ts
for guiding souls in private and directing public policy, like St.
Catherine of Siena, or with gifts of government like St. Hilda, whom
the Church has rightly accepted as divinely endowed. Where
Christianity appears to have made a fresh departure in regard to women
was in the organized consecration of the gift of female ministry. The
deaconesses like Phoebe, and women like Lydia and Priscilla, are most
characteristic Christian figures; and they have a long line of
successors in later deaconesses and 'widows,' and sisters of mercy, and
nurses and teachers. It was the ignominy of the Church of England that
for so long she narrowed down the functions of women to those which
belong to wives and daughters at home. Multitudes of {226} women need
other than domestic spheres and are happier away from home; and we may
thank God that--apart from the specially political and judicial
functions which are proper to men--the widest sphere of influence and
service is now again being thrown open to women.

How pitiable it was that, in face of all Christian experience and of
the authoritative language of the New Testament, unmarried women should
have no prospect opened to them but such as was drearily summed up in
the phrase 'old maids.' St. Paul, if in this epistle he is glorifying
the married state, certainly also glorifies both for men and women the
freedom of the celibate life consecrated to the service of God--the
consecration of those who in a special sense are the virgin-brides of
Christ. We may be thankful indeed that now, if somewhat tardily, it
has received from the largest assembly of Anglican bishops ever
gathered together an altogether ungrudging recognition[23].

It has been very frequently observed that, especially in Asia Minor,
women in St. Paul's day were attaining in non-Christian society
positions of great influence and dignity. We find them {227} very
commonly holding priesthoods and public offices and magistracies. It
would appear, however, that too much may be made of this. The
populations of the Asiatic towns loved to be entertained with expensive
games and largesses of money and grain, and to have temples built and
endowed for them. Wealthy women of noble families were elected to
priesthoods and offices where they could exercise their acceptable
liberality in these ways. But the offices were rather of dignity than
of practical government, and were closely associated with priesthoods.
There is no e