the doctrine or belief of the deists. Deism, from Deus, God, may properly be used to denote natural religion, as comprehending those truths which have a real foundation in reason and nature; and in this sense it is so far from being opposite to Christianity, that it is one great design of the gospel to illustrate and enforce it. Thus some of the deistical writers have affected to use it. But deism more precisely signifies that system of religion, relating both to doctrine and practice, which every man is to discover for himself by the mere force of natural reason, independent of all revelation, and exclusive of it; and this religion Dr Tindal and others pretend is so perfect, as to be incapable of receiving any addition or improvement even from divine revelation.