To the printed list of books at the end Jefferson has added two by hand: Disquisitions relating to matter & spirit. Sequel to the Disquisitions.

Presentation copy from the author, acknowledged by Jefferson on April 9, 1803.

It was this work which induced Jefferson to write his Syllabus on an estimate of the doctrines of Jesus compared with those of others , of which he sent an outline in his letter of thanks to Priestley and the complete Syllabus at a later date.

The letter of April 9 read in part: “ While on a short visit lately to Monticello, I recieved from you a copy of your comparative view of Socrates & Jesus, and I avail myself of the first moment of leisure after my return to acknolege the pleasure I had in the perusal of it, and the desire it excited to see you take up the subject on a more extensive scale. in consequence of some conversation with D ^r. Rush in the years 1798.99. I had promised some day to write him a letter giving him my view of the Christian system. I have reflected often on it since, & even sketched the outlines in my own mind. I should first take a general view . . . ”

The outline followed, after which: “ . . . this is the outline; but I have not the time, & still less the information which the subject needs. it will therefore rest with me in contemplation only. you are the person who of all others would do it best, and most promptly. you have all the materials at hand, and you put together with ease. I wish you could be induced to extend your late work to the whole subject . . . ”

On April 21 Jefferson wrote to Dr. Rush: “ . . . I recieved from Doct ^r. Priestly his little treatise of ‘Socrates & Jesus compared.’ this being a section of the general view I had taken of the field, it became a subject of reflection while on the road, & unoccupied otherwise. the result was, to arrange in my mind a Syllabus, or Outline of such an Estimate of the comparative merits of Christianity as I wished to see executed by some one of more leisure and information, for the task, than myself. this I now send you, as the only discharge of my promise I can probably ever execute. and in confiding it to you, I know it will not be exposed to the malignant perversions of those who make every word from me a text for new misrepresentations & calumnies . . . ”

The above letter and the Syllabus were not sent until April 23, when Jefferson send them with a covering letter: “ . . . At length I send you a letter, long due, and even now but a sketch of what I wished to make it. but your candour will find my just excuse in the indispensable occupations of my public duties. I communicate a copy of the Syllabus to D ^r. Priestley in the hope he will extend his work of Socrates & Jesus compared. he views a part of the subject differently from myself: but in the main object of my syllabus we go perfectly together . . . ” [See illustration. <“ Jefferson’s Religious Syllabus” i.e. leaf 22021 recto & verso from the LC Papers>]

On the following day, April 24, Jefferson wrote to Priestley: “ . . . In my letter of Apr. 9. I gave you the substance of a view I had taken of the morality taught by the antient philosophers & by Jesus. the subject being in my mind, I committed to writing a syllabus of it, as I would treat it had I time or information sufficient, and sent it to D ^r. Rush in performance of the promise I had formerly made him. tho’ this differs no otherwise from my letter to you than in being more full & formal, yet I send you a copy of it. there is a point or two in which you & I probably differ. but the wonder would be that any two persons should see in the same point of view all the parts of an extensive subject. I did not know that any comparative view of these schemes of morality had been taken till I saw your tract on Socrates & Jesus, & learnt from that that a m ( ^~ r) Toulmin had written a dissertation in the same way. but I am sure he has left enough of the field to employ your pen advantageously . . . ”

Priestley replied from Northumberland on May 7: “I have now to acknowledge the receipt of two of your valuable letters, one of them directed to me at Philadelphia, and the other to this place. They give me the more pleasure as I perceive by them that you are not so much occupied by public business, but that you are at leisure for speculations of a different and higher nature, and