Abel Morgan | Anti-Paedo-Rantism, 1747

Abel Morgan

Anti-Paedo-Rantism; or Mr. Samuel Finley's Charitable Plea for the Speechless Examined and Refuted: The Baptism of Believers Maintain'd; and The Mode of it, by Immersion, Vindicated. Philadelphia: Printed by B. Franklin, in Market-Street, M.DCC.XLVII (1747)

8vo (174 x 114 mm). Head- and tailpieces, separate title to Appendix, errata leaf at end; title-page browned, first few leaves with loss to top right corner, stain to top right margin roughly through first half, leaves toned and with scattered foxing, corners chewed in gatherings I and K, a few stray spots and stains, some contemporary marginalia. Contemporary speckled calf, covers ruled in blind, manuscript title to spine; overall scuffed and stained, joints starting, head and foot of spine with loss, short splits to front free endpaper at gutter. Red cloth slipcase, chemise.

Franklin's imprint of Morgan's first response to Finley's treatise on baptism.

In 1743, Presbyterian minister Samuel Finley and Baptist minister Abel Morgan preached sermons in New Jersey debating the baptism of infants, sparking a seven-year-long controversy. In 1746, Finley produced a pamphlet on the subject at William Bradford's press, to which Anti-Paedo-Rantism was Morgan's response.

The present volume includes An Appendix to the Foregoing Work; being Remarks on some Particulars in a late Pamphlet, Entituled, Divine Right of Infant-Baptism, Written by another Hand, attributed to the Reverend Benjamin Griffith and also printed by Franklin in 1747.

REFERENCES

Miller 425; ESTC W37801; Evans 6013; Hildeburn 1022

PROVENANCE

Richard Van Burkloe (inscription on title-page, "his book") — John Thomas (inscription on rear free endpaper, "John thomas this is book and if he loset and another fiend it let him be so kind as to Restoret back again") — George B. Storer (inscription on title verso, dated April 1908, "Bot. in Phila")