The Variations of Popery. Dublin: Curry & co; [1831]. First Edition. Pp 518;2]. Rebound in quarter calf over linen boards. Raised bands ruled in gilt, with title label to second compartment. A nice bright copy.

The first edition of Edgar’s major polemical work attacking doctrinal and historical inconsistencies within Roman Catholicism. Published shortly after Catholic Emancipation (1829), reflecting heightened Protestant anxieties in Ireland.

Rev Samuel Edgar was a prominent Presbyterian minister and professor of divinity in Belfast. Known for his polemical works defending Protestantism and critiquing Catholic theology. His writing reflects the intellectual culture of the Ulster Presbyterian establishment, which saw itself as a bulwark against Catholic political resurgence.