Sammelband including a rare contemporary attack on Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason"

[Thomas Paine] John Clarke and Jeremy Belknap

An Answer to the Question, Why Are You a Christian? [WITH] Dissertations on the Character, Death & Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Evidence of His Gospel; With Remarks on Some Sentiments Advanced in a Book Entitled “The Age of Reason”

Boston: Samuel Hall / From the Apollo Press by Joseph Belknap, 1795. Very Good. Item #25718

Two volumes bound in one; full contemporary flame calf, red gilt-lettered spine label. Small blemish to spine foot, textblock a bit toned and lightly foxed, shallow loss to pp. 45/6 fore-edge of second title not quite touching text, contemporary ownership signatures to front free endpaper and first title page, 20th century ownership rubberstamp to front pastedown, else a Very Good volume overall. Contents as follows:

1. John Clarke. "An Answer to the Question, Why are you a Christian?" Boston: Samuel Hall, 1797. Sixth Edition. vii,[8]-80pp. (A-G6). EVANS 31940.

2. Jeremy Belknap. "Dissertations on the Character, Death & Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the evidence of his gospel; with remarks on some sentiments advanced in a book intitl'd 'The Age of Reason.'" Boston: From the Apollo Press, in Boston, by Joseph Belknap, 1795. First Edition. 140,[2]pp. (A-M6). EVANS 28256.

Two rather uncommon post-colonial religious tracts, that of Belknap's of special note for his violent response to Thomas Paine's recently serialized work "The Age of Reason," accomplished while imprisoned in Paris. To Belknap's mind, this work belongs "Among other ebullitions of [vulgar] infidelity," "founded partly in pedantry, partly in debauchery and partly in ill manners" (p. 8).

Price: $500.00