Letters on England [8]
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
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