man, against God, and against his sentence pronounced. But that the same
two places of the apostle may the better he vnderstand: it is to be noted,
that in the latter, which is writen in the first epistle to the Corinthes
the 14. chapitre, before the apostle had permitted that all persones shuld
prophecie one after an other: addinge this reason: 'that all may learne
and all may receiue consolation'. And lest that any might haue iudged,
that amongest a rude multitude, and the pluralitie of speakers, manie,
thinges litle to purpose might haue bene affirmed, or elles that some
confusion might haue risen: he addeth, the spirites of the prophetes are
subiect to the prophetes: As he shuld say, God shall alwayes raise vp
some, to whome the veritie shalbe reueled, and vnto such ye shal geue
place, albeit they sit in the lowest seates. And thus the apostle wold
haue prophecying an exercise to be free to the hole churche, that euerie
one shuld communicate with the congregation, what God had reueled to them,
prouidinge that it were orderlie done. But frome this generall priuiledge
he secludeth all woman, sayinge: let women kepe silence in the
congregation. And why I pray you? was it because that the apostle thoght
no woman to haue any knowledge? no he geueth an other reason, saying; let
her be subiect as the lawe saith[34]. In which wordes is first to be
noted, that the apostle calleth this former sentence pronounced against
woman a lawe, that is, the immutable decree of God, who by his owne voice
hath subiected her to one membre of the congregation[35], that is to her
husband, wherupon the holie ghost concludeth, that she may neuer rule nor
bear empire ahoue man. For she that is made subiect to one, may neuer be
preferred to many, and that the holie ghoste doth manifestlie expresse,
saying: I suffer not that women vsurpe authoritie aboue man: he sayth not,
I will not, that woman vsurpe authoritie aboue her husband, but he'nameth
man in generall, taking frome her all power and authoritie, to speake, to
reason, to interprete, or to teache, but principallie to rule or to iudge
in the assemblie of men. So that woman by the lawe of God, and by the