Editing Deism (section)

=== Herbert of Cherbury and early English Deism ===
[[File:Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury by Isaac Oliver.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lord Herbert of Cherbury]], portrayed by [[Isaac Oliver]], c. 1603–05]]

The first major statement of Deism in [[English literature]] is [[Lord Herbert of Cherbury]]'s book ''[[De Veritate]]'' (1624).<ref>Basil Willey, ''The Seventeenth Century Background: Studies in the Thought of the Age in Relation to Poetry and Religion'', 1934, p.59ff.</ref> Lord Herbert, like his contemporary [[Descartes]], searched for the foundations of knowledge. The first two-thirds of his book ''[[De Veritate]]'' (''On Truth, as It Is Distinguished from Revelation, the Probable, the Possible, and the False'') are devoted to an exposition of Herbert's [[Epistemology|theory of knowledge]]. Herbert distinguished truths from experience and distinguished reasoning about experience from innate and revealed truths. Innate truths are imprinted on our minds, as evidenced by their universal acceptance. Herbert referred to universally accepted truths as ''notitiae communes&mdash;''Common Notions. Herbert believed there were five Common Notions that unify all religious beliefs.
# There is one Supreme God.
# God ought to be worshipped.
# Virtue and piety are the main parts of divine worship.
# We ought to be remorseful for our sins and repent.
# Divine goodness dispenses rewards and punishments, both in this life and after it.

Herbert himself had relatively few followers, and it was not until the 1680s that Herbert found a true successor in [[Charles Blount (deist)|Charles Blount]] (1654 – 1693).<ref>{{Cite book
            |last=    Gay
            |title=   (see above)
        }} "By utilizing his wide classical learning, Blount demonstrated how to use pagan writers, and pagan ideas, against Christianity. ... Other Deists were to follow his lead." (pp.47-48)</ref>