refpectively, fo as no farther Tenure fhall be created, but that upon all further or other Alienations thereafter to be made, the faid Lands fo aliened fhall be held of the fame Lord and his Heirs, of whom the Aliener did then before hold, and by the like Rents and Services which were before due and accustomed.

SECT. XX.

And further our Pleafure is, and by these Prefents, for us, our Heirs and Succeffors, we do covenant and grant to and with the faid William Penn, his Heirs and Affigns, That we, our Heirs and Succeffors, fhall at no Time hereafter fet or make, or caufe to be fet or made, any Impofition, Cuftom, or other Taxation, Rate or Contribution whatfoever, in and upon the Dwellers and Inhabitants of the aforefaid Province, for their Lands, Tenements, Goods or Chattles, within the faid Province, or in and upon any Goods or Merchandizes within the Province, or to be laden or unladen within the Ports or Harbours of the faid Province, unless the same be with the Confent of the Proprietary, or chief Governor, or Affembly, or by Act of Parliament in England.

SECT. XXI.

And our Pleasure is, and for us, our Heirs and Succeffors, we charge and command, That this our Declaration fhall from henceforth from Time to Time be received and allowed in all our Courts, and before all the Judges of us, our Heirs and Succeffors, for a fufficient lawful Difcharge, Payment and Acquittance; commanding all the Officers and Minifters of us, our Heirs and Succeffors, and enjoining them upon Pain of our higheft Dif

pleasure,

pleasure, that they do not presume at any Time to attempt any Thing to the contrary of the Premiffes, or that do in any Sort withstand the fame; but that they be at all Times aiding and affifting, as is fitting to the faid William Penn, and his Heirs, and unto the Inhabitants and Merchants of the Province aforefaid, their Servants, Minifters, Factors, and Affigns, in the full Use and Fruition of the Benefit of this our Charter.

SECT. XXII.

And our farther Pleasure is, and we do hereby, for us, our Heirs and Succeffors, charge and require, That if any of the Inhabitants of the said Province, to the Number of Twenty, fhall at any Time hereafter be defirous, and fhall by any Writing, or by any Perfon deputed by them, fignify fuch their Defire to the Bishop of London for the Time being, That any Preacher or Preachers, to be approved of by the faid Bishop, may be sent unto them for their Inftruction; That then fuch Preacher or Preachers fhall and may refide within the said Province, without any Denial or Moleftation whatsoever.

SECT. XXIII.

And if perchance hereafter any Doubt or Queftion fhould arife, concerning the true Sense and Meaning of any Word, Clause, or Sentence contained in this our present Charter, we will, ordain, and command, That at all Times, and in all Things, fuch Interpretation be made thereof, and allowed in any of our Courts whatfoever, as fhall be adjudged moft advantageous and favourable unto the faid William Penn, his Heirs and Affigns: Provided always no Interpretation be admitted thereof,

thereof,, by which the Allegiance due unto us, our Heirs and Succeffors, may fuffer any Prejudice or Diminution; although exprefs Mention be not. made in these Presents of the true yearly Value, or Certainty of the Premiffes, or any Part thereof, or of other Gifts and Grants made by us, and our Progenitors or Predeceffors, unto the faid William Penn: Any Statute, Act, Ordinance, Provifion, Proclamation, or Reftraint heretofore had, made, published, ordained, or provided, or any other Thing, Caufe or Matter whatfoever, to the contrary thereof, in any wife notwithstanding. IN WITNESS whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent: Witnefs OUR SELF, at Westminster, the Fourth Day of March, in the three and thirtieth Year of our Reign. Annoque Domini One Thoufand Six Hundred and Eighty one. By Writ of Privy Seal,

PIGOTT..

G D G D G C G C The FRAME of the Government of the Province of Pennsylvania in America: Together with certain LAWS agreed upon in England, by the Governor and divers Freemen of the aforefaid Province, to be further explained and continued there, by the first Provincial Council that fhall: be held, if they fee meet.

The PREFACE.

WHEN the great and wife GOD had made the World, of all his Creatures it pleased him to chufe Man his Deputy to rule it; and to fit him for fo great a Charge and Trust, he did not only qua

lify him with Skill and Power, but with Integrity to afe them justly. This native Goodness was equally his Honour and his Happiness; and whilst he flood here, all went well; there was no need of coercive or compulfive Means; the Precept of divine Love and Truth in his Bofom was the Guide and Keeper of his Innocency. But Luft prevailing against Duty, made a lamentable Breach upon it; and the Law, that had before no Power over him, took place upon him and his difobedient Pofterity, that fuch as would not live conformable to the holy Law within, fhould fall under the Reproof and Correction of the just Law without, in a judicial Adminiftration.

This the Apofile teaches in divers of his Epiftles The Law (Jays he) was added because of Tranfgreffion: In another Place, Knowing that the Law, was not made for the righteous Man; but for the. difobedient and ungodly, for Sinners, for unholy and prophane, for Murderers, for Whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with Mankind, and for Men-stealers, for Liars, for perjured Perfons, &c. But this is not all, he opens and carries the Matter of Government a little further: Let every Soul be fubject to the higher Powers; for there is. no Power but of GOD. The Powers that be are ordained of GOD: Whofoever therefore refifteth the Power, refifteth the Ordinance of GOD. For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works, but to evil: Wilt thou then not be afraid of the, Power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have Praise of the fame.- He is the Minifter of GOD to thee for good.Wherefore ye must needs bet fubject, not only for Wrath, but for Confcience fake.

This fettles the divine Right of Government beyond Exception, and that for two Ends: First, To terrify evil Doers; Secondly, To cherish thofe that do well which gives Government a Life beyond Corruption,

and

and makes it as durable in the Word, as good Men fhall be. So that Government feems to me a Part of Religion itfelf, a Thing facred in its Inftitution and End. For if it does not directly remove the Caufe, it crushes the Effects of Evil, and is as fuch (though a lower yet) an Emanation of the fame divine Power, that is both Author and Object of pure Religion; the Difference lying here, that the one is more free and mental, the other more corporal and compulfive in its Operations: But that is only to evil Doers; Government itself being otherwife as capable of Kindness, Goodness, and Charity, as a more private Society. They weakly err, that think there is no other Ufe of Government than Correction, which is the coarfeft Part of it: Daily Experience tells us, that the Care and Regulation of many other Affairs, more foft and daily neceffary, make up much the greatest Part of Government; and which must have followed the Peopling of the World, had Adam never fell, and will continue among Men on Earth under the highest Attainments they may arrive at, by the coming of the bleffed Second Adam, the LORD from Heaven. Thus much of Government in general, as to its Rife and End.

For particular Frames and Models, it will become me to fay little; and comparatively I will fay nothing. My Reafons are: Firft, That the Age is too nice and difficult for it; there being nothing the Wits of Men are more bufy and divided upon. 'Tis true, they feem to agree in the End, to wit, Happiness; but in the Means they differ, as to divine, fo to this human Felicity; and the Caufe is much the fame, not always Want of Light and Knowledge, but Want of using them rightly. Men fide with their Paffions against their Reafon, and their finifter Interefts have fo ftrong a Biafs upon their Minds, that they lean to them against the Good of the Things they know.

Secondly,