de ist

[Fr. déiste, from Lat. deus.] [THEIST.] One who admits the being of a God, but denies the believing that the light of nature and reason are existence or even nece ity of a divine revelation, sufficient guides in doctrine and practice; a believer in natural religion only; a freethinker. Etymologically the words deist and theist are the same in meaning, only deist is from Latin and theist from Greek. Conventionally, however, they applied to any believer in God whether that beare widely different in import; the term theist being or a deist properly so called. A deist is, as the defi. liever be a Christian, a Jew, a Mohammedan, ., nition states, one who believes in God but disbetion. lieves in Christianity, or more generally in revel a