Who said “Men must be governed by God, or they will be ruled by tyrants.”?

Misattributed

Not William Penn. It's commonly credited to them, but the evidence shows it isn't theirs.

What the research foundListed as misattributed to William Penn; no source in their known works.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“Men must be governed by God, or they will be ruled by tyrants.”
— William Penn
MisattributedListed as misattributed to William Penn; no source in their known works. · evidenceGod
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Cite this quote

APA

“Men must be governed by God, or they will be ruled by tyrants.” [Quotation attributed to William Penn]. (n.d.). Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20048-men-must-be-governed-by-god-or-they/

MLA

“Men must be governed by God, or they will be ruled by tyrants.” Attributed to William Penn. Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20048-men-must-be-governed-by-god-or-they/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

“Men must be governed by God, or they will be ruled by tyrants.” Attributed to William Penn. Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20048-men-must-be-governed-by-god-or-they/.

Related quotes

“There is no God but God.”
— The Koran
Qur'an 47:19, the phrase quoted

لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ

La ilaha illa Allahu

Text: quran-json: Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia text, Tanzil transliteration (CC BY 4.0)

VerifiedQur'an 47:19 (Surat Muhammad); also 37:35 · evidenceDetails & citeGod
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More quotes by William Penn

“Much reading is an oppression of the mind, and extinguishes the natural candle, which is the reason of so many senseless scholars in the world.”
VerifiedAdvice to his children (1699) · evidenceDetails & citeBooks and Reading
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“The public must and will be served.”
Service
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All 37 William Penn quotes →