tiesunitedly

1692. fo to relieve him, at least in part, from his apprehenfions and uneafinefs, on that account, in the foreBoth par- part of the year 1692, the two deputies and their write to the Councils unitedly writ him the following letter, viz. Proprietor. From the Council-room at Philadelphia, the 6th. of the Second-month, 1692.

Their letter to him.

"Worthy Governor,

"THESE few lines, we hope, may much ease thy mind, in reference to thy exercises, concerning the affairs of thy government here, by informing thee, that, with unanimous accord, we rest fatisfied with thy two deputations, fent for executive government of the province, and counties annexed: and thy deputies concurring amicably, at this time, to act as one general government, in legislation, we have proceeded in the preparing jointly fome few bills; that thereby our prefent united actings may be as well publifhed, as the refpective fervices of the government anfwered.-What particular tranfactions of moment, which have occurred upon our calm debates of the choice of three, we refer to the minutes for thy fatisfaction: We heartily wish thee well; and, with longing expectations, defire thy fpeedy return unto us; where, we doubt not, but thou wilt find a moft grateful reception, and better face of affairs, than may feem to thee there, at this distance; fo, bidding thee adieu, at this time, we remain,

Thy faithful and well-wishing friends,

"THOMAS LLOYD.

CHAPTER XI.

-

Schifm and feparation between George Keith and the Quakers. Their teftimony of denial against him.His conduct afterwards.—Some judicial proceedings against him, &c.-The Magistrates' declaration of the reafons for these proceedings.-This affair, and the difference between the Province and Territories, give William Penn great concern and trouble. He is deprived of the government by King William and Queen Mary. Their commiffion to Fletcher, Governor of New York.-Fletcher's letter to Deputy Lloyd.

IN the year 1691, an affair happened among the 1691.

Keith, &c.

Quakers, in this part of the world, which gave n them much uneafiness and trouble, in their religi- The fchifm ous capacity, more especially in this Province, and of George the neighbouring places. This was the difference and feparation between them and George Keith, before mentioned. He had been an eminent preacher and writer among them, for many years; and had published several well-written treatifes, in defence of their religious principles, yet extant. He was a man of quick natural parts, and confiderable literary abilities; acute in argument, and very ready and able in logical difputations, and nice diftinctions, on theological fubjects; but, faid to be, of a brittle temper, and over-bearing difpofition of mind; not fufficiently tempered ard qualified with that Chriftian moderation and charity, which give command over the human paffions; the diftinguishing characteristic of true Christianity: of which he himself had not only made high profeffion, but also, in his younger years, as appears

by

fchifm, &c.

1691. by his writings, had a good understanding. His great confidence in bis own fuperior abilities feems G. Keith's to have been one, if not the chief, introductory cause of this unhappy dispute;-When men fet too high a value on themfelves, and others will not come up to their price, then they are difcontented. He is faid to have had too much life in argument and disputation, on religious points of controversy, and fometimes to have exhibited an unbecoming vanity on victory thereby obtained over his opponents, even, prior to the fchifm between him and his friends: for having, fome time before, been on a vifit to New England, he is reprefented as having indulged his natural propenfity this way, among the preachers and inhabitants there, in a very extravagant manner: Which difpofition of mind, from that time forward, appeared to have so far got the afcendancy over him, that, on his return, he began to exhibit the fame, even, among his friends, beginning with finding fault, propofing and urging new regulations, in the fociety, in refpect to the difcipline of it, and complaining, "There was too great a flackness therein."-Upon his friends not readily joining with him and his propofals, in the manner he expected, he became ftill more captious, and more difpofed to feek matters of reproach and offence against divers in the fociety, and to make the worst of them; charging fome of his friends, who were generally well efHis allega- teemed and approved minifters, with preaching tion against falfe doctrine; and, it is faid, even, in points contrary to what himfelf had formerly held and declared, in his writings, in defence of the Quakers, and their principles. He found fault with his friends being in the magiftracy, and their executing the penal laws againft malefactors, as being inconfiftent with their religious profeffion; and, in fhort, contended that he and fuch as joined with him, were the true Quakers, and all the reft, who oppofed him, were apoftates.

the Quakers

These

Their charges a

These were the principal allegations, which, in 1691. the beginning of the difpute, he appears to have n made against the Quakers. The principal things, if not the whole, with which I find him charged gainst him. by them, at that time, appear to be his over-bearing temper, and unchriftian difpofition of mind, in grofsly vilifying and difparaging divers members of the fociety, who were univerfally and highly approved among them, and entirely rejecting their advice and judgment, in the affair; the confequence of an overheated and intemperate zeal: which, at laft, proceeded fo far as to occafion fuch a breach, that, on the 20th. day of the Fourth- He is dif month, 1692, a declaration, or teftimony of denial, owned, &c. in 1692% was drawn up against him, at a meeting of the minifters of the fociety at Philadelphia: wherein both he and his conduct were publicly difowned by them.

This declaration, which was confirmed at the next following General Yearly Meeting, held at Burlington, the feventh of the Seventh-month, exhibits more fully the charges against him, and may further elucidate the cafe to the more inquifitive: Which Testimony, as it may, probably, be curious to fome, if not inftructive, is, therefore, placed in the notes.

He

* The Declaration, or Teftimony, of Denial against George Keith, was expreffed as follows, viz.

"To the feveral Monthly and Quarterly Meetings in Pennsylvania, Eaft and West Ferfey, and elsewhere, as there may be occasion.

"Beloved Friends,

"IN. tender love, and with spirits bowed down before the Lord, is this our falutation unto you; earnestly defiring your growth, and daily preservation, in the ancient truth, and in the fimplicity of the gospel of our Lord Jefus Chrift; and our hope and breathings are, that no infinuations, or wiles, of the enemy fhall prevail, to turn you afide from your steadfastness, or cause you to esteem lightly of the rock and way of God's falvation unto you, but that you may be kept in the light and life, which was, and is, the juft man's path, to the end of our days, Amen!

"Now, dear Friends, it is with forrow of fpirits and grief of fouls, that we fignify unto you the tedious exercife, and vexatious perplexity, we have met with, in our late friend, George Keith, for feveral months past. With mourning and lanientation do we fay, How is this mighty

man

1692.

He drew off a large number of people with him, fome of confiderable account, in the fociety; and

fet

man fallen! How is his fhield caft away, as though he had not known the oil of the holy Ointment! How fhall it be told in Gath, and published in the streets of Afkalon! Wili not the daughters of the uncircumcifed triumph, when they hear that he is fallen upon the foaring mountains, and from the high places of Ifrael? While thou walkedst in the counsel of God, and wert little in thy own eyes, thy bow did abide in strength; thy fword returned not empty from the fat of the enemies of God-thy bow returned not back. His enemies were then vile unto thee, and his followers honourable in thy esteem. Oh, how lovely wert thou, in that day, when his beauty was upon thee; and when his comelinefs covered thee! Why fhould his ornaments exalt thee, which were given to humble thee before him? And how art thou fallen from thy first love, and art become treacherous to the spouse of thy youth. Confider where thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first works.

"But fo it hath happened, Friends, left any fiefh fhould glory, but become filent before the Lord, that this once eminent man, and inftrument of renown, in the hand of the Lord, while he kept his first habitation, and knew the government of Truth over his own fpirit; and witnessed the fime to be a bridle to his tongue, was then ferviceable, both in pen and fpeech, to the churches of Chrift. But now, and of late, it is too obvious and apparent, that, being degenerated from the lowly, meek and peaceable fpirit of Chrift Jefus, and grown cool in charity and love towards his brethren, he is gone into a spirit of enmity, wrath, and self-exaltation, contention and janglings; and, as a perfon without the fear of God before his eyes, and without regard to his Christian brethren, and letting loofe to an extravagant tongue, he hath broken out into many ungodly fpeeches, railing accufations, and paffionate threatenings towards many of his brethren and elders; and that upon flender occafions. And when fome, in Chriftian duty, have laid before him his unfavory words, and abufive language, as a perfon of common civility would loath, it hath been too frequent with him, and that, in a tranfport of heat and paffion, to call fome of his brethren, in the miniftry, and other elders, and that upon fmall provocations, (if any) Fools, ignorant Heathens, Infidels, fills Souls, Lyers, Heretics, rotten Ranters, Muggletonians, and other names of that infamous train; thereby to our grief, foaming out his own fhame. And further, his anger and envy being cruel against us, and not contenting himself with his harshness against perfons, he proceeded, in bitternefs of fpirit, to charge our meetings with being come together to cloak herefy and deceit; and publifhing openly feveral times, that there were more doctrines of devils, and damnable herefies. among the Quakers, than in any profeffion among the Proteftants. He hath long objected against our Difcipline, even, foon after his coming among us, and having prepared a draught of his own, and the fame not finding the expected reception, he feemed difgufted. Since he hath often quarrelled with us about Confeffion, declaring, "That he knew none given forth by the body of Friends, to his fatisfaction;" and often charged most of us with being unfound in the faith. We have offered, in feveral meetings, for his fatisfiction, and to prevent ftrife among us, and for preferving the peace of the church, to deliver a Confeffion of our Chriftian faith, in the words of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ, the Author of our Christian faith, and in the words of the Apoftles and Difciples, his faithful followers; or we would concur, and agree upon a Confeffion, and have it tranfmitted for approbation of the Yearly Meeting here, or the Yearly Meeting in

London;