not to usurp authority over the Man, but to learn in silence with all subjection, as it becometh Women professing Godliness with good works.
And what is all this to such as have the Power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus poured upon them, and have the Message of the Lord Jesus given unto them? Must not they speak the Word of the Lord because of these indecent and irreverent Women that the Apostle speaks of? And how are the men of this Generation blinded, that bring these Scriptures, and pervert the Apostle's Words, and corrupt his intent in speaking of them?
If the Apostle would have had Women's speaking stopped, and did not allow of them, why did he entreat his True Yokefellow to help those Women who laboured with him in the Gospel? [Phil. 4:3] And why did the Apostles join together in Prayer and Supplication with the Women, and Mary the Mother of Jesus? [Acts 1:14]
London: Printed in the Year, 1666.