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to trample on Egypt's glory, not fearing the King's
wrath, having beheld the Majesty of Him who is
invisible” (1668). This was followed by a number
of tracts on similar topics, which with his other writings
were collected and published by Joseph Besse (2
vols., London, 1726). At this time he also obtained
a promise from the Duke of Buckingham that the
latter would bring a bill into parliament to do justice
to the Quakers;
but the commons
refused to consider
the measure. Penn
then became
involved in a
controversy with Thomas
Vincent, a
Presbyterian clergyman,
who had openly
reviled the Quakers
from his pulpit.
Vincent, satisfied
with having
disclosed his side of the
argument, failed to
call a second meeting,
in consequence
of which Penn
issued “The Sandy
Foundation Shaken,” an attack upon “those
generally believed and applauded doctrines of one
God subsisting in three distinct and separate
persons; of the impossibility of God's pardoning
sinners without a plenary satisfaction; and of the
justification of impure persons by an imputative
righteousness.” This work caused great excitement
by its bold opposition to the doctrine of
the Trinity. Through the influence of the bishop
of London and other high dignitaries of the
church he was imprisoned in the Tower for
more than eight months. During this time he
wrote his principal and most popular theological
work. “No Cross, no Crown; a Discourse showing
the Nature and Discipline of the Holy Cross of
Christ” (1688), which was soon followed by his
“Innocency with her Open Face,” a brief and
vigorous reply to several answers to his “Sandy
Foundation Shaken.” These works increased the
public interest in him, and his release was ordered
through the influence of the Duke of York. He
then went to Ireland on business, and while he
was there he succeeded in effecting the release of
imprisoned Quakers through his influence with old
friends at court. On his return he became reconciled
with his father, and thereafter lived on good
terms with him. Early in 1670 Penn again fell
into trouble by preaching in the street in violation
of the Conventicle act. He was promptly arrested
with Capt. William Mead and taken before the
lord-mayor, who sent them to the Old Bailey. In
the remarkable trial that followed, the jury, who
were kept for two days and nights without food,
fire, or water, brought in a verdict of not guilty,
for which each juryman was fined forty marks
and sent to Newgate, while Penn and Mead were
also fined and imprisoned for contempt in wearing
their hats in presence of the court. They appealed
to the court of common pleas, where the decision
of the lower court was reversed, and the great
principle of English law was established, that it is
the right of the jury to judge of the evidence
independently of the dictation or direction of the court.
On being liberated, Penn at once returned to the
bedside of his father, who died in the course of a
few days, bequeathing to his son a property of
£1,500 a year. Penn was again arrested in March,
1671, for preaching in a meeting-house in London,
and committed to the Tower. He was tried under
the Conventicle act, but acquitted for want of
testimony, and on his refusing to take the oath of
allegiance, owing to conscientious scruples about
swearing, was sentenced to Newgate for six months.
He spent his time there in writing “The Great Case
of Liberty of Conscience,” “Truth rescued frmn
Imposture,” “ Postscript to 'Truth Exalted,'”
and “An Apology for the Quakers.”
At the expiration of his imprisonment he spent a short time in Holland and Germany, when he was active in making converts, but he soon returned to England, and on 4 April, 1672, he married Gulielma Maria, a daughter of Sir William Springett. At first he resided in Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire, and then he settled in Worminghurst, in Sussex. During the ensuing few years he devoted much time to itinerant preaching, and published about twenty-six controversial works, some of which displayed great ability, and two political volumes, a “Treatise on Oaths” (1672) and “England's Present Interest Considered ” (1672). He also had a controversy with Thomas Hicks, a Baptist preacher, in London, and published his “Reason against Railing and Truth against Fiction,” and “The Counterfeit Christian Detected.” In 1674 a dispute arose between John Fenwick, agent and trustee of Edward Byllinge, concerning the proprietary rights in the Quaker colonies of New Jersey. The matter was referred to William Penn for arbitration, and he decided in favor of Byllinge, who, becoming involved and unable to meet the demands that were made upon him, surrendered his property to his creditors. The latter appointed two trustees, and he himself selected Penn as a third to care for his interests. Penn showed great zeal in the work of colonization, and soon several vessels laden with emigrants were on their way to the New World. He then turned his attention to the congregations on the continent, and visited Holland and various parts of Germany, where he advocated colonization. On his return to England he continued to send emigrants to this country, and several additional ship-loads of settlers left England, making a total of more than 800 families. His acquaintance with Algernon Sidney, formed many years earlier on the continent, was now renewed, and Sidney became a frequent guest at Worminghurst. In the elections in which Sidney was a candidate for Guildford and Bramber, respectively, Penn was one of his most active supporters. Although he was elected on both occasions, Sidney was not permitted to take his seat, and Penn, indignant at the treatment of his friend, and in consequence of other incidents, proposed to the king's council to receive a certain amount of territory on the Atlantic seaboard and in the interior of the country in lieu of money that was due his father, aggregating about £16,000. After numerous delays and various modifications of the original petition, on 24 Feb., 1681, Charles II. signed a charter that constituted Penn absolute proprietor of the territory in question in consideration of two beaver-skins to be given annually to the king. The name of New Wales was proposed by Penn for the province; but this being objected to, he suggested Sylvania, to which the king prefixed Penn, in honor of the great admiral. Direct appeal to the king and a proffer of twenty guineas to his secretary to have the name changed was unsuccessful.
A liberal scheme of government and laws was drawn up by Penn, aided by Algernon Sidney. Organizations for emigration were established in England and on the continent, and negotiations
