--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those people who will not be governed by…" description: "\"“Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.”\" — William Penn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/william-penn-1104_tyrants_those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by_1490065.png" --- # Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled… ![“Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.” quote by William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/william-penn-1104_tyrants_those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by_1490065.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/william-penn-1104_tyrants_those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by_1490065.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/william-penn-1104_tyrants_those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by_1490065.png) > ““Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.”” [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Those who reject divine governance become vulnerable to tyrannical rule. **In simple terms:** Rejecting God’s rule invites tyranny. Key Takeaway Respect higher moral authority. Themes politics religion authority Mood cautious thoughtful Type political ethical When to use this quote - civic education - legal reform - community organizing - faith‑based initiatives - human rights advocacy Key Concepts history theology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Can moral governance exist without religion? - What safeguards prevent tyranny in modern states? A Different Perspective Secular societies may find alternative moral frameworks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God Ruled](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-ruled-2179764/) [Governed God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/governed-god-1113788/) [People Governed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-governed-848033/) [Ruled Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ruled-tyrants-2179765/) [Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants/) ## Related quotes > [Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/men-must-be-governed-by-god-or-they-will-be-ruled-by-tyrants/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [As William Penn put it: "Those people who are not governed by God will be ruled by tyrants." Remember... that those tyrants are often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/as-william-penn-put-it-those-people-who-are-not-governed-by-god-will/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him... Those who will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldst-rule-well-thou-must-rule-for-god-and-to-do-that-thou/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Man will ultimately be governed by God or by tyrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/man-will-ultimately-be-governed-by-god-or-by-tyrants/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [There is no erratic power or action or motion in creatures but they are governed by God's secret plan in such a way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/there-is-no-erratic-power-or-action-or-motion-in-creatures-but-they/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [“God could have over-ruled every difficulty in your way, had he seen it expedient. But he is pleased to show you, that you depend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-newton/god-could-have-over-ruled-every-difficulty-in-your-way-had-he-seen-it/) [John Newton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-newton/) > [“These Americans believed that one great male god ruled the world. Sometimes they divided him into three parts, which they called father, son, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/these-americans-believed-that-one-great-male-god-ruled-the-world/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > ['The Founding Fathers established a nation under God; Ruled not by arbitrary decrees of Kings or whims, of entrenched elites but by the consent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-founding-fathers-established-a-nation-under-god-ruled-not-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This is a faithless old world. Men and women are hardheaded, pleasure-mad, money crazy. They write up their successes and say, "The power and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-roberson/this-is-a-faithless-old-world-men-and-women-are-hardheaded-pleasure/) [Lee Roberson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-roberson/) > [People are governed with the head; kindness of heart is little use in chess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-chamfort/people-are-governed-with-the-head-kindness-of-heart-is-little-use-in/) [Nicolas Chamfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-chamfort/) > [It has always seemed to me that the social order was implicit in the very nature of things, and required nothing more from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/it-has-always-seemed-to-me-that-the-social-order-was-implicit-in-the/) [Louis Antoine de Saint-Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-antoine-de-saint-just/) > [In a democratic set-up, people who are being governed should also be a part of the governing system. They should be drafted into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajyavardhan-singh-rathore/in-a-democratic-set-up-people-who-are-being-governed-should-also-be-a/) [Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajyavardhan-singh-rathore/) > [“It is important for all of us to understand that free people are not governed by rules. Here at Hillsdale we are governed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-p-arnn/it-is-important-for-all-of-us-to-understand-that-free-people-are-not/) [Larry P. Arnn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-p-arnn/) > [My faith in the people governing is, on the whole, infinitesimal; my faith in the people governed is, on the whole, illimitable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/my-faith-in-the-people-governing-is-on-the-whole-infinitesimal-my/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“A free people should be governed by law and not by the whims of men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-cleon-skousen/a-free-people-should-be-governed-by-law-and-not-by-the-whims-of-men/) [W. Cleon Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-cleon-skousen/) ## More by William Penn > [Love grows. Lust wastes by Enjoyment, and the Reason is, that one springs from an Union of Souls, and the other from an Union…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/love-grows-lust-wastes-by-enjoyment-and-the-reason-is-that-one/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Once you've accumulated sufficient knowledge to get by, you're too old to remember it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/once-you-ve-accumulated-sufficient-knowledge-to-get-by-you-re-too-old/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [If thou wouldn't conquer thy weakness thou must not gratify it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldn-t-conquer-thy-weakness-thou-must-not-gratify-it/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Religion is the fear of God, and its demonstration good works; and faith is the root of both: For without faith we cannot please…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/religion-is-the-fear-of-god-and-its-demonstration-good-works-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [All excess is ill; but drunkenness is of the worst sort. It spoils health, dismounts the mind, and unmans men. It reveals secrets, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/all-excess-is-ill-but-drunkenness-is-of-the-worst-sort-it-spoils/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“Let us then try what love can do to mend a broken world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/let-us-then-try-what-love-can-do-to-mend-a-broken-world/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > ['Tis no sin to be tempted, but to be overcome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/tis-no-sin-to-be-tempted-but-to-be-overcome/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Perfect love casteth out fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/perfect-love-casteth-out-fear/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [By liberty of conscience, we understand not only a mere liberty of the mind, in believing or disbelieving this or that principle or doctrine;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/by-liberty-of-conscience-we-understand-not-only-a-mere-liberty-of-the/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Content not thyself that thou art virtuous in the general; for one link being wanting, the chain is defective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/content-not-thyself-that-thou-art-virtuous-in-the-general-for-one/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [We are apt to be very pert at censuring others, where we will not endure advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/we-are-apt-to-be-very-pert-at-censuring-others-where-we-will-not/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [It is admirable to consider how many millions of people come into, and go out of the world, ignorant of themselves and of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/it-is-admirable-to-consider-how-many-millions-of-people-come-into-and/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be ruled by him... Those who will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/if-thou-wouldst-rule-well-thou-must-rule-for-god-and-to-do-that-thou/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [In the rush and noise of life, as you have intervals, step home within yourselves and be still. Wait upon God, and feel His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/in-the-rush-and-noise-of-life-as-you-have-intervals-step-home-within/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [Be sure that religion cannot be right that a man is the worse for having.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/be-sure-that-religion-cannot-be-right-that-a-man-is-the-worse-for/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) [Explore all 291 William Penn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) ## More Tyrants quotes > [When you stop a dictator, there are always risks. But there are greater risks in not stopping a dictator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-you-stop-a-dictator-there-are-always-risks-but-there-are-greater/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [“Many of the greatest tyrants on the records of history have begun their reigns in the fairest manner. But the truth is, this unnatural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/many-of-the-greatest-tyrants-on-the-records-of-history-have-begun/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [The tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/the-tyrant-has-fallen-and-iraq-is-free/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Do you want to know something about tyrants? When faced with death, they weep and they beg just like the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/do-you-want-to-know-something-about-tyrants-when-faced-with-death/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [We immerse ourselves in escapist mass entertainment, such as 'reality T.V.' programs. We support fanatical politicians and preachers. Our politicians, in turn, support dictators…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/we-immerse-ourselves-in-escapist-mass-entertainment-such-as-reality-t/) [Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/) > [I don't really think in terms of the future of literature. I think literature will be around "forever" - but in a relatively niche…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-really-think-in-terms-of-the-future-of-literature-i-think/) [Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/) > [The shortest way to change a radical into a conservative, a liberal into a tyrant, a man into a beast, is to give him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-tucker/the-shortest-way-to-change-a-radical-into-a-conservative-a-liberal/) [Benjamin Tucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-tucker/) > [Perhaps the greatest consolation of the oppressed is to consider themselves superior to their tyrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julien-green/perhaps-the-greatest-consolation-of-the-oppressed-is-to-consider/) [Julien Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julien-green/) > [To our strongest impulse, to the tyrant in us, not only our reason but also our conscience yields.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-our-strongest-impulse-to-the-tyrant-in-us-not-only-our-reason-but/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-limits-of-tyrants-are-prescribed-by-the-endurance-of-those-whom/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“Kings will be tyrants from policy when subjects are rebels from principle,” Burke writes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-levin/kings-will-be-tyrants-from-policy-when-subjects-are-rebels-from/) [Yuval Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-levin/) > [Though liberty is established by law, we must be vigilant, for liberty to enslave us is always present under that very liberty. Our Constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/though-liberty-is-established-by-law-we-must-be-vigilant-for-liberty/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Social and cultural change, however desirable, should not be effected by the engines of national power. Let us, through persuasion and education, seek to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-goldwater/social-and-cultural-change-however-desirable-should-not-be-effected/) [Barry Goldwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-goldwater/) > [I remember when I first started having these interpretations of these images, these clichés of what movie stars are and this and that, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/i-remember-when-i-first-started-having-these-interpretations-of-these/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 786 Tyrants quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Penn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by-god-will-be-ruled-by-tyrants/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Tyrants" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by-god-will-be-ruled-by-tyrants/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/william-penn-1104_tyrants_those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by_1490065.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/william-penn-1104_tyrants_those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by_1490065.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/288/william-penn-1104_tyrants_those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by_1490065.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Those people who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants.” — William Penn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Penn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Those people who will not be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by-god-will-be-ruled-by-tyrants/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/those-people-who-will-not-be-governed-by-god-will-be-ruled-by-tyrants/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```