The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women

I am not ignorant, that the most part¹ of men do understand this malediction of the subjection of the wife to her husband, and of the dominion, which he beareth above her: but the holy ghost giveth to us an other interpretation of this place, taking from all women all kind of superiority, authority and power over man, speaking as followeth, by the mouth of saint Paul: I suffer² not a woman to teach, nether yet to usurp authority above man. Here he nameth women in general, excepting none, affirming that she may usurp authority above no man. And that he speaketh more plainly, in an other place in these words: Let women keep silence³ in the congregation, for it is not permitted to them to speak, but to be subject as the law sayeth. These two testimonies of the holy ghost, be sufficient ⟨image 16⟩to prove what soever we have affirmed before, and to repress the inordinate pride of women, as also to correct the foolishness of those that have studied to exalt women in authority above man, against God, and against his sentence pronounced. But that the same two places of the apostle may the better be understand: it is to be noted, that in the latter, which is written in the first epistle to the Corinthians the 14.chapter, before the apostle had permitted that all persons should prophesy one after an other: adding this reason: that all may learn and all may receive consolation. And left that any might have judged, that amongest a rude multitude, and the plurality of speakers, many, things little to purpose might have been affirmed, or else that some confusion might have risen: he addeth, the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets: As he should say, God shall always raise up some, to whom the verity shall be revealed, and unto such ye shall give place, albeit they ⟨p. 16⟩sit in the lowest seats. And thus the apostle would have prophesying an exercise to be free to the hole church, that every one should communicate with the congregation, what God had revealed to them, providing that it were orderly⁴