Gilbert Wakefield (1756-1801) was a graduate of Cambridge and was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Church in about 1776. However, he soon regretted being ordained because he soon found himself unable to subscribe to the Anglican articles of faith. He taught at various schools which held Unitarian views. Politically, he was very outspoken; teaching that all war was immoral and the prevailing forms of government, both civil and ecclesiastical, were a “bond of iniquity.” The first edition of his New Testament was published in 1791 with a revised edition in 1795 and a third edition in 1820.
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First Edition
Title: A Translation of The New Testament: by Gilbert Wakefield, B.A. Late Fellow of Jesus-College, Cambridge. Volume I.
Date: 1791
Publisher: London: Printed at the Philanthropic Press, and Sold by J. Deighton, Holborn.
Contents: Volume 1: Gospels and Acts, Volume 2: Romans-Revelation, Volume 3: List of subscribers and notes.
References: Chamberlin 541-2; Herbert 1362, see 1285, Taliaferro-EELBV 7225.100.
Description:
Images: Title page
Second Edition
Title: A Translation of The New Testament: by Gilbert Wakefield, B.A. The second Edition, with Improvements In Two Volumes. Vol. I.
Date: 1795
Publisher: London: Printed by A. Hamilton, For George Kearsley
Contents: Volume 1: Gospels, Volume 2: Acts-Revelation
References: Chamberlin 541-2; Herbert see 1285, 1362, Taliaferro-BVE CN00196, Taliaferro-EELBV 7225.110.
Description: I: 234 mm, p. (title), viii, 410,(advertisement), II: 234 mm, p. (title), 472.
Images: Volume I Title page, Volume II Title page
First American Edition
Title: A Translation of the New Testament: by Gilbert Wakefield, B.A. from the second London edition.
Date: 1820 (First American edition).
Publisher: Cambridge: Printed at the University Press by Hilliard and Metcalf
Contents: New Testament
References: Chamberlin 541-2; Herbert see 1285, 1362, 1695; Hills: 406A, Taliaferro-BVE CN00196, Taliaferro-EELBV 7225.110.
Descripotion: 217 mm, p. xii, 450, (2), 163.
Images: Title page.
Facsimile: A pdf facsimile of the 1820 edition is available at books.google.com.
