William Penn
Never despise what you don't understand.Collection: Despise
No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.Collection: Wisdom
In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His good presence; this will carry you evenly through your day's business.Collection: Prayer
No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.Collection: Inspirational
No people can be truly happy... if abridged of the freedom of their consciencesCollection: People
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.Collection: Men
If you protect a man from folly, you will soon have a nation of fools.Collection: Men
In all debates, let truth be thy aim, not victory, or an unjust interest.Collection: Victory
If it be an evil to judge rashly or untruly any single man, how much a greater sin it is to condemn a whole people.Collection: Men
Oppression makes a poor country.Collection: Country
Let us see what love can do.Collection: Can Do
I shall pass through life but once. Let me show kindness now, as I shall not pass this way again.Collection: Life
The country life is to be preferred, for there we see the works of God; but in cities little else but the works of men. And the one makes a better subject for contemplation than the other.Collection: Country
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.Collection: Men
Love grows, lust wastes by enjoyment.Collection: Lust
Do what good thou canst unknown, and be not vain of what ought rather to be felt than seen.Collection: Deeds
Love is indeed Heaven upon Earth; since Heaven above would not be Heaven without it: For where there is not Love; there is Fear: But perfect Love casts out Fear. And yet we naturally fear most to offend what we most Love.Collection: Religious
If a civil word or two will render a man happy, he must be a wretch indeed who will not give them to him. Such a disposition is like lighting another man's candle by one's own, which loses none of its brilliancy by what the other gains.Collection: Men
Covetousness is the greatest of monsters, as well as the root of all evil.Collection: Roots
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.Collection: Men
God is better served in resisting a temptation to evil than in many formal prayers.Collection: Prayer
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.Collection: Religious
The usefulest truths are the plainest.Collection: Truth
Government seems to me to be a part of religion itself - a thing sacred in its institutions and ends.Collection: Government
And he that is taught to live upon little, owes more to his father's wisdom, than he that has a great deal left him, does to his father's care.Collection: Family
For as men in battle are continually in the way of shot, so we, in this world, are ever within the reach of Temptation.Collection: Men
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.Collection: Anger
It is safer to learn than teach; and who conceals his opinion has nothing to answer for.Collection: Answers
Death is but crossing the world, as friends do the seas; they live in one another still. For they must needs be present, that love and live in that which is omnipresent. In this divine glass, they see face to face; and their converse is free as well as pure. This is the comfort of friends, that though they may be said to die, yet their friendship and society are, in the best sense, ever present, because immortal.Collection: Glasses
Never marry but for love; but see that thou lov'st what is lovely.Collection: Love
If thou wouldst be happy, bring thy mind to thy condition, and have an indifferency for more than what is sufficient.Collection: Mind
A wise neuter joins with neither, but uses both as his honest interest leads him.Collection: Wise
It is certain that the most natural and human government is that of consent, for that binds freely, ... when men hold their liberty by true obedience to rules of their own making.Collection: Men
By liberty of conscience, we understand not only a mere liberty of the mind, in believing or disbelieving this or that principle or doctrine; but the exercise of ourselves in a visible way of worship, upon our believing it to be indispensably required at our hands, that if we neglect it for fear of favor of any mortal man, we sin and incur divine wrath.Collection: Believe
There can be no Friendship where there is no Freedom. Friendship loves a free Air, and will not be penned up in straight and narrow Enclosures. It will speak freely, and act so too; and take nothing ill where no ill is meant; nay, where it is, 'twill easily forgive, and forget too, upon small Acknowledgments.Collection: Real
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.Collection: People
Sense shines with double lustre when set in humility.Collection: Humility
God sends us the poor to try us.... And he that refuses them a little out of the great deal that God has given lays up poverty in store for his own posterity.Collection: Trying
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.Collection: Children
We are too apt to love praise, but not to deserve it.Collection: Praise
He who gives to the poor, lends to the Lord. But it may be said, not improperly, the Lord lends to us to give to the poor.Collection: Giving
[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.Collection: Men
To hazard much to get much has more of avarice than wisdom.Collection: Wall
Neither despise nor oppose what thou dost not understand.Collection: Inspirational
If thy debtor be honest and capable, thou hast thy money again, if not with increase, with praise; if he prove insolvent, don't ruin him to get that which it will not ruin thee to lose, for thou art but a steward.Collection: Death
A jealous man only sees his own spectrum when he looks upon other men, and gives his character in theirs.Collection: Jealousy
Above all things endeavor to breed them up the love of virtue, and that holy plain way of it which we have lived in, that the world in no part of it get into my family. I had rather they we're homely than finely bred as to outward behavior; yet I love sweetness mixed with gravity, and cheerfulness tempered with sobriety.Collection: Children
Inquire often, but judge rarely, and thou wilt not often be mistaken.Collection: Often Is