William Penn.
The founder of Pennsylvania, born in London, 1644, From a private school at Chigwell, Essex, he entered, in 1660, as a gentleman commoner at Christ Church, Oxford; but, as he withdrew from the national forms of worship with other students, who, like himself, had listened to the preaching of Thomas Loe, a Quaker of eminence, who was fined for Non-conformity, and, the next year, as he pertinaciously adhered to his opinions, he was expelled from the college. His father sent him to France, and, on his return, he entered at Lincoln's Inn, as a law student. In 1666, he was sent to manage an estate in Ireland, and, during his residence there, he renewed his acquaintance with Loe, and showed such partiality to the Quakers, that he was, in those days of persecution, taken up at a meeting at Cork, and imprisoned by the mayor, who at last restored him to liberty at the request of Lord Orrery. His return to England produced a violent altercation with his father, who wished him to abandon those singular habits so offensive to decorum and established forms; and, when he refused to appear uncovered before him and before the king, he a second time dismissed him from his protection and favor. In 1668, he first appeared as a preacher and as an author among the Quakers; and, in consequence of some controversial dispute, he was sent to the Tower, where he remained in confinement for seven months. The passing of the conventicle act soon after again sent him to prison in Newgate, from which he was released by the interest of his father, who about this time was reconciled to him, and left him, on his decease some time after, a valuable estate of about fifteen hundred pounds per annum. In 1672, he married Gulielma Maria Springett, a lady of principles similar to his own, and then fixed his residence at Rickmansworth, where he employed [pg 379] himself zealously in promoting the cause of the Friends by his preaching, as well as by his writings. In 1677, he went, with George Fox and Robert Barclay, to the continent on a religious excursion; and, after visiting Amsterdam and the other chief towns of Holland, they proceeded to the court of Princess Elizabeth, the granddaughter of James I., at Herwerden or Herford, where they were received with great kindness and hospitality. Soon after his return to England, Charles II. granted him, in consideration of the services of his father, and for a debt due to him from the crown, a province of North America, then called New Netherlands, but now making the state of Pennsylvania. In consequence of this acquisition, he invited, under the royal patent, settlers from all parts of the kingdom, and drew up, in twenty-four articles, the fundamental constitution of his new province, in which he held out a greater degree of religious liberty than had at that time appeared in the Christian world. A colony of people, chiefly of his persuasion, soon flocked to share his fortunes; the lands of the country were cleared and improved, and a town was built, which, on the principle of brotherly love, received the name of Philadelphia. In 1682, Penn visited the province, and confirmed that good understanding which he had recommended with the natives; and, after two years' residence, and with the satisfaction of witnessing and promoting the prosperity of the colonists, he returned to England. Soon after, Charles died, and the acquaintance which Penn had with the new monarch was honorably used to protect the people of his persuasion. At the revolution however, he was suspected of treasonable correspondence with the exiled prince, and therefore exposed to molestation and persecution. In 1694, he lost his wife; but, though severely afflicted by the event, he in about two years married again, and afterwards employed himself in travelling in Ireland, and over England, in disseminating, as a preacher, the doctrines of his sect. He visited, in 1699, his province with his wife and family, and returned to England in 1701. The suspicion with which he had been regarded under William's [pg 380] government, ceased at the accession of Queen Anne, and the unyielding advocate of Quakerism was permitted to live with greater freedom, and to fear persecution less. In 1710, he removed to Rushcomb, near Twyford, Berks, where he spent the rest of his life. Three repeated attacks of an apoplexy at last came to weaken his faculties and his constitution, and, after nearly losing all recollection of his former friends and associates, he expired, 30th July, 1718, and was buried at Jordan, near Beaconsfield, Bucks. The character of Penn is truly amiable, benevolent, and humane; his labors were exerted for the good of mankind, and, with the strictest consistency of moral conduct and religious opinion, he endured persecution and malice with resignation; and, guided by the approbation of a pure conscience, he showed himself indefatigable in the fulfilling of what he considered as the law of God, and the clear demonstration of the truth of the gospel. The long prosperity of Pennsylvania, and of his favorite city, Philadelphia, furnishes the best evidence of his wisdom as a legislator.
Benedict Spinoza.
An atheistical writer, son of a Portuguese Jew, born at Amsterdam, 1638. He studied medicine and theology; but his religion was so loose, and his inquiries for the reason of every thing which he was to believe, became so offensive to the rabbies, that he was thrust out of the synagogue. In consequence of this, he became a Christian, and was baptized; but his conversion was insincere, and though, during his life, he did not openly profess himself an atheist, his posthumous works plainly proved him such. He died, of a consumption, at the Hague, February, 1677, aged forty-five. He is the founder of a regular system of atheism, and by his hypothesis he wished to establish that there is but one substance in nature, which is endowed with infinite attributes, with extension and thought; that all spirits are modifications of that substance; and that God, the necessary and most [pg 381] perfect being, is the cause of all things that exist, but does not differ from them. These monstrous doctrines, though not new, were thus built into a regular system by this extraordinary man, who is said in other respects to have been of a good moral character in private life, benevolent, friendly, and charitable. His conduct was marked by no licentiousness or irregularity; but he retired from the tumults of Amsterdam to a more peaceful residence at the Hague, where curiosity led princes, philosophers, and learned men, to see and to converse with this bold assertor of atheism.
Ann Lee.
Born in the town of Manchester, in England, in 1736. Her father, John Lee, though not in affluent circumstances, was an honest and industrious man. Her mother was esteemed as a very pious woman. As was common with the laboring classes of people in England at that period, their children, instead of being sent to school, were brought up to work from early childhood. By this means, Ann, though quite illiterate, acquired a habit of industry, and was early distinguished for her activity, faithfulness, neatness, and good economy in her temporal employments.
From early childhood she was the subject of religious impressions and divine manifestations. These continued, in a greater or less degree, as she advanced in years; so that, at times, she was strongly impressed with a sense of the great depravity of human nature, and of the lost state of mankind by reason of sin. But losing her mother at an early age, and finding no person to assist her in the pursuit of a life of holiness, and being urged by the solicitations of her relations and friends, she was married to Abraham Stanley, by whom she had four children, who all died in infancy. But the convictions of her youth often returned upon her with great force, which at length brought her under excessive tribulation of soul. In this situation, she sought earnestly for deliverance from the bondage of sin.
While under these exercises of mind, she became acquainted with a society of people associated under the ministration of James Wardly, who, with Jane, his wife, had been greatly favored with divine manifestations concerning the second appearing of Christ, which they foresaw was near at hand. Ann readily embraced their testimony, and united herself to the society in the month of September, 1758.