William Penn Quotes

Children, Fear God; that is to say, have an holy awe upon your minds to avoid that which is evil, and a strict care to embrace and do that which is good.

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

You are Englishmen; mind your privileges, give not away your right.

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

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

Rarely promise, but, if lawful, constantly perform.

Truth never lost ground by enquiry.

Nothing shows our weakness more than to be so sharp-sighted at spying other men's faults, and so purblind about our own.

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

Oppression makes a poor country.

If thou thinkest twice before thou speakest once, thou wilt speak twice the better for it.

For we put the power in the people.

Do what good thou canst unknown, and be not vain of what ought rather to be felt than seen.

Less judgment than wit is more sail than ballast.

There is a truth and beauty in rhetoric; but it oftener serves ill turns than good ones.

Dislike what deserves it, but never hate: for that is of the nature of malice; which is almost ever to persons, not things, and is one of the blackest qualities sin begets in the soul.

Sense shines with double lustre when set in humility.

To have religion upon authority, and not upon conviction, is like a finger-watch, to be set forwards or backwards, as he pleases that has it in keeping.

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

If thou rise with an Appetite, thou art sure never to sit down without one.

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

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.

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

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

Anything less than full justice is cruelty.

It is a severe rebuke upon us, that God makes us so many allowances, and we make so few to our neighbour.

What man in his right mind would conspire his own hurt? Men are beside themselves when they transgress against their convictions.

If thou wouldst conquer thy weakness, thou must never gratify it. No man is compelled to evil: his consent only makes it his. It is no sin to be tempted, but to be overcome.

Choose a friend as thou dost a wife, till death separate you.

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

Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still.

For as men in battle are continually in the way of shot, so we, in this world, are ever within the reach of Temptation.

Experience is a safe guide.

We are too apt to love praise, but not to deserve it.

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

Haste makes work which caution prevents.

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

[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.

Less judgment than wit is more sail than ballast. Yet it must be confessed that wit given an edge to sense, and recommends it extremely.

Some men do as much begrudge others a good name, as they want one themselves: and perhaps that is the reason of it.

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

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

Every stroke our fury strikes is sure to hit ourselves at last.

Content not thyself that thou art virtuous in the general; for one link being wanting, the chain is defective.

Is it reasonable to take it ill, that anybody desires of us that which is their own? All we have is the Almighty's; and shall not God have his own when he calls for it?

Religion is nothing else but love of God and man.

Show is not substance; realities govern wise men.

Wit gives an edge to sense, and recommends it extremely.

It is safer to learn than teach; and who conceals his opinion has nothing to answer for.

Neither despise nor oppose what thou dost not understand.