(Arnauld, Antoine and Pierre Nicole)
London, 1685
London: Printed by T. B. for H. Sanbridge, 1685. 8vo. 185 x 120 mm., [7 ¼ x 4 ½ inches]. [8], 250 [i.e. 240], 247, [9]. Bound in 19th century leather-backed marbled paper boards, paper title label; edges rubbed, a crack at joints, but a sound copy. Text block filled with contemporary annotations in ink in the margins; some highly legible and some blurred and smudged. For the most part a readable text written in Latin with some English notes in a separate hand.
First English edition, originally published in Paris in 1674 under the title La Logique, ou l'art de penser. The text, originally written by Antoine Arnauld and Pierre Nicole is organized in four parts. The first on the operation of the mind. Part II is consideration of men about proper judgement making; part III on various kinds of reasoning; and finally on the ways of demonstrating truth.
Logic, or the Art of Thinking was published in numerous edition and is not a rare book, although the first English edition is not common in the market. The importance of this copy is found in the annotations. What is exciting about the manuscript notes is the sheer amount of "thinking" that went into the comments, criticisms, and new information that the note maker made in his frenzy of explicating Arnauld and Nicole's work. One might think that the notes being written in Latin is a problem, but in fact it demonstrated the erudition of the note maker and his reliance on classical writings to emphasize his positions on the 'new rules' and ways of kindling 'judgment' expressed by Arnauld and Nicole.
A remarkable survival and a guide to the ways of philosophical thinking in during the last quarter of the 17th century.
Wing. Short title catalogue of books, 1640-1700, A-3721, .
New York Hospital
New York, 1845
New York: R. Craighead, Printer, 1845. 8vo. 225 x 135 mm., [8 ¾ x 5 ¼ inches]. 194 pp. Original printed wrappers; wrappers at spine expertly repaired by Japanese tissue, edges a bit fragile.
Catalogue of a collection of over 5,000 volumes, arranged mostly alphabetically. The analytical index is organized by subject and includes categories such as abortion, anatomy, cancer, chemistry, cholera, asphyxia, diseases of pregnant women, diseases of the army and navy, gout, insanity, midwifery, syphilis, small pox etc. Wrappers a bit soiled with age, generally a very good copy. .
Webb, John
Boston in New-England, 1726
Boston in New-England: Printed by J. Draper for D. Henchman, 1726. 8vo. 195 x 125 mm., [7 ¾ x 5 inches]. [2], v, [1], 350 pp. Bound in contemporary sheep, decorated in blind in the Regency style, raised bands, leather title label; joints expertly repaired with Japanese paper. Contemporary signature of E. Storer on title-page. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. With faults a very good copy in an original American binding.
First collected edition of the sermons of the Rev. John Webb, pastor of the New North Church of Boston. Webb (1687-1750) was educated at Harvard College in 1708 and ordained in 1714. He was an early convert to the New Lights and became a leader of the revival churches in Boston. He was a colleague of Joseph Sewell, Thomas Prince, William Cooper, and he invited Whitfield to speak at the New North Church, where according to Arnold Dallimore's research, people crowded the church and "squeezed into pews" to hear him speak. Over the three months following the appearance of Whitefield, Webb was approached by nearly one thousand people who feared for condition of their souls and asked for guidance toward salvation.
In the introduction to this book of sermons, Webb discusses the light and the awakening that he has experienced and the clarity that it has brought to his understanding of Scripture. He mentions the success that he has had with his sermons and the acceptance of his word by parishioners but cautions that others, referring to Whitefield no doubt, have the lead the way and have delivered the "most excellent treatises" on the subjects of death, judgement, heaven and Hell. These twenty-four sermons are a remarkable document which focuses on the most basic element of the revival movement, the condition of one's soul and path to salvation.
Evan, Charles. American Bibliography, 2823. Allibone, S. Austin. A Critical Dictionary of English Literature, II, p. 2620. Arnold A. Dallimore. George Whitefield: The Life and Times of the Great Evangelist of the Eighteenth-Century Revival, 1970, I. p. 533; 536-7. JT/DSC* (1095)
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M'Clure, David
Hartford, 1795
Hartford: From the Press of Beach and Jones, 1795. 8vo. 205 x 120 mm., [8 x 4 ½ inches]. [vi], [7]-328 viii pp. Contemporary mottled calf, red leather label on spine; head of spine a bit chipped, some minor staining to the spine, boards slightly bowed. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. Very good copy of an original American binding.
First edition, a second edition appeared in 1818. David M'Clure (1748-1820), was a scholarship student at the Moor Indian School and was a protégé of the Rev. Eleazer Wheelock the famous minister and educator of the poor and indigenous peoples of New Hampshire. According to a short biography on the Dartmouth College website, M'Clure trained in the ministry under Wheelock, finally receiving his degree from Yale in 1769 and beginning his mission with the Delaware Tribes of Pennsylvania. He was the pastor of the church in Northampton N.H. for a short time and spent over 30 years as pastor the church in East Windsor, CT. He was a Trustee of Dartmouth College from 1777 until 1800.
His Sermons on the Moral Law, contains twenty four sermons that he wrote during the first years of his ministry and contain scriptural and doctrinal lessons, mostly based on the Ten Commandments. It is apparent that many of these were written for the Native Americans he was charged to convert and contain simple lessons and examples laced with scriptural references. Each of his sermons is written in clear language and is organized with specific points that clarify the meaning of scripture. In most case he proved five numbered points that amplify his meaning and are easy to remember. M'Clure's published sermons are an excellent example of the pedagogical method of Wheelock, that was fashioned for the Indian Tribes of the North East.
Final leaves contain a list of 200 subscribers from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and an addition 50 subscribers from Saba, West Indies. The names of women subscribers include, Mrs. Phebe Bower of Winsor CT., Mrs. Rebecca Burr of Hartford, Miss Esther Gillet of Hebron, CT., and Mrs. Eunice Skinner and Mrs. Sarah Skinner both of East Hartford. From Saba West Indies, the subscriber's list includes the names of Mrs. Ann Simmons, Miss Ruth Davis, and Miss Eliner Peterson.
The connection between the publication of this book and the residence of Saba Island in the West Indies is a mystery. At the end of the 18th century Saba was mostly controlled by the Dutch and it became a haven for West Indian pirates, sugar growers, and enslaved peoples from Africa. M'Clure's sermons many have been used to Christianize the enslaved population that was growing at the end of the 18th century as the a the Triangle Trade of sugar for rum increased in New England. This would be an interesting direction for further research on the relationship of M'Clure's book and the subscribers listed on the final leaf.
Evans, Charles. American Bibliography, 28999. Dartmouth College, The Occum Circle/David McClure; https://collections.dartmouth.edu/occom/html/ctx/personography/pers0368.ocp.html JT DSC (1092) .
Mather, Cotton
Hartford, 1820
Hartford: Published by Silas Andrus, Roberts a& Burr, Printers, 1820. Two volumes. 8vo. 225 x 1 35 mm., [9 x 5 ½ inches]. [1], 573 pp; 595 pp.; each book with a separate title-page. Bound in contemporary mottled calf, read leather labels; upper joint rubbed with a short crack at top of board. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown.
First American edition from the London edition of 1702. Vol. II has imprint: Hartford: Published by Silas Andrus. Printed by S. Converse--New-Haven. 1820.
A near fine copy of an affordable edition of Mather's masterpiece.
In a review this edition that appeared in the 19th century English periodical the Quarterly Review Robert Southey wrote, "One of the most singular books in this or any other language. In puns and in poems, its sermons and its anagrams render it unique in its kind."
A critique written in the North American Review at the time that the 1820 edition was published, the editor writes in part:
"To those who are interested in the early history of our country, it may be well to remark, for accuracy in historical occurrences the will do well to rely on other authorities; but if they wish to obtain a general view of the state of society and manners, they will probably nowhere find so many materials for this purpose, as in the work of this pedantic and garrulous writer."
North American Review, Vol. V, p. 255. Sabin, Joseph. Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 46392, 46393. Howes, Wright, USIANA, M 391. JT/DSC* .
White, Rev. Mr. (Stephen)
Stitched sheets. 12mo. 165 x 100 mm., [6 ½ x 4 inches]. [32] pp.
The minister takes as his subject the passage from Ecclesiastes 9:10, which he paraphrases at the head of his text: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, for there is no work nor device, nor knowledge..." A note in the margin of the first leaf, in a different hand, reads: "A sermon of Rev. Mr. White. Presented by Rev. Mr. G.I. Stearns of Windham (Apr. 14, 1856)."
Rev. Stephen White (1718-1793) was born in Middletown, Connecticut and graduated from Yale in 1736. He moved to Windham in about 1740, serving the First Congregational Church there for 53 years. In his early years as pastor, the First Great Awakening occurred, and several parishioners broke away to form a separate church. It did not thrive and after several years, some of the members returned to White's congregation. George Ingersoll Stearns (1825-1862) was a minister there from 1852 until his death. [see: "A History of the Village and the First Congregational Church, Windham, Connecticut," by Ruth Swift (Windham, CT: 1975)]. Item #67582 JT/DSC [1090] .
Sermons. Manuscript
12mo. 165 x 100 mm., [6 ½ x 4 inches].Self-wraps, stitched. Each sermon in a uniform size, pagination various, and all apparently in the same neat hand. All have a caption title on the outer wrapper, and three or four different dates. The sermons were dated from their initial delivery (1800-1804), and then repeated at intervals (and so marked) over the years up to 1820. The group carefully preserved in a modern cloth clamshell box, with snap closure.
1) [note at head of wrapper: "Sing Ps. 45- 2nd part of [illeg]."] On the Love of the Upright. Second Sermon on ye text. Augt. 3d, 1800; July 5th, 1805 Preparatory; Augt. 26th, 1810; June 18th, 1820. [56] pp.
2) [132nd Hymn]. On the Happiness of those who overcome their Spiritual Enemies. -- T.M. Novr. 4th, 1802 Preparitory; Novr. 3d, 1805 Communion F.M.; Dec. 15th, 1811; May 1st, 1817 Preparitory. [38] pp.
3) [88 Ps. 3d part L.M.] On the reasonableness & Necessity of attending to the Ordinances & means of Grace. March [3rd?], 1800; Augt. 26th, 1804; April 7th, 1811; Novr. 10th, 1816. [39] pp.
4) [Sing Psalm XIX, 5th part C.M.] On The Character of Ballam. May 17th, 1801- D.L.B.; June 28th, 1807 T.M.; May 9th, 1819 T.M. [46] pp.
5) [112 Ps.] On the Importance of a right Improvement of our Talents. Jany. 25th, 1801; Sept. 9th, 1804; March 6th, 1814. [44] pp.
6) [Sing Ps. 97th C.M.] Abraham's Desire & Joy to see Christs Day. Decr. 27th, 1801; Feby. 16th, 1806; Jany. 6th, 1822. [44] pp.
7) [119 Ps. 9th part D.D.] On the Necessity of Divine Illumination in Ordr. to a right understanding of the wonderful things contained in God's word. 2nd sermon. Jany. 19th, 1800; Jany. 15th, 1804; Jany. 14th, 1810; March 30th, 1817. [45] pp.
8) [Morning sing. B. Ser. sing CIV Hymn- C.M., conclude with 116th H.] On Saving Faith in Jesus Christ. June 24th, 1804; Sept. 2d, 1810 F.M. [46] pp.
9) 155 H.] On Christian hope &c. (1st Sermon). April 29th, 1802 preparitory; June 4th, 1807 Preparitory; October 30th, 1814. [46] pp.
10) [257 H. - 153 H. to conclude] On Christian Hope &c. A 2nd Sermon. June 3d, 1802 Preparitory; July 30th, 1807 Preparitory; October 30th, 1814. [31] pp.
11) [213 H. 214 H. 215 H.] Sober mindedness inculcated on Young Men. May 13th, 1804 F.M.; Feby. [?], 1810 F.M.; July [?], 1814 F.M. ["This has been transcribed."] [45] pp.
Likely these sermons were preached in New England, which was experiencing the Second Great Awakening (1790-1840) during this time. "In 1800 the 'Connecticut Evangelical Magazine' was founded to report and encourage the revival spirit. Then in 1801, just as it began to flag in the towns, it came to Yale to reward the earnest preaching of President Timothy Dwight. A third of the students (many of them destined for the ministry) were converted." [see: Sydney Ahlstrom's "A Religious History of the American People," (New Haven: 1973), p.416] Whether the unknown author of these sermons was one of his students we have been unable to determine. Item #67567 JT/DSC (1088) .
(Scales, Jacob)
8vo. 200 x 180 mm., [8 x 6 ¾ inches]. 302 pp. Manuscript text in neat hand. Bound in half-leather and marbled boards, gilt rules on spine. Some rubbing to spine ends, a later ownership name stamp on front pastedown.
Manuscript lecture notes from Prof. Leonard Woods' class in theology, taught at the Seminary in Andover. The student introduces the lectures in the first two pages: "West Chester Society Colchester Conn. -- In view of an examination preparatory to my ordination I presented to the Council the following confession of faith...." He follows this information with a nine page table of contents for the lectures, which begins with "On the inspiration of the Scriptures." In clear prose, he recounts what he was taught by Prof. Woods while he was a student at Andover for those several years.
Although unsigned, these lecture notes most likely belong to Jacob Scales (1788-1873). Scales was born in Freeport, Maine, graduated from Dartmouth in 1817, and went on to Andover Theological Seminary, finishing his degree there in 1820. In December of that year, he was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church at Colchester, Connecticut. In 1827, Scales became a pastor in Henniker [NH]; then Cornwall, Vermont in 1839. Here he ran afoul of the local anti-slavery society, according to Lyman Matthews' "History of the Town of Cornwall, Vermont," [Cornwall, VT: 1862], pp. 182-6. A remonstrance by ten members of the church felt strongly he should not be installed. An ecclesiastical council was convened: "The remonstrants acknowledge that upon the subject of slavery, Mr. Scales, in sentiment, is correct; but they allege, that, as a practical abolitionist, he does not come up to the standard of the American Anti-Slavery Society. (Of this, however, no proof was adduced.) This Council can recognize no other standard than the Word of God..." and therefore the church proceeded to install him. His tenure was not always smooth and he was dismissed in 1842. He became an acting pastor at Plainfield from 1842-1861. [see his brief biography in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, v. 66, p. 50] Scales published several sermons and other works in his lifetime and Dartmouth College has a collection of his papers.
Leonard Woods (1774-1854) was a professor of theology at Andover from 1808 until his retirement in 1846. He was a member of the Congregational Church, and an orthodox Calvinist. He continued to write and prepare his works for publication. A five volume set of his lectures, sermons, letters and essays was published in Andover between 1849-1851. [see: McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia (Harper & Bros.: 1880) for more information on Woods]. . Item #67599 JT/DSC (1087)
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[Reed, Solomon]
Stitched sheets. 155 x 100 mm., [6 x 4 inches]. [12] pp., in a neat, minute hand. Place and date in manuscript at head of the first leaf.
Solomon Reed (1719-1785), graduated from Harvard in 1739. He served as minister of the North Congregational Church of North Middleborough from 1757 until his death. He was the successor of Rev. Isaac Backus who served the Church from 1748 to 1756.
This sermon offers Reed's views on election and predestination, recognizing the influence of the First Great Awakening on the Congregationalist churches of the time. He speaks to the more liberal ideas that man could be eligible for salvation and forgiveness of sins. See: S. Hopkins Emery's "History of the Church of North Middleborough, Massachusetts, in Six Discourses," (Middleborough: 1876, pp.27-31). The Pilgrim Society in Plymouth has some of Reed's manuscript sermons in their collection, along with a journal he kept from October 1743 to January 1745. Item #67579 JT/DSC
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Eckley, Rev. Dr. [Joseph]
Old South, Boston, 1788
Old South, Boston, 1788. Stitched sheets, 205 x 170 mm., [8 x 6 1/2 inches]. [21] pp., in a neat hand. First and last leaves detached, with no loss, several manuscript corrections. Signed on the last page by Rev. Dr. Eckley, Old South, Boston, and noting that the sermon was "Preached at the Chapel 17 November 1782. / At the Old South 2 Sab. Feby. 1784 from 13 Math. 45.46. / At the Old South 2 Sab. November 1784. / At the Old South 1 Sab. March 1788."
Fine written and preserved manuscript of a sermon on man's understanding of scripture, its mystical and literal meanings. Rev. Joseph Eckley (1750-1811) was a graduate of the College of New Jersey [now Princeton], and became pastor of the Old South Church in Boston in 1779, serving there until his death. He took charge of the church in the midst of the American Revolution when, according to a history of the church, the meeting house was in disrepair and the British were threatening the coast line. [see: Hamilton, "The History of the Old South Church (Third church) Boston.) The New Jersey Historical Society has a collection of some of his Revolutionary War era sermons. According to their brief biography of Eckley he was considered a conservative pastor, but with moderate theological opinions. In addition to his ministry, he served as chaplain of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1783 and was a state senator in 1784. He was a Federalist and an abolitionist.
Rev. Eckley appears to make reference to the Revolutionary War on pp. 13-14 of this sermon, in a passage describing Greek history: "When the Grecians were invaded by a powerful army of some millions of men, the spirit of that nation was so aroused, as to become as one man. Union of interest tends to promote ardor of affection - & ardor of affection often produces happiness. And in this land when at the beginning of the war the like ardor & zeal prevailed, from a consciousness of union of thoughts & interest, witness the pleasure attending such a state of mind in preference to cooler desires, or a more languid frame and thus in heaven when the saints & angels are one in mind, & the cause & interest of the diety theirs, & the vast works which he does, those very works in which they delight, & even engage in furthering, what will be that ardor - what will be that strength, where things of infinite magnitude will be presented to engage the mind, & every degree of consciousness existing of the most perfect union of sentiment & desires, from God himself, to the [last?] of all the angels or saints in heaven."
"The History of the Old South Church (Third church) Boston, 1669-1884," by Hamilton A. Hill (Boston & NY: 1890)].Item #67585 JT/DSC (1085)
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(Dean, Samuel.)
Providence, [RI], 1826
Providence, [RI]: Published by the Society and Printed by Miller & Grattan, 12, Market-Square, 1826. 8vo. 220 x 140 mm., [8 ¾ x 5 ½ inches]. 18pp. Original brown printed paper wrappers. "Samuel Deane, Scituate, Mass" written in ink on front wrapper (whether an autograph or just a simple notation is undetermined).
First edition. Attributed to Samuel Deane, Rev. Deane, pastor of the Second Church in Scituate from 1810 through 1834 and author of The History of Scituate, Massachusetts From Its First Settlement. . . published in 1831. "In the mind of Mr. Deane the qualities of strength and beauty were happily united. His genius was essentially poetical. An imagination exceedingly productive; a sensibility thrilling at a touch; a cultivated taste; a susceptibility to the pleasures of music rarely excelled; a true sympathy with Nature and with Man; these were all properties which were obvious in him upon even a moderate degree of intimacy." (Obituary, Chr,. Reg. August 23, 1834.). . . His attempts at poetical composition were not numerous. He delivered a Poem entitled, The Populous Village, before the Philermenian Society of Brown University, in 1826, which was published, and also a satirical Poem on Some Literary Errors of the Age, before another literary society connected with that institution. "
American Imprints 24315 attributes the poem to Deane. Dean, Arthur D. Genealogy of the Dean Family. Scranton, Pa: Published by the author, 1903, pp. 28-29. Item #67385 JT/DSC
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Carey, H. C.
Philadelphia, 1853
Philadelphia: Hart, Late Carey & Hart, 1853. 8vo. [3], 4-426 pp., erratum. Later ownership stamp "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front flyleaf. Later three-quarter morocco binding with gray cloth covered boards. Spine with raised bands and gilt stamping, top edge gilt.
First edition. Henry Charles Carey (1793- 1878) was the leading American economist of the nineteenth century and an advocate for the American School of Capitalism. He wrote the economic platform on which Abraham Lincoln ran and was his chief economic advisor when he assumed the office. He begins his study of slavery with a presentation on its history in Great Britain and the United States and focuses in the fourth chapter on the emancipation of slaves in Great Britain in the 1830's. Using this example and documenting the significant growth of the British economy after emancipation, Carey offers a plan for the United States that equates freedom of labor with economic growth. In doing so he focuses on tariffs, sound money, and the development of a national infrastructure. He continues his book with a look at slavery, in all its manifestations in Europe, especially in Germany and Russia, and asks and then answers the question, how can this system be replaced.
Blockson 10000. LC/HSP 2025. Work p. 289. Item #67381, JT/DSC .
(Smith, E. H.)
Litchfield, 1793
Litchfield: Collier and Buel, 1793. 12mo. viii, (4) blank, 304 pp., (6) pp. subscribers list, (1)p. errata. Front endpaper lacking, top inch of blank front flyleaf clipped away, taking an old ownership signature. Period full leather binding, gilt ruled spine, gilt stamped red morocco spine label. Front joint starting at both ends, rear joint neatly repaired. Ownership markings of Paul Van Pelt, N[ew] York on front flyleaf and rear endpaper, and a later ownership stamp "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. First American poetry anthology. The collection comprises poems by Trumbull, Dwight, Barlow, Hopkins, Hopkinson, Humphreys, Livingston, Mrs. Morton, J. Allen, W. Dunlap, Freneau, and others.
"This was the first Anthology of American poems. Only "Vol. I" was ever printed. On pages 217 to 219 there is a poem of 11 four-line stanzas called "African Distress". This poem was originally printed anonymously in the New Haven Gazette and Connecticut Magazine, Feb. 21, 1788, in an incorrect manner. 'The theme is the distress which the inhabitants of Guinea experienced at the loss of their children, who were stolen from them by the persons employed in the barbarous traffic of human flesh. It is an attempt to represent the anguish of a mother whose son and daughter were taken from her by a ship's crew belonging to a country where the God of Justice and Mercy is owned and worshipped.' " Heartman.
The subscriber's list is a who's who of the Connecticut River Valley, Hudson Valley New York, and Philadelphia. Women subscribers include Mrs. Mary Bringhurst of Philadelphia, Mrs. Broome of New York, Mrs. Betsy Chester of Wethersfield, Miss. H. Cooperthwaite, of Philadelphia, Miss Sally Dwight of Northampton, Miss Lucy Payne of Philadelphia, Miss Sarah Pemberton of Philadelphia, Miss Mary S. Smith of Litchfield, Miss Sally Talman of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Dolly P. Todd of Philadelphia.
Evans 25104. BAL (Dunlap) 4976. BAL (Dwight) 5046. BAL (Morton) 14556. BAL (Trumbull) 20545. Wegelin 489. Item #67379 JT/DSC .
Mayhew, Jonathan
Boston, 1755
Boston: Printed by Richard Graper, 1755. 8vo. 205 x 133 mm., [8 x 5 ¼ inches]. [2], iv, [2] 510, [2] pp. Bound in contemporary mottled sheep, raised bands and red title label on spine; binding rubbed at joints, edge of label missing, text block browned at fore edge and a bit of spotting throughout; front free endpaper detached but present. Contemporary signatures on S. Higginson and John Higginson on title-page. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. An attractive copy in an original American binding.
First edition. Jonathan Mayhew's (1720-1766) was born on Martha's Vineyard and educated at Harvard where he received his degree in divinity in 1744. He was made pastor of the Old West Church in Boston in 1747, three years after graduation at the age of 27 years. His Sermons on the Following Subjects are some of his earliest theological essays and they clearly placed him in opposition to the Congregational establishment as they suggested the Unity of God and salvation through character and good works. By the 1760's Mayhew was at odds with the pietistic wing of the Congregational Church, and he was even in a controversy with the Archbishop of Canterbury over the establishment of Anglican bishops in the major cities of the Colonies. His opposition to Anglican control evolved into a wholesale endorsement of political independence and his sermons during the last years of life reflected both this theological and political transformation. He died at the age of 46, "overtaxed, in the beauty of unblemished manhood, consumed by his fiery zeal."
Evans, American Bibliography, 7488. ESTC W29392. Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol. IV, pp. 275-6. JT/DSC* (1081)
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Hitchcock, David
Boston, 1806
Boston: Published by Etheridge and Bliss, Oliver & Munroe, Printers, 1806. 12mo. 180 x 105 mm., [7 x 4 ¼ inches]. [xvi], 17 -164 pp; plus 2 pp. ads. Bound in contemporary brown sheep skin, red leather label; some minor rubbing to the joints, head of spine missing. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. Some discoloration of the preliminary leaves and minor spotting in the text. With faults a very good copy in original American binding.
The first nine pages is a sketch of the author's life by the publisher followed by "The Shade of Plato Defense of religion, Morality, and Government. A Poem in Four Parts." David Hitchcock (b. 1773) was born in Litchfield County, Connecticut and was a shoemaker by trade. This is his only poem and it "has been thought to possess considerable merit. . ." His biography which appears in Appleton's Cyclopaedia reads in part, "His principal poem, "The Shade of Plato" (Boston 1806), is written with ease and smoothness, and closes with expostulations on the revolutionary principles in vogue at the beginning of the century."
Wegelin American Poetry 991. Allibone, Austin. A Critical Dictionary of English Literature, Vol I, p. 351. Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, Vol III, p. 216. .
Flynt, Henry
Bostoni, in Nov-Anglia, Excusum, 1737
Bostoni, in Nov-Anglia, Excusum, 1737. 8vo. 190 x 120 mm., [7 ½ x 4 ¾ inches]. [2], 9 pp. Pictorial title page, with woodcut skull and cross bones at top of black funeral border. Text in Latin. Modern card stock wrappers.
First and only edition. When he wrote this eulogy, Henry Flynt was the Acting President of Harvard College, filling in for Benjamin Wadsworth, the ailing President who died on the 16th of March 1737. Wadsworth was a student at Harvard who became a Congregational Minister and leader of the First Church of Boston. Written in Latin, Flynt's sermon provides biographical information on Wadsworth's family and education and highlight his work at the First Boston and as President of Harvard College. According to his biography that appears in Appleton's Cyclopaedia, his peers considered him a good theologian and church leader but he was not suited for the position of president of Harvard because of his narrow education.
"Henry Flynt was born to Josiah and Esther (Willet) Flynt in Dorchester, Massachusetts on May 5, 1675. His father, who was minister of Dorchester, died when Henry was five years old. Henry earned his A.B. from Harvard College in 1693 and his A.M. in 1696. He then preached in Connecticut for several years before returning to Harvard, where he had been offered a position as Tutor. Flynt stayed at Harvard for the rest of his life, serving as Tutor from 1699 to 1754, as a Fellow of the Harvard Corporation from 1700 to 1760, as Secretary to the Board of Overseers from 1712 to 1758, and as acting President from 1736-1737. He was a fixture of 18th-century life at the College, and was referred to as 'Father Flynt' in his later years. Henry Flynt died in Cambridge on February 13, 1760." His diary is in the collections at Harvard College and a source of much information on his life and works.
Sabin, Joseph, Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 24929. Evan, Charles, American Bibliography, 4139. For biographical information on Flynt see Colonial North America at Harvard Library and Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, VI, p. 312. JT/DSC* (1079)
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(Flint, Timothy)
Worcester, 1805
Worcester: Printed and Sold by Isaiah Thomas, Jun, 1805. 12mo. 165 x 115 mm., [6 ½ x 4 ½ inches]. [4], 5- 121pp., plus 3 pp. ads. Bound in contemporary wooden boards, leather spine, marbled paper boards; binding paper a bit soiled, edges bumped, small part of wooden board showing, some light age toning to text. Signature of Samuel Gay of Cambridge written on the front free endpaper. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. With faults a very good copy of an Isaiah Thomas imprint in original American binding.
First edition. Timothy Flint (1780-1840), was an ordained Congregational minister, dissenter, missionary, teacher and a published author who sought to reinvigorate American Protestantism with a vision of the eternal Christ. This work, one of his early publications, attempts to remind Christians that mankind is immortal and that the soul is the vehicle imbued in each of us by God that will last forever. Christians have the power to determine whether our souls will live everlasting life in heaven or suffer the pains of hell for eternity.
Shaw & Shoemaker; American Imprints, 7881; Blanck, Jacob, Bibliography of American Literature, 6112. .
Edwards, Jonathan
New Haven, 1822
New Haven: Printed and Published by S. Converse, 1822. 8vo. 215 x 140 mm., [8 ½ x 5 ½ inches]. 507 pp. Bound in contemporary mottled calf, red leather label; minor rubbing to joints and head and tail of spine; some light foxing to end sheets and minor spotting to the text. Presentation inscription from E. D. Griffin to his daughter Ellen Maria Griffin in ink on front free endpaper, dated 1837 in pencil. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. Otherwise, a very good copy in original American binding.
Nicely printed and bound later edition of the diaries and journals of David Brainerd (1781-47), notable missionary to Native Americans who died at the age of 29 years. His missionary work became the inspiration for generations of New Light ministers who followed in his footsteps. During his short life he became intimate friends and colleagues with Jonathan Dickinson (see above) who encouraged his work in New Jersey, and he was betrothed to the daughter of Jonathan Edwards Jerusha, who also died of tuberculous after nursing the gravely ill Brainerd.
The text of this work was taken from Brainerd's diary by Jonathan Edwards and this edition includes for the first time passages from his journal, "now for the first time incorporated with the rest of his diary, in a regular chronological series edited by Sereno Edwards Dwight". Brainerd's first hand account of the customs of the Mid-Atlantic Tribes and their sometimes rapid acceptance of Christian principles was read not only by the missionary class but also by the curious who were interested in learning about the lives of American Indians. The number of editions that were printed in the 18th and 19th centuries is testament to continued interest in his work.
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Dwight, Timothy
Hartford, 1785
Hartford: Elisha Babcock, 1785. 8vo. 170 x 100 mm., [6 ¾ x 4 inches]. [8], 304, [2] pp., including errata leaf at end of text. Bound in contemporary brown sheep skin, red leather label. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. A very good copy in an original American binding.
First edition. Timothy Dwight (1752-1817), was born in Northampton, Massachusetts, educated first by his mother, daughter of Jonathan Edwards, and at Yale College graduating in 1769. He became famous as an educator but was first a chaplain in the Connecticut Brigade during the Revolution, where he served with distinction and rallied his troops with his poetry and songs. He began writing his epic poem in 1771 while acting as a tutor at the Hopkins School in New Haven and worked on it for the next fourteen years before it was published in Hartford. After his father's death in 1779 he returned to Northampton where he established a school for both sexes, which featured rigorous course work in reading and writing for both boys and girls. In 1795 Dwight was called to Yale as President, a position he held until his death in 1817. Known for his reforms to both the curriculum and the culture of the school, he turned Yale into one of the leading educational institutions in America. Dwight also took a leading role in the Second Great Awakening and preached about the 'rechurching" of American religion.
The Conquest of Canaan, an epic poem in 11 books, is an allegory written as a story from the Bible that recounts the battle for Connecticut against the British invaders. It is not only the first epic poem written by an American author, but it is also one of the foundational works in the creation of a national literature for this country. Although not as well received as his poem, "Columbia" (1777), his epic poem is now considered a classic of American literature.
Sowerby, E.M. Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 4304. Sabin, Joseph, Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 21548. Evans, Charles. American Bibliography, 18996. Blanck, Jacob, Bibliography of American Literature, 5040. English Short Title Catalogue, W30488.
(Dickinson, Jonathan)
Boston, New England, 1733
Boston, New England: Printed by S. Kneeland & T. Green for D. Henchman, 1733. Bound with: (Thomas Foxcroft). Eusebius inermatus: Just remarks on a late book intitled Eleutherius Enervatus, or an Answer to a Pamphlet, Intituled, The Divine Right of Presbyterian Ordination ... / by Phileluth Bangor, V.E.B. Boston: Printed for D. Henchman, 1733.
Two parts in one volume, each with separate title-page. 8vo. 165 x 110 mm., [6 ½ x 4 inches]. [2], 126 pp; [2] 158, [2] pp. (half-title to first part removed). Bound in contemporary sheep, decorated in blind in the Regency style; binding a bit scuffed, joints showing some wear, head of spine chipped but a sound and attractive. The textblock brown with age but sound was trimmed at top edge affected the headline and page number on a few pages.
Contemporary signature of John Lovell on the title-page; near contemporary inscription on the front free endpaper which reads, "R. B. Lawrence/ in considerations of/ him being one of/ the ? ? of the Holy Catholic Church"; and Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown. A very good copy in an original American binding.
Jonathan Dickinson (1688-1747) was born in Hadley, Massachusetts and educated at Yale and out of divinity school took a post in Elizabethtown, New Jersey where he remained most of his career. During this time, he ministered to both the spiritual and temporal conditions of his congregants and practicing as a physician for the community at large. He was instrumental in establishing the College of New Jersey in 1741 and was its first president, a post he retained until his death.
Dickinson was an enthusiast for the Great Awakening that swept the colonies in the 1730's and 1740's. Although he saw the revival as a way to keep Christianity vital, he was wary of a violent tendency of some evangelicals and wrote and preached against it. His work, the Scripture-Bishop Vindicated is a forceful and influential justification of the need to break with the Philadelphia Presbytery and establish a reform Presbyterian Government that more reflected the religious fervor that was exhibited in the Great Revival. Dickinson's book was meet with a response with the publication of Just Remarks, a trenchant and didactic apology for the existing governing body of the Presbyterian Church.
Evans, Charles, American Bibliography, 3651/3731 and ESTC W8686 attributing the second part to James Westmore. Sabin Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 22115 attributing the second part to Thomas Foxcroft. JT/DSC* .
Dell, William
Germantown, 1760
Germantown: Printed by Christopher Sower, 1760. 8vo. 180 x 120 mm., [7 ¼ x 4 ¾ inches]. [Pp. 73]- 168. Modern calf backed marbled paper boards. Textblock a bit toned, a few leaves slightly brittle at extremities else a very good copy in a sympathetic modern binding; probably bound by Fred Shihadeh, master binder of Philadelphia.
First Sower edition of Dell's Christ's Spirit and his essay The Stumbling Stone originally published with Thomas Hartley's Discourses printed in 1759. William Dell (1607-1669), was a 17th century dissenter and radical parliamentarian whose publications and influence continued in America until the 1830's. He railed against the established religion, preached against Parliament's legislation seeking to control religious dissent, and was a thorn in the side of those attempting to stabilize English society during the tumultuous years of the mid-17th century. He was often quoted during the revolutionary period in America and for a time became an icon for dissenters in the early years of the 19th century.
Christopher Sower (1721-1784) was a member of the German Baptist Brethren (a.k.a. a 'Dunkard'). He first entered the print trade through his father's printshop and was placed in charge of the bindery and English-language publications. Upon the death of his father in 1758 he expanded the operation, opening a paper mill on the Schulkill River in 1773, quickly making him one of the wealthiest men in pre-Revolutionary America. Sower, like Dell, had enemies of his own, picked up through the practice of printing pamphlets critical of, among other things, slavery. His most famous rival was fellow printer Benjamin Franklin, who tried and failed to sink Sower by issuing his own German-language newspaper. However, where Franklin failed, the Revolutionary War succeeded. Sower, a staunch pacifist, felt compelled to oppose the Revolutionaries and handed the printing business over to his son, himself a Loyalist who absconded for England with the British troops in 1778. His father meanwhile, remained in Pennsylvania after the War, occupying himself with a small bindery before his death in 1784. (Thanks to Helene Golay for help with this description).
Evans, Charles. American Bibliography, 8576 & 8577. Sabin Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 19437. DSC* (1074) .
Chauncy, Charles
Boston, 1743
Boston: Printed by Rogers and Fowle for Samuel Eliot in Cornhill, 1743. 8vo. 195 x 120 mm., [7 ¾ x 4 ¾ inches]. xxx, 18, 424 pp. Bound in contemporary mottled calf, raised bands, red leather label. The binding shows minor rubbing at joints, some discoloration due to age, but a very good copy in contemporary American binding. Stamped "Ex Libris Wilson H. Kimnach" on front pastedown and the 19th century signature of John Clarke dated 1848.
First edition. Charles Chauncy (1705-1787) was one of the leading American theologians who served his congregation in Boston for nearly 60 years. He broke with the strict tenants of Calvinism rejecting the doctrine of justification by faith alone and the total depravity of mankind. He adopted a more liberal view having been influenced by the Enlightenment and became one of the leaders Liberal Protestantism and Unitarianism. He was a stanch supporter of the American caused during the revolution and wrote a number of sermons advocation separation. Norman and Lee Gibbs, historians of American religion, called him the "theologian of the American Revolution."
Seasonable Thoughts on the State of Religion is a manifesto against enthusiasm in religion and with its publication, Chauncy become a leader of the Old Lights arguing against the First Great Awakening and the establishment of the New Lights lead by Whitfield and his followers. His book is snapshot of American religion during the middle years of the 18th century and it provides in great detail the evolution of the awakening of the evangelical spirit taking place in America and the theological debate that he constructed in order to combat its spread.
A fundamental book in the history of American religion. A second edition, also printed by Rogers and Fowle appeared in 1748.
Evans, Charles. American Bibliography, 5151. Sabin, Dictionary of Books Relating to America, 12327. Appleton's Cyclopaedia of American Biography, I p. 594. .
