e did not live to see the slaves
manumitted by all the slaveholding Friends, but he "was renewedly
confirmed in mind that the Lord (whose tender mercies are over all his
works, and whose ear is open to all the cries and groans of the
oppressed) is graciously moving in the hearts of people to draw them
off from the desire of wealth and to bring them into such an humble,
lowly way of living that they may see their way clearly to repair to
the standard of true righteousness, and may not only break the yoke of
oppression, but may know Him to be their strength and support in times
of outward affliction."[192]

Woolman's career was fittingly brought to an end in England, the
birthplace of the society for whose improvement he labored so
faithfully. He landed at London in June, 1772, and went straightway to
the Yearly Meeting.[193] He visited a number of meetings in
neighboring towns. While he was attending a meeting of Friends at
York, he was smitten with small-pox. He died of the malady, October 1,
1772. But his difficult duty had been performed, and his labor had not
been in vain. His efforts had so greatly influenced the Society of
Friends that the traffic in slaves had been almost abandoned during
his life. Some, of course, continued the practice of holding slaves;
but a protest against the practice was made at the Yearly Meeting two
years after the death of Woolman, and in 1776 the subordinate meetings
were instructed to "deny the right of membership to such as persisted
in holding their fellow-men as property." Thus, within four years
after the pious reformer's death, the Society of Friends embraced the
doctrine of abolition and made slaveholding an offence against
Christianity.

The life of John Woolman furnishes another example of a poor but
courageous man, who, guided by the real teachings of the Christian
religion, rendered a great service to mankind. Living at a time when
the defence of black men's rights was considered reprehensible, he
fought against discouraging odds for the brotherhood of mankind. He
was meek, persuasive, and confident. He was not a scholar, but "the
greatest clerks be not the wisest men," says Chaucer. Like Bunyan, he
was a student of the Holy Bible, and well understood its teachings. He
realized that no power is durable, or any religion permanent, that is
based on hypocrisy. He realized, further, that the grave question of
men's rights must be interpreted in terms of the Christian religion.