Quarto. Manuscript on paper. 105pp. Disbound, within heavily worn contemporary calf boards, with the armorial bookplate of 'Philip Thicknesse Esq. Land-Guard Fort 1755' to FEP, and a manuscript note explaining the contents and origins of the manuscript to blank-fly (also detached). A manuscript note to the head of the first leaf, signed 'P. Thicknesse', notes 'The author one Goather a Priests The Hand writing & copy is of my Dear Father'; similarly at the foot of the final leaf, in the same hand, a note reads 'My dear Fathers hand writing who tho a steady Protestant was in steady friendship with the author Mr Goather a Papist Priest'.

An intriguing manuscript which an early note by author and traveller Philip Thicknesse (1719-1792) indicates was copied by his father, the Rev. John Thicknesse (c.1663-1725), Vicar of Farthinghoe, Northants, from 'the original M.S.' composed by 'ONE Goather' - most likely the Catholic Controversialist John Gother (d.1704).

Incipit: 'Discourse 1st. - Of Images. Prot. What good star has conducted you hither this day? I have earnestly desir'd a meeting with you: For tho' you are a Papist, yet I look upon you to be a moderate man, & as one sincere in yr' way.'

Explicit: 'The 2d. Particulr. he thus expounds is p.5. "This subjection to our Governors implies our ready obedience to ym' in all doubtfull things: for it is to be consider'd, yt. hi as much on Duty to obed our Govrs. in things yt. are Lawfull, as not to obey 'em in things yt' are unlawfull: and yr'fore if we only doubt whethr. their comands are lawfull or no, our doubt ought to make us fearfull of disobeying, as it does of obeying ym, thearfor yr. dangr. of sinning is on both sides equal, & yr.fore in this case, whose are we necessitated to determine our selves one way or t'other, it is doubtless our Duty to determine on yr. side such make most for the publick".'

Composed in four dialogues ('of Images', 'of Praying to Saints', 'of the Sacramt. of ye. Ld's. Supper' and 'of Purgatory & Praying for ye. Dead') and seven supplementary sections ('Of the Pope's Supremacy', 'Of Auricular Confession & Absolution', 'Of the Number of ye Sacraments', 'Of Communion in one kind', 'Of Tradition', 'Of Reading the Holy Scriptures' and 'Of Implicit Faith'), the whole represents a relatively sober discussion of the differences between Catholic and Protestant doctrine and practice. Occasional references to authorities and published authors include, to the penultimate page and in the final section, a reference to a sermon preached by Dr. Scot at Chemsford Assizes in 1688', which helps to put a floor on the composition of the original text from which this was copied.

The assumption that this work is copied from that of John Gother is made because of geographical coincidence, in addition to the later note referencing that the copyist was in 'steady friendship with the author'; Gother was appointed as Chaplain to George Holman of Warkworth, Northamptonshire in 1688, where he resided until 1704, shortly before his death. Rev. John Thicknesse was Rector of Farthinghoe, around four miles away.

We can locate no early printed work by Gother (or indeed anyone else) with this title; similarly, exhaustive full text searches of various passages have not matched any known printed work. It is entirely unrelated to George Gifford's A dialogue bewteene a papist and Protestant applied to the capacity of the unlearned (London, 1599).