panion.

Another charge against the Quakers was obstinacy. This was shewn to be
unjust. The trait, in this case, should rather have been put down as
virtue. Knowledge, however, would even operate here as a partial remedy.
For while the Quakers are esteemed deficient in literature, their
opposition to the customs of the world, will always be characterized as
folly. But if they were to bear in the minds of their countrymen a
different estimation as to intellectual attainments, the trait might be
spoken of under another name. For persons are not apt to impute
obstinacy to the actions of those, however singular, whom they believe
to have paid a due attention to the cultivation of their minds.

It is not necessary to bring to recollection the other traits that were
mentioned, to see the operation of a superior education upon these. It
must have already appeared, that, whatever may be the general
advantages of learning, they would be more than usually valuable to the
Quaker character.

CHAP. VI.

_Arguments of those of the society examined, who may depreciate human
knowledge--This depreciation did not originate with the first
Quakers--with Barclay--Penn--Ellwood--but arose afterwards--Reputed
disadvantages of a classical education--Its heathen mythology and
morality--Disadvantages of a philosophical one--Its scepticism--General
disadvantages of human learning--Inefficiency of all the arguments
advanced._

Having shewn the advantages, which generally accompany a superior
education, I shall exhibit the disadvantages which may be thought to
attend it, or I shall consider those arguments, which some persons of
this society, who have unfortunately depreciated human learning, though
with the best intentions, might use against it, if they were to see the
contents of the preceding chapter.

But, before I do this, I shall exonerate the first Quakers from the
charge of such a depreciation. These exhibited in their own persons the
practicability of the union of knowledge and virtue. While they were
eminent for their learning, they were distinguished for the piety of
their lives. They were indeed the friends of both. They did not
patronize the one to the prejudice and expulsion of the other.[53]

[Footnote 53: George Fox was certainly an exception to this as a
scholar. He was also not friendly to classical learning on account of
some of the indelicate passages contained in the classical authors,
which he and Farley and S