William Penn. (1644–1718). Fruits of Solitude.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| Part I |
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| Compleat Virtue |
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| 442. Content not thy self that thou art Virtuous in the general: For one Link being wanting, the Chain is defective. | 1 |
| 443. Perhaps thou art rather Innocent than Virtuous, and owest more to thy Constitution, than thy Religion. | 2 |
| 444. Innocent, is not to be Guilty: But Virtuous is to overcome our evil Inclinations. | 3 |
| 445. If thou hast not conquer’d thy self in that which is thy own particular Weakness, thou hast no Title to Virtue, tho’ thou art free of other Men’s. | 4 |
| 446. For a Covetous Man to inveigh against Prodigality, an Atheist against Idolatry, a Tyrant against Rebellion, or a Lyer against Forgery, and a Drunkard against Intemperance, is for the Pot to call the Kettle black. | 5 |
| 447. Such Reproof would have but little Success; because it would carry but little Authority with it. | 6 |
| 448. If thou wouldest conquer thy Weakness, thou must never gratify it. | 7 |
| 449. No Man is compelled to Evil; his Consent only makes it his. | 8 |
| 450. ’T is no Sin to be tempted, but to be overcome. | 9 |
| 451. What Man in his right Mind, would conspire his own hurt? Men are beside themselves, when they transgress their Convictions. | 10 |
| 452. If thou would’st not Sin, don’t Desire; and if thou would’st not Lust, don’t Embrace the Temptation: No, not look at it, nor think of it. | 11 |
| 453. Thou would’st take much Pains to save thy Body: Take some, prithee, to save thy Soul. | 12 |
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