The Monmouth inquirer., 1922-09-07
ST. Peters Church,
Freehold and It's Reciors
BY MAxcx APPLRaATR. SR.
Y MAxcY ArPLReATE. sR.

In Philadelphia during George
Keith's sojourn as teacher in 1889,
he is said to have speedily won the
affection and esteem Of the whole
city,
From the pamphlet on George
Keith, by Rev. Joseph Hooper, Of
Durham Center, Conn, 1894. we re-
print the following extract IS to
what induced Mr.. Keith to go to Boston
after his resignation from the Friends
Public School in Philadelphia. At
this period it was called Bloody Bos-
ton" by the Quaksrs:
The bitter and relentless persecu-
tion of the Quakers in New England
led him, (Keith) to visit Boston and
bear his testimony in the most eln-
phatic manner against those who
would quench the light of the Spirit.
In the Puritan capital he issued in
1858 his Solemn Call and Warning
from the Lord to the People of New
England to Repent -
He commences it in the style of the
ancient prophets:
The Burden Of the word Of the Lord
that came unto me on the 21st day Of
the fourth month 1888"
1t is full of the sternest denuncia-
tions Of the sins of the people, Of the Bit
ter woe that will come upon them UNI
less they listen to the pure word Of
God, as He proclaims it Posted Ia the
most public place of the city, it was
read by the inhabitants with indigna-
tiOn and astonishment, which was in
creased by an open letter to James
Allen, Samuel Willard, Joshua Moody
and Cotton Mather, called preachers,
in Boston This excited religious
controversy, in which Mr.. Keith en-
gagged with both public exposition Of
Quakerism and by the issue Of pamph-.
lets upon the sins and errors of these
fathers of New England Restless and
active by nature, there gradually came
into the mind of this advocate of the
tenets Of George Keith, some scruple
and doubtfulness. Inconsistency
and laxity of discipline be thought too
prevalent and he began to upbraid his
brethren harshly, to charge them with
tendency to Deism, to accuse even
their chief men, like Deputy Govern
or Lloyd of Pennsylvania, with de-
parting from the doctrine Of their foun-
der. He was able to attract and con-
vince many men of rank, character
and dreputatisn in these provinces, and
divers Of them great preachers and
much followed EProud's History Of
Pennsylvania p 369 note in M. A. g
Library.
So sharp, indeed, was the controver-
sy, so serious were the inroads made
upon their members by Mr.. Keith,
that at the yearly meeting of ministers
in Philadelphia, on April 25th, 1892,
there was made a Declaration or
Testimonial of Denial' against the ac-
cusations. From it mingled indigna-
tion and affectionate entreaty we
may judge how deeply the Quakers
were pained and grieved at any differ
ence with one that had been to them a
tower of strength. Mr.. Keith gathered
his followers into societies known as
christian Friends, y but commonly
called Keithians. The Denial was
brought before the yearly meeting Of
Quakers in 1894 and by it confirmed
When Mr.. Keith went to England,
later in the same year, he found him-
self an object of scorn. and derision to
his former associates. Naturally in
dignant, with temper easily arous-
ed, he now began to examine more
closely into the principles Of the Socie
ty. to hold public meetings, to de-
nounce the ''Denialn and to openly
challenge 'Quakers' to defend their
books. This conrse soon brought
him into closer conformity with the
Church of England and led him to in
quire more accurately why the Quak-
ers had separated themselves from it.
1t was no sudden anger at the con-
duct Of his former admirers and fell
low followers Of the inward light"
that caused the Quaker preacher to
become an English priest. The
harsh term of 'apostate' and the sordid
motives assigned by Bancroft in his
history. bancroft says. But in the
great conflict Of parties the devices of
an apostate to deceive have but an
accidental and transient interest; the
unchanged Quaker, disowned by
those who cherished and abandoned
him. was left without a faction, and
tired OF his position, made true ex-
position Of his strife, by accepting an
Episcopal benefics COLONIZATION Of
U. s. George Bancroft. Vol, III, 9th
edition, Boston Charles G. Little and
James Brown, 1S42. In the revised
edition OF this History, published in
1876, this passage is altered only by
the substitution Of the word Anglican
for Episcopal IN the last line. See
Bancroft's History Of u. s., Vol. III,
p. 215 16. Boston. Little, Brown g.
Co, 1885,
This statenent cannot be bourne
out by anyone who examines careful
ly the life of George Keith. Study
and conviction, reflection and iuda-
ment, made him find in the Church Of
England true freedom and true cathol-
icy This statement is mainly con-
troverted by the fact that he was con-
WINGED at the heighth of his popularity
as Quaker preacher andafter his
change Of faith spent time in the
provinces as missionary before ac-
cepting the benefice Of small and
poor parish in England
Ordained Deacon and Priest in 100,
by Rt. Rev. Henry Compton, Bishop
Of London, he showed the sincerity Of
his character, his true desire to be as
firm In the maintenance Of the doc
trine of the Church. as he had been in
promulgating Quaker teaching, by
preparing Larger and Lesser Cate