Does this scripture mean no such custom to wear the covering or not to wear it? Does history state among the primitive churches that they wore a covering? The one thing which the apostle is aiming at in the instruction which he gives in 1 Corinthians 11:14 is that all things should be done "decently and in order." There evidently were unseemly things wrought in the Corinthian church among those who had recently come in from idolatry. Hence the careful instruction which the apostle gives. Some of the unseemly things which were prevalent then may not be prevalent now. It should not be our purpose to inquire as to just the very dress that they wore then, and take from that a pattern of the dress that should be worn now. It is for us to get the real principle involved, and, finding out the true principle, to follow it. That principle is given in the 31st verse of the 10th chapter: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God," and the thought concerning the woman is that she should in a modest Christian way seek to glorify the Father. In the day in which the apostle wrote, it seems to have been an unseemly thing for a woman to be uncovered, in other words, not to wear a veil, unless she had long hair. If a woman's hair was short, she should wear a covering for her head; but if her hair was long, as nature intended it, that was given to her as a covering. But the apostle does not want us to understand that there was to be any trouble raised over this, either one way or the other; so that if any man was contentious in the matter, "we have no such custom." No demand must be made that a woman should cover her head. One of the special thoughts is that there should be a difference between the sexes. This difference should be shown in the dress. Alford refers to a queen having three crowns upon her head to signify that she was daughter, and wife, and mother of a king, and remarks, "And so there, from the context, it is plain that they indicated participation in the glory of the kingdoms; so here [in 1 Cor. 11:16] it is evident from the context that the token of power indicates being under power, and such token is the covering. To this meaning all the principal commentators agree, both ancient and modern." The covering of verse 10 Stanley declares refers to the peplum which Grecian women used ordinarily as a shawl, but on public occasions as a hood also, especially at funerals and marriages. But the apostle wishes them to understand that no hard and fast rules are to be laid down in non-essential matters. The chief thing in all our worship, our dress, our conduct, is to glorify God.