
A artistic rendition of fundamental "theism", cafeteria "theism", and "deism" (or pantheism) as compared to "atheism", the result of freedom in thinking (see: free thinker).

A artistic rendition of fundamental "theism", cafeteria "theism", and "deism" (or pantheism) as compared to "atheism", the result of freedom in thinking (see: free thinker).

In terminology, deism (TR:11), a distinction away from atheism (Pierre Viret, 1564), refers to someone who believes in the existence of god by not the exist of the trinity (16th century); and or not in the existence of the supernatural (18th century); among several other possible disbeliefs; the classical example is Voltaire (see: Voltaire on religion) who self-identified as a deist. [1]

Overview
In 1624, English soldier, poet, and philosopher Edward Herbert (1583-1648), in his Truth, gave deism its first tenets, namely a belief in a supreme deity, who should be worshiped and who metes out justice in this life and after it, and that everything else added by the church was bunk. [3]

In 1696, John Toland published Christianity Not Mysterious, wherein the Bible was read in a new critical mode, which included the most doubting aspects of John Locke's philosophy; the publication was said to have started the "deist controversy"; the book was burned in Ireland in 1697 and Toland had to flee the country. [3]

Quotes
The following are related quotes:

“The deist is a man who in his short existence has not had time to become an atheist.”
— Louis de Bonald (c.1830)

"By 'deism' let us understand the view of the existence of a deity that has created the cosmos, but thereafter sits apart from and is uninvolved with what has been created. By 'theism' let us understand the view of the existence of a deity that has created the cosmos and is thereafter in some sense intimately involved with it."
-- Andrew Holowchak (2014), Thomas Jefferson: Uncovering His Unique Philosophy and Vision [2]

References
1. Deism – Encyclopedia.com.
2. Holowchak, Andrew. (2014). Thomas Jefferson: Uncovering His Unique Philosophy and Vision (pg. 37). Prometheus Press.
3. Hecht, Jennifer M. (2003). Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas (pg. 333-35). HarperOne.

External links
● Deism – Wikipedia.