Donovan's Erie History Pages
Women in the Pulpit
Correspondence from Erie preacher Clara C. Babcock to the Christian Standard.
"Women in the Pulpit"
Christian Standard
June 4, 1892
It is a question in my mind if
Bro. Briney could have chosen any
subject that would have arrested
thought, set brains and pens in
rapid motion, and so aroused
American womanhood, as his
interpretation of Paul on the woman
question.
This is the question that must
be met by the religious world, and
the sooner the better for the
church and humanity. Nearly five
years ago, after careful study and
prayer and mature deliberation, I
drew these conclusions, based on
the Word of God:
1. That the Word must
harmonize.
2. That women did teach, and
were commended for so doing by the
apostle Paul; that Priscilla, as
well as her husband, traveled with
Paul, and taught Apollos, who was
mighty in the Scripture, the way of
the Lord more perfectly (Rom. xvi).
Many noble women were commended to
the church, heading the list with
Phoebe, who came to them from her
church, Cenchrea, to teach them,
certainly along some line, for she
had business with the church. She
was no novice, for Paul says she
had been a succorer of many. Eight
hundred years before Christ it had
been prophesied that women should
use special gifts. On the day of
Pentecost Peter tells the multitude
before he preaches the gospel;
tells them about the death, burial
and resurrection of Jesus;
introduced it by saying the time
had come now that was prophesied of
by Joel: "Daughters and hand-
maidens shall prophesy," which
means to teach or exhort. Now for
a thought. In the beginning, God
said: "Let us make man in our own
image," and he created them male
and female. The Word declares God
gave them dominion over all created
things; not him, but them. In the
perfect state they were on
equality. After the fall, woman
lost her high estate, and as they
drifted out into barbarism, lower
and lower sank woman. Where Christ
is not known and honored, she is
man's slave, a wretched, degraded
creature. The qospel lifts her
once more to her position before
the fall in the countries where
Christ is honored. Woman is man's
equal; hence, in the light of
gospel truth, the apostle Paul
could say, "There is neither male
nor female, but ye are one in
Christ Jesus."
Listen! On the glad morning
of the resurrection, at early dawn,
the women stand at the vacant tomb
and an angel voice speaks -- heaven's
messenger: "Go tell them he has
risen." The story of the
resurrection was first told by
women. Peter introduces her as now
ready to prophesy. The hour is at
hand, in God's good time, for
gathering the first fruits under
the new dispensation. Is it
meaningless that Peter, under
inspiration, should, before
preaching the gospel, remind them
that the time had come for woman's
work in the way of teaching or
prophecy?
The apostle Paul makes two
declarations -- one to Timothy, the
other to the Corinthian Church --
which has by misinterpretation kept
woman from the place God intended
she should occupy. The words of
Paul, "Let your women keep silence
in the churches. If they want to
know anything, let them ask of
their husbands at home," were
addressed to women just brought out
of heathenism, who had been slaves
to their husbands. I shall infer
from the text their husbands were
Christian men and were able to
instruct their wives. These women
had zeal but not according to
knowledge. They had not learned
how to conduct themselves, for the
ancient writers tell us they
gabbled among themselves, and
talked out while Paul was
preaching. Under these
circumstances, Paul talked to them
about as I should, as an
instructor, under similar
circumstances. The other text, "I
suffer not woman to teach" applies
to her wifely relation, as the
following verses indicate. I need
not reason this, as the church does
allow woman to teach in the
churches in Sunday-school work;
does not silence her voice in song;
allows her to counsel and devise
ways and means to carry on local
church work.
A Baptist divine, with D. D.
attached to his name, in the
Standard of February 11th, says,
in reasoning, that woman's brain is
smaller than man's; hence he infers
she is not his equal
intellectually, so cannot hold the
office of pastor. It never dawned
upon my mind that it was quantity,
but quality that was needed. If
this is true reasoning, then we
should expect great things from the
elephant.
Intellectually speaking, I
have seen strong women and weak
men, vice versa.
We look out over the religious
world to-day, and we see the church
is largely composed of women. I do
not believe that this is because
man is less spiritual; it is
largely our environments that make
us what we are. There are certain
natural laws that, if broken, retard
progress. We recognize this in
home and social life; it is equally
true in the work of our Master.
For many centuries a mighty force
has been silenced contrary to God's
plan. If woman, with her magnetic
influence, her tender pleadings, as
well as her great intuitive powers,
had been heard from rostrum and
pulpit, as well as pastoral
oversight, in the centuries that
are past, the church would have
been well balanced with more
consecrated men as well as women;
all this, according to natural laws
and divine economy. It has been
said, women are not physically
endowed with strength to meet the
demands of the ministry. My pastor
once said to me, "Well, sister, you
may be able to preach, and bring
souls to obedience, but you will be
obliged to turn the job over to us
brethren." I have fully
demonstrated woman's power,
physically, as in over three years
I have baptized all candidates
presenting themselves. I have
stood in ice water, and baptized
many at once, in and out, any time
the occasion demanded, amid summer's
heat and winter's cold, both in the
baptistery and rivers. Have never
taken cold or been hoarse in the
work; am forty-three years old, the
mother of six children, and every
living relative of mine has been
brought to faith and obedience. I
have a happy home; each member is
willing to sacrifice some, if need
be, for the salvation of souls and
the glory of God. By the
encouragement of my family and the
blessing of God, my labors have
resulted in the conversion of over
three hundred, and I am still
determined to go forward preaching
the Word, and have strong faith in
Bro. Briney that he will come out
on the other side of the question
if we give him enough time. I have
somehow gained the impression that
it took him some time to get his
eyes opened on the organ question.
Clara C. Babcock
"From the Field"
Christian Standard
January 2, 1892
Rock Falls [Illinois], Nov. 1 -- Have closed my year's
labor, and have received a call to the fourth years'
work for Erie and third for Thomson, and have entered
upon the new year hopefully. Although I have not
reported work done since my last annual report, I have
not been idle. My eye has caught from time to time
contributions from the fertile brains of my strong
brethren, with some editorial hints against woman's work
in the ministry, as well as some words of encouragement.
Regardless of all this I have patiently and steadily
worked on, and can say w1th the apostle, none of these
things move me; can truly say, I never preach to empty
pews or a restless congregation; our audiences have
demanded enlarged buildings. The spacious house erected
at Erie last year is full at regular services. Have
doubled our seating capacity at Thomson this year; are
now ready for paint. Will dedicate soon without a
dollar indebtedness to raise. We can come up to that
service with thanksgiving. The spiritual tone is good.
Enmity, strife in the family of God have given place to
charity, and harmony now prevails. The church at
Thomson has more than doubled its membership, and in
financial and numerical strength are far in the lead in
the place. I will relate an incident that occurred at
that place recently. The Methodist Episcopal people have
been accustomed to meet with us and break the loaf with
us, as they have preaching only once in two weeks; at
their last quarterly service they invited and urged us
to join with them, they using the morning hour, I the
evening. Some of the official brethren thought it best
to join them. We accepted the invitation. At the
conclusion of the communion service their elder said, to
our surprise, if the parents will present the child,
baptism will be administered to it. At this point I
modestly stepped down out of the pulpit. After this
matter had been attended to I was called upon to
pronounce the benediction. I stepped to the front and
asked if it would be in order for me to make an
announcement. He said certainly. I then said the
ordinance of baptism will be administered at the river
to adults immediately upon adjournment of this service.
All who would like to witness the burial of these
believers in the likeness of the death-burial of our
Lord are welcome. A large company followed us. The
occurrence of the preceding hour and the large crowd
impressed me to speak upon the action and subject for
baptism briefly. Then on the banks of the Father of
Waters we sung a hymn of invitation, and 6 came
forward and made the good confession. We went home
feeling God's blessing was with us. This is one of many
pleasant experiences that have come to me in connection
with my work. The visible results of my year's work
are 96 additions -- 38 heads of families, 8 from the
Methodist Episcopals, 6 from the Baptists, 9 reclaimed;
preached 240 sermons, 16 funerals (two double -- father
and son, husband and wife), 12 weddings, 470 visits
made, 1,500 miles traveled to and from my labor. Am now
in perfect health. Have not missed an appointment in
over four years. I feel strong in the Lord and in the
power of his might, and in his strength shall continue
the heart-to-heart conflict with the enemy of souls and
for the extension of God's kingdom.
Mrs. C. C. Babcock
