CHARTER OF TRIVILEGES. 47 



presentatives, in General Assembly met, at PhUaddplda, requested me 

 to grant. 



" Know ye therefore, That, for the further ivell-heiwj, and fjood gov- 

 ernment of the said province and territories; and in pursuance of the 

 rights and powers, before mentioned, I, the said William Pen?i, do 

 declare, grant and confirm unto all the freemen, planters and adventurers, 

 and other inhabitants of, and in, the said Province and Territories there- 

 unto annexed, forever. 



I. "Because no people can be truly happy, though under the greatest 

 enjoyment of civil liberties, if abridged of the freedom of their con- 

 sciences, as to religious profession and worship ; and Almighty God being 

 the only Lord of conscience, Father of lights and spirits; and the Author, 

 as well as Object, of all divine knowledge, faith and worship, who only 

 doth enlighten the mind, and purswade and convince the understandings 

 of people, I do hereby grant and declare, that no person, or persons, 

 inhabiting this province or territories, who shall confess and acknowledge 

 one Almighty God, the Creator, Upholder, and Euler of the world ; and 

 profess him, or themselves obliged to live quietly under the civil govern- 

 ment, shall be, in any case, molested, or prejudiced, in his or their person, 

 or estate, because of his or their conscientious perswasion, or practice, 

 nor be compelled, to frequent, or maintain, any religious worship, place 

 or ministry, contrary to his, or their mind, or to do or suffer, any other 

 act, or thing, contrary to their religious perswasion. 



"And that all persons, who also profess to believe in Jesses Christ, the 

 Saviour of the world, shall be capable (notwithstanding their other per- 

 swasions, or practices, in point of conscience and religion) to serve this 

 government in any capacity, both legislatively and executively, he, or 

 they solemnly promising, when lawfully required, allegiance to the King, 

 as sovereign, and fidelity to the Proprietary and Governor, and taking 

 the attests, as now established by law, made at Newcastle, in the year 

 one thousand seven hundred, entitled, 'An act directing the attests of sev- 

 eral officers and ministers, as now amended and confirmed this present 

 Assembly.' 



II. "For the well-governing of this province and territories, there 

 shall be an Assembly, yearly chosen, by the freemen thereof, to consist 

 of four persons out of each county, of most note for virtue, wisdom and 

 ability, (or of a greater number, at any time, as the Governor and As- 

 sembly shall agree) upon the first day of October, for ever; and shall 

 sit on the fourteenth of the same month at Philadelphia, unless the Gov- 

 ernor and Council, for the time being, shall see cause to appoint another 

 place, within the said province or territories: which Assembly shall have 

 power to chuse a Speaker, and other their oflScers; and shall be judges 

 of the qualifications and elections of their own members; sit upon their 



