William Penn Quotes

Never despise what you don't understand.

There can be no Friendship where there is no Freedom. Friendship loves a free Air, and will not be penned up in straight and narrow Enclosures. It will speak freely, and act so too; and take nothing ill where no ill is meant; nay, where it is, 'twill easily forgive, and forget too, upon small Acknowledgments.

Love grows. Lust wastes by Enjoyment, and the Reason is, that one springs from an Union of Souls, and the other from an Union of Sense.

True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it.

The Country is both the Philosopher's Garden and his Library, in which he Reads and Contemplates the Power, Wisdom and Goodness of God.

To be innocent is to be not guilty; but to be virtuous is to overcome our evil inclinations.

Avoid popularity; it has many snares, and no real benefit.

Always remember to bound thy thoughts to the present occasion.

Sense shines with double lustre when set in humility.

Where thou art Obliged to speak, be sure speak the Truth: For Equivocation is half way to Lying, as Lying, the whole way to Hell.

It is not only a troublesome but slavish to be nice [fastidious].

For as men in battle are continually in the way of shot, so we, in this world, are ever within the reach of Temptation.

Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.

Knowledge is the treasure, but judgment the treasurer, of a wise man.

Neither great nor good things were ever attained without loss and hardships. Those that would reap and not labour, must faint with the wind, and perish in disappointments; but an hair of my head shall not fall, without the providence of my Father that is over all.

Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.

Five things are requisite to a good officer — ability, clean hands, despatch, patience, and impartiality.

To have religion upon authority, and not upon conviction, is like a finger-watch, to be set forwards or backwards, as he pleases that has it in keeping.

Men being born with a title to perfect freedom and uncontrolled enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature. No one can be put out of his estate and subjected to the political view of another, without his consent.

Excess in apparel is another costly folly. The very trimming of the vain world would clothe all the naked ones.

Truth never lost ground by enquiry.

The truest end of life is to know the life that never ends.

The best recreation is to do good.

Unless virtue guide us our choice must be wrong.

Passion is the mob of the man, that commits a riot upon his reason.

Levity of behavior, always a weakness, is far more unbecoming in a woman than a man.

We are apt to love praise, but not deserve it. But if we would deserve it, we must love virtue more than that.

Death is only a horizon, and a horizon is only the limit of your sight. Open your eyes to see more clearly.

Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still.

Method goes far to prevent trouble in business: for it makes the task easy, hinders confusion, saves abundance of time, and instructs those that have business depending, both what to do and what to hope.

Knowledge is the treasure of a wise man.

It is wise not to seek a secret, and honest not to reveal one.

Kings in this world should imitate God, their mercy should be above their works.

Is it reasonable to take it ill, that anybody desires of us that which is their own? All we have is the Almighty's; and shall not God have his own when he calls for it?

Let the people think they govern and they will be governed.

There is a truth and beauty in rhetoric; but it oftener serves ill turns than good ones.

It is profitable wisdom to know when we have done enough: Much time and pains are spared in not flattering ourselves against probabilities.

The humble, meek, merciful, and just are everywhere of one religion; and when death has taken off the mask they will know one another, though the diverse liveries they wear here make them strangers.

Friendship is the union of spirits, a marriage of hearts, and the bond thereof virtue

Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass, they see face to face; and their converse is free as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal.

That which the people called Quakers lay down as a main fundamental in religion is this- That God, through Christ, hath placed a principle in every man, to inform him of his duty, and to enable him to do it; and that those that live up to this principle are the people of God, and those that live in disobedience to it, are not God's people, whatever name they may bear, or profession they may make of religion. This is their ancient, first, and standing testimony: with this they began, and this they bore, and do bear to the world.

That plenty should produce either covetousness or prodigality is a perversion of providence; and yet the generality of men are the worse for their riches.

My prison shall be my grave before I will budge a jot; for I owe my conscience to no mortal man.

The public must and will be served.

Justice is the insurance which we have on our lives and property. Obedience is the premium which we pay for it.

True Godliness doesn't turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it, and excites their endeavors to mend it. ...We have nothing that we can call our own; no, not our selves: for we are all but Tenants, and at Will, too, of the great Lord of our selves, and the rest of this great farm, the World that we live upon.

Frugality is good if liberality be joined with it. The first is leaving off superfluous expenses; the last is bestowing them to the benefit of others that need. The first without the last begets covetousness; the last without the first begets prodigality.

Never esteem people (including yourself) more because they have money, nor think less of anyone (including yourself) because they lack it. Virtue is the only just reason for respecting anyone, lack of virtue the only reason for holding anyone in low regard.