Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 33 #473-510 (Religion)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 33 #473-510 (Religion)

Bonus: 

 

Every once in a while, I link something that's so 00s Internet.

Summary: The best way to serve God is to be a good person. Life is temporary, soul is eternal.

Commentary:

478. God is better served in resisting a Temptation to Evil, than in many formal Prayers.
 

I like how this isn't even active service. It's not "you have to go on 500 missionary trips" or whatever. Just don't be a jackass. If we all started there, it'd be a big improvement.

 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 32 #453-472 (Religion)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 32 #453-472 (Religion)

Bonus: 

It will take me one of these amounts of time to finish this.

Summary: Christ=Good 

Commentary: Oh my god this section is like 1/5 of the whole book.

454. Religion is the Fear of God, and its Demonstration on good Works; and Faith is the Root of both; For without Faith we cannot please God, nor can we fear what we do not believe.

Quick, someone who took a formal logic class diagram this for me. (I don't think it works)

455. The Devils also believe and know abundance: But in this is the Difference, their Faith works not by Love, nor their Knowledge by Obedience; and therefore they are never the better for them. And if ours be such, we shall be of their Church, not of Christ's: For as the Head is, so must the Body be.

But what does it work by? Someone call Anton LeVay.

459. That Minister whose Life is not the Model of his Doctrine, is a Babler rather than a Preacher; a Quack rather than a Physician of Value.

Sick burns.

 

 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 31 #442-452 (Compleat Virtue)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 31 #442-452 (Compleat Virtue)

Bonus:

This is the vibe

Summary: Try being a good person.

Commentary:  

444. Innocent, is not to be Guilty: But Virtuous is to overcome our evil Inclinations.

William Penn is like, happy metal.

450. 'T is no Sin to be tempted, but to be overcome.

451. What Man in his right Mind, would conspire his own hurt? Men are beside themselves, when they transgress their Convictions.

It is pleasant to be a good person.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 30 #423-441 (Indifferency, Neutrality, A Party, Ostentation)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 30 #423-441 (Indifferency, Neutrality, A Party, Ostentation)

Bonus: 

I think I've used this already.

Summary: Be loyal to ideals, not to parties.

Commentary:

425. Neutrality is something else than Indifferency; and yet of kin to it too.

Real insightful, Penn. 

426. A Judge ought to be Indifferent, and yet he cannot be said to be Neutral.

427. The one being to be Even in Judgment, and the other not to meddle at all.

This is pretty good though.

435. Nor must we always be Neutral where our Neighbors are concerned: For tho' Medling is a Fault, Helping is a Duty.

This is a good secret order oath. 

 

 

 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 29 #381-422 (Capacity, Clean Hands, Dipatch, Patience, Impartiality)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 29 #381-422 (Capacity, Clean Hands, Dipatch, Patience, Impartiality)

Bonus: 

I dunno, the five rings of public office or something.

Summary: Elaborating on the previous day.

Commentary:   

380. Five Things are requisite to a good Officer; Ability, Clean Hands, Dispatch, Patience and Impartiality.

Just a refresher from yesterday.

 I'm not sure why the next set is Capacity and not Ability, but I'll work with it.

381. He that understands not his Employment, whatever else he knows, must be unfit for it, and the Publick suffers by his Inexpertness.

We all know that person who is smart, nice, etc., but absolute garbage at their specific job.

383. Covetousness in such Men prompts them to prostitute the Publick for Gain.

I worked at a school that (non-sexually) prostituted students. It was terrible. I left.

399. Business can never be well done, that is not well understood: Which cannot be without Patience.

Take the time to figure your stuff out before you dive too deep into something new. 

413. Parents that are partial, are ill obeyed by their Children; and partial Masters not better served by their Servants.

True with teachers and students as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 28 #370- (A Private Life, a Public Life, Qualifications)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 28 #370- (A Private Life, a Public Life, Qualifications)

Bonus: How to have clean hands, according to Team Rocket:

Summary: Better to handle your life for/by yourself, but we do need some people to work for the rest of us.

Commentary:

378. To do so, Men must have publick Minds, as well as Salaries; or they will serve private Ends at the Publick Cost.

Public/Private partnerships are so easy to scam.

380. Five Things are requisite to a good Officer; Ability, Clean Hands, Dispatch, Patience and Impartiality.

These will (sort of) be expanded tomorrow. 

 

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 27 #329-369 (Government)

Some Fruits of Solitude By William Penn (1682) Part 27 #329-369 (Government)

Bonus: 

Summary: William Penn does Nietzsche.

Commentary: 

331. The first [Rex]  is endanger'd by the Ambition of the Popular, which shakes the Constitution: The other by an ill Administration [Tyrannus], which hazards the Tyrant and his Family.

And they both lead into each other.

I think he read Nietzsche.

342. It is true, that where a Subject is more Popular than the Prince, the Prince is in Danger: But it is as true, that it is his own Fault: For no Body has the like Means, Interest or Reason, to be popular as He.

Penn wants you to stop sucking an use your bully pulpit.

343. It is an unaccountable thing, that some Princes incline rather to be fear'd than lov'd; when they see, that Fear does not oftener secure a Prince against the Dissatisfaction of his People, than Love makes a Subject too many for such a Prince.

He read him, but he disagrees with him.

350. The End of every thing should direct the Means: Now that of Government being the Good of the whole, nothing less should be the Aim of the Prince.

Penn is all about the ends not justifying the means.

A large chunk of this (most of 352-362) deals with the ministers, cabinet posts, etc., which is something you don't see as much government writing about (despite the fact that they probably do more than most chief execs). Basically, pick people who are moral and actually have relevant qualifications, and your government will do well.