William Penn: The Founder of Pennsylvania P5

In 1682, Will Penn wrote The Great Law of Pennsylvania, which served as the colony’s first constitution. It established “laws as shall best preserve true Christian and civil liberty in opposition to all un-Christian, licentious, and unjust practices, whereby God may have His due, Caesar his due, and the people their due.” But while Penn clearly understood that good laws were necessary for good government, he also identified something even more critical, pointing out:

Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them….Wherefore governments rather depend upon men, than men upon governments. Let men be good and the government can’t be bad. If it be ill, they will cure it. 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 (lack) good men and be abolished or invaded by ill men; but good men will never (lack) good laws, nor (allow) ill ones.

Content Sourced from The American Story The Beginnings by: David Barton & Tim Barton