This is the seventh post in a series of articles by Rev David Silversides in response to the RPNA statement on headcovering. Here he looks at Scotland and headcovering.

“Scotland

We have seen Knox’s reference to 1 Cor.11 in an earlier section.

Much is made in the RPNA paper of passages in Samuel Rutherford (c1600-1661). With all due respect, however, to that great man, the context is his attempt to defend the unwarranted practice of uncovering the head (as an expression of reverence) when partaking of the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper and to clear this practice of the charge of being the equivalent to adoration of the elements. It is in this context that he refers to the cultural use of head-coverings and the fact that uncovering the head in his day was seen as a sign of respect. In light of this, it is hardly surprising if the matter is muddled. Presumably, this unjustified practice was dropped in due course, though it is not clear who actually practiced it anyway. (The painting Covenanters’ Communion by George Harvey seems to represent the men as uncovered and the women covered except when the latter are actually taking the elements – which would imply that the women had their heads covered during the verbal/audible parts of worship. This may or may not indicate what actually took place). The reference to head-covering being a national sign of some kind in Corinth is clearly a mistake in the light of the references to the created order in 1 Cor.11:1-16 and the practice of the churches in general in v.16. Any confusion in the Scottish churches indicated in the RPNA paper is due to the injection of a cultural use of head-covering (or uncovering) even into the administration of discipline (as a sign of penitence etc.) instead of rejecting all man-made uses of head-covering and concentrating only on its non-cultural use appointed by the Lord in 1 Cor.11. Unscriptural additions usually do adversely affect Scriptural appointments.

David Dickson (1583-1663)

Dickson is to the point:

“Verse 1. Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Verse 2. Now I praise you, Brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them unto you.

As concerning the first part, he premises a command to imitate him, so far as he followed Christ: He also commends the Corinthians, that for some time they observed the Doctrine and Precepts delivered to them, partly by letter, partly by his lively voice, concerning Religion, and things which appertain thereunto, so far at least, that they deserved some commendation.

Verse. 3. 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.

Furthermore he sub-joins to the following admonition a maxim concerning order divinely stablished in the mystical body of the Church, viz., that Christ is nearest subordinate to God, as he is God-man, the Mediator and the Head of the Church, and that the man next succeeds in dignity unto Christ, and the woman to the man, which so far as it appertains to the honour of the sex, she is made subordinate to the man as Head; whereupon they may understand that order in Church-Assemblies is to bee observed.

Verse 4. Every man praying, or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.

It is apparent that the Corinthians did not sufficiently observe this order, because their women in the public Assemblies (after the manner of Heathens) laid aside their veils, and the men covered their heads and faces; (they are said to pray and Prophesise, who met publicly, and consented to promote this public Worship of God.) This uncomeliness he reproves both in the men and women, by nine Arguments.

[Dishonours] Argument I. The covering of the man is not agreeable to the dignity of his sex, and against the honour of Christ, whom he ought to represent: Therefore it is uncomely.

Verse 5. But every woman that prayeth, or Prophesieth with her head uncovered, dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she was shaven.

Verse 6. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.

Argument. 2. It is dishonourable to the Female Sex to lay aside her veil, and against the dignity, as well of her natural head, as of her metaphorical head, to wit, the man to whom she owes subjection for the honour of the Masculine Sex; the reason whereof he gives, because it was not less unseemly for the woman to be without her veil, than to be shorn: Here therefore the woman is reproved for indecency, which she ought to amend.

Verse 7. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the Image and Glory of God, but the woman is the glory of man.

Argument 3. The man (seeing he is the Glory of God, and the representation of his glorious Excellency in respect of the woman over whom he is appointed head) ought to show forth the Glory of God in his manly deportment: Therefore he must beware of this unseemliness in the use of a veil.

[The woman] Argument 4. The woman is the glory of the man, or the image of his dignity, in whom (as in a Glass) the excellency of the man (for whose sake she was created ) is seen, to whom she ought to profess subjection by the covering of herself: Therefore seeing the woman behaves herself otherwise amongst you, she is blamed for uncomeliness. This does not any whit hinder but the woman is created, in respect of her Soul and spiritual state, to the glory and Image of God, as well as the man.

Verse 8. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man.

Argument 5. The man is the material principle of the woman, because she was made out of the ribs of man: Therefore it becomes the man and the woman to testify the privilege of their original, in the observation of the aforesaid decency: Therefore you are guilty of indecency which do otherwise.

Verse 9. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.

Argument 6. Seeing the man hath the respect of the end, and the woman is destined for the end; it is fitting that this difference of their excellency should be expressed by the observance of decency: Therefore when it is not observed, you are deservedly to be reproved.

Verse 10. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head, because of the Angels.

Argument 7. Even because of the Angels, who behold and are witnesses of comely and uncomely deportments in the Church, although you would not regard that men look upon you, yet it becomes Women to testify the subjection of their Sex, and the power of the Man, by putting a veil over their head as a sign of it? Therefore you are guilty of indecency when your behaviour is otherwise.

Verse 11. Nevertheless, neither is the Man without the Woman: neither the Woman without the Man in the Lord.

Verse 12. For as the Woman is of the Man, even so is the Man also by the Woman; but all things of God.

That this comparing of the Man and the Woman, may not be drawn out further to the desiring of the Woman, in a threefold respect he equals the Woman to the Man. First, In respect to Christ our Lord, or in respect to our state of Grace in Christ: The Man and the Woman are equal, bought with the same price, and alike ordained to their service of Christ.

Secondly, In respect to the same Original; for as in the Creation the Woman is of the Man, so by ordinary propagation the Man is by the Woman. Thirdly, In respect to the first and principal efficient cause, i.e., God; (who hath made the Man and the Woman, and all things else) the Man and the Woman are equal.

Verse 13. Judge in you selves, is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?

Verse 14. Doth not even nature it self teach you, that if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

Verse 15. But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given her for a covering.

Argument 8. Common sense, and nature it self, or natural inclination (so he calls settled custom, and agreeable to nature, in respect to what is comely) dictates that it is unseemly for a woman to pray uncovered, or that a man should wear long hair, and the contrary is decent: Therefore you observe no decorum when you behave your selves otherwise. Hair is said to be given to the woman for a covering, because it is given to that end, that she may know her head ought to be covered.

Verse 16. But if any man seem to be contentious, wee have no such custom, neither the Churches of God.

Argument 9. If any perhaps should not be moved by these Arguments, but should contend, the Apostle opposeth to their contentious Apologies, the received and established custom of the Jews, and the rest of the Churches: Other Churches have no such custom, that women should be present at public assemblies, with their heads uncovered, and the man with his head covered: Therefore your custom not agreeing with decency, either according to natural use, or of the Churches, is altogether unseemly. (Commentary on 1 Corinthians)”

James Durham (1622-1658)

“It (the veil) hath a threefold use, 1. For decoration, as in Isaiah 3:23. 2. For a sign of modesty, pleaded for by the Apostle, 1 Cor.11:6. 3. And mainly a sign of women’s subjection to their own husbands…” (Commentary on Song of Solomon, Banner of Truth, p.280).

If there were any divergence in 17th century Scottish practice, this would be similar to the question of exclusive psalmody. There was difference of opinion in Scotland over the addition of the Trinitarian doxology to the psalms when sung and the Scottish Commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, prior to that Assembly meeting, were not opposed to its use as some Scottish ministers were. As a result of the Assembly, however, they were happy to see it dropped and a strict exclusive psalmody adopted in the Directory for Public worship and expressed in the 1650 Psalter (of which the Assembly produced the initial draft before the Scottish church did the final revision) containing only the 150 Biblical psalms in metre. Thereafter, exclusive psalmody was the norm and strongly defended by such Covenanters as McWard and Brown of Wamphray. (For a discussion of this, see Hold Fast Your Confession, the chapter by Hector Cameron on Purity of Worship, pp.102ff. and also Hay Flemming on The Psalmody of the Scottish Church). Though the Scottish Commissioners were of immense help to the Assembly in many things, the English Puritans did influence the Scottish Church on some matters in worship.

It may have taken longer to attain uniformity in Scotland on head-covering than it did on psalmody. Nevertheless, H.M.R.Reid in The Cameronian Apostle (An account of John MacMillan of Balmaghie, 1669-1753) indicates that the women wore white linen coverings at church and the men removed their blue bonnets when public prayer began (p.52-54). He also refers to a minister called Nathaniel M’Kie of Crossmichael giving a rather homely rebuke to a man for having his hat on as the Scriptures were being read in church (p.91). By the time J.A.Wylie’s History of Protestantism was published in 1899, in the engraving of ‘Covenanters Worshipping by the Banks of the Whittader’ (vol.3 p.595), they are pictured with the men having clearly removed their hats (holding them in their hand or placed on the ground) while the women have their heads covered (see also The Swearing of the Covenant ibid. p.547). This, at least, indicates that the practice was so well established by Wylie’s time, that it was assumed also to have been the practice of the later 17th century Covenanters.

In more recent times, Scotland has not been without its distinguished advocates of the head-covering position as the extract below indicates.

John Murray (1898-1975)

“Your main question turns, of course, on the interpretation of I Corinthians 11:2-16. Permit me to offer some of my reflections in order.

1. Since Paul appeals to the order of creation (vss. 3b, vss. 7ff.), it is totally indefensible to suppose that what is in view and enjoined had only local or temporary relevance. The ordinance of creation is universally and perpetually applicable, as also are the implications for conduct arising there from.

2. I am convinced that a head covering is definitely in view forbidden for the man (vss. 4, & 7) and enjoined for the woman (vss. 5, 6, 15). In the case of the woman the covering is not simply her long hair. This supposition would make nonsense of verse 6. For the thought there is, that if she does not have a covering she might as well be shorn or shaven, a supposition without any force whatever if the hair covering is deemed sufficient. In this connection it is not proper to interpret verse 15b as meaning that the hair was given the woman to take the place of the head covering in view of verses 5, 6. The Greek of verse 15 is surely the Greek of equivalence as used quite often in the New Testament, and so the Greek can be rendered: “the hair is given to her for a covering.” This is within the scope of the particular argument of verses 14, 15 and does not interfere with the demand for the additional covering contemplated in verses 5, 6, 13. Verses 14 and 15 adduce a consideration from the order of nature in support of that which is enjoined earlier in the passage but is not itself tantamount to it. In other words, the long hair is an indication from “nature” of the differentiation between men and women, and so the head covering required (vss. 5, 6, 13) is in line with what “nature” teaches.

3. There is good reason for believing that the apostle is thinking of conduct in the public assemblies of the Church of God and of worship exercises therein in verse 17, this is clearly the case, and verse 18 is confirmatory. But there is a distinct similarity between the terms of verse 17 and of verse 2. Verse 2 begins, “Now I praise you” and verse 17, “Now in this . . . I praise you not”. The virtually identical expressions, the one positive and the other negative, would suggest, if not require, that both have in view the behaviour of the saints in their assemblies, that is, that in respect of denotation the same people are in view in the same identity as worshippers. If a radical difference, that between private and public, were contemplated, it would be difficult to maintain the appropriateness of the contrast between “I praise you” and “I praise you not”.

4. Beyond question it is in reference to praying and prophesying that the injunctions pertain, the absence of head covering for men and the presence for women. It might seem, therefore, that the passage has nothing to do with a head covering for women in the assemblies of the Church if they are not engaged in praying or prophesying, that is, in leading in prayer or exercising the gift of prophesying. And the implication would be that only when they performed these functions were they required to use head covering. The further implication would be that they would be at liberty to perform these functions provided they wore head gear. This view could easily be adopted if it were not so that Paul forbids such exercises on the part of women and does so in the same epistle, (I Cor. 14:33b-36): “As in all the Churches, for it is not permitted to them to speak” (vss. 33b-34a). It is impossible to think that Paul would, by implication, lend approval in chapter 11, to what he so expressly prohibits in chapter 14. Hence we shall have to conclude that he does not contemplate praying or prophesying on the part of women in the Church in chapter 11. The question arises: how can this be, and how can we interpret 11:5, 6, 13? It is possible to interpret the verses in chapter 11 in a way that is compatible with chapter 14:33b-36. It is as follows: —

a. In chapter 11 the decorum prescribed in 14:33b-36 is distinctly in view and Paul is showing its propriety. Praying and prophesying are functions that imply authority, the authority that belongs to the man as distinguished from the woman according to the ordinance of creation. The man in exercising this authority in praying and prophesying must not wear a head covering. Why not? The head covering is the sign of subjection, the opposite of the authority that belongs to him, exemplified in praying and prophesying, hence 11:4, 7. In a word, head covering in praying and prophesying would be a contradiction.

b. But precisely here enters the relevance of verses 5, 6, 13 as they pertain to women. If women are to pray and prophesy in the assemblies, they perform functions that imply authority and would require therefore, to remove the head covering. To do so with the head covering would involve the contradiction referred to already. But it is the impropriety of removing the head covering that is enforced in 11:5, 6 & 13. In other words, the apostle is pressing home the impropriety of the exercise of these functions — praying and prophesying — on the part of women by showing the impropriety of what it would involve, namely, the removal of the head covering. And so the rhetorical question of verse 13: “Is it proper for a woman to pray to God unveiled?”

c. This interpretation removes all discrepancy between 11:5, 6, 13 and 14:33b-36 and it seems to me feasible, and consonant with the whole drift of 11:2-16.

5. The foregoing implies that the head covering for women was understood to belong to the decorum of public worship.

6. The above line of thought would derive confirmation from I Cor. 11:10. Admittedly the reference to the angels is not immediately perspicuous. But a reasonable interpretation is that the presence of the angels with the people of God and therefore their presence in the congregations of the saints. What is being pleaded is the offence given to the holy angels when the impropriety concerned mars the sanctity of God’s worship. But, in any case, the obligation asserted is apparent. It is that the woman ought to have upon her head the sign of the authority to which she is subject, in other words, the sign of her subjection. But this subjection pertains throughout and not simply when in the exercise of praying and prophesying according to the supposition that such is permitted. I submit, therefore, that the verse concerned (vs. 10) enunciates a requirement that is general within the scope of the subject with which Paul is dealing, namely, the decorum of worship in the assembly of the saints.

On these grounds my judgment is that presupposed in the Apostle’s words is the accepted practice of head covering for women in the assemblies of the Church, that apparently this part of decorum was recognised, and that the main point of verses 5, 6, 10, 13 was the impropriety of any interruption of the practice if women were to pray or prophesy, for, in that event, it would be necessary to remove the covering in order to signify the authority that praying and prophesying entailed, an authority not possessed by women, a non-possession signified, in turn, by the use of the covering.”

(Extract from a letter of Professor Murray’s of 1973 and published in the Presbyterian Reformed Magazine, Winter 1992).

In the next post, God willing, we shall conclude with a few quotations of general interest on the subject.”

Part Seven

David Silversides

Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Eight and Nine