Edward Herbert - De religione gentilium, errorumque apud eos causis - 1700

Written as a comparative critique of religious sectarianism during an era of fierce European religious wars, Herbert sought to discover a universal, rational foundation common to all human faiths.

He analyzes ancient pagan mythologies and religions, arguing that all human societies share an innate, fundamental awareness of divine truths—what he termed the "common notions" of religion—independent of special revelation, dogma, or institutional church authority.