No Cross, No Crown (CD)

Simon Phillips narrates this fascinating modern translation of a rare book by William Penn, the founder of the English colony in Pennsylvania. Imprisoned by the Church of England for his dissident, religious views, Penn wrote most of this book in his 20's, locked in the infamous Tower of London. Rarely seen since 1668, No Cross, No Crown remains as relevant today as it was 300 years ago. William Penn had a very deep faith in God and read his Bible every day. Leading his followers to the New World, he established utopian society that he called his Holy Experiment. These determined, early settlers forged a successful community that set the stage for the U.S. Constitution. Some of our American founding fathers, including Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, derived many of their seminal ideas from William Penn. He believed that all men are created equal. Today the Great Challenge is for you to pick up the cross of Jesus daily, to live faithfully, and to receive your crown in Heaven. This an entirely new translation of William Penn's original 2nd edition published in 1682. The English language has undergone tremendous changes over the last 300 years. In addition, even in his own day, Penn's frilly, repetitive style was very difficult for his readers to comprehend. The translators sometimes, wherever possible, were able to retain actual words or phrases that came from his own hand.