De Laune, Thomas. A Plea for the Non-Conformists, shewing the True State of their Case; and how far the Conformist's separation from the Church of Rome, for their Popish Superstitions, &c. Introduced into the Service of God, Justifies the Non-Conformist's Separation from them; In a Letter to Dr. Benj. Calamy, on His Sermon called Scrupulous Conscience, inviting hereto. And a Parrallel [sic] Scheme of the Pagan, Papal, & Christian Rites and Ceremonies. To which is added, A Narrative of the Sufferings Underwent. Ballston, Saratoga County: Re-printed by William Child, at the Printing-Office, north of the Court-House, 1800. Ballston Edition. [9866]
Full worn leather with an old leather repair over the top of the spine, front joint cracked with loosening board. 16 x 10 cm (6 1/4 x 4 inches). Bookplate & inscription described below. Second front free end paper detached, includes a half title page and a full title page. (i)-xxxix, [1], (41)-212, xx. Text complete, center section with burn hole in the inner margins (see photo). Fair. Hardcover.
Contemporary library bookplate, "Charlestown Library..." with the W crossed out; printed in old font with the long "s". Ffep with large inscription, "Adam Smith, Esqr. Librarian: Charleston Library. Vol. N. 73 - 306. Absent 60 Days. Annual Return of Books First Tuesday in January, Annual meeting Second Tuesday ??" (unreadable). Charleston, New York, is between Albany and Utica.
Starr, A Baptist Bibliography, D1302.
With a Preface by the Author of the Review, and a Preface to the Ballston Edition.
The Preface to the Ballston Edition is dated June 16th, 1800, and is written by Elias Lee.
Elder Elias Lee (1764-1828), b. Danbury, CT; d. Ballston Spa, NY. In 1800 he became the first pastor of the Baptist Church in Ballston Spa, which had formed in 1791. He mortgaged his farm to build the first meeting house, in 1803, which also housed the first public school of the town. - FBC of Ballston Spa, Church History, online.
The reprinted Preface to the reader is signed "E. Foe." This should be "D. Foe," for Daniel DeFoe, who wrote the Preface for the 1706 edition, herein reprinted.
The 39-page preliminary section are the two Prefaces.
Pp. 1-158 are the Plea for the Non-Conformists;
pp. 159-178 are EIKOON Tou Therou: Or, the Image of the Beast. Shewing by a Parrallel [sic] Scheme, What a Conformist the Church of Rome is to the Pagan: and What a Non-Conformist to the Christian Church, in its Rites, Services, and Ceremonies, the better to exemplify the true and false Church. By Thomas De Laune. Ballston: Re-printed by W. Child. 1800.
pp. 179-212 are A Narrative of the Sufferings of Thomas De Laune, For Writing, Printing and Publishing a late Book, called, A Plea for the Non-Conformists; with some Modest Reflections thereon. Directed to Dr. Calamy, in obedience to whose Call, that waork was undertaken. Ballston: Re-printed by W. Child. 1800.
pp. i-xx at the end of the book are a large list of subscriber's names, printed in double columns.
Thomas Delaune (d. 1685), b. in Brinny, Co. Cork, Ireland. He was born to a poor Catholic farming family, found favor with a landowner who sent him to a friary to gain an education. At about the age 16 he was employed as a clerk when he became a zealous Protestant and fled to England to escape persecution. He met the Baptist minister Edward Hutchinson who had been a pastor in Dublin.
Delaune was "a scholarly man, acquainted with many baptist ministers though never himself a minister or lay preacher, he entered into religious debate, publishing a number of tracts...He collaborated with his friend Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) on Tropologia, or scheme to open Scripture Metaphors (1681)...In 1684 he responded to the challenge to discuss the differences between the nonconformists and the Church of England contained in A discourse about a scrupulous conscience (1683) by Benjamin Calamy..." - Andrews, Helen, Dictionary of Irish Biography.
Delaune's public conflict with Calamy resulted in his arrest and imprisonment, and was found guilty of writing and publishing a seditious libel against the King and the Book of Common Prayer. He was fined and his books were publicly burned. Unable to pay the fine he remained in jail, his family joining him there, the family dependent upon charity. His wife and two children died from starvation, and after fifteen months Delaune himself died. He became a martyr in the eyes of many Baptists; his writings were many times republished, and Daniel Defoe wrote a preface for the 1706 edition in which he laments the treatment of the author, as well as admonishing his fellow nonconformists for not paying Delaune's fine.