02440cam a22003133u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000300011324500490014326400510019230000470024333600260029033700260031633800360034250000310037850800970040952013880050653400450189465300330193965300500197265300610202285600430208337302UtSlPG20260610133841.0mcr n260607r2011||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aBL1 aStephens, William,d-171813aAn Account of the Growth of Deism in England 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2011  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2011-09-03  aE-text prepared by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team  a"An Account of the Growth of Deism in England" by William Stephens is a historical account written in the late 17th century. The book explores the emergence and rise of Deism in England, a philosophical stance that denies revealed religion and promotes natural theology. Through a reflective dialogue with various acquaintances, Stephens examines the reasons behind the skepticism towards Christianity and the embrace of Deism during a time of significant political and religious upheaval.  In the text, the author discusses several motivations that have led people to abandon revealed religion in favor of Deism. He highlights the disillusionment with the clergy's self-serving practices, emphasizing the perception that both Roman Catholicism and Protestant sects engage in power struggles rather than genuinely promote faith. Stephens recalls personal anecdotes and conversations illustrating how individuals have been turned away from Christianity due to the hypocrisy and incompetence of religious leaders. Ultimately, he argues that while prejudices against the church may lead some to Deism, the essence of the Christian faith remains invaluable and worthy of respect. Through these reflections, he encourages a return to the core principles of Christianity, advocating for a distinction between true faith and priestly interests. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aDeism -- Early works to 1800  aDeism -- Great Britain -- Early works to 1800  aChurch and state -- Great Britain -- Early works to 180040uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37302