and increase, or advance, their felicity, fo far as human nature is capable of it, both in a particular and general relation; rather than the contrary, or difcord, rebellion and revolt, fo often advocated, purfued, and in the end, unhappily experienced, under the plaufible name and falfe appearance, of melioration. caufes of But how muchfoever the recommendation and Original extenfion of unity, concord and amity, with a due happiness submission, in civil fociety, may be contrary to the and mifery ambition, and selfish views, of an independent and fame. rebellious fpirit, in any age, or country, yet it is ftill the most certain that as the former conftituted the ftate of original, and moft complete, felicity, fo the latter occafioned the contrary; and cannot, in the nature of things, do otherwife;-and that human happiness may be much further increased, or augmented, both in an individual and collective capacity, than either idleness or wickedness will permit many to believe, or think poffible, the province of Example of Pennfylvania has afforded a very fignal example, Pennfylvaand inconteftible proof, to the admiration of ftrangers; and doubtlefs far beyond the credibility of many, who are not fufficiently acquainted with the early, as well as the later state of the country. nia. be To conclude, as the world is faid to have been How good formed out of a chaos, and that order fprung from things may diforder, by the effect of Omnipotence; fo, in the and reftorrife of this province, appears a remarkable inftance od. of happy confequences, from apparent unhappy caufes; rational liberty, with an equal participation of natural and civil rights, and religious privileges, with the glorious effects, have rifen out of oppreffion, perfecution and bigotry:-But, as the abufe of the former has always introduced the latter, fooner or later; and as human nature ever remains to be the fame, fo the reverfing of thofe enjoyments continues to be no lefs incident to the hu man race, than it was in former ages of the world; and and their preservation depends as much upon the wifdom and conduct of the poffeffors of them, as their restoration will do, on means fimilar to those, which raised, and fo long preserved, the happy state of the province of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, 1797. INTRODUCTION. CONTENTS OF THE INTRODUCTION. PART THE FIRST. The parentage, birth and education of William Penn, with the time In the account of the religious system and manners of the Quakers, 1. The time, motive and manner of their first rise, and becoming 2. Their first and chief principle, &c. 3. Their worship and ministry, with fome of their chief and particular Their other tenets, doctrines, practices and customs, more pecu- liar to them than to other people, are ranged under the following 1. Their juice, veracity and true Chriflian fortitude. 2. Their temperance and moderation. 3. Their charity and loving one another. 4. Under the first of these heads are comprised: Their difufe of flattering titles, and their not refpecting perfons, &c. Their ufing the plain and true speech of thou and thee, to a fingle Their difufe of the common falutations, &c. Their non-obfervance of holy-days, faft-days, &c. Their manner of naming the months, and days of the week, &c. Their refufing to pay tithes, prieft wages, &c. Their ftrictly paying the government taxes, dues, &c. Their not fuffering the Negro or flave-trade among them. Their refufing to wear on any occafion. Their fortitude, in valiantly fuffering for their teftimony. 5. Under the second head are, Their difufe of gaming, Sports, plays, &ci Their avoiding fuperfluity, viz. 6. Under the third head are reprefented: Their loving one another, and refraining from law-fuits, among them- Their loving enemies, and not fighting, but fuffering, &c. Their charity to the poor :-With fome conclufions on divers of these 7. Their marriages, births, burials and difcipline, from W. Penn; con- Further account of the life of William Penn, continued till about the PART THE SECOND. 1. First European difcoveries of the different parts of America, by Spain, Portugal and England, from the year 1492 to 1497. 2. Summary of the ancient Virginia; and of the Dutch and Swede's pretenfions to what was called New Netherland by the former, and New Swedeland by the latter :-With a sketch of the first fettlement, government and revolutions of these people on the Delaware bay and river;-Including fome account of the Maryland grant to the Lord Baltimore, in 1632; and of the reduction of the Dutch and Swedes · under the British government in 1664. 3. Firt rife of New-Jersey, in 1664; and fome account of the En- glish administration by the governors of N. York, over the country on 4. Divifion of New-Jersey into Eaft and Weft New-Jersey, in 1676; whereby W. Penn first became concerned in the latter;-With a fum- mary of the first settlement and public tranfactions of Weft New-Jersey, by the Quakers, &c. continued from the divifion of the province, in 1676, till about the time of W. Penn's obtaining the grant of Pennsyl- 5. A sketch of the religious ftate of Weft N. Ferfey, about that time, with fome further hints of its general fituation, or state, till the fur- render of the respective proprietary governments to the crown, in A general and comprehenfive view of the rife, princi- THE wifdom of former ages, when tranfmitted, Office and tory, &c in writing, to pofterity, is an ineftimable treasure; ufe of hif but the actions of illuftrious and virtuous perfons, in the fame manner exhibited, is ftill more beneficial: by the former our judgments are rightly informed, and our minds brought into a proper way of thinking; by the latter we are animated to an imitation; and while the excellency of noble examples is displayed before our understandings, our minds are infpired with a love of virtue. This appears to be the office of hiftory; by which every fucceeding age may avail itself of the wifdom, and, even, of the folly, of the preceding, and become wifer and happier by a proper application. Though |