David Simpson [1745-1799] was, like Philip Doddridge, a friend of the Great Awakening who chose to remain in the Anglican Church. A close friend of John Wesley's, he invited Wesley to preach more than a dozen times in his church. This was of course forbidden by the Anglican church. Simpson was a pioneer of Evangelical theology in the Anglican church and of congregational hymn singing, under the influence of Charles Wesley and others.
Simpson and Wesley seem to have bonded, at least in part over their mutual appreciation of the supernatural. They both believed the miraculous to be a continuing phenomena for the Church, in the appearances of the ghosts of the dead, and of the ongoing importance of dreams and visions for the Church age.
The present is exceptionally rare; no other copies on the market. In it, Simpson argues that it is within the bonds of Christian duty and indeed a missional and ethical imperative of Christians to be inoculated. It is a bit jaw-dropping to read this and, with only the slightest updating of language, recognize the essential dividing lines of our modern discussion of similar subjects.
Simpson, David. A Discourse on Inoculation for the Small-Pox. Birmingham. Printed and Sold by M. Swinney. 1789. First Edition. 32pp.
Generally clean with some light foxing, removed from a sammelband and side-sewn at some point. Essentially disbound. Very closely cropped at a few points as shown.
