The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-04-12
ST. Peters Church,
Freehold and It's ReCtOrS
REV. GEORGE KEITH, FOUNDER OF
FREEHOLD.
BIZ MAxcr APPLICABLE. sR.

REV. GEORGE KEITH, FOUNDER OF
FREEHOLD
asked what he had to say to all this
for it wa all provable? He did not OBJ
lect n word against what l had said,
but vainly hoping for better success
relating to his understanding in Old
England, finding me, Gas he might sup
pose so well versed in the American
affairs, hoped (no doubt that / had
Deen more ignorant Of the affairs in
Briton, But poor man, he sped as i'll
there also; for be .boastingly said, Since
y pleased God to open his eyes to see
INTO the worst Of the Quakers errors:
although, he said charity did oblige
MIN 70 construe everything at the best
wnilsts IL fellowship with them, but
SINCE tney were so opened, as he said,
ne had been instrumental to bring
from Quakersim, to the good old Mo-
Their Church in Old England five
hundred people | replied, that il not
true: If he rightly considered what he
had done in Old England. he had little
0R~1Ss III L cd4Q.
about as many persons as lie smoke of
hundreds, would make up the humber
there, and if there was occasion I co1ld
name all or most of them. And withal
told him, that some Of those few.
whilst among us, were grown to be
neither honorable o comfortable
to US. l urged George, if he could. to
name or make appear more in number
than | had mentioned, that he had
so5gathered as he had falsely said. This
was a very great stroke upon him. and
cut him to a stand. He then began to
ask OF my country, and from whence |
came. With the account of which I
humoured him; yet withal, put him
IN mind OF his great brag, and impor-
tuned him to make something appear
towards the great matter he had done
in Old England, even for very shame:
for | was ashamed for him, that a man
OF his learning, parts and presensions.
should so expose himself, but he went
no father about it. Then | showed to
the people what sort of man he was
Gas they themselves could not but see
who were itnpartial) and that he was
not worthy of our notice: for he cared
not that he said, so that he could but
caluininate and abuse us.
BY this time he appeared somewhat
glutted with the sharp sword and keen
arrow the Lord gave me, which cut and
wounded deep, so that from this time
l did not find in ia after encounters.
he appeared at any time so bold and
desperately hardy, but rather express
ed himself, altho very wickedlY. vet in
a softer tone. He was now for being
gone threatening us with what he
would do on the morrow; but | re-
minded him, that he was to us as an
heather man as a publican, and that
what he exhibited against us, being
but the fruits Of wrath and envy as
such we sighted and trod it under our
feet rs dirt, and rather desired his abb
sencesthan his company; So away he
went, only telling us, he would be with
us in the morning. We understood by
it, that he intended to be with us at
the Friends house, the meeting house
being about a quarter of a mile from
our lodgings.
The evening coming on the neigh
bouring Presbyterian women fell hard
upon our Women Friends about their
salutingi men, which George Keith
had charged upon them as was gener-
ally understood, in the plural and their
appeared as q confirmation as they
alledged, because when charged, |
made no reply to it, as / had done to
all or most other charges, and had
over thrown Mr.. Keith, as they said,
so that he was not able to stand before
me. They ought to have said, before
the Lord in the first place But how the
women might clear themselves of that
reflection was the present business, /
zof6 I %hnnnh+ II Hv0utd h0 tho hast
at q suitable time in the morning when
George Keith was come that by hand
somelv bringing the matter over him
they might learn what women they
were who saluted him, and so clear
themselves from the reflection cast
upon them: for l said perhaps he will
limit it to some of his near kindred as
wife, mother, sister, daughterl which
may serve for a saliva in this present
case, for / did not know Of any such
general practice in any place where l
had been and / had visited most OF the
meetings in England, Scotland and
Wales.
So nthe morning when George, with
two Priests, and many people were come
with some Friends, who flledthe house,
"a ome Friend stood up and brought
the matter directly over George Keith.
But when she put the question in the
plural, CWomenl he shifted the term
and said he did not say Women | de-
sired the Friend to call to her neigh
bors who heard what George Keith
had said the last Evening, and were now
present, how they understood the word2
lone like a wise and just man said, he
would do justice to every man, and he
understood George said women; and
many said to the same purpose bit
none to the contrary. The Friends ask
ed me how l understood the word. As
being 8 North Country man, | might
know better the North or Scotch dia-
llect than they. I replied they had a
way Of expressing the word
women rather sounding it like the
Iplural, but | understood it women IS
the above mentioned discreet maj had
said.