He writes

fubjects,

rit, with his heavenly refreshments, and fweet living power and word of life, unto the reaching of all, and confolating our own hearts abundantly."-He concludes his narrative with thefe words:-" And thus hath the Lord been with us, in all our travels for his truth; and with his bleffings of peace are we returned; which is a reward beyond all worldly

treafure."

About this time many oppofers of the Quakers, some of whom being diffenters themselves, who had enough to do in time of perfecution, by a cautious privacy, which they called christian prudence, to fecure their heads from the storm, began, under the fun-fhine of the king's indulgence, to peep out, and (in the words of the writer of W. Penn's life) by gainfaying the truth, to make its defence necefon divers fary; fo that he had plenty of controverfial exercife for his pen, the remainder of this year, and the two next enfuing; which produced several valuable treatises, extant in his works, together with divers remarkable and excellent letters and epiftles, written both to fingle perfons, collective bodies of men, and others, in a more general capacity, in England, Holland, Germany and elsewhere; which, as they are principally of a religious, and fome of them of a political nature, may likewise be seen in his printed writings. Among thefe appears the following letter to a Roman catholic, viz.

&c.

A letter to a Roman catholic. 1675.

3675

"Chrift Jefus did redeem a people with his moft precious blood, and the ancient church of Rome, among other churches, was one; but as the fea lofes and gets, and as profperity changes its ftation, fo the chastity of the church of Rome is loft; fhe having taken in principles and difcipline, that are not of Chrift, neither can be found in the holy fcriptures."

"If thou wert to die, wouldeft not thou leave a plain will to thy children? fo have Chrift and his apoftles,

apostles, in the fcriptures. Read and thou mayest behold the fimplicity, purity, meekness, patience and self-denial of those Chriftians and churches. They are Chrift's, that take up his crofs to the glory and fpirit of this world; which the church of Rome lives in. Behold the pride, luxury, cruelty, that have, for ages, been in that church, even the heads and chieftains thereof! It is a miftake to think that Chrift's church, which has loft its heavenly qualifications, because it once was. What is become of Antioch, Jerufalem, &c. both churches of Christ, and before Rome? Nor is it number, (the Devil has that;) nor antiquity, (for he has that;) but Chrift-likenefs, and conformity to Jefus; who hath divorced thofe, that have adulterated; and though he had left but two or three (though there were thoufands) yet he would be in the midst of them: and they have been in the wilderness, people crying in fackcloth. The generality declined from Chrift's fpirit; and it was loft, and the teachings of it: And then came up form, without power, and a wrathful fpirit, to propagate it; and this made up the great whore, that looked like the Lamb's bride, Chrift's church, but was not; which God will judge. Remember that God was not without a church, though the natural church and priesthood of the Jews apoftatifed: fo, in the cafe of the church of Rome."

"Now is the Lord raising up his old power, and giving his fpirit, and moving upon the waters, (the people) that out of that ftate all may come, and know God in fpirit, and Chrift, his Son; whom he has fent into the people's hearts, a true light. And, my friend, build not upon fancies, nor the traditions of men, but Christ the fure foundation, as he appears to thee, in thy conscience; that thou mayeft feel his power to redeem thee, up to himself, out of the earthly, fenfual fpirit, to know thy right eye plucked out, the true mortification;

1676.

mortification; and this brings thee to the church of the first born, that is more divine and noble, than an outward glittering church, that is inwardly polluted: For, know, as thou foweft, thou reapest, in the great day of account. So to God's fpirit, in thy own confcience, do I recommend thee, that leads out of all evil, and quickens thee to God, as thou obevest it, and makes thee a child of God, and an heir of Glory. I am in much haste, and as much love,

"London, ninth October, 1675."

In the year 1676, he became one of the princiHebecomes pal perfons, concerned in fettling Weft New Jersey, a proprietor in America; as hereafter will appear, in the fecond Jerfey, &c. part of this introduction, in the account of the

of West

1677.

first fettling and government of that colony. About this time alfo he writ to fome perfons of great quality, in Germany, as appears in his works; encouraging them to a perfeverance in the paths of virtue and true religion; with the love of which he had understood their minds were happily and divinely inspired,

In the year 1677, he travelled into Holland and Germany, in company with feveral of his friends, the Quakers, on a religious vifit, to thefe-countries; of which there is extant, in his works, an account, or journal, written by himfelf; in a plain, familiar ftile,and particularly fuited to perfons of a religious turn of mind. It does not appear to have been originally intended to be publifhed; for, in the preface, to its first publication, the author himself fays," It was written for my own, and fome relations, and particular friends fatisfaction, as the long time it hath lain filent doth fhew, but a copy, that was found among the late countess of Conway's papers, falling into the hands of a perfon, that much frequented that family, he was earnest with

me,

me, both by himself and others, to have leave to publish it, for a common good," &c. In this account are included divers letters, epiftles and religious pieces, written during his travels there, to perfons of eminence and others, whom he either visited in perfon, or writing, or both:-It is continued from the twenty-fecond of the Fifth month, 1677, when he left home, to the first of the Ninth month the fame year, when he arrived well at Worminghurst, his habitation, in Sussex.

which he

In this journal mention is made of his having religious meetings, or paying perfonal vifits, at Names of Rotterdam, Leyden, Haerlam and Amfterdam; in fome places which laft place he made fome ftay, being employ- vifited, &c. ed there in affifting to regulate and fettle the affairs of his religious fociety in that city, &c. from thence he writ to the king of Poland, in favour of his perfecuted and fuffering friends, the Quakers, at Dantzick. He was also at Naerden, Ofnaburgh and Herwerden; in the last of which places he had religious meetings and agreeable converfation with the princefs Elizabeth Palatine and others. He 1677. vifited Paderborn, Caffel and Frankfort; here he made fome stay, and writ an epiftle, "To the churches of Jefus throughout the world," &c. From hence he went by the way of Worms to Crisheim; where he found a meeting of his friends, the Quakers; and writ to the princess, before mentioned, and the countefs of Hornes, two Proteftant ladies

of
great virtue and quality, at Herwerden. Thence
by Frankenthall to Manheim; from which place he
wrote to the prince elector Palatine of Heydelburgh.
He was likewife at Mentz, and divers other places,
on the Rhine; as Cullen, Duyfburgh, &c. But, on
account of his being a Quaker, he was prohibited to
enter into Mulheim, by the Graef, or earl of Bruch
and Falkensteyn, lord of that country; on which
occafion he wrote to him from Duysburgh, a fharp
letter of reproof and advice; and to his daughter,

the

He folicits

ment, &c.

the countess, a virtuous and religious lady, at Mulheim, on whofe account his visit there was principally intended, he sent a confolatory epistle.

He then vifited Wefel, Rees, Emrick, Cleve, Nimmeguen, Lippenbufen, Groningen, Embden, Bemen and the Hague; and divers of thefe places, feveral times, frequently writing letters of advice and religious comfort to divers virtuous and religious perfons of great quality, and others; with feveral of whom he correfponded; and at the last mentioned place he corrected and finished several long epistles of a religious nature; which were written and intended for the prefs, both in his first and fecond journey, in Germany; which are now extant in his works. From the Hague he went to Delft, Wonderwick, and fo to the Briel; and from thence by the packet, to Harwich, and home, within the limits of the time above mentioned,

After his return from Germany, the people called the parlia- Quakers being harraffed with fevere profecutions, in the exchequer, on penalties of twenty pounds per month, or two-thirds of their eftates, by laws made against Papifts, but unjustly turned upon them; W. Penn, foliciting the parliament for redrefs of thofe grievances, presented petitions, on the occafion, both to the lords and commons; where, upon being admitted to a hearing before a committee, on the twenty-fecond of the month, called March, 1678, he made the following speeches, viz.

1678.

His firft fpeech to the committee.

"If we ought to believe that it is our duty, according to the doctrine of the apostle, to be always ready to give an account of the hope, that is 1678. in us, and that to every fober and private enquirer; fpeech to certainly much more ought we to hold ourselves committee obliged to declare, with all readiness, when called to it by fo great authority, what is not our hope,

W.P's.firft

of parlia

ment.

efpecially