William Penn

It were endless to dispute upon everything that is disputable.

Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than the arguments of its opposers.

If there be three distinct and separate Persons, then three distinct and separate Substances. . . . And since the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God . . . then unless the Father, Son and Spirit are three distinct Nothings, they must be three distinct Substances, and consequently three distinct Gods.

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 ever so good, they will endeavor to warp and spoil it to their turn.

A good end cannot sanctify evil means; nor must we ever do evil that good may come of it.

Knowledge is the treasure, but judgment is the treasurer of the one who is wise.

The world is his who has money to go over it.

Our own life has to be our message.

There are no conditions to which a person cannot grow accustomed, especially if he sees that everyone around him lives in the same way.

Today is Trinity Sunday. Centuries ago words were written to be a call and a spur to the faithful servants of Truth and Justice: Arm yourselves, and be ye men of valor, and be in readiness for the conflict; for it is better for us to perish in battle than to look upon the outrage of our nation and our altar. As the Will of God is in Heaven, even so let it be.

Courtesy Life be not so short but that there is always time for courtesy.

Choose silence of all virtues, for by it you hear other men’s imperfections, and conceal your own.

Youth enters the world with very happy prejudices in her own favor. She imagines herself not only certain of accomplishing every adventure, but of obtaining those rewards which the accomplishment may deserve. She is not easily persuaded to believe that the force of merit can be resisted by obstinacy and avarice, or its luster darkened by envy and malignity.

Nothing does reason more right, than the coolness of those that offer it: For Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders, than from the arguments of its opposers.

For too long I have silenced my heart, that now, when I give it the opportunity to speak, it no longer remembers its voice. Locked away, it forgot what it’s like to be free; to roam. Imprisoned within loneliness, I fear Stockholm syndrome has developed.

Society is a masked ball, where every one hides his real character, and reveals it by hiding.

In the long run you hit only what you aim at. Therefore, though you should fail immediately, you had better aim at something high.

You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren’t paying attention to.

The right merchant is one who has the just average of faculties we call common sense; a man of a strong affinity for facts, who makes up his decision on what he has seen. He is thoroughly persuaded of the truths of arithmetic. There is always a reason, in the man, for his good or bad fortune in making money. Men talk as if there were some magic about this. He knows that all goes on the old road, pound for pound, cent for cent – for every effect a perfect cause – and that good luck is another name for tenacity of purpose.

Reality is a sliding door.

The receipts of cookery are swelled to a volume; but a good stomach excels them all.