BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 10TH, 1934
BROOKLYN, N.Y., FEBRUARY 10TH, 1934
Miss W. M. Frost.
My Dear Miss Frost, — Please pardon my delay in replying to your letter. When it arrived I was in the West attending special meetings and did not return until early in January. The weather had been very cold, especially in Canada and evidently a cold took root in me; at any rate I was laid up last month for a fortnight, with influenza and bronchitis. Thus my correspondence has been much behind.
The subject you wrote about is often considered, but, I fear, a satisfactory conclusion is hardly ever reached. This may be because spiritual understanding is specially needed for it and we must admit that this is somewhat rare. The Lord may have seen fit to leave the matter a little vague so that He should be more sought for understanding. We are to think on what He says and He gives understanding in all things. As [p. 436] waiting on Him, if we do not get what we seek we may at least get what we need — of which He is the best Judge.
One thing quite clear in 1 Corinthians 11 is that a woman should not pray or prophesy with her head uncovered. If this is definitely accepted and conformed to, the rest of the instruction on the subject will be seen to be more or less detail. This covering in prayer should be real.
The use of a bow by many sisters at all times while about the house is based, I believe, on 1 Corinthians 11: 10, the word “authority”. It seems in this verse to be a symbol of the authority under which — in her husband or in man — the woman is. Thus some sisters use a bow permanently — that is during the day. But it cannot be a covering in the sense of the earlier verses of the chapter when a sister is engaged in formal prayer with others, say at a prayer meeting.
For sisters who do not wear a bow as a symbol of subjection, many are employed in offices, factories, etc., it seems to me the important thing is to be covered at prayer, even when praying alone, but especially in formal prayer with others, including so-called family prayers.
I trust above remarks may be of help to you. My wife and I hope to arrive in Plymouth on March 24th, spending, please God, the week-end at Teignmouth.
With our united love in the Lord,
I am, affectionately in Him,
James Taylor.