The Pretended Yearly Meeting of the Quakers, their nameless bull of excommunication given forth against George Keith from a party or faction of men that call themselves the Yearly Meeting, which they would have to be received as the general judgment and sentence of the Quakers ; with a brief answer to the same, shewing that for his zealous and consciencious opposing their gross errors, and reproving the evil and wicked practices of them in Pennsylvania, whom they own to be their breathern, particularly their persecution of G. Keith, and some of his friends, that party has excommunicated him.

At the Yearly Meeting in London, the 17. of the 3d. Month. 1695.

THis Meeting taking notice of the Iudgment and Ad∣vice of the last Yearly Meeting, concerning George Keith, and inquiring whether he had Answered the Sense and Advice, which in the Name of the Lord, that Meet∣ing then delivered to him, doth find that he hath not only not followed the Christian Advice and Iudgment of that Meet∣ing; but hath Rejected it, and Printed against it, denying it to be the Iudgment or Sense of the Yearly Meeting, and affirming that Meeting that gave it forth, not to be the Year∣ly Meeting, but a party or Faction.

And also, That he hath, since the last Yearly Meeting, been ve∣ry troublesome and burthensome to Friends in publick-Meet∣ings in and about this City, as was Testified in his presence by many faithful Friends, who were Eye and Ear Witnesses thereof. And in this Meeting the said Geo. Keith, did openly Read a Paper of his, containing Reflections, Accusations and Exceptions against divers Friends, that are members of this Meeting, in which Paper he Iustifleth himself in those things, for which the last Yearly Meeting Reproved and Censured him, and in what he hath Printed since. And be∣ing afterwards desired to come into the Meeting again, and acquainted with the great dissatisfaction which the Meeting had concerning him, with respect to what he had printed, spo∣ken and done against Truth and Friends; he brake forth in∣to great disorder, and very unseemly behaviour, uttering many bitter and unsavory Expressions, and in a very angry manner rose up, and departed before the further Sense and Iudgment of the Meeting could be given him.

All which this Meeting taking into their weighty Consi∣deration, and being fully satisfied, both by his Printed Books and other outward Evidences, with respect to matters of Fact, and by that Divine Sense, which in the openings of the Heavenly Life, ran as a mighty stream through the meet∣ing, and was confirmed and sealed by many living Testime∣nies, born in the Name of the Lord, and in the powerful demon∣stration

of the Holy Spirit; That the said Geo. Keith, of late hath been, and yet is acted by an unchristian Spirit, which hath moved and led him to stir up contention and strife in the Church of Christ, and to cause Divisions, Se∣perations and Breaches amongst them that profess the Truth and that the tendency of divers of his late writ∣ings and actings hath been to Expose the Truth, and the Friends thereof to the Reproach of the World, did unani∣mously agree, and declare it to be the Sense and Iudgment of this meeting; And it is the sense and judgment of this Meeting, That the said George Keith is gone from the bles∣sed Vnity of the peaceable Spirit of our Lord Iesus Christ, and hath thereby seperated himseif from the Holy Fel∣lowship of the Church of Christ, and that whilst he is in an unreconciled and uncharitable state, he ought not to preach or pray in any Friends Meetings, nor he Owned or Re∣ceived as one of Vs, until by a publick and hearty Acknow∣ledgment of the great Offence he hath given, and hurt he hath done, and Condemnation of himself therefore, he give Proof of his unfeigned Repentance, and do his endeavour to remove and take off the Reproach he hath brought upon Truth and Friends, which in the love of God, we heartily desire for his Souls sake.

Signed by appointment of the Yearly Meeting, and in behalf thereof as their Act, which is to my own certain knowledge. Benjamin Bealing.