OUR NATION'S
GODLY HERITAGE
William Penn's Passion for God's Word

America's godly heritage is revealed in the lives, decision, documents and beliefs of so many who helped shape the earliest years of our nation. William Penn was one such man.

In this illustration, William Penn has signed a goodwill treaty with the Delaware Indians at Shakamaxon, now part of Philadelphia. The seal on the treaty document in Penn's right hand shows the Penn family insignia of three circles on a chevron. This insignia now forms part of the seal for the University of Pennsylvania. Penn was known for his compassionate and respectful attitude toward native Americans. Lithograph courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania.

Though not American born, William Penn, (1644-1718) brought a passion for God and His Word to his every decision in life and government. As a founder of the colony of Pennsylvania, he wanted his new colony to honor God and reflect the wisdom of His Word.

Young William Penn had heard a sermon at the age of 22 that brought him to the devout faith in God that came to characterize his life. He became a part of the Society of Friends, or Quakers, and began to take as his life focus the Word of God. He was imprisoned for his faith several times, and used the time to write words of encouragement to his brothers and sisters in the faith.

Penn was the son of a great British Navy Admiral, William Penn discoverer of Bermuda and friend of King Charles II. When Admiral Penn died, the king owed him a huge sum of money that he could not repay. He decided instead to repay the younger Penn with a land grant in the New World.

It was Penn's desire that his new colony be founded on the principles of the Christian faith. Upon receiving the land, he wrote to a friend saying he planned to "make and establish such laws as shall best preserve true Christian and civil liberty, in all opposition to all unchristian practices. I eyed the Lord in obtaining it and more was I drawn inward to look to Him, and to owe it to His hand and power than to any other way. I have so obtained it, and desire to keep it that I may not be unworthy of His love. God that has given it to me through many difficulties, will, I believe bless and make it the seed of a nation."

Writing about William Penn, one historian recorded, "On arrival, he convened the Assembly, which accepted the constitution, the chief feature of which was complete religious freedom; founded and named Philadelphia; and made a treaty of friendship with the Indians." William Penn was known for fairness and godly wisdom and was a great influencer during the colonial period in America. Portrait courtesy of the Library of Congress.

In his famous, Frame of Government, the plan for his new colony, he again expressed his desire to honor God in the new venture. So powerful were the ideas Penn wrote in this document that they strongly influenced the charters of several other colonies. The Frame reads, in part, "The origination and descent of all human power [is] from God...first, to terrify evil doers; secondly, to cherish those who do well;...Government seems to me to be a part of religion itself--a thing sacred in its institutions and ends...[It is therefore 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."

William Penn believed so strongly in religious freedom in the colonies that he welcomed those of all denominations to Pennsylvania, in spite of his distinct Quaker beliefs. He even advertised his colony in six different languages and several countries across Europe.