George Keith was an influential Quaker in the early days of the colonies of East and West Jersey when he served as the chief surveyor of East Jersey. After several years in the Jerseys he converted to the Church of England, became a missionary priest under the auspices of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (SPG), and ministered to a number of nascent congregations in the region (including at Perth Amboy, Elizabeth, Piscataway, Woodbridge, Shrewsbury, Burlington, Colestown, and Freehold) before finally settling in England.
_(cropped).png) |
| George Keith (c. 1638 – 1716) (cropped), unknown artist, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons |
Thus the sentiments expressed in Keith’s tract, though appearing salutary to modern eyes, seem to have had a limited effect on Keith’s relationships. Perhaps he did not view disagreement over the issue of slavery to require the kind of response he seems to intimate in his tract (e.g. to “Come out” of those relationships). He himself was disavowed in Quaker fellowships soon after publishing the tract and this rejection may have affected his willingness to press the issue in the Anglican circles he came to inhabit. At the very least, the tract indicates that the often-repeated argument that enslavers of the time didn't or couldn't have known any better is preposterous.
Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski, Ph.D.
Reparations Commission Research Historian
Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey
The text[2] of Keith's tract is as follows:
“An Exhortation & Caution to Friends Concerning Buying or Keeping of Negroes.” By George Keith
[Seeing] our Lord Jesus Christ hath tasted Death for every Man, and given himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due time, and that his Gospel of Peace, Liberty and Redemption from Sin, Bondage and all Oppression, is freely to be preached unto all, without Exception, and that Negroes, Blacks and Taunies are a real part of Mankind, for whom Christ hath shed his precious Blood, and are capable of Salvation, as well as White Men; and Christ the Light of the World hath (in measure) enlightened them, and every Man that cometh into the World; and that all such who are sincere Christians and true Believers in Christ Jesus, and Followers of him, bear his Image, and are made conformable unto him in Love, Mercy, Goodness and Compassion, who came not to destroy men’s Lives, but to save them, nor to bring any part of Mankind into outward Bondage, Slavery or Misery, nor yet to detain them, or hold them therein, but to ease and deliver the Oppressed and Distressed, and bring into Liberty both inward and outward.
Therefore we judge it necessary that all faithful Friends should discover themselves to be true Christians by having the Fruits of the Spirit of Christ, which are Love, Mercy, Goodness, and Compassion towards all in Misery, and that suffer Oppression and severe Usage, so far as in them is possible to ease and relieve them, and set them free of their hard Bondage, whereby it may be hoped, that many of them will be gained by their beholding these good Works of sincere Christians, and prepared thereby, through the Preaching the Gospel of Christ, to [embrace] the true Faith of Christ. And for this cause it is, as we judge, that in some places in Europe Negroes cannot be bought and sold for Money, or detained to be Slaves, because it suits not with the Mercy, Love & Clemency that is essential to Christianity, nor to the Doctrine of Christ, nor to the Liberty the Gospel calleth all men unto, to whom it is preached. And to buy Souls and Bodies of men for Money, to enslave them and their Posterity to the end of the World, we judge is a great hinderance to the spreading of the Gospel, and is occasion of much War, Violence, Cruelty and Oppression, and Theft & [Robbery] of the highest Nature; for commonly the Negroes that are sold to white Men, are either [stolen] away or robbed from their Kindred, and to buy such is the way to continue these evil Practices of Man-stealing, and transgresseth that Golden Rule and Law, “To do to others what we would have others do to us.”
Therefore, in true Christian Love, we earnestly recommend it to all our Friends and Brethren, Not to buy any Negroes, unless it were on purpose to set them free, and that such who have bought any, and have them at present, after some reasonable time of moderate Service they have had of them, or may have of them, that may reasonably answer to the Charge of what they have laid out, especially in keeping Negroes’ Children born in their House, or taken into their House, when under Age, that after a reasonable time of service to answer that Charge, they may set them at Liberty, and during the time they have them, to teach them to read, and give them a Christian Education.
Some Reasons and Causes of our being against keeping of Negroes for Term of Life:
First, Because it is contrary to the Principles and Practice of the Christian Quakers to buy Prize or [stolen] Goods, which we bore a faithful Testimony against in our Native Country; and therefore it is our Duty to come forth in a Testimony against [stolen] Slaves, it being accounted a far greater Crime under Moses's Law than the stealing of Goods: for such were only to restore four fold, “but he that stealeth a Man and selleth him, if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to Death,” (Exod. 21:16). Therefore as we are not to buy [stolen] Goods, (but if at unawares it should happen through Ignorance, we are to restore them to the Owners, and seek our Remedy of the Thief) no more are we to buy [stolen] Slaves; neither should such as have them keep them and their Posterity in perpetual Bondage and Slavery, as is usually done, to the great scandal of the Christian Profession.
Secondly, Because Christ commanded, saying, “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them.” Therefore as we and our Children would not be kept in perpetual Bondage and Slavery against our Consent, neither should we keep them in perpetual Bondage and Slavery against their Consent, it being such [intolerable] Punishment to their Bodies and Minds, that none but notorious Criminal [Offenders] deserve the same. But these have done us no [harm]; therefore how inhumane is it in us so grievously to oppress them and their Children from one Generation to another.
Thirdly, Because the Lord hath commanded, saying, “Thou shalt not deliver unto his Master the Servant that is escaped from his Master unto thee, he shall dwell with thee, even amongst you in that place which he shall [choose] in one of thy Gates, where it liketh him best; thou shalt not oppress him,” (Deut. 23:15-16). By which it appeareth, that those which are at Liberty and freed from their Bondage, should not by us be delivered into Bondage again, neither by us should they be oppressed, but being escaped from his Master, should have the liberty to dwell amongst us, where it liketh him best. Therefore, if God extend such Mercy under the legal Ministration and Dispensation to poor Servants, he doth and will extend much more of his Grace and Mercy to them under the clear Gospel Ministration; so that instead of punishing them and their Posterity with cruel Bondage and perpetual Slavery, he will cause the Everlasting Gospel to be preached effectually to all Nations, to them as well as others; “And the Lord will extend Peace to his People like a River, and the Glory of the Gentiles like a flowing Stream; And it shall come to pass, saith the Lord, that I will gather all Nations and Tongues, and they shall come and see my Glory, and I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations, to Tarshish, Pull and Lud that draw the Bow to Tuball and Javan, to the Isles afar off that have not heard my Fame, neither have seen my Glory, and they shall declare my Glory among the Gentiles,” (Isa. 66:12, 18).
Fourthly, Because the Lord hath commanded, saying, “Thou shalt not oppress [a] hired Servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy Brethren, or of the Strangers that are in thy Land within thy Gates, [lest] he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee; Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him, for ye were strangers in the Land of [Egypt],” (Deut. 24:14-15. Exod. 12:21). But what greater Oppression can there be inflicted upon our Fellow Creatures, than is inflicted on the poor Negroes! they being brought from their own Country against their Wills, some of them being [stolen], others taken for payment of Debt owing by their Parents, and others taken Captive in War, and sold to Merchants, who bring them to the American Plantations, and sell them for Bond-Slaves to them that will give most for them; the Husband from the Wife, and the Children from the Parents; and many that buy them do exceedingly afflict them and oppress them, not only by continual hard [Labor], but by cruel Whippings; and other cruel Punishments, and by short allowance of Food, some Planters in [Barbados] and Jamaica, 'tis said, keeping one hundred of them, and some more, and some less, and giving them hardly [anything] more than they raise on a little piece of Ground appointed them, on which they work for themselves the seventh [days] of the Week in the [afternoon], and on the first days, to raise their own Provisions, to wit, Corn and Potatoes, and other Roots, &c. the remainder of their time being spent in their Masters service; which doubtless is far worse usage than is [practiced] by the Turks and Moors upon their Slaves. Which tends to the great Reproach of the Christian Profession; therefore it would be better for all such as fall short of the Practice of those Infidels, to refuse the Name of a Christian, that those Heathen and Infidels may not be provoked to blaspheme against the blessed Name of Christ, by reason of the [unparalleled] Cruelty of these cruel and hard hearted pretended Christians: Surely the Lord doth behold their Oppressions & Afflictions, and will further visit for the same by his righteous and just Judgments, except they break off their sins by Repentance, and their Iniquity by [showing] Mercy to these poor afflicted, tormented miserable Slaves!
Fifthly, Because Slaves and Souls of Men are some of the “[Merchandise] of Babylon” by which “the Merchants of the Earth are made Rich;” but those Riches which they have heaped together, through the cruel Oppression of these miserable Creatures, will be a means to draw God’s Judgments upon them; therefore, Brethren, let us hearken to the Voice of the Lord, who saith, “Come out of Babylon, my People, that ye be not partakers of her Sins, and that ye receive not her [Plagues]; for her Sins have reached unto Heaven, and God hath [remembered] her Iniquities; for he that leads into Captivity shall go into Captivity,” (Rev. 18:4-5 & 13:10).
Given forth by our [Monthly] Meeting in Philadelphia, the 13th day of the 8th [Month], 1693, and recommended to all our Friends and Brethren, who are one with us in our Testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ, and to all others professing Christianity.
THE END.
[1] See Nelson Burr, The Anglican Church in New Jersey (Philadelphia: The Church Historical Society, 1954), 498.
Among the records showing this is the “Inventory of the personal estate” accompanying his will (recorded as “Boell, Thomas, of Freehold, Monmouth Co.”) which included multiple “nigrose [sic]” as reproduced in “Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey,” Volume XXLII, Calendar of New Jersey Wills, Vol. 1. 1670-1730 (William Nelson, 1901).
[2] Edited by Jolyon G. R. Pruszinski. The transcription of the tract has been edited for clarity according to modern language conventions. Spelling alterations to the original text made for the sake of clarity appear as [plain text in brackets]. Punctuation changes, expansions of abbreviations, and updated archaisms (e.g. substitutions of “you” for “thee” or “thou”) are not noted. Text is based on the Text Creation Partnership edition hosted by the University of Michigan Library System (George Keith, An exhortation & caution to Friends concerning buying or keeping of Negroes [New York: Printed by William Bradford, 1693; Ann Arbor, Text Creation Partnership, 2011], http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A47141.0001.001) with reference to the edition printed in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XIII (Philadelphia: 1889), 265-70.
