John Locke was an English philosopher and physician who became one of the most influential thinkers of the Enlightenment. He is commonly known as the father of liberalism and made significant contributions to political philosophy, epistemology, and religious thought. Locke's writing on toleration argued that religion is a matter for the individual conscience and that churches are voluntary associations. This work contended against religious coercion and uniformity, establishing principles that would shape modern secular governance. His Two Treatises of Government, published anonymously in 1689 and 1690, presents arguments for government based on the consent of the governed and establishes the right to revolt against tyrannous government that has lost that consent. These treatises are believed to have influenced Thomas Jefferson's language in drafting the Declaration of Independence in July 1776. Locke's other major work, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, also published in 1689 and 1690, contributed significantly to philosophical thought. He also published A Letter Concerning Toleration in 1689, which advanced his ideas on religious freedom and the proper limits of state authority.