[Rarebooks] fa: REVELATION EXAMIN'D WITH CANDOUR - PATRICK DELANY - 3 vols. 1732-1763

[Ardwight Chamberlain]

Listed now, along with other 17th, 18th, & 19th-century titles, auctions ending Sunday, Sept. 23. More details and images can be found at the URL below or by searching under the seller name arch_in_la.

http://tinyurl.com/8trnfxv

Thanks,
Ardwight Chamberlain
L.A.


[Patrick Delany:] Revelation Examin’d with Candour. Or, A Fair Enquiry into the Sense and Use of the Several Revelations Expresly Declared, or sufficiently Implied, to be given to Mankind from the Creation, as they are found in the Bible. By a profess’d Friend to an honest Freedom of Thought in Religious Enquiries. London: C. Rivington, 1732; W. Johnston, 1763. FIRST EDITIONS. Three volumes, 8vo (20 cm), in period Cambridge-style paneled calf with modern gilt-lettered spine labels; xxi,[1],276,[8]p.; lxxi,[1],294,[2]p.; xxxvii,[3],256p.; engraved plate; woodcut decorations and initials; publisher's adverts at the end of vols. I & II. ESTC T103917; T103922.

A rare complete set of all three volumes — the third being published more than thirty years after the first two — uniformly and handsomely bound. Joints professionally repaired, some bumping and wear to the corners, minor rubbing and stains to the boards; offsetting to the edges of the preliminaries from the orignal binder's glue, some light intermittent toning to the leaves, but generally very clean and crisp, firmly bound. Early owner's signature ("M. Bouchery") on the front blank endpaper. A sound, appealing set.

Patrick Delany (ca. 1685-1768) was an Irish divine, popular sermonizer, dean of Down, and intimate of Jonathan Gay, Lord Bolingbroke and Jonathan Swift, with the last of whom he was especially close. Swift called him "the most eminent preacher we have." He is probably best remembered for his defense of Swift after his friend's death, Observations upon Lord Orrery's Remarks on the Life and Writings of Dr. Jonathan Swift (1754).

The subtitles of the three volumes provide a summary of the contents of this, Delany's magnum opus: PART I. Containing Dissertations upon the several Revelations from the Creation to the Flood, inclusive. VOLUME II. Containing Dissertations upon some Revelations subsequent to the Flood : Beginning with the Grant of Animal Food made by God to Noah, and ending with the Command to Abraham to sacrifice His Son. VOLUME III. Containing Dissertations on the following Subjects, viz. I. That the World was blessed with divine Revelations from the Beginning. II. On the natural Advantages of the Sabbath, and one ill-judged Abuse of it. III. Of the Blessings derived to the World through Abraham. IV. Of God’s Blessing to Abraham continued to his Son Isaac. V. The same Blessings continued to Jacob. VI. Of the Principles by which God governeth the animal World. Vii. Of the History and Character of Joseph. Viii. Of many magnificent Edgytian Buildings. IX. Of the Lake Moeris, and Joseph’s Canal. X. Joseph’s Favour to the idolatrous Priesthood objected to him, &c. XI. Of Inspiration by Dreams. XII. Answer to the Charge brought against Joseph, for enslaving the Egyptians.