This utterance, when it manifests itself, is resolvable into prayer or preaching.  If the minister engages in prayer, the whole company rise up, and the men with the minister take off their hats, that is, [132]uncover their heads.  If he preaches only, they do not rise, but remain upon their seats as before, with their heads covered.  The preacher, however, uncovers his own head upon this occasion.

[Footnote 132:  1 Cor.  Ch. 11.]

There is something singular in the manner in which the Quakers deliver themselves when they preach.  In the beginning of their discourses, they generally utter their words with slowness; indeed, with a slowness, which sometimes renders their meaning almost unintelligible to persons unaccustomed to such a mode of delivery; for seconds sometimes elapse between the sounding of short sentences or single words, so that the mind cannot always easily carry the first words, and join them to the intermediate, and connect them with the last.  As they proceed, they communicate their impressions in a brisker manner; till, at length, getting beyond the quickness of ordinary delivery, they may be said to utter them rapidly.  At this time, some of them appear to be much affected, and even agitated by their subject.  This method of a very slow and deliberate pronunciation at first, and of an accelerated one afterwards, appears to me, as far as I have seen or heard, to be universal:  for though undoubtedly some may make less pauses between the introductory words and sentences than others, yet all begin slower than they afterwards proceed.

This singular custom may be probably accounted for in the following manner.  The Quakers certainly believe that the spirit of God furnishes them with impressions on these occasions, but that the description of these is left to themselves Hence a faithful watch must be kept, that these may be delivered to their hearers conformably to what is delivered to them.  But if so, it may perhaps be necessary to be more watchful, at the outset, in order to ascertain the dimensions as it were of these impressions, and of their several tendencies and bearings, than afterwards, when such a knowledge of them has been obtained.  Or it may be that ministers, who go wholly unprepared to preach, have but a small view of the subject at first.  Hence they speak slowly.  But as their views are enlarged, their speech becomes quickened, and their feelings become interested with it.  These, for any thing I know, may be solutions, upon Quaker principles, of this extraordinary practice.

Against the preaching of the Quakers, an objection is usually made by the world, namely, that their ministers generally deliver their doctrines with an unpleasant tone.  But it may be observed that this, which is considered to be a defect, is by no means confined to the Quakers.  Persons of other religious denominations, who exert themselves in the ministry, are liable to the same charge.  It may be observed also, that