Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History
Benson Lossing, Ed.

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Quakers, Christian

In 1692 there was a schism among the Friends, or Quakers, in Pennsylvania, caused by the action of George Keith, a Scotch Friend, formerly surveyor of east Jersey, and at this time master of the Friends' school at Philadelphia. He was a champion of the Quakers against Cotton Mather and the Boston ministers. He pressed the doctrine of non-resistance to its logical conclusion, that this principle was not consistent with the exercise of political authority. He also attacked negro slavery as inconsistent with those principles. So sharply did Keith criticise the shortcomings of his co-religionists that he was disowned by the Yearly Meeting, when he forthwith instituted a meeting of his own, to which he gave the name of “Christian Quakers.” A Testimony of Denial was put forth against Keith, who replied in a published address, in which he handled his adversaries without mercy. The Quaker magistrates fined him for “insolence,” and William Bradford, the only printer in the colony, was called to account for having published Keith's address. He was discharged, but was so annoyed that he removed his printing business to New York.