WILLIAM WHISTON ON SIR ISAAC NEWTON AND THE TRINITY
WILLIAM
WHISTON (circa. 1667-1752 C.E.): “...Sir I.N. [i.e. Isaac
Newton] was one who early and throughly had examined the System
and Records of Christianity, abating perhaps the Apostolical
Constitutions, and Ignatius's larger Epistles, which seem to have
been little looked into by him: as, till I published those
Constitutions, and vindicated those larger Epistles, they were no
more looked [1077.] into by the present Lord Chancellor in his
early and accurate Enquiries into Primitive Christianity. In
particular, Sir I.N. was one who had throughly examined the State of
the Church in its most critical Juncture, the fourth Century. HE HAD
EARLY AND THROUGHLY DISCOVERED THAT THE OLD CHRISTIAN FAITH,
CONCERNING THE TRINITY IN PARTICULAR, WAS THEN CHANGED; THAT
WHAT HAS BEEN LONG CALLED ARIANISM
IS NO OTHER THAN OLD UNCORRUPT CHRISTIANITY; AND
THAT ATHANASIUS WAS THE GRAND AND THE VERY WICKED INSTRUMENT OF THAT
CHANGE. THIS WAS OCCASIONALLY KNOWN TO THOSE FEW WHO WERE INTIMATE
WITH HIM ALL ALONG; from whom, notwithstanding his prodigiously
fearful, cautious, and suspicious Temper, he could not always conceal
so important a Discovery. Nor need I now crave the Readers Belief of
my Testimony in this Case. Sir I.N. has left not a few undeniable
Testimonials of it behind him, Witness his MSS. Dissertations upon
two of the famous New Testament Texts concern'd in that Controversy.
1 Tim. iii. 15, and 1 John v. 7. both whose present Readings he took
to be Athanasian Interpolations...” - (Section 1076-1077,
“Account of Newton,” On Pages 1070-1082, In: “A COLLECTION OF
AUTHENTICK RECORDS,” By William Whiston, London: 1728. © 2012 THE
NEWTON PROJECT.)
Is
there any truth to this claim? Is there any evidence to show he was
not exagerating?
Here's
just a couple of examples:
SIR
ISAAC NEWTON (circa. 1642-1727 C.E.): “...SON
IS GOD – ( CREATED
) – AND A PERSON...” - (Ratione No. 6., Quoted on Page
159, “THE TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY OF DR. SAMUEL CLARKE (1675-1729):
CONTEXT, SOURCES, AND CONTROVERSY.” By Thomas C. Pfizenmaier,
Brill, 1997.)
SIR
ISAAC NEWTON (circa. 1642-1727 C.E.): “...Now the term Gk., ( ὁ
Λόγος ) before St. John wrote, was generally used
in ye sense of the Platonists, when APPLIED TO AN INTELLIGENT BEING,
& YE
ARIANS UNDERSTOOD
IT IN YE SAME SENSE [SIC], &
THEREFORE THEIRS
IS THE TRUE SENSE
OF ST. JOHN...” - (Yahuda MS. 14., Quoted on Page
159, “THE TRINITARIAN THEOLOGY OF DR. SAMUEL CLARKE (1675-1729):
CONTEXT, SOURCES, AND CONTROVERSY.” By Thomas C. Pfizenmaier,
Brill, 1997.)
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