One of the earliest contributions to the controversies about deism, "A Letter to the Deists" outlines Prideaux's belief that deism is the foundation of any religious belief, which set him apart from those who believed that deism led to atheism. The second document in this volume, "Short and Easie Method with the Deists" was a popular gift, in the 18th-century for parent, grandparents or god-parents to give children in order to protect them from the evils of deism.