Beschreibung:

DescriptionAllen, EthanReason the Only Oracle of Man, or a Compendious System of Natural Religion. Bennington, VT: Haswell & Russell, 1784
8vo (203 x 127 mm). Half-title, head-pieces of printer's ornaments; dampstaining to the first two quires, a few short closed marginal tears, scattered marginal spots, upper corners of a few leaves folded over. In contemporary sheep, spine with raised bands in 6 compartments, second with red morocco label lettered in gilt; front hinge cracked but holding, partial loss to tailband, overall rubbed and worn, with corners exposed.
First edition of the first publication in the United States openly directed against the Christian religion. Sabin calls this "singular book ... the rarest of Allen's publications." Allen told a friend in 1785, "I Expect that the Clergy, and their devotees, will proclaim war with me, in the name of the Lord, his Battles they affect to fight ... But I am a hardy Mountainnear, and have been accustomed to the ravages, and horrors of War, and Captivity, and Scorn to be intimidated by threats, if they fright me, they must produce some of their tremendous fire, and give me a sensitive scorching." A fire in the publisher's shop destroyed most of the 1,500 copies printed. Mr. Haswell reportedly took the fire as a sign of divine disfavor and committed the remainder of the run to the flames, soon thereafter converting to Methodism. Scarcely any copies have survived, and only five copies have appeared at auction in the last 40 years.
Rare.
REFERENCE:Church 1201; Evans 18322; Sabin 802
PROVENANCE:George Wiekes (gift inscription to front free endpaper: "Presented by D. Owen ... 1872") — Stamford Village Library, donated by Frances Griffin (bookplate to pastedown)Condition reportCondition as described in catalogue entry.
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