'Can it be that some of the most interesting historical Quakers dwelt on the outer edges of the Society?' Photo: George Keith
What would Jesus do? Simon Webb on George Keith, theology, and the slave trade
‘Keith’s emphasis on the incarnate Jesus was felt by many Friends to be inconsistent with their idea of the Inner Light.’
by Simon Webb
11th August 2023
n 1889, Charles Hildeburn, a collector of old books, discovered a copy of George Keith’s An exhortation & caution to Friends concerning buying or keeping of negroes. This had been published in 1693, and had been referenced by Benjamin Franklin, among others. But until Hildeburn’s find it had been lost for nearly 200 years. It was quickly re-published as The First Printed Protest Against Slavery in America.
