that fleet, had, in
their room, been able to have saved a battle, or perfected a victory."
As for a declaration of indulgence, Penn deemed it "the sovereign remedy
of the English constitution."

That the "tests" should be removed, he urged on James's behalf upon
William of Orange, to whom he went in Holland on an informal commission
from the king. William, by his marriage with James's daughter, was heir
apparent to the throne of England, and his consent was necessary to any
serious change of national policy. He insisted on the tests.
Theoretically, Penn was right. The ideal state imposes no religious
tests; every good citizen, no matter what his private creed may be, is
eligible to any office. Practically, Penn was wrong, as William of
Orange plainly saw. That prince, as appeared afterwards, was as zealous
for religious freedom as was Penn himself; but it was plain to him that
as matters stood at that time in England, it was necessary to enforce
the tests in order to prevent the rise of an ecclesiastical party whose
supremacy would endanger all that Penn desired. Penn, with his stout
faith in the king, could not see it. There were times, indeed, when he
was perplexed and troubled. "The Lord keep us in this dark day!" he
wrote to his steward at Pennsbury. "Be wise, close, respectful to
superiors. The king has discharged all Friends by a general pardon, and
is courteous, though as to the Church of England, things seem pinching.
Several Roman Catholics got much into places in the army, navy, court."
Nevertheless, the king's plan, as he understood it, gave assurance of
liberty of conscience, and the end of persecution for opinion's sake;
and he supported the king.

Under these conditions, misled by friendship, seeing, but not
perceiving, Penn persuaded himself that he could excellently serve God
and his neighbors by becoming a courtier. He took a house in London,
within easy distance of Whitehall, and visited the king daily. A great
many people therefore visited Penn daily; sometimes as many as two
hundred were waiting to confer with him. They desired that he would do
this or that for their good with the king. Most of them were Quakers;
many were in need of pardon, or were burdened by some oppression.

For example, Sir Robert Stuart of Coltness had been in exile as a
Presbyterian, and on his return found his lands in the possession of the
Earl of Arran. He brought his case to Penn. Penn went to Arran. "What is
this, fri