The term "Deism" describes an unorthodox religious attitude expressed by a group of English writers beginning with Lord Herbert of Cherbury in the first half of the 17th century and ending with Viscount Bolingbroke, in the middle of the 18th century. It also refers to "natural religion" - the religious knowledge that is inborn in every person or that can be acquired by the use of reason, as opposed to knowledge acquired through revelation or the teachings of the Church. John Leland's "A View of the Principal Deistical Writers" was first published in 1754 and subsequently expanded twice. It is the fullest contemporary treatment of the literature of this important controversy. Leland gives very detailed reviews of the works of the leading Deists, and of the responses that these works provoked. At least one chapter is devoted to each of the following: Peter Annet, Charles Blount, Thomas Chubb, Anthony Collins, Lord Herbert of Cherbury, Thomas Morgan, Shaftesbury, Mathew Tindal, John Toland and Thomas Woolston. Six chapters are about Hume's views on religion, and approximately half of the work deals with Bolingbroke.
- ISBN10 184371051X
- ISBN13 9781843710516
- Publish Date 15 February 2003
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 19 September 2015
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Imprint Thoemmes Continuum
- Edition facsimile of 1807 ed
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 1036
- Language English