Quotes from William Penn

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

A wise neuter joins with neither, but uses both, as his honest interest leads him.

I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there can be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow human being, let me do it now.

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

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.

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.

The smaller the drink, the clearer the head, and the cooler the blood.

To be furious in religion is to be irreligiously religious.

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.

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

No man is fit to command another that cannot command himself.

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

The wisdom of nations lies in their proverbs, which are brief and pithy.

We are inclined to call things by the wrong names. We call prosperity 'happiness', and adversity 'misery' eventhough adversity is the school of wisdom and often the way to eternal happiness.

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.

It is wise not to seek a secret, and honest not to reveal one.

It is profitable wisdom to know when we have done enough: Much time and pains are spared in not flattering ourselves against probabilities.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

If you protect a man from folly, you will soon have a nation of fools.

A jealous man only sees his own spectrum when he looks upon other men, and gives his character in theirs.