LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Deism: English Deists
built 179 days ago
[One] chief characteristic of Deism was anti-clericalism. While other non-Deists loathed the clergy as well, the Deists may have had a greater stake in their disdain of clergy. Orr drew the following conclusion on this matter:
Source:
It should be noted... that the constructive element of Deism was not unique to Deism. It was the same as the natural theology that was so prevalent in all English theology in the 17th and 18th centuries. What set Deists apart from their more orthodox contemporaries was their critical concerns.
Source:
William Lane Craig identified several major factors which contributed to the rise of English Deism. They were the geographical expansion of Europe, scientific revolutions, incipient biblical criticism, and the religio-social effects of the Reformation.17
Source:
MORE ABOUT
English Deists