Explore Quotes by William Penn

If thou wouldst conquer thy weakness, thou must never gratify it.

To be like Christ is to be a Christian.

Nothing does reason more right, than the coolness of those that offer it: For Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders, than from the arguments of its opposers.

In all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory, or an unjust interest.

I know no religion that destroys courtesy, civility, and kindness.

Anything less than full justice is cruelty.

Many able Gardeners and Husbandmen are yet Ignorant of the Reason of their Calling; as most Artificers are of the Reason of their own Rules that govern their excellent Workmanship. But a Naturalist and Mechanick of this sort is Master of the Reason of both, and might be of the Practice too, if his Industry kept pace with his Speculation; which were every commendable; and without which he cannot be said to be a complete Naturalist or Mechanick.

I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do ... let me do it now.

Peace can only be secured by justice; never by force of arms.

We have a call to do good, as often as we have the power and occasion.

Where Example keeps pace with Authority, Power hardly fails to be obey'd.

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

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.

By liberty of conscience, we understand not only a mere liberty of the mind, in believing or disbelieving this or that principle or doctrine; but the exercise of ourselves in a visible way of worship, upon our believing it to be indispensably required at our hands, that if we neglect it for fear of favor of any mortal man, we sin and incur divine wrath.

Let us then try what Love will do: For if Men do once see we love them, we should soon find they would not harm us.

'Tis no sin to be tempted, but to be overcome.

The adventure of the Christian life begins when we dare to do what we would never tackle without Christ.

Friendship is the union of spirits.

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.

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.

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