American history books routinely tell of Penn's English imprisonment for
his faith. However, they never tell that it was a specific aspect of his faith
for which he was imprisoned. Even his beloved Quakers have lost sight and left
behind that aspect of Penn's faith.
Today people commonly think of quietness and pacificsm when they think of
Quakers. In fact, the first Quakers were the street preachers and open air
evangelists of their day. Penn's Quakers drove the Baptists of their day that
had previously been the vociferous ones to the indoors and quiet.
Presbyterians, Anglicans and other religious groups persecuted the Quakers.
Puritans in the colonies who had escaped England and persecution themselves
HANGED Quakers -- men and women -- for the very reason that England had only
imprisoned William Penn. They did so before the Pennsylvania grant that
provided haven for Penn's Quakers.
As other faiths finally had refused further public debate with Penn and his
Quakers the printing press became Penn's new pulpit.
'The Sandy Foundation Shaken' scandalized England. Penn was arrested and
imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Dr. Henchman, Bishop of London, resolved that Penn should either publicly
recant or languish the rest of his life in prison.
Penn, ever loquacious, gave a lengthy response that included the following
brief portion:
"� my prison shall be my grave, before I will budge a jot; for I owe my
conscience to no mortal man; I have no need to fear. God will make amends for
all."
Penn then answered with another writing, 'Innocency with her Open
Face'.
Penn was jailed because it was said that he denied God.
It took me almost 20 years to secure copy of these writings five years ago.
They have only recently FINALLY been published in a volume of Penn's
writings.
An archivist of the old line Quaker group, 'Society of Friends' procured a
copy for me after a long search noting to me that "they were much harder to
locate than I had expected".
"I must say that the title sounds embarrassing to me," he wrote
further.
The first of three subtitles to 'The Sandy Foundation Shaken' is, "One God,
subsisting in three distinct and separate persons -- REFUTED".
Penn denied the trinity doctrine in 'The Sandy Foundation Shaken' and that
was twisted to say that he therefore denied God.
Penn gave answer with detailed reasonings that "then is Christ God" and
conversely "then is God Christ" as only one person rather than two or three
separate persons in his 'Innocency with her Open Face'. The charge that he
denied God was shown therefore to be false and his release thereby secured. He
only denied that the trinity is God or that God is a trinity.
Ah, how I do LOVE history and TRUTH!
William Penn � a man after my own heart.
