(seq. 19)

The Frame of the Government of the
Province of Pennsylvania in America,

Together with

Laws agreed upon in England By the Governor and divers Freemen
of the aforesaid Province To be further Explained and Confirmed there by the
first Provincial Council and General Assembly that shall be held If they
see meet

The Preface

When the Great and Wise God had made the World of all his
Creatures it pleased Him to choose Man His Deputy to Rule it: And to fitt
him for so great a Charge and First He did not only qualify him with Skill
and Power but with Integrity to use them justly This Native goodness was
equally His Honour and His Happiness and whilst he stood here all went well
There was no need of Coercive or Compulsive means The precepts of Divine
Love and Truth in his own Bosom was the Guide and Keeper of his Innocen+
cy But Lust prevailing against Duty made a lamentable Breach upon it
and the Law that before had no Power over him took place upon him and
his Disobedient Posterity that such as would not Live conformable to the
Holy Law within should fall under the Reproof and Correction of the just
Law without in a Judicial Administration.

This the Apostle teaches in divers of his Epistles The Law (says he)
was added because of Transgression (In another place) knowing that the
Law was not made for the righteous Man but for the disobedient and
ungodly for Sinnors for unholy and prophane for Murdorous for Whoremongers
for them that defile themselves with Mankind

For Lyers for porjured Persons & c. But this is not all he opens and carries
the matter of Government a little farther Let every Soul be subject to the
Higher power for their is no power but of God The Powers that be are
ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordi+
nance 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 an thou shall
have praise of the Same - He is a Minister of God to thee for Good - Wherefore
ye must need be subject not only for Wrath but for Conscience sake This
settles the Divine Right of Government beyond Exception and that for two
Ends First to terrifye Evil doers Secondly to cherish those that do well
which