Six Letters of William Penn to Friends in Holland

BULLETIN OF FRIENDS' HISTORICAL SOCIETY SIX LETTERS OF WILLIAM PENN TO FRIENDS IN HOLLAND. The six letters of William Penn here given, so far as known, have never been printed. They were presented to the Library of Haverford College, in 1836, by Joseph and Beulah Sansom. The second letter is specially interesting as having a postscript dictated by George Fox and signed by him, in his usual manner, with his initials only.* In the third letter there is a reference to this postscript. This postscript with the close of Penn's letter is reproduced as the frontispiece to this number of the Bulletin. Too scant attention has been paid to the history of the Friends in Holland. Except for Sewel's History, Besse's " Sufferings," William Penn's " Travels in Holland and Germany," 1677, and the narrative in the Journal of George Fox, and other references, little has been written upon this part of Quaker history. Professor William I. Hull, of Swarthmore College, who has spent considerable time in Holland in the interests of the cause of peace, has made careful investigations regarding Friends in Holland, and it is hoped will soon publish the results of his labors. The editor is indebted to Professor Hull for help in deciphering portions of these letters, and in furnishing a key to some of the initials. My Dearly beloved ffriends J[saac] & G[ertrude] Jacobs, Peter and Elifzabeth] Hen: [Hendricks]. The ialutation off my life, which is hid with x' in god overall this fadeing & chaingeable world, fprings forth at this time unto you, who are made nigh & dear onto my fpirit in the pure everlafting Powr of god, & by that Covenant off light, life & eternali falvation we have been gathered Into, In which is ye bleffed fellowfhip wittneffed & communion with ye god off life, where by we come to be parfected I[n] every good & holy work to anfwear the end of our great & high Calling, which is onto righteousnefs, patience, & doeing the will of god, which brings Into that domin- *Only one full signature is known, that now in the Library at Devonshire House, London. See Journal of the Friends Historical Society, vol. 1, pp. 6-10. LETTERS OF WILLIAM PENN TO FRIENDS IN HOLLAND 3 ion which god allmighty is now giveing to his faints, whos Kingdome is an everlafting Kingdome & off whofe pure & righteouf Goverment there fhall never be end. therefore is he rifen to plead the caufe off his feed yt is as In captivity in the nations of the world, & he is putting a cupp of confufion, war (?) & trembling , yt they may dash each other In peeces ai a Potter's veiTell, & real & fall & never rife again that the homage, the honner, & the holy praife may be rendred to ye glorious rifeing off the feed yt is to raigne, & rule all nations with a rod of Iron & great are the Calamitys, yt are haftening opon the world, & god the lord off heaven & earth is comeing fpeedely & will not tarry, to Judge righteoufly amongft ye Kingdoms of men : o yt day is at hand that many fhall feek death & fhall not find, a day of great blacknefs, horror, & diftrefs, bleffed are they that Stand fait without waveiring In yt winter day. o ffriends biefs the lord forever who has redeemed us out of the lufts In which is the warring & ye bloodiheding is o yt one life which makes us of one flefh & one bone, of one blood & one body, yea of one soul & one fpirit, where the quarrells & Commotions Cannot reach onto us, to break our union, o did the nations know to live in yt bleffed harmleis life, how would it end all Contefts & difference ; well we are the firft fruits lett us retire into our chambers, the inward of our Spirits & there we fhall feel yt which fupports, comforts & gives &? prevails ( ?), for ye end of thefe things yt threaten the world yt It may be brought Into a Condition of heareing & receiveing ye Truth In the love off it ; for this heavenly truth In which we have beleived, & not another thing will the holy & Righteous god of heaven & earth raife profper & eitablish In the utter overturning off all yt is to high for it, or makes warr againft it. And Dear friends, my heart Is melted In dear & heavenly love...