Deism was often synonymous with natural religion (as distinct from revealed religion) in the 17th and 18th centuries; it meant belief in a God, but not in any particular mystical or supernatural powers. The word itself was probably coined in the middle of the 16th century in France, but the concept began to emerge in British theology in the 17th century, most notably in De Veritate (1624) by Lord Edward Herbert of Cherbury. By the middle of the 17th century, deism was beginning to concern orthodox theologians, and any suggestion of it was quickly attacked. Yet other theologians, for example,...
Deism was often synonymous with natural religion (as distinct from revealed religion) in the 17th and 18th centuries; it meant belief in a God, but no...
A reply to Mathew Tindal's "Christianity as Old as the Creation", this text when first published provoked criticism for the author's free-thinking beliefs and led to many exchanges of opinions with other theologians.
A reply to Mathew Tindal's "Christianity as Old as the Creation", this text when first published provoked criticism for the author's free-thinking bel...
