Applicati

"To the high court of Parliament.” "Forafmuch as it hath pleafed you to make an 1671. act, entitled, "An act for fuppreffing feditious con- on to parliventicles, the dangerous practices of feditious fectaries, ament in c." and that, under pretence of authority from his fufferit, many have taken the ungodly liberty of plun- ing friends. dering, pillaging and breaking into houfes, to the ruin and detriment of whole families, not regarding the poor, the widow and the fatherlefs, beyond all precedent, or excufe; and, that we are informed it is your purpofe, inftead of relaxing your hand, to fupply the defects of that act, by fuch explanatory claufes as will inevitably expose us to the fury and intereft of our feveral adverfaries; that under pretence of anfwering the intents of the faid act, will only gratify their private humours, and doubtlefs extend it beyond its original purpose, to the utter deftruction of us, and our fuffering friends."

"We, therefore, esteem ourselves obliged, in Christian duty, once more to remonftrate:"

ર.

First, That we own civil government, or ma giftracy, as God's ordinance, for the punishment of evil doers, and the praise of them, that do well; and though we cannot comply with thofe laws that prohibit us to worship God, according to our confciences, as believing it to be his alone prerogative, to prefide in matters of faith and worship, yet we both own and are ready to yield obedience to every ordinance of man, relating to human affairs, and that for confcience fake."

"Secondly, That we deny and renounce, as an horrible impiety, all plots and confpiracies, or to promote our intereft, or religion, by the blood and deftruction of fuch as diffent from us, or yet those, that perfecute us.'

•

Thirdly, That in all revolutions we have demeaned ourselves with much peace and patience (difowning

He travels

land and

(difowning all contrary actings) notwithstanding the numerous profecutions of cruel and ungodly men; which is a demonftration of our harmlefs behaviour, that ought not to be of little moment with you.

..

Fourthly, That as we have ever lived most peaceably under all the various governments, that have been fince our first appearance, (notwithstanding we have been as their anvil, to fmite upon) fo we do hereby fignify, that it is our fixed refolution to continue the fame; that where we cannot actually obey, we patiently fhall fuffer, (leaving our innocent caufe without daring to love ourselves unto the death, for our bleffed teftimony's fake) thereby manifesting to the whole world, that we love God above all, and our neighbours as ourselves.”

"If this prevails not with you to fufpend your thoughts of reinforcing your former act, we do defire that we, or fome of our friends, may receive a free hearing from you, (as feveral of us had upon the first act for uniformity) having many great and weighty reafons to offer against all fuch fevere proceedings, to the end all wrong measures of us, and of our principles, may be rectified; and, that you, being better informed of both, may remove our heavy burdens, and let the oppreffed go free; for fuch moderation will be well pleafing both to God and good men.”

“From us who are prisoners, at Newgate (for confcience fake) on behalf of ourselves, and all our fuffering friends in England, &c.

'

"WILLIAM PENN and feveral others.

Newgate, Second month, 1671."

His fix months imprisonment, in Newgate, beinto Hol- ing expired, he was fet at liberty, and fhortly after went into Holland and Germany. Of his bufinefs, or fervices, at this time, in these countries, I find no particular account, befides fome small

Germany.

mention

mention made thereof, by himself, in his journal of his fubfequent travels afterwards into those countries.

He marries

In the beginning of the year 1672, and the 1672. twenty-eighth of his age, he married Gulielma and lives in Maria Springett, daughter of Sir William Springett, Hertfordfhire. formerly of Darling in Suffex; who was killed in the time of the civil wars, at the fiege of Bamber; his widow was afterwards married to Ifaac Penington, of Peter's Chalfont, in Buckinghamshire; in whofe family her faid daughter was brought up; a young woman, whom a virtuous difpofition, joined to a comely perfonage, rendered well accomplished. Afterwards, pitching upon a convenient habitation at Rickmerfworth, in Hertfordshire, he refided there with his family, often vifiting the meetings of his friends.

Kent, Suf

In the Seventh month this year, (1672) he vifit- Hevifitshis ed his friends in Kent, Suffex and Surry; of which friends in his memorandums furnifh us with an obfervation of fex and that fingular industry, which the free ministers of Surry. the gospel exercise, in the discharge of their office; for, in the space of twenty-one days, he with his companion, under the like concern, were prefent at, and preached to, as many affemblies of people, at distant places, viz. Rochester, Canterbury, Dover, Deal, Folkstone, Ashford, and other places in Kent; at Lewes, Horsham, Stenning, &c. in Suffex; and at Charlewood and Rygate in Surry. "Great was their fervice, in thefe counties; (fays the writer 1673. of his life) their teftimonies, effectual to the ftrengthening of their friends, filencing of gainfayers, and to a general edification, were received by the people with joy, and opennefs of heart; and themselves in the performance of their duty, filled with fpiritual confolation." W. Penn gives this account of their last meeting, in that journey, being at Rygate: "The Lord fealed up our labours and travels according to the defire of my foul and fpi

[12]

rit,

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 treasure."

About this time many oppofers of the Quakers, fome of whom being diffenters themselves, who had enough to do in time of perfecution, by a cautious privacy, which they called chriftian 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 feveral valuable treatifes, extant in his works, together with divers remarkable and excellent letters and epiftles, written both to single persons, 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 these appears the following letter to a Roman catholic, viz.

&c.

A letter to a Roman catholic. 1675.

2575.

"Chrift Jefus did redeem a people with his most 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 foft; 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 Christ and his apostles,

apostles, in the fcriptures. Read and thou mayeft behold the fimplicity, purity, meekness, patience and felf-denial of those Chriftians and churches. They are Christ's, that take up his crofs to the glory and spirit 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 Chrift, and before Rome? Nor is it number, (the Devil has that;) nor antiquity, (for he has that;) but Chrift-likeness, and conformity to Jefus; who hath divorced those, 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 Spirit; 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 raifing up his old power, and giving his fpirit, and moving upon the waters, (the people) that out of that state 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 Chrift the fure foundation, as he appears to thee, in thy confcience; that thou mayest feel his power to redeem thee, up to himfelf, out of the earthly, fenfual fpirit, to know thy right eye plucked out, the true mortification;