To John Jay from Anthony Benezet, 2 February 1779
From Anthony Benezet
Chesnut Street the 2nd Feby. 1779
With affectionate respect, I hereby salute thee, & take the freedom to send thee the inclosed Pamphlet, containing Some Thoughts on War, Slavery &c. of which I earnestly request thy serious perusal. Indeed the subject is of the greatest weight to All, even as Human-Beings; but much more so to those who, indeed believe the great truths of the Christian Religion, God becoming Man, & dying for Mankind, even for his Enemies. “Leaving us, says the Apostle, an example, that we should follow his footsteps.” This & other arguments therein deduced, from the doctrines & nature of the Gospel, will I trust tend to soften, if not remove, any offence which The Friends’ refusal to take part in matters of a military nature may have raised in thy mind; and induce thee to distinguish between such who are active in opposition, & those who have been restrained from an apprehension of duty, & a persuasion that our common beneficent Father, who has the hearts of all men in his power, & has ^in former times^ so eminently displayed his goodness in favour of these countries, if properly sought unto, would, in his love & mercy, have averted the evil effects of any attempt which might have been made to impede our real welfare. By the deplorable effects which attends on these dreadful contests, it is evident, that it cannot be agreable to God who the Apostles denominates under the appelation of Love, as thereby every noxious passions of the human mind, instead of being calmed by the benign influences of Grace, the end & aim of Christianity, are thereby inflamed into greater wrath & evil of every kind; as has been verified in that destruction of morals, that waste of substance; but more particularly in the hasty death of so vast a number of our Fellowmen hurried into eternity; many it is to be feared in that distracted frame of mind which generally attends on war. These are considerations which cannot but strike every thoughtful mind with awe, and which, from the kindness & considerateness of thy disposition, will, I trust, incite thee to advocate the cause of a number of innocent people, of different Religious Persuasions, who from the above mentioned view of things, have not dared to give life or support to military operations; yet at the same time are, indeed, friends to, & really concerned for the true welfare of America, but willing to sacrifice their all, rather than do—that whereby they apprehend they may offend that great & good Being, from, whom alone, they look for any permanent happiness for themselves or their afflicted country. With affectionate desires, that the bless ing of the Peace-Maker, the peculiar favorite of heaven may be thine I remain, thy friend1
Anthy. Benezet
To J Jay President of the Congress
ALS, NNC (EJ: 5485). Addressed: “John Jay / President of the Congress.” Endorsed. Enclosure: Anthony Benezet’s Serious Considerations on several important subjects; viz. On war and its inconsistency with the Gospel. Observations on Slavery. And Remarks on the nature and bad effects of spirituous liquors (, no. 15737).
1. Anthony Benezet (1713–84) was the son of French Huguenots who emigrated to England, where Benezet became a Quaker. In 1731 the family removed to Philadelphia, where Benezet established himself as a teacher and antislavery crusader. His activities included aid to Acadian exiles in Philadelphia, agitation against the slave trade, and the founding of schools for girls and for African Americans. Encouraged by JJ’s 5 Mar. 1779 reply to his letter (below), Benezet wrote again, probably in the spring of that year. The enclosures in that communication were William Law, The Spirit of Prayer (first published in 1749), probably as reprinted in An extract from a treatise on the Spirit of prayer . . . (, no. 16817), sent for JJ’s “wisdom and comfort,” and Benezet’s edited version of Daniel Defoe’s The Dreadful Visitation, in a short account of the progress and effects of the plague, the last time it spread in the city of London, in the year 1665 (Philadelphia: Joseph Crukshank, 1774; , nos. 16817, 13145), which, it was suggested, JJ would find “agreably solemn, and instructive.” Benezet to JJ, [c. March?] 1779, NNC (EJ: 5486). In 1780 a new pamphlet that included the Spirit of Prayer extract and Benezet’s writing on liquor appeared with other writings on topics of interest to Benezet as An extract from a treatise on the spirit of prayer . . . With some thoughts on war: remarks on the nature of bad effects of the use of spiritous liquors. And considerations on slavery. (Philadelphia: Joseph Crukshank, 1780; , no. 16817).
For a later discussion of the morality of war, see John Murray Jr. to JJ, 22 Sept. 1816 (NNC, EJ: 9616), 28 Aug. 1817 (NNC, EJ: 9612), and February 1819 (NNC: EJ: 9597), and JJ to Murray, 12 Oct. 1816 (NNC, EJ: 9608), 15 Apr. 1818 (NNC, EJ: 9598), and 27 Feb. 1819 (NNC, EJ: 9602); and Francis X. J. Coleman, “John Jay on War,” Journal of the History of Ideas 43 (1982): 145–51.