(April 25, 1682), composed by William Penn, stated in the preface:
When the great and wise God had made the world of all His creatures, it pleased him to chose man His deputy to rule it; and to fit him for so great a charge and trust, He did not only qualify him with skill and power but with integrity to use them justly. …
The origination and descent of all human power [comes] from God. … This settles the divine right of government beyond exception, and that for two ends: first, to terrify evil doers; secondly, to cherish those that do well; which gives government a life beyond corruption, and makes it as durable in the world, as good men shall be.
So that government seems to me a part of religion itself, a thing sacred in its institution and end. For, if it does not directly remove the cause, it crushes the effects of evil, and is as such, (though a lower, yet) an emanation of the same Divine Power, that is both the author and object of pure religion. …
Government, like clocks, go from the motion men give them; and as governments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. Wherefore governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments. Let men be good, and the government cannot be bad … But if men be bad, let the government be never so good, they will endeavor to warp and spoil it to their turn. I know some say, “Let us have good laws and no matter for the men that execute them.” But let them consider that though good laws do well, good men do better, for good laws may want good men and be abolished or invaded by ill men; but good men will never want good laws nor suffer ill ones. …
That, therefore, which makes a good constitution must keep it,—namely men of wisdom and virtue,—qualities that, because they descend not with worldly inheritances, must be carefully propagated by a virtuous education of youth. …
[Be it enacted] that all persons … having children … shall cause such to be instructed in reading and writing, so that they may be able to read the Scriptures and to write by the time they attain to 12 years of age.402
The Fundamental Constitutions stated:
I Constitution.
Considering that it is impossible that any People or Government should ever prosper, where men render not unto God, that which is God’s, as well as to Caesar, that which is Caesar’s;
and also perceiving that disorders and Mischiefs that attend those places where force is used in matters of faith and worship, and seriously reflecting upon the tenure of the new and Spiritual Government, and that both Christ did not use force and that he did expressly forbid it in his holy Religion, as also that the Testimony of his blessed Messengers was, that the weapons of the Christian warfare were not Carnal but Spiritual. …
Therefore, in reverence to God the Father of lights and spirits, the Author as well as object of all divine knowledge, faith and worship, I do hereby declare for me and mine and establish it for the first fundamental of the Government of my Country;
that every Person that does or shall reside therein shall have and enjoy the Free Possession of his or her faith and exercise of worship towards God, in such way and manner as every Person shall in Conscience believe is most acceptable to God and so long as every such Person useth not this Christian liberty to Licentiousness, that is to say to speak loosely and prophainly of God, Christ or Religion, or to Committ any evil in their Conversation [behavior], he or she shall be protected in the enjoyment of the aforesaid Christian liberty by the civil Magistrate.403
Article XXII. That as often as any day of the month, mentioned in any article of this charter, shall fall upon the first day of the week, commonly called the Lord’s Day, the business appointed for that day shall be deferred till the next day, unless in the case of emergency.404