THE CHRISTIAN-QUAKER, AND HIS DIVINE TESTIMONY VINDICATED BY SCRIPTURE, REASON AND AUTHORITIES; AGAINST THE INJURIOUS ATTEMPTS, THAT HAVE BEEN LATELY MADE BY SEVERAL ADVERSARIES, WITH MANIFEST DESIGN TO RENDER HIM ODIOUSLY INCONSISTENT WITH CHRISTIANITY AND CIVIL SOCIETY. IN II PARTS

Penn, William, and George Whitehead

Verlag: Andrew Sowle], [London, 1674

[34],162,[1],176 [i.e. 376],[1]pp., including errata leaf for each part and individual titlepages. Small folio. Contemporary mottled calf boards, rebacked in modern calf with raised bands and gilt morocco label. Boards somewhat rubbed and scraped, corners worn. Occasional light foxing and soiling, a handful of small closed marginal tears or paper flaws. A very good, wide-margined copy. The second (but first extant) edition of this work by William Penn, noted Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania, in which he refutes assertions about the Quaker faith made by Baptist preacher Thomas Hicks in his pamphlet entitled A DIALOGUE BETWEEN A CHRISTIAN AND A QUAKER (1673). Hicks' pamphlet purported to be a conversation between an orthodox Christian and a Quaker, in which the Quaker was made to appear quite foolish. Bronner & Fraser note that it must have been quite popular, as it went through two printings and Penn felt compelled to respond with the present work. Penn's essay concerns "the Light within," which he claims is universal, dating back to the classical world even before Christ, though he notes that Christ is the ultimate expression of the Light. "WP went on to prove the universality of the Light through reason, and to summarize the character of a True Quaker, as one who is completely obedient to the Light. Biographers have called this WP's most systematic essay written up to this point, and it was given a good reception in the seventeenth century. When WP reprinted the work in 1699 he omitted all references to Hicks and printed it under the title, A DISCOURSE OF THE GENERAL RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE" - Bronner & Fraser. Bronner and Fraser claim that a 1673 edition must exist based on a mention in 1673's RULE AGAINST RAILING, though no copy of this supposed first edition has ever been reported. Leaf [O2] in this copy appears in a contemporary cancel which we do not find recorded elsewhere. An uncommonly nice copy of this rare and important early piece of Quakeriana. BRONNER & FRASER 22B. SMITH, FRIENDS' BOOKS 2:291:1. WING P1266. ESTC R37076. SABIN 59688. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers WRCAM57843

Bibliografische Details

Titel: THE CHRISTIAN-QUAKER, AND HIS DIVINE ...
Verlag: Andrew Sowle], [London
Erscheinungsdatum: 1674