No cross, no crown

by William Penn

He taught everywhere that an upright man and a happy man are all one. They that do good are employed; they that spend their time in recreations are idle.[22] To do good is the best course of life; he only is idle who might be better employed. A horse is not known by his furniture, but qualities; so men are to be esteemed for virtue, not wealth. Being asked who lived without trouble, he answered, "Those who are conscious to themselves of no evil thing."[23] To one who demanded what was nobility, he answered, "A good temper and disposition of soul and body. They who know what they ought to do, and do it not, are not wise and temperate, but fools and stupid." To one that complained he had not been benefited by his travels, "Not without reason," says Socrates, "thou didst travel with thyself:" intimating, he knew not the eternal mind of God to direct and inform him. Being demanded what wisdom was, said, "A virtuous composure of the soul." And being asked who were wise, answered, "Those that sin not." Seeing a young man rich, but ignorant of heavenly things, and pursuing earthly pleasures; "Behold," says he, "a golden slave.[24] Soft ways of living beget neither a good constitution of body nor mind. Fine and rich clothes are only for comedians." Being demanded from what things men and women ought to refrain, he answered, "Pleasure." Being asked what continence and temperance were, said, "Government of corporeal desires and pleasures. The wicked live to eat, &c. but the good eat to live. Temperate persons become the most excellent: eat that which neither hurts the body nor mind, and which is easy to be gotten." One saying it was a great matter to abstain from what one desires; "But," says he, "it is better not to desire at all." This is deep religion, even very hard to professed Christians. "It is the property of God to need nothing;[25] and they that need and are contented with least come nearest to God. The only and best way to worship God is to mind and obey whatsoever he commands. That the souls of men and women partake of the divine nature: that God is seen of the virtuous mind: that by waiting upon him they are united unto him in an accessible place of purity and happiness; which God he asserted always to be near him."

Many more are the excellent sayings of this great man, who was not less famous for his sayings than his example, with the greatest nations; yet died he a sacrifice to the sottish fury of the vain world. The history of his life reports that his father was told[26] he should have the guide of his life within him, which should be more to him than five hundred masters; which proved true. Instructing his scholars herein, charging them not to neglect these divine affairs which chiefly concern man, to mind or inquire after such things as are without in the visible world. He taught the use of outward things[27] only as they were necessary to life and commerce; forbidding superfluities and curiosities. He was martyred for his doctrine, after having lived seventy years, the most admired, followed, and visited of all men in his time by kings and commonwealths; and than whom antiquity mentions none with more reverence and honour. Well were it for poor England if her conceited Christians were true Socrateses; whose strict, just, and self-denying life doth not bespeak him more famous than it will Christians infamous at the revelation of the righteous judgment, where heathens' virtue shall aggravate Christians' intemperance; and their humility, the others' excessive pride: and justly too, since a greater than Socrates is come, whose name they profess, but they will not obey his law.

XVII. Plato, that famous philosopher and scholar to Socrates,[28] was so grave and devoted to divine things, nay, so discreetly politic, that in his commonwealth he would not so much as harbour poetical fancies, much less upon stages, as being too effeminate, and apt to withdraw the minds of youth from more noble, more manly, as well as more heavenly exercises. Plato seeing a young man play at dice, reproved him sharply; the other answered, "What, for so small a matter?" "Custom," saith Plato, "is no small thing:[29] let idle hours be spent more usefully. Let youth," said he, "take delight in good things; for pleasures are the baits of evil. Observe, the momentary sweetness of a delicious life is followed with eternal sorrow; the short pain of the contrary, with eternal pleasure." Being commanded to put on a purple garment by the king of Sicily, he refused, saying he was a man, and scorned such effeminacies. Inviting Timothy, the Athenian general to supper, he treated him with herbs, water, and such spare diet as he was accustomed to eat. Timothy's friends next day, laughing, asked how he was entertained, he answered,[30] "Never better in life; for he slept all night after his supper:" thereby commending his temperance. He addicted himself to religious contemplations: and is said to have lived a virtuous and single life, always eyeing and obeying the mind, which he sometimes called, "God, the Father of all things;" affirming, "Who lived so should become like him, and so be related to, and joined with the Divinity itself." This same Plato, upon his dying bed, sent for his friends about him, and told them the whole world was out of the way, in that they understood not, nor regarded the mind, assuring them, those men died most comfortably that lived most conformably to right reason, and sought and adored the First Cause, meaning God.

XVIII. Antisthenes, an Athenian philosopher,[31] had taught in the study of eloquence several years; but upon his hearing Socrates treat of the seriousness of religion, of the divine life, eternal rewards, &c. bid all his scholars seek them a new master, for he had found one for himself: wherefore selling his estate, he distributed it to the poor, and betook himself wholly to the consideration of heavenly things; going cheerfully six miles every day to hear Socrates.—But where are the like preachers and converts amongst the people called Christians? Observe the daily pains of Socrates; surely he did not study a week to read a written sermon; we are assured of the contrary; for it was frequent with him to preach to the people at any time of the day, in the very streets, as occasion served, and his good genius moved him. Neither was he a hireling, or covetous, for he did it gratis: surely then he had not fat benefices, tithes, glebes, &c. And let the self-denial and diligence of Antisthenes be considered, who of a philosopher and master became a scholar, and that a daily one; surely, it was then matter of reproach, as it is now; showing thereby both want of knowledge, though called a philosopher, and his great desire to obtain it of one that could teach him. None of these used to go to plays, balls, treats, &c. They found more serious employments for their minds, and were examples of temperance to the world.—I will repeat some of his grave sentences, as reported by Laertius, and others; namely, "That those are only noble, who are virtuous.[32] That virtue was self-sufficient to happiness: that it consisteth in actions, not requiring many words, nor much learning, and is self-sufficient to wisdom: for that all other things have reference thereunto. That men should not govern by force, nor by laws, unless good, but by justice."[33] To a friend, complaining he had lost his notes, "Thou shouldst have written them upon thy mind," saith he, "and not in a book. Those who would never die, must live justly and piously."—Being asked what learning was best, "That," saith he, "which unlearneth evil."[34] To one that praised a life full of pleasures and delicacies:[35] "Let the sons of my enemies," saith he, "live delicately:" counting it the greatest misery. "We ought," saith he, "to aim at such pleasures as follow honest labour; and not those which go before it."[36] When at any time he saw a woman richly dressed, he would, in a way of reproach, bid her husband bring out his horse and arms: meaning, if he were prepared to justify the injuries such wantonness used to produce, he might the better allow those dangerous freedoms: "Otherwise," saith he, "pluck off her rich and gaudy attire." He is said to exclaim bitterly against pleasures; often saying, "I had rather be mad than addicted to pleasure, and spend my days in decking and feeding my carcase. Those," says he, "who have once learned the way to temperance and virtue, let them not offer to entangle themselves again with fruitless stories and vain learning, nor be addicted to corporeal delicacies, which dull the mind, and will divert and hinder them from the pursuit of those more noble and heavenly virtues." Upon the death of his beloved master, Socrates,[37] he instituted a sect called Cynics, out of whom came the great sect of Stoics; both which had these common principles, which they daily, with great and unwearied diligence, did maintain and instruct people in the knowledge of, viz., "No man is wise and happy but the good and virtuous man.[38] That not much learning nor study of many things was necessary. That a wise man is never drunk nor mad: that he never sinneth; that a wise man is void of passion: that he is sincere, religious, grave: that he only is divine. That such only are priests and prophets that have God in themselves. And that his law is imprinted in their minds, and the minds of all men:[39] that such an one only can pray who is innocent, meek, temperate, ingenuous, noble, a good magistrate, father, son, master, servant, and worthy of praise." On the contrary, "that wicked men can be none of these: that the same belongs to men and women."

Their diet was slender, their food only what would satisfy nature.[40] Their garments exceeding mean. Their habitations solitary and homely. They affirmed, those who lived with fewest things and were contented, most nearly approached God, who wants nothing. They voluntarily despised riches, glory, and nobility, as foolish shows and vain fictions, that had no true and solid worth or happiness in them. They made all things to be good and evil, and flatly denied the idle stories of fortune and chance.

Certainly these were they who, having no external law, became a law unto themselves, and did not abuse the knowledge they had of the invisible God, but to their capacities instructed men in the knowledge of that righteous, serious, solid, and heavenly principle which leads to true and everlasting happiness all those that embrace it.

XIX. Xenocrates refused Alexander's present,[41] yet treated his ambassadors after his temperate and spare manner, saying, "You see I have no need of your master's bounty, that am so well pleased with this." He would say, "that one ought not to carry one's eyes or one's hands into another man's house:" that is, to be a busy-body. That one ought to be most circumspect of one's actions before children, lest by example one's faults should outlive one's self. He said pride was the greatest obstruction to true knowledge. His chastity and integrity were remarkable and reverenced in Athens: Phryne, the famous Athenian courtezan, could not place a temptation upon him, nor Philip, king of Macedon, a bribe, though the rest sent in the embassy were corrupted. And being once brought for a witness, the judges rose up, and cried out, "Tender no oath to Xenocrates, for he will speak the truth." A respect they did not allow to one another. Holding his peace at some detracting discourse, they asked him why he spoke not: "Because," saith he, "I have sometimes repented of speaking, but never of holding my peace."

XX. Bion would say, that great men walk in slippery places: that it is a great mischief not to bear affliction; that ungodliness is an enemy to assurance. He said to a covetous man, that he did not possess his wealth, but his wealth possessed him; abstaining from using it, as if it were another man's. In fine, that men ought to pursue a course of virtue, without regard to the praise or reproach of men.

XXI. Demonax seeing the great care that men had of their bodies, more than of their minds; "They deck the house," saith he, "but slight the master." He would say, that many are inquisitive after the make of the world, but are little concerned about their own, which were a science much more worthy of their pains. To a city that would establish the gladiators, or prize-fighters, he said, that they ought first to overthrow the altar of mercy; intimating the cruelty of such practices. One asking him why he turned philosopher; "Because," saith he, "I am a man." He would say of the priests of Greece, if they could better instruct the people, they could not give them too much; but if not, the people could not give them too little. He lamented the unprofitableness of good laws, by being in bad men's hands.

XXII. Diogenes was angry with critics that were nice of words and not of their own actions; with musicians, that tune their instruments but could not govern their passions; with astrologers, that have their eyes in the sky, and look not at their own goings; with orators, that study to speak well but not to do well; with covetous men, that take care to get but never use their estates; with those philosophers that despise greatness, and yet court great men; and with those that sacrifice for health, and yet surfeit themselves with eating their sacrifices. One time, discoursing of the nature, pleasure, and reward of virtue, and the people not regarding what he said, he fell a singing, at which every one pressed to hear; whereupon he cried out, in abhorrence of their stupidity, "O God, how much more is the world in love with folly than with wisdom!" Seeing a man sprinkling himself with water after having done some ill thing, "Unhappy man," saith he, "dost thou not know that the errors of life are not to be washed away with water?" To one who said, "Life is an ill thing;" he answered, "Life is not an ill thing, but an ill life is an ill thing." He was very temperate, for his bed and his table he found everywhere. One seeing him wash herbs, said, "If thou hadst followed Dionysius, king of Sicily, thou wouldst not have needed to have washed herbs;" he answered, "If thou hadst washed herbs, thou needest not to have followed Dionysius." He lighted a candle at noon, saying, "I look for a man;" implying that the world was darkened by vice, and men effeminated. To a luxurious person, that had wasted his means, supping upon olives; "If," saith he, "thou hadst used to dine so, thou wouldst not have needed to sup so." To a young man, dressing himself neatly; "If this," saith he, "be for the sake of men, thou art unhappy; if for women, thou art unjust." Another time, seeing an effeminate young man; "Art thou not ashamed," saith he, "to use thyself worse than nature hath made thee? She hath made thee a man, but thou wilt force thyself to be a woman." To one that courted a bad woman; "O wretch!" said he, "what meanest thou to ask for that which is better lost than found?" To one that smelled of sweet unguents, "Have a care," saith he, "that this perfume make not thy life stink." He compared covetous men to such as have the dropsy; those are full of money, yet desire more; these of water, yet thirst for more. Being asked what beasts were the worst; "In the field," saith he, "bears and lions; in the city, usurers and flatterers." At a feast, one giving him a great cup of wine, he threw it away: for which being blamed, "If I had drunk it," saith he, "not only the wine would have been lost, but I also." One asking him how he might order himself best, he said, "By reproving those things in thyself which thou blamest in others." Another demanding what was the hardest, he answered, "To know ourselves; to whom we are partial." An astrologer discoursing to the people of the wandering stars; "No," saith he, "it is not the stars, but these," pointing to the people that heard him. Being asked what men are most noble; "They," saith he, "who contemn wealth, honour, and pleasure, and endure the contraries, to wit, poverty, scorn, pain, and death." To a wicked man, reproaching him for his poverty; "I never knew," saith he, "a man punished for his poverty, but many for their wickedness." To one bewailing himself that he should not die in his own country; "Be of comfort," saith he, "for the way to heaven is alike in every place." One day he went backwards; whereat the people laughing, "Are you not ashamed," saith he, "to do that all your lifetime, which you deride in me?"