First published in 1730, 'Defence of the Religion of Nature' is a landmark text in the history of freethought. Written by the philosopher Matthew Tindal with assistance from the writer Simon Browne, it argued that Christianity was just one manifestation of a universal religion that could be discovered through reason and natural law. It caused a sensation at the time, and has been influential ever since. This new edition includes an introduction by a leading authority on the subject, and will be of interest to historians, theologians, and anyone interested in the history of ideas. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.