Evening journal., 1902-08-13
BISHOPS VIEWS on HAT
QUESTION Arb OPPOSED
Philadelphia Clergy Say Women May
Remove Hats With PrOprieiy
While at Service

IF a man desires TO come to church
without his ccat. let him do so.
Women should be permitted to come
v ithout their hats. or remove them ar
ter they arrive, if they so wish.
Churches are not intended TO be gov
erned by the dictates of fashionable
cmCles. but are for the worship of
Cod"
The foregoing was part OF the state
men; by the Rev. G. II. WoOlston Ias-
tor OF the East Baptist Church. rAila-
delpha, yesterday, in regard to d state
men, made by Bishop Coleman on Sal-
day morning In the course OF a ser
mon at All Saints Church, OF Reho-
both fhe Bishop said he noticed some
of the women in tlfe congregation wore
no hats.
He vigorously denounced this prac-
tice, which. ne said. was growing " ith
alarming rapidity, as being one which
was both unecriDtural and unchurchly.
"The church Of Delaware has no such
custom" the Bishop is reported TO
have said, land if men should sit In
churcl with their hats on 1t would be
lc greater affront to the church than
it is for women to appear without
! hcadsear."
This statement, coming as IL did
frop, one Of the highest digniAries OF
the Episcopal Church-one who of late
has leen officiating much in PhilaGel-
phia during the absence Of Bishop
Whitaker, naturally caused much COM
ment among Philadelphia cleTgymen
Several Of the latter said they had read
the Bishops statement and were sur
prised that he should take the view
that women violated the commands Cl
Scripture when they appeared in
church without hats
The passage which Bishop Coleman
is supposed to rely on to support MS
statement occurs in the eleventh chap
ter Of Paul's First Epistle 10 the
Corinthians. and reads as follows;
"But every woman that prayeth OF
prOphesieth with her head uncJvorCi
dishonorth h her head, for that Is ever
all cLe as n she were shaven.
"F,l if the woman be not t"'c.rd
let her aiso be shOrn; but II it 20 q
shame fer a oman to be shOia ~
shavcn. let her be covered.
The Rev Nr WOOlston, wa1n e'ru
NJ rs stu1:. said: 81 take an nn.i.Cly
opposite yiOv of the matter from
7 :rhcr Coleman It is foolish % tay
thar q Wcr an must wear 4 hat "a
church. If by Going so she is mace IN.
comfortable. 7 lave a large ccugrt ga.
tiun ~ rV,rs service. and I not cnly
r4"mit the Sornen to remove theii
| halls, but svsn invite them TO do so.
Il also ifiCfm the men thai J.. thes
fe'l WARM they may remOse the'l
coats.
People wish to come 10 church il
summer as well as in winter, but mani
of them will hesitate If they have Z,
wear warm hats. They want to en-
joy the service-to feel at home. fol
the church is a family. and it is propc
that they should be permitted 10 coml
without hats. You might just as wei
compel them to wear hats at the the
atre or at a tennis game"
Il think the Bishop takes the scrip
tural passage too literally, said tn
Rev. w. L. Slough, pastor Of tn
Atonement Lutheran Church. Philadel
phia. "The apostle. in making th
statement to which the Bishop refers
only applied it 10 the Corinthians O
people with similar customs. hav
no objection TO women coming to
church without a hat 10 is a questio
J of taste and convenience"