all; they are mistaken in me; I value not their threats and resolutions, for they shall know I can weary out their malice and peevishness, and in me shall they all behold a resolution above fear; conscience above cruelty, and a baffle put to all their designs by the spirit of patience, the companion of all the tribu lated flock of the blessed Jesus, who is the author and finisher of the faith that overcomes the world, yea, death and hell too. Neither great nor good things are ever attained without loss and hardships. He that would reap and not labor, 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."

Being thus prevented from going abroad in the performance of his religious duties, he could not remain unemployed, but, like many others of his brethren, occupied the time of his imprisonment by writing on religious subjects.

The principal work produced at this time is called "No Cross, No Crown," a book that has been frequently republished, extensively read, and universally approved. It is not controversial, but practical, being intended to show the nature of true religion in its effects upon the life and conversation of men, by withdrawing them from the pomp and vanity of the world, and leading them to seek for peace and happiness in communion with God, and in deeds of charity and love. These views are illustrated by numerous quotations from the sayings and writings of the wise and good of former ages, who have left their testimony to the value of an approving conscience, and a heart at peace with God.

This work shows great erudition and research. From the excellent example of wise and good men of ancient and modern times cited in its pages, two, communicated to Penn himself, seem appropriate to this work. The first relates to "Count Oxenstiern, Chancellor of Sweden, and one of the most eminent men of the age." After his retirement from office, being visited in his retreat by Commissioner Whitlock, Ambassador to Queen

• Penn's Life prefixed to his Select Works.

Christina, in the conclusion of their discourse, he said to the ambassador, "I have seen much, and enjoyed much of this world, but I never knew how to live till now. I thank my good God, that he has given me time to know him and to know myself. All the comfort I have, and all the comfort I take, and which is more than the whole world can give, is feeling the good spirit of God in my heart, and reading in this good book (holding up the Bible) that came from it." And further addressing himself to the ambassador, "You are now in the prime of your age and vigor, and in great favor and business; but this will all leave you, and you will one day better understand and relish. what I say to you, and then you will find there is more wisdom, truth, comfort, and pleasure in retiring and turning your heart from the world to the good Spirit of God, and in reading the Bible, than in all the courts and favors of princes."

"This I had," says William Penn, "from the ambassador's own mouth more than once." A very edifying history, when we consider from whom it came; one of the greatest and wisest men of his age, while his understanding was as sound and vigorous as his experience and knowledge were great." "Bulstrode Whitlock has left his own character in his "Memorials of English Affairs," a book that shows both his employments and great abilities. He was Commissioner of the Great Seal, Ambassador to the Crown of Sweden, and sometimes President of the Council; a scholar, a lawyer, a statesman; in short, one of the most accomplished men of the age. Being with him sometimes at his own house in Berkshire, where he gave me that account I have related of Chancellor Oxenstiern, amongst many serious things he spoke, this was very observable.

"I ever have thought," said he, "there has been one true religion in the world, and that is the work of the Spirit of God in the hearts and souls of men. There have been, indeed, various forms and shapes of things, through the many dispensations of God to man, answerable to his wise ends, in reference to the low and uncertain state of man in the world; but the old world had the spirit of God, for it strove with them, and the new world has had the Spirit of God, both Jew and Gentile, and it

strives with all, and they that have been led by it, have been the. good people in every dispensation of God to the world. And I myself must say I have felt it from a child, to convince me of my evil and vanity, and it has often given me a true measure of this poor world, and some taste of divine things, and it is my grief I did not more early apply my soul to it; for I can say since my retirement from the greatness and hurries of the world, I have felt something of the work and comfort of it, and that it is both ready and able to instruct and lead and preserve those. that will humbly and sincerely hearken to it. So that my religion is the good spirit of God in my heart; I mean, what that has wrought in and for me." And after a meeting at his house, to which he gave an entire liberty for all that pleased to come, he was so deeply affected with the testimony of the Light Spirit and grace of Christ in mañ, as the Gospel dispensation, that after the meeting closed in prayer, he rose up and pulled off his hat and said, "This is the everlasting Gospel I have heard this day, in which the ancient Gospel is preached to them that dwell upon the earth."

In the conclusion of this excellent work, Penn shows that they who will not take up the cross of self-denial, cannot expect to enjoy the crown of eternal glory; he refers to the holy lives of the primitive Christians, their self-sacrificing zeal for the cause of truth; and he calls upon all, but more especially upon those whose hearts have been awakened to the convictions of duty, to come away from the vanities of a perishing world.

While imprisoned in the Tower, he wrote a letter to Lord Arlington, Secretary of State, showing the illegality of his imprisonment, without trial and conviction, and the impolicy of persecuting people on account of their opinions. In this letter he says, "What if I differ from some religious apprehensions? Am I therefore incompatible with human societies? Shall it not be remembered with what success kingdoms and commonwealths have lived under the balance of divers parties?" "I know not any unfit for political society, but those who maintain principles subversive of industry, fidelity, justice and obedience;" "but to conceit that men must form their faith of

things proper to another world, according to the prescriptions of other mortal men of this, is both ridiculous and dangerous."

"The understanding can never be convinced by other arguments than what are adequate to its own nature. Force may make hypocrites, but it can make no converts." "If I am at any time convinced, I will pay the homage of it to truth, and not to base hypocrisy."

In conclusion, he requests that Lord Arlington will represent his case to the King, and obtain his release, or at least the privilege of being heard in his own defence, but he adds, "I make no apology for my letter, as a trouble,-the usual style of suppliants; because I think the honor that will accrue to thee by being just, and releasing the oppressed, exceeds the advantage that can succeed to me." This letter appears to have been without effect, and he soon after published a small tract, entitled, "Innocency with her Open Face," presented by way of apology for the "Sandy Foundation Shaken."

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In this tract he neither recants nor renounces any of the doctrines advanced in the former work, but believing his views had been misunderstood, he explains them, on some points, more fully. He remarks, that he has understood the principal cause of his imprisonment, was a malicious charge spread among the people, that he had denied the Divinity of Christ, and he proceeds to disprove this charge, by showing, from Scripture, that "Christ is the true Light," and Saviour of men; and as "God is Light," and has proclaimed himself the only Saviour, therefore he asserts, the unity of God and Christ, because, though nominally distinguished, they are essentially the same." As for the doctrine of satisfaction, he shows that his arguments were principally levelled at the prevailing notion of the impossibility of God's forgiving sin upon repentance, without Christ's paying his justice, by suffering infinite vengeance and eternal wrath, for sins past, present, and to come; and he quotes from Bishop Stillingfleet to show that this eminent prelate has granted both the possibility of God's pardoning sins as debts without such a rigid satisfaction, and the impossibility of Christ's so suffering for the world, reflecting closely upon those persons as "giving so

just an occasion to the Church's adversaries to think they triumph over her faith, whilst it is only over their mistakes who argue with more zeal than judgment." "One of the main ends," says Penn, "that first induced me to that discourse, I find delivered by him (Stillingfleet,) namely, If they did believe Christ came into the world to reform it, "that the wrath of God is now revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness; that his love which is shown to the world, is to deliver them from the hand of their enemies, that they might serve him in righteousness and true holiness all the days of their lives; they never could imagine that salvation is entailed by the Gospel upon a mighty confidence or vehement persuasion of what Christ hath done and suffered for them."

"Thus doth he confess upon my hypothesis or proposition, what I mainly contend for: and however positively I may reject or deny my adversaries' unscriptural and imaginary satisfaction, let all know this, that I pretend to know no other name by which remission, atonement, and salvation can be obtained, but Jesus Christ the Saviour, who is the power and wisdom of God. As for justification by an imputed righteousness, I still say, that whosoever believes in Christ, shall have remission and justification, but then it must be such a faith as can no more live without works than a body without a spirit; wherefore I conclude that true faith comprehends evangelical obedience, and here the same Doctor Stillingfleet comes in to my relief by a plain assertion of the necessity of obedience, viz. "Such who make no other condition of the gospel, but believing, ought to have a great care to keep their hearts sounder than their heads."*

This tract appears to have given satisfaction, and soon after its appearance he was released from the Tower, after having been a prisoner there nearly nine months.

In a fragment of Penn's autobiography, preserved in his own hand-writing in the archives of the American Philosophical Society at Philadelphia, and published in the memoirs of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, (Vol. III., Part II.) we find the following memoranda relating to this portion of his life:

Stillingfleet's Contra Crellius, quoted by Penn, folio work, p. 26.