Page:Christian Marriage.djvu/83

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TEACHING OF ST. PAUL
67

enthusiasm. These different influences combined in the apostle's teaching, but they operated with varying degrees of power at different times in his career; and, accordingly, it is easy to fail in doing justice to his real views.

Perhaps the most characteristic and, for our present purpose, the most luminous utterance is that which deals with the practical question of female conduct in the public assemblies. The Rabbinist, the Christian, the pastor, the statesman are all represented in this curious passage:

"Now I praise you that ye remember me in all things, and hold fast the traditions, even as I delivered them to you. But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. Everyman praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman praying or prophesying with her head unveiled dishonoureth her head: for it is one and the same thing as if she were shaven. For if a woman is not veiled, let her also be shorn: but if it is a shame to a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be veiled. For a man indeed ought not to have his head veiled, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.