Wesley Corpus

Again: The Apostle Paul saith to Timothy, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. For I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man,” (which public teaching necessarily implies,) “but to be in silence.” (1 Tim. ii. 11, 12.) To this Robert Barclay makes only that harmless reply: “We think this is not anyways repugnant to this doctrine.” Not repugnant to this, “I do suffer a woman to teach !” Then I know not what is. “But a woman “laboured with Paul in the work of the gospel.’” Yea, but not in the way he had himself expressly forbidden. “But Joel foretold, ‘Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.’ And ‘Philip had four daughters which prophe sied.’ And the Apostle himself directs women to prophesy; only with their heads covered.” Very good. But how do you prove that prophesying in any of these places means preaching? “11. All true worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving of his own Spirit. We ought not to pray or preach where and when we will, but where and when we are moved thereto by his Spirit. All other worship, both praises, prayers, and preachings, which man sets about in his own will, and at his own appointment, which he can begin and end at pleasure, do or leave undone, as himself sees meet, are but superstitions, will-worship, and abominable idolatries.” Here lies one of the main differences between Quakerism and Christianity. It is true indeed, that “all true worship to God is offered in the inward and immediate moving of his own Spirit;” or, (to speak plain,) that we cannot truly worship God, unless his Spirit move or incline our hearts. It is equally true, that “we ought to pray and preach, only where and when we are moved thereto by his Spirit; ” but I fear you do not in anywise understand what the being “moved by his Spirit” means. God moves man, whom he has made a reasonable creature, according to the reason which he has given him. He moves him by his understanding, as well as his affections; by light, as well as by heat. He moves him to do this or that by conviction, full as often as by desire.