About this time arose the illustrious William Penn, who established the
power of the Quakers in America, and would have made them appear
venerable in the eyes of the Europeans, were it possible for mankind to
respect virtue when revealed in a ridiculous light. He was the only son
of Vice-Admiral Penn, favourite of the Duke of York, afterwards King
James II.
William Penn, at twenty years of age, happening to meet with a Quaker in
Cork, whom he had known at Oxford, this man made a proselyte of him; and
William being a sprightly youth, and naturally eloquent, having a winning
aspect, and a very engaging carriage, he soon gained over some of his
intimates. He carried matters so far, that he formed by insensible
degrees a society of young Quakers, who met at his house; so that he was
at the head of a sect when a little above twenty.
Being returned, after his leaving Cork, to the Vice-Admiral his father,
instead of falling upon his knees to ask his blessing, he went up to him
with his hat on, and said, "Friend, I am very glad to see thee in good
health." The Vice-Admiral imagined his son to be crazy, but soon finding
he was turned Quaker, he employed all the methods that prudence could
suggest to engage him to behave and act like other people. The youth
made no other answer to his father, than by exhorting him to turn Quaker
also. At last his father confined himself to this single request, viz.,
"that he should wait upon the King and the Duke of York with his hat
under his arm, and should not 'thee' and 'thou' them." William answered,
"that he could not do these things, for conscience' sake," which
exasperated his father to such a degree, that he turned him out of doors.
Young Pen gave God thanks for permitting him to suffer so early in His
cause, after which he went into the city, where he held forth, and made a
great number of converts.
The Church of England clergy found their congregations dwindle away
daily; and Penn being young, handsome, and of a graceful stature, the
court as well as the city ladies flocked very devoutly to his meeting.
The patriarch, George Fox, hearing of his great reputation, came to
London (though the journey was very long) purely to see and converse with
him. Both resolved to go upon missions into foreign countries, and
accordingly they embarked for Holland, after having left labourers
sufficient to take care of the London vineyard.
Their labours were crowned with success in Amsterdam, but a circumstance
which reflected the greatest honour on them, and at the same time put
their humility to the greatest trial, was the reception they met with
from Elizabeth, the Princess Palatine, aunt to George I. of Great
Britain, a lady conspicuous for her genius and knowledge, and to whom
Descartes had dedicated his Philosophical Romance.
She was then retired to the Hague, where she received these Friends, for
so the Quakers were at that time called in Holland. This princess had
several conferences with them in her palace, and she at last entertained
so favourable an opinion of Quakerism, that they confessed she was not
far from the kingdom of heaven. The Friends sowed likewise the good seed
in Germany, but reaped very little fruit; for the mode of "theeing" and
"thouing" was not approved of in a country where a man is perpetually
obliged to employ the titles of "highness" and "excellency." William
Penn returned soon to England upon hearing of his father's sickness, in
order to see him before he died. The Vice-Admiral was reconciled to his
son, and though of a different persuasion, embraced him tenderly. William
made a fruitless exhortation to his father not to receive the sacrament,
but to die a Quaker, and the good old man entreated his son William to
wear buttons on his sleeves, and a crape hatband in his beaver, but all
to no purpose.
William Penn inherited very large possessions, part of which consisted in
Crown debts due to the Vice-Admiral for sums he had advanced for the sea
service. No moneys were at that time more insecure than those owing from
the king. Penn was obliged to go more than once, and "thee" and "thou"
King Charles and his Ministers, in order to recover the debt; and at
last, instead of specie, the Government invested him with the right and
sovereignty of a province of America, to the south of Maryland. Thus was
a Quaker raised to sovereign power. Penn set sail for his new dominions
with two ships freighted with Quakers, who followed his fortune. The
country was then called Pennsylvania from William Penn, who there founded
Philadelphia, now the most flourishing city in that country. The first
step he took was to enter into an alliance with his American neighbours,
and this is the only treaty between those people and the Christians that
was not ratified by an oath, and was never infringed. The new sovereign
was at the same time the legislator of Pennsylvania, and enacted very
wise and prudent laws, none of which have ever been changed since his
time. The first is, to injure no person upon a religious account, and to
consider as brethren all those who believe in one God.
He had no sooner settled his government, but several American merchants
came and peopled this colony. The natives of the country, instead of
flying into the woods, cultivated by insensible degrees a friendship with
the peaceable Quakers. They loved these foreigners as much as they
detested the other Christians who had conquered and laid waste America.
In a little time a great number of these savages (falsely so called),
charmed with the mild and gentle disposition of their neighbours, came in
crowds to William Penn, and besought him to admit them into the number of
his vassals. It was very rare and uncommon for a sovereign to be
"thee'd" and "thou'd" by the meanest of his subjects, who never took
their hats off when they came into his presence; and as singular for a
Government to be without one priest in it, and for a people to be without
arms, either offensive or defensive; for a body of citizens to be
absolutely undistinguished but by the public employments, and for
neighbours not to entertain the least jealousy one against the other.
William Penn might glory in having brought down upon earth the so much
boasted golden age, which in all probability never existed but in
Pennsylvania. He returned to England to settle some affairs relating to
his new dominions. After the death of King Charles II., King James, who
had loved the father, indulged the same affection to the son, and no
longer considered him as an obscure sectary, but as a very great man. The
king's politics on this occasion agreed with his inclinations. He was
desirous of pleasing the Quakers by annulling the laws made against
Nonconformists, in order to have an opportunity, by this universal
toleration, of establishing the Romish religion. All the sectarists in
England saw the snare that was laid for them, but did not give into it;
they never failing to unite when the Romish religion, their common enemy,
is to be opposed. But Penn did not think himself bound in any manner to
renounce his principles, merely to favour Protestants to whom he was
odious, in opposition to a king who loved him. He had established a
universal toleration with regard to conscience in America, and would not
have it thought that he intended to destroy it in Europe, for which
reason he adhered so inviolably to King James, that a report prevailed
universally of his being a Jesuit. This calumny affected him very
strongly, and he was obliged to justify himself in print. However, the
unfortunate King James II., in whom, as in most princes of the Stuart
family, grandeur and weakness were equally blended, and who, like them,
as much overdid some things as he was short in others, lost his kingdom
in a manner that is hardly to be accounted for.
All the English sectarists accepted from William III, and his Parliament
the toleration and indulgence which they had refused when offered by King
James. It was then the Quakers began to enjoy, by virtue of the laws,
the several privileges they possess at this time. Penn having at last
seen Quakerism firmly established in his native country, went back to
Pennsylvania. His own people and the Americans received him with tears
of joy, as though he had been a father who was returned to visit his
children. All the laws had been religiously observed in his absence, a
circumstance in which no legislator had ever been happy but himself.
After having resided some years in Pennsylvania he left it, but with
great reluctance, in order to return to England, there to solicit some
matters in favour of the commerce of Pennsylvania. But he never saw it
again, he dying in Ruscombe, in Berkshire, in 1718.
I am not able to guess what fate Quakerism may have in America, but I
perceive it dwindles away daily in England. In all countries where
liberty of conscience is allowed, the established religion will at last
swallow up all the rest. Quakers are disqualified from being members of
Parliament; nor can they enjoy any post or preferment, because an oath
must always be taken on these occasions, and they never swear. They are
therefore reduced to the necessity of subsisting upon traffic. Their
children, whom the industry of their parents has enriched, are desirous
of enjoying honours, of wearing buttons and ruffles; and quite ashamed of
being called Quakers they become converts to the Church of England,
merely to be in the fashion.