been very troublesome in the Quakers' meetings, by interrupting and opposing their ministers when in the performance of their worship, became sick; and being on his death-bed, and under great remorse of conscience for what he had done, he could not be easy till he had sent for George Whitehead and others of the society, to express to them the sorrow he felt for the opposition he had given them as a people. This gave occasion to William Penn to publish a small work, which he called "Saul smitten to the ground, being a brief but faithful Narrative of the dying remorse of a late living enemy to the people called Quakers, and to their faith and worship, Matthew Hide, attested by ear-and-eye-witnesses; whereof his widow was one-published in honour to God, for a warning to gainsayers, and a confirmation to the honesthearted." He wrote also a letter to a Roman Catholic. "The Church of Rome, he said, had lost her chastity, having taken in discipline and principles which were neither of Christ, nor to be found in the Holy Scriptures. She had departed from the simplicity, purity, meekness, patience, and self-denial of the first churches. They only were Christ's who took up their cross against the glory and spirit of this world. It was a mistake to think that to be a church of Christ, which had lost its heavenly qualifications, merely because it once was a church of Christ; for what was become of Antioch and Jerusalem, both churches of Christ, and existing before Rome? He then called the Roman Catholic's attention to the New Dispensation, which he and his friends were promoting, and exhorted him "to build no more upon the fancies and traditions of men, but upon Christ the sure foundation as he appeared in the consciences of men. After this he was engaged in an arbitration between John Fenwick and Edward Byllinge, two members of his own religious society, who had purchased of Lord Berkeley his half share of New Jersey in North America. Having well considered the case, he had made his award; but Fenwick refused to abide by it. This gave him great uneasiness, and produced from him the following friendly letter: "JOHN FENWICK, The present difference betwixt thee and Edward Byllinge fills the hearts of friends with grief, and with a resolution to take it in two days into their consideration to make a public denial of the person that offers violence to the award made, or that will not end it without bringing it upon the public stage. God, the righteous judge, will visit him that stands off. Edward Byllinge will refer the matter to me again, if thou wilt do the like. Send me word; and, opprest as I am with business, I will find an afternoon to-morrow or next day to determine, and so prevent the mischief that will certainly follow divulging it in Westminster hall. Let me know by the bearer thy mind. O John! let truth and the honour of it in this day prevail! Woe to him that causeth offences! I am an impartial man. WILLIAM PENN." This letter in about ten days was followed by a second, in which he could not help rebuking Fenwick on account of his conduct. He stated, however, that the original of the dispute reflected upon both parties, and, what was worse, upon truth, that is, upon their religious profession as Quakers. It was to hide this their high profession from shame, that he undertook the office of an arbitrator; and he was willing to continue his mediation for the same reason. In thirteen days he wrote another letter to Fenwick, which, as it shows the openness of his mind, and is withal full of good sense or true wisdom, I submit to the perusal of the reader. "JOHN FENWICK, I have upon serious consideration of the present difference (to end it with benefit to you both, and as much quiet as may be,) thought my counsel's opinion very reasonable indeed, thy own desire to have the eight parts added, was not so pleasant to the other party that it should now be shrunk from by thee as injurious; and when thou hast once thought a proposal reasonable, and giver power to another to fix it, it is not in thy power, nor indeed a discreet or civil thing, to alter or swerve from it, and call it a being forced. O John! I am sorry that a toy, a trifle, should thus rob men of their time, their quiet, and a more profitable employ. I have had a good conscience in what I have done in this affair; and if thou reposest confidence in me, and believest me to be a good and just man, as thou hast said, thou shouldst not stand upon such nicety and uncertainty. Away with vain fancies, I beseech thee, and fall closely to thy business. Thy days spend on, Oh make the best of what thou hast. Thy grandchildren may be in the other world, before the land thou hast allotted will be employed. My counsel, I will answer for it, shall do thee all right and service in the affair that becomes him, who, I told thee at first, should draw it up as for myself. If this cannot scatter thy fears, thou art unhappy, and I am Thy friend, WILLIAM PENN. sorry. CHAPTER XI. A. 1676. IN THE year 1676, John Cheney, who lived near Warrington, and who had written frequently against the religious principles of the Quakers, brought out a work which he called "A Skirmish upon Quakerism." Penn in reply wrote "The Skirmisher defeated and Truth defended," in which he was so successful, that Cheney never ventured to provoke him again. There is extant a letter, which he wrote in the present year to two Protestant women of high rank in Germany. The one was the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of Frederic the fifth, Prince Palatine of the Rhine and King of Bohemia. The other was Anna Maria de Hornes, Countess of Hornes, the friend and companion of the former. These ladies had long discovered a serious disposition of mind, and one of them, the Princess, had shown her liberality and humanity by affording an asylum in her dominions to persons who had been persecuted on account of their religion. Since that time they had looked favourably upon those doctrines which the Quakers taught; for R. Barclay, the celebrated Apologist, and B. Furley, who were then travelling on the Continent as ministers, had paid them a religious visit, and had been well received by them. The object of this letter was chiefly to afford them consolation, and to exhort them to constancy and perseverance in the way to which they had been thus providentially directed. About this time William Penn came accidentally into the situation of a manager of colonial concerns in New Jersey in North America, a situation not only important in itself, but which produced the most important results. We will give the particulars. Lord Berkeley, who was joint proprietor of New Jersey with Sir George Carteret, had, in the preceding year, sold his half share of it to John Fenwick, in trust for Edward Byllinge. It was on this subject that the dispute arose which William Penn was called to arbitrate, and which he at length, by means of the most exemplary perseverance, brought to an amicable issue. As soon as the dispute was settled, Fenwick, in company with his wife and family and several Quakers, embarked for America, and took possession of the land. Byllinge, however, who had been drained of his money by the purchase, and who, since the sailing of Fenwick, had experienced misfortune, found himself unable to meet the pecuniary demands which were brought against him. He agreed therefore to deliver over his new property in trust for his creditors; but in consenting to do this, he had his eye fixed upon the friendly assistance of William Penn. He therefore supplicated Penn with the most earnest entreaty to become a joint trustee with Gawen Laurie of London and Nicholas Lucas of Hertford, two of his creditors, to carry his intention into effect. To this, after much consideration, he assented. The first thing he did, in conjunction with the trustees, was to agree with Sir George Carteret upon a division of the province. They allotted to Sir George, the eastern part of it, which by this time was tolerably well peopled; and the western, in which no settlements had yet been made, they took in behalf of Byllinge to themselves. From this time the former took the name of East New Jersey, and the latter that of West New Jersey. This division having been made, they then subdivided their own portion into a hundred lots. Ten of these they gave to Fenwick as a repayment for time, trouble, and money advanced by him to Lord Berkeley, and the remaining ninety they reserved for sale, for the benefit of the creditors of Byllinge. -They who -They were -They were The next step was to form a Constitution, for those who in consequence of purchase were to settle in the new land. This task fell almost exclusively upon William Penn. He therefore drew up what he called Concessions, or terms of grant and agreement, which were to be mutually signed. The great outline of these may be comprehended in few words. The people were to meet annually to choose one honest man for each proprietary who had signed the Concessions. were so chosen, were to sit in assembly.there to make, alter, and repeal laws.there also to choose a Governor, or Commissioner, with twelve asssistants, who were to execute these laws, but only during their pleasure.- -Every man was to be capable both of choosing and being chosen.No man was to be arrested, imprisoned, or condemned in his estate or liberty, but by twelve men of the neighbourhood. No man was to be imprisoned for debt; but his estate was to satisfy his creditors as far as it would go, and then he was to be set at liberty to work again for himself and family.- -No man was to be interrupted or molested on account of the exercise of his religion.Such was the simple outline of the Concessions, "by which he hoped that he had laid a foundation for those in after ages to understand their liberty both as men and Christians, and by an adherence to which they could never be brought into bondage but by their own consent.” Having made these and other arrangements, he and his colleagues gave notice of the same in a public letter, which they signed, and circulated through the kingdom. Through the medium of this, they particularly invited those who were of their own religious society to become the new settlers. They cautioned these, however, against leaving their country out of any idle curiosity, or rambling disposition, or improper motive, or to the vio |