Tindal, M.

… The tenet of rationalism, which reconciles religion with reason, was first formulated by the 17th century philosopher Herbert of Cherbury (1583-1648) and used by Shaftesbury (3rd Earl) as a justification for the rejection and criticism of fanaticism, but the subject came to public attention in 1696 when the so-called Deism Controversy broke out, triggered by the attack by apologists for the Church of England on the publication of Toland's Christianity Not Mystical. Representative deists who appeared in this controversy include Matthew Tindal (1653/57-1733) in his Christianity as Old as the Creation (1730), John Anthony Collins (1676-1729) in his On Free Thought (1713), and Bolingbroke, a leading politician and writer of the time. During this period, criticism of religious doctrine was relatively free, and religious indifference as a reaction to the religious fervor of a generation earlier created a social foundation for tolerance. However, on the other hand, the conservative common sense morality of the citizens who were satisfied with a certain degree of social freedom created a backlash against extreme rationalism among them. The incompleteness and superficiality of the Deists' speculation, combined with the advantageous social privileges held by the existing Anglican establishment, weakened the Deists' position, and they did not become mainstream in England, where the Deists originated, and therefore did not leave a lasting impact on later generations.

*Some of the terminology that mentions "Tindal, M." is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　宗教を理性と調停するこの合理主義神学の信条は，最初17世紀の哲学者チャーベリーのハーバートHerbert of Cherbury(1583‐1648)によって定式化されシャフツベリー(三代伯)により狂信の排撃と批判の論拠として用いられたが，この主題が世間の注目を集めるに至ったのは，1696年にトーランドの《キリスト教は神秘的でない》の公刊に際して国教会の護教論者がこれに攻撃を加えたのを機に，いわゆる理神論論争が勃発したためである。この論争に登場した代表的な理神論者としては，《天地創造と同じく古いキリスト教》(1730)のティンダルMatthew Tindal(1653か57‐1733)や《自由思想について》(1713)のコリンズJohn Anthony Collins(1676‐1729)，当時の大物政治家で文筆家たるボーリングブルックなどが知られる。この時期宗教上の教義の批判は相対的に自由であり，一時代前の宗教的熱狂への反動としての宗教上の無関心が寛容の社会的基盤を作っていたけれども，逆に一応の社会的自由を得て満足した市民層の保守的な常識道徳が，彼らの間に極端な合理主義への反発を生み出していたことや，理神論者側の思弁の不徹底さや皮相さが，既存の国教会派の体制の保持する有利な社会的特権とあいまって理神論者側の立場を弱体化し，本場のイギリスでは結局思想の主流とならず，したがって後世への永続的な影響を残すには至らなかった。…

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