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The Influence and Legacy of Deism in Eighteenth Century America

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The Influence and Legacy of Deism in Eighteenth Century America Rollins College Rollins Scholarship Online Master of Liberal Studies Theses Spring 2011 The nflueI nce and Legacy of Deism in Eighteenth Century America Tiffany E. Piland Rollins College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.rollins.edu/mls Part of the American Politics Commons, American Studies Commons, European History Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Piland, Tiffany E., "The nflueI nce and Legacy of Deism in Eighteenth Century America" (2011). Master of Liberal Studies Theses. 8. http://scholarship.rollins.edu/mls/8 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by Rollins Scholarship Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master of Liberal Studies Theses by an authorized administrator of Rollins Scholarship Online. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Influence and Legacy of Deism in Eighteenth Century America A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Liberal Studies by Tiffany E. Piland May 2011 Mentor: Dr. Creston Davis Rollins College Hamilton Holt School Master of Liberal Studies Program Winter Park, Florida The Influence and Legacy of Deism in Eighteenth Century America Project Approved: _______________________________________ Mentor _______________________________________ Seminar Director _______________________________________ Director, Master of Liberal Studies Program ______________________________________ Dean, Hamilton Holt School Rollins College ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my mentor, Dr. Creston Davis, for agreeing to work with me on this project and for providing support and help through the process. I also want to thank Dr. Patricia Lancaster for her encouragement. And lastly, a special thanks to Professor James Armstrong for his continued support and mentorship. I would also like to acknowledge my MLS classmates for their encouragement, friendship, and support throughout the program. I would like to dedicate this thesis project to my family and friends for their endless support and love- I am eternally grateful. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page Number Introduction……………………………………………………… 1 SECTION I: BACKGROUND 1. DEISM DEFINED………………………………….. 4 2. THE RISE OF NATURAL RELIGION..................... 12 AND DEISM IN EUROPE 3. AMERICA’S RELIGIOUS HISTORY…………….. 31 AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT SECTION II: AMERICAN DEISM 4. THE PLAIN-DEALER, AMERICA’S…………….. 40 FIRST DEIST AND EARLY DENIALS OF DEISM 5. AMERICA’S COLLEGES: THE…………………... 45 CONFLICT BETWEEN FREETHINKING AND THE CHURCHES 6. THE STORY OF WILLIAM BEADLE:…………... 49 TRAGEDY USED AS PROPAGANDA 7. CHRISTIANITY VS. DEISM: THE………………. 58 CONFLICT BETWEEN BOTH THEOLOGICAL SYSTEMS 8. MILITANT DEISM IN THE LATE………………. 69 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 9. THE FOUNDING FATHERS:…………………… 92 DEISTS, CHRISTIANS OR SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN? 10. THE LEGACY AND DOWNFALL…………….. 118 OF THE DEIST MOVEMENT Conclusion……………………………………………………. 126 Bibliography………………………………………………….. 130 Appendix…………………………………………………….. 134 1 INTRODUCTION During the Age of Enlightenment, changes occurred in nearly every system in Europe, including politics and theology. After the Protestant Reformation, Christianity experienced a period of upheaval. As religious wars spread into several countries, people began to turn to other systems that could provide a healthy alternative to orthodox Christianity. Deism, a philosophy which had existed since ancient times, endorsed a reason based system that looked to the natural world for answers about God, life, and death. Rejecting Christianity and other organized theologies, deism appealed to individuals seeking a philosophy that promoted Enlightenment principles such as rationality, tolerance, and freedom. Initially enjoying success in Europe, deism eventually appeared in America during the eighteenth century before disappearing entirely in the following century. Since then, British and French deism has been readily covered by historians for its impact on European theology and philosophy. But widely ignored is American deism; a topic that has either been dismissed altogether or only briefly mentioned when exploring the Enlightenment period. A main reason for this oversight is that American deism had to function within the confines of a period that was largely dominated by orthodox Christianity. Because deism was associated with atheism, an often punishable offense, the movement remained largely underground until the mid-eighteenth century. When deism did finally appear in the public arena around 1750, it suffered from disorganization. Also, its followers came from a variety of different backgrounds. While some were well educated, others were barely literate. As many deists worked in trade occupations, some were influential political and theological leaders. Therefore, deism’s main tenets were interpreted in a 2 multitude of ways. There were deists who were liberal and then there were deists who considered themselves Christians. This confusion over doctrine contributed to many of its followers never officially declaring themselves deists. And then, as the century closed, deism suffered from the appearance of new theological and philosophical systems that were appealing to a new generation of Americans. By 1810, deism had nearly disappeared. Left behind was a body of work that had already become irrelevant in a new century. All of these issues have generally led historians to doubt deism’s overall impact on American life in the eighteenth century. In the following thesis paper, I will present information that deism, while only appearing for a brief period, had an important impact on culture and life in eighteenth century America. Throughout the paper, several questions are addressed such as: What is deism? What factors contributed to deism’s first appearance in Europe? How did deism enter America in the eighteenth century? Who were the first American deists? What was the reaction from the church and other members of society? How did deists spread their theology? What factors contributed to deism disappearing in the nineteenth century? And what was deism’s overall legacy? These issues are addressed by examining the historical, social, political, and philosophical structures of eighteenth century America. Important figures are also analyzed along with a wide variety of documents such as journal and newspaper articles, books, sermons, and private letters and speeches. Specifically, each chapter of the thesis addresses an important issue or period of the deist movement. Starting with chapter one, a historical overview of deism is provided. This includes defining and analyzing deism’s main tenets. In chapter two, the history of natural religion is explored in detail. Here, important figures such as Galileo, Francis 3 Bacon, Isaac Newton, and John Locke are discussed and their contributions explained in terms of its relationship to Enlightenment thought. Next, an overview of deism’s development as a theological system is provided. Looking at the first generation of deists and their works, their arguments are defined in relation to the overall changes occurring as a result of the Scientific Revolution and other intellectual or theological developments. Moving onto chapter three, America’s diverse religious history is explored in terms of how it influenced and impacted the period of Enlightenment. Chapters four and five examine the earliest works of deism in America and how they contributed to a growing environment of skepticism. Next, chapters six and seven focus on the Christian church’s reaction to deism. Detailing their campaign to curb the influence of deism, this section reveals how deism was indeed believed to be a threat to orthodox theology systems. Chapter eight is entirely dedicated to the period of militant deism, which saw an increase in deist members. Finding its first official leaders, such as Ethan Allen, Thomas Paine, and Elihu Palmer, deism became more organized and vocal in its attacks on Christianity. Chapter nine addresses the founding fathers and answers the popular question as to whether they were practicing deists or committed Christians. In the last chapter, deism’s eventual downfall is explained in detail and its overall legacy examined. Overall, in my thesis paper, I present an argument that deism, while often discounted by historians, had an important role in eighteenth century America. 4 SECTION I: BACKGROUND CHAPTER ONE DEISM DEFINED In the eighteenth century, known as the Age of Enlightenment or Age of Reason, deism emerged as a theological position that attempted to define the natural world and man’s relationship to God through the application of Enlightenment ideals such as reason, rationality, and order. While deism did not flourish as a theological movement until the eighteenth century, its origins can be traced to the philosophy of ancient Greece. Derived from the Latin word deus and the Greek root word theos , which both mean God, deistical thinking appeared in the work of philosophers such as Heraclitus who used logos to explain man’s understanding of reason and knowledge, and Plato who defined his God as a demiurge or craftsman. Until the sixteenth century, deism was often used interchangeably with theism, but this was altered with Pierre Viret’s (1511-1571) 1564 work titled Christian Teaching on the Doctrine of Faith and the Gospel . 1 As a reformed preacher and close friend of John Calvin,
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