The A, B, C. With The Church of England Catechism, Published by Young, Stewart and McCulloch, First Edition, Second Issue, 1785

The A, B, C. With The Church of England Catechism. To Which are Annexed, Prayers used in the Academy of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in Philadelphia. Also, A Hymn on the Nativity of our Saviour; and another for Easter-Day. Philadelphia: Young, Stewart, and McCulloch, 1785. First edition, second issue. Small octavo pamphlet. 12pp, first and last leaves uncut. Preserved in a custom slipcase with hand-marbled boards. 

Presented is a first edition, second issue printing of The A, B, C. With The Church of England Catechism, published in Philadelphia by Young, Stewart, and McCulloch in 1785. A rare example of early American religious and educational printing, this small twelve-page pamphlet is among the earliest instructional texts produced for the newly formed Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States following the American Revolution. Printed only a short time after the conclusion of the war and just three years after the first Bible was printed in America, the work shows the challenges of adapting inherited English religious traditions to the new American Republic. 

The pamphlet is an elementary primer and a guide to Christian instruction. It begins with Roman and italic alphabets, followed by a syllabary intended to assist young readers in mastering the fundamentals of literacy. It then presents the Church of England Catechism, prayers used at the Academy of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, followed by graces and hymns for Christmas and Easter observance.  The publication shows that the education of its children and the moral formation of its citizens through religious instruction were priorities of the early American republic.

The pamphlet was one of the first catechisms printed for use by the American Episcopal Church after its separation from the Church of England, and thus the publisher had to make adjustments. There is an extraordinary publisher's note printed beneath the alphabets on the verso of the title page. Readers are informed that blank spaces appearing on page six "were formerly filled up with the Words (King) and (him); but as that Form of Expression does not suit our Republican Governments, the teacher will be pleased to fill up the Blanks with what Words he may deem Expedient." Few printed statements more clearly illustrate the cultural and political transformation underway in the United States during the 1780s. Traditional Anglican language affirming loyalty to the British monarch had become incompatible with the ideals of independence and republican government. Rather than simply reprinting an English catechism, the publishers consciously revised the text to reflect the values of the new nation. The title page also serves as a bold expression of post-Revolutionary ideals. Within an engraved vignette appears the motto "Virtue, Liberty, and Independence," encapsulating the principles that many Americans believed should guide the nascent republic's future. 

CONDITION: 

First edition, second issue, with the title page bearing the corrected wording "To Which are Annexed, Prayers used in the Academy of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in Philadelphia," distinguishing it from the first issue. Small octavo pamphlet. Good+ condition. 12pp, including titlepage.  First and last leaves are uncut. Pages previously sewn, with three holes along the side. Toning, significant creases to edges, surface stains and dirt. No loss to any printed text. Presented in a new custom 1/4 tan cloth and marbled paper slipcase.

Pamphlet Dimensions: 7 3/8” H x 4 5/16” x 1 1/16” D.  Slipcase Dimensions: 7 7/8"H x 4 3/4" W x 1/4" D. 

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity.