"There is great absurdity, it is said, in supposing, that persons pay
any respect to heathen idols, who retain the use of the ancient names of
the divisions of time. How many thousands are there, who know nothing of
their origin? The common people of the country know none of the reasons,
why the months, and the days are called as they are. The middle classes
are mostly ignorant of the same. Those, who are well informed on the
subject, never once think, when they mention the months and days, on the
reason of the rise of their names. Indeed the almost hourly use of
those names secures the oblivion of their origin. Who, when he speaks of
Wednesday and Thursday, thinks that these were the days sacred to Woden
and Thor? but there can be no idolatry, where there is no intention to
idolize."
"Great weakness, it is said again, is manifested by the Quakers, in
quarrelling with a few words in the language, and in living at peace
with others, which are equally objectionable. Every reason, it is said,
must be a weak one, which is not universal. But if some of the reasons,
given by the Quakers, were universally applied, they would throw
language into as much confusion as the builders of Babel. The word Smith
for example, which is the common name of many families, ought to be
objected to by this rule, if the person, to whom it belongs, happens to
be a carpenter.
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