nerally, where he often recurs to the subject, is it easy to come at his precise notions respecting the nature of Christ. He speaks with more directness and perspicuity in the Sandy Foundation Shaken, than any where else, but when all he has said in different places is brought together and compared, there is considerable obscurity as to the exact impressions existing in. his own mind. He denies a trinity of persons, and yet holds Christ to be in some sense God. As far as it can be understood, his scheme approaches nearly to that of Dr Watts, which takes the divinity of Christ to be a sort of indwelling of the Father, constituting a union so close, that the name of the Deity may properly be applied to the Son.

After remaining in prison seven months, he was suddenly released by order of the king. His enemies have accused him of recanting his sentiments, and thus procuring his freedom at the expense of his consistency, or what is worse, of his sincerity; and the tract just mentioned is referred to as a proof of the charge. But this accusation has more in it of ill nature than of truth. It does not appear, that the tract had anything to do with Penn's release; this was procured by the interposition of the Duke of York, who was his father's particular friend.

After being again restored to liberty, Penn returned to his pastoral duties, and, with a zeal in no degree diminished by suffering, preached the doctrines which he had done so much to defend and

impress on the world. The most cheering circumstance, which happened to him at this time, was the reconciliation of his father. At his request he went over again to Ireland for the purpose of executing some commission in the way of business. He preached in Dublin, Cork, and different parts of the Island, and wrote and distributed tracts explaining his religious views. By his intercession with the Lord Lieutenant he also succeeded in releasing several of his brethren from confinement, who had been imprisoned on account of their religious tenets. He returned to England, and took up his residence in his father's house.

The leading particulars in the life of William Penn have thus been enumerated, as far as they are necessary to illustrate those parts of his writings, which have been chosen for insertion in the present collection. Were this fruitful and interesting topic to be pursued to the end of his eventful life, it would occupy a vastly greater space, than would be consistent with the plan of this publication.

He continued a preacher as long as he lived, and for many years made frequent excursions in England and Wales, in the exercise of his ministerial functions. In 1670 he was seized while preaching in London, and imprisoned in Newgate, under pretence of his violating the Conventicle Act. He was tried at the Old Bailey and acquitted. The details of this trial,

as recorded by Clarkson, are very curious, both as

illustrating the spirit of the times, and the character and powers of William Penn. He twice visited the continent, and made the tour of Holland and Germany, in the character of a preacher. In 1682 he obtained a charter for the tract of country now known as the State of Pennsylvania, and came over to take prossession of it the year following. He remained two years, and then went back to England. In 1699 he again visited Pennsylvania, and continued there a second time nearly two years, when he embarked for England, and never came more to this country. In 1712 he was severely attacked with apoplexy; his faculties became gradually impaired, and for five or six years he was very little abroad. He died on the 30th of July, 1718, in the seventy fourth year of his age.

His works were very numerous, chiefly on religion, morals, and politics. Some of them passed through several editions during his lifetime, particularly No Cross, No Crown, and the Sandy Foundation Shaken. A full collection was first made in 1726, and published in two volumes folio, to which was prefixed a life of the author. In 1771 was published an edition of his "Select Works" in one volume folio; and again in 1782 this selection was printed in five volumes octavo. To this also is attached a life of the author, but it is neither full, judicious, nor satisfactory. Clarkson's Life of Penn is the best, as being faithful and copious, plain and unpretending; but the literary exe

cution is quite below the subject, and there is still wanting an elegant biographical memoir of the founder of Pennsylvania.

The present notice cannot be more appropriately closed, than by the following eloquent eulogy contained in Mr Du Ponceau's Discourse on the Early History of Pennsylvania.

"William Penn stands the first among the lawgivers, whose names and deeds are recorded in history. Shall we compare with him Lycurgus, Solon, Romulus, those founders of military commonwealths, who organised their citizens in dreadful array against the rest of their species, taught them to consider their fellowmen as barbarians, and themselves as alone worthy to rule over the earth? What benefit did mankind derive from their boasted institutions? Interrogate the shades of those who fell in the mighty contests between Athens and Lacedæmon, between Carthage and Rome, and between Rome and the rest of the universe. But see William Penn with weaponless hand, sitting down peaceably with his followers in the midst of savage nations, whose only occupation was shedding the blood of their fellowmen, disarming them by his justice, and teaching them, for the first time, to view a stranger without distrust. See them bury their tomahawks in his presence, so deep that man shall ever be able to find them again. See them under e shade of the thick groves of Coaquannock extend le bright chain of friendship, and solemnly promise

to preserve it as long as the sun and moon shall endure. See him then with his companions establishing his commonwealth on the sole basis of religion, morality, and universal love, and adopting as the fundamental maxim of his government, the rule handed down to us from heaven, Glory to God on high, and on earth peace and good will to all men. Here was a spectacle for the potentates of the earth to look upon, an example for them to imitate. But the potentates of the earth did not see, or if they saw, they turned away their eyes from the sight; they did not hear, or if they heard, they shut their ears against the voice, which called out to them from the wilderness,

Discite justitiam moniti et non temnere Divos.

The character of William Penn alone sheds a never fading lustre on our history."

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