A Letter, directed thus, for James Lyon in Kirkwall [with] A Short Account of the Divine Original of Episcopacy....being an Answer to a Letter from Mr James Sands in Birsay by James Sands, James Lyon - 1710

1710 An extremely rare original copy which records the religious argument between James Sands a minister of the church in Birsay, and James Lyon, a minister of the church in Kirkwall in 1710. James Sands wrote to James Lyon to argue with his doctrinal views and to ask him a series of questions. James Lyon's furious response is in book form, with dedication to the Earl of Strathmore, searing preface to the reader, and text numbering up to 147 pages. The full leather binding is recent and in near fine condition - with raised bands, gilt titles and date to spine, and some blind stamped lines to boards. New marbled endpapers, with bookplate of John Davie Manson Robertson, a noted Orcadian, to the front pastedown. The contents are sound and clean but very brown-toned (appropriate in a sense to the content!). Contents: 2 new initial and final blanks; title page to letter from James Sands; text pp 1-31; title page James Lyon; dedicatory letter 3pp; preface to reader 10pp; text pp 3-147 with mispagination but no loss of text - pp 50-52-53; pp 58-59-59.