William Penn Quotations

Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.

Avoid popularity; it has many snares, and no real benefit.

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.

Only trust thyself, and another shall not betray thee.

The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.

Much reading is an oppression of the mind, and extinguishes the natural candle, which is the reason of so many senseless scholars in the world.

Love is the hardest lesson in Christianity; but, for that reason, it should be most our care to learn it.

Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood.

A true friend freely, advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably.

True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it.

In marriage do thou be wise: prefer the person before money, virtue before beauty, the mind before the body; then thou hast a wife, a friend, a companion, a second self.

Passion is the mob of the man, that commits a riot upon his reason.

Sense shines with a double luster when it is set in humility. An able yet humble man is a jewel worth a kingdom.

Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.

True silence is the rest of the mind, and is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment.

Kings in this world should imitate God, their mercy should be above their works.

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.

For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.

Justice is the insurance which we have on our lives and property. Obedience is the premium which we pay for it.

Love grows. Lust wastes by Enjoyment, and the Reason is, that one springs from an Union of Souls, and the other from an Union of Sense.

We are apt to love praise, but not deserve it. But if we would deserve it, we must love virtue more than that.

To be like Christ is to be a Christian.

Humility and knowledge in poor clothes excel pride and ignorance in costly attire.

Passion is a sort of fever in the mind, which ever leaves us weaker than it found us.

Let the people think they govern and they will be governed.

Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than the arguments of its opposers.

They have a right to censure that have a heart to help.

Knowledge is the treasure of a wise man.

Between a man and his wife nothing ought to rule but love. Authority is for children and servants, yet not without sweetness.

Less judgment than wit is more sail than ballast.

The tallest Trees are most in the Power of the Winds, and Ambitious Men of the Blasts of Fortune.

Some are so very studious of learning what was done by the ancients that they know not how to live with the moderns.

O Lord, help me not to despise or oppose what I do not understand.

He that does good for good's sake seeks neither paradise nor reward, but he is sure of both in the end.

A good End cannot sanctify evil Means; nor must we ever do Evil, that Good may come of it.

Force may make hypocrites, but it can never make converts.

He who is taught to live upon little owes more to his father's wisdom than he who has a great deal left him does to his father's care.

Force may subdue, but love gains, and he that forgives first wins the laurel.

Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children.

He that lives to live forever, never fears dying.

It would be far better to be of no church than to be bitter of any.

To be a man's own fool is bad enough, but the vain man is everybody's.

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

Sexes make no Difference; since in Souls there is none: And they are the Subjects of Friendship.

Never marry but for love; but see that thou lovest what is lovely

Friendship . . . is an Union of Spirits, a Marriage of Hearts, and the Bond thereof Vertue.

Have wholesome, but not costly Food, and be rather cleanly than dainty in ordering it.

Have a care, therefore, where there is more sail than ballast.

Friendship is the union of spirits, a marriage of hearts, and the bond thereof virtue

Patience and Diligence, like faith, remove mountains.

It is a profitable Wisdom to know when we have done enough: Much time and Pains are spared, in not flattering our selves against Probabilities.

Those who would mend the world must first mend themselves.

Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than from the arguments of its opposers

To do evil that good may come of it is for bunglers in politics as well as mortals

Drunkenness spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans man. It reveals secrets, is quarrelsome, lascivious, impudent, dangerous, and mad.

Equivocation is half-way to lying, and lying the whole way to hell

Seek not to be Rich, but Happy. The one lies in Bags, the other in Content: which Wealth can never give.

A private Life is to be preferred; the Honor and Gain of publick Posts, bearing no proportion with the Comfort of it

A wise man makes what he learns his own, the other shows he is but a copy or a collection at most . . .

As Love ought to bring them together, so it is the best Way to keep them well together.

Eat therefore to live, and do not live to eat.

Not to be provoked is best; but if moved, never correct till the fume is spent; for every stroke our fury strikes is sure to hit ourselves at last

Never play cards with a man called Doc. Never eat at a place called Moms. Never sleep with a woman whose troubles are worse than your own.

It were better to be of no church, than to be bitter for any

In fine, he that is drunk is not a Man: Because he is so long void of Reason, that distinguishes a Man from a Beast.

The truest end of life is to know that life never ends.

The receipts of cookery are swelled to a volume; but a good stomach excels them all.

Men not living to what they know, cannot blame God, that they know no more.

Drunkenness, spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans the man.

Never give out while there is hope; but hope not beyond reason, for that shows more desire than judgement.

That all persons living in this province, who confess and acknowledge the one Almighty and eternal God, to be the Creator, Upholder and Ruler of the world; and that hold themselves obliged in conscience to live peaceably and justly in civil society, shall, in no ways, be molested or prejudiced for their religious persuasion, or practice, in manners of faith and worship, nor shall they be compelled, at any time, to frequent or maintain any religious worship, place or ministry whatever.

Man, being made reasonable, and so a thinking creature, there is nothing more worthy of his being than the right direction and employment of his thoughts; since upon this depends both his usefulness to the public, and his own present and future benefit in all respects.

It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves and of the world they have lived in.

Unless virtue guide us our choice must be wrong.

If men be good, government cannot be bad.

We are apt to be very pert at censuring others, where we will not endure advice.

A man in business must put up many affronts if he loves his own quiet.

All excess is ill, but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is quarrelsome, lascivious, impudent, dangerous and mad. In fine, he that is drunk is not a man: because he is so long void of Reason, that distinguishes a Man from a Beast.

You are now fixed at the mercy of no governor that comes to make his fortune great; you shall be governed by laws of your own making and live a free, and if you will, a sober and industrious life. I shall not usurp the right of any, or oppress his person. God has furnished me with a better resolution and has given me his grace to keep it.

Knowledge is the treasure, but judgment is the treasurer of the one who is wise.

A Garden, an Elaboratory, a Work - house, Improvements and Breeding, are pleasant and Profitable Diversions to the Idle and Ingenious: For here they miss Ill Company, and converse with Nature and Art; whose Variety are equally grateful and instructing; and preserve a good Constitution of Body and Mind.

Never marry but for love; but see that thou lov'st what is lovely.

Avoid flatterers, for they are thieves in disguise.

Friendship is the next pleasure we may hope for: and where we find it not at home, or have no home to find it in, we may seek it abroad. It is an union of spirits, a marriage of hearts, and the bond thereof virtue.

Haste makes work which caution prevents.

Experience is a safe guide.

To do evil that good may come of it is for bunglers in politics as well as morals.

That which the people called Quakers lay down as a main fundamental in religion is this- That God, through Christ, hath placed a principle in every man, to inform him of his duty, and to enable him to do it; and that those that live up to this principle are the people of God, and those that live in disobedience to it, are not God's people, whatever name they may bear, or profession they may make of religion. This is their ancient, first, and standing testimony: with this they began, and this they bore, and do bear to the world.

Hasty resolutions are of the nature of vows, and to be equally avoided.

To hazard much to get much has more of avarice than wisdom.

Where charity keeps pace with gain, industry is blessed.

Charity is ... a universal remedy against discord, and an holy cement for mankind.

Next to God, thy parents.

He that lives to forever, never fears dying.

Not to be provok'd is best: But if mov'd, never correct till the fume is spent; for every stroke our fury strikes, is sure to hit our selves at last.

Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them, and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments. Let men be good, and the government cannot be bad; if it be ill, they will cure it. But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavour to warp and spoil it to their turn.

[I]t is impossible that any people of government should ever prosper, where men render not unto God, that which is God's, as well as to Caesar, that which is Caesar's.

Neither despise nor oppose what thou dost not understand.

Where thou art Obliged to speak, be sure speak the Truth: For Equivocation is half way to Lying, as Lying, the whole way to Hell.

True Godliness doesn't turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it, and excites their endeavors to mend it. ...We have nothing that we can call our own; no, not our selves: for we are all but Tenants, and at Will, too, of the great Lord of our selves, and the rest of this great farm, the World that we live upon.