An Apology for the Bible: In a Series of Letters Addressed to Thomas Paine

Richard Watson (1737-1816) was a prominent Anglican clergyman who served as Bishop of Llandaff between 1782 and 1816. First published by Cambridge in 1820, this volume is derived from Watson’s renowned late eighteenth century defence of biblical values from the perceived irreligion of Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason. Written in the form of a series of letters to Paine, the text is populist in tone, reflecting the author’s aim of appealing to the same class of reader as The Age of Reason. This is an important book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of religious and political thought.