Penn took his dilemma to George Fox, the preeminent preacher of the early Friends movement. Giving up his sword felt like giving up a part of his identity, but keeping it likewise felt like betraying his commitment to the society of Friends. Fox advised Penn to wear his sword "as long as he could."

I was taught that in Sunday (I forget if my Meeting called it First Day) school!

I'm going to be mulling this one over for a while--thank you for sharing!

Sometime later, Fox encountered Penn again, and Penn was no longer wearing a sword. When Fox asked, Penn said he'd taken Fox's advice: he'd worn the sword as long as he could.