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Whiston and Haynes . Winston makes Newton an Arian , Haynes a Socinian * Granted ; but ihey both make him an Anti ( rinitarian , and this is all we have contended for , and all we see reason to determine . But the objection is not valid except it can be shewn that they both speak of the same tim e * Newton might be an Arian at one period , and a Socinian ( that is Humanitarian ) at another period of his life . The change from the first to the second , increasing years have often brought . And Whiston , who speaks
of Newton ' s Arianistn , was not familiar with him in the latter part of his life . Let us grant that the objection has force . What does it establish ? Only that Sir Isaac Newton was not very explicit in entering into the minutise of his religious creed ; which all who knew his character will find no great difficulty in admitting . As to the veracity of the witnesses , that
remains unimpeached by the objection . They are honest men we know . What they say , then , must be substantially correct . Differ their statements may in particulars , and so do the statements of the Evangelists . He attended on Trinitarian worship , and therefore was a Trinitarian . So did Whiston himself for the greater part of his life . Was he , therefore , a Trinitarian ? Is it not known that now even thousands attend the Church-of-England services who believe as little of its creeds as Newton did of Leibnitz" theories ?
But , then , Newton was not an honest man . Not too fast , I prithee , my objecting friend . If thou hadst had before thy eyes the penalties which Trinitarians had just exacted from the legislature against their heretical brethren , thou mightest have thought it well to temper thy zeal with prudence . Beside , Sir Isaac Newton was a lover of peace , and thought the essence of religion to consist in mutual love and devout affections . Even in defending his philosophical novelties , he lost much of his peace of mind , and lamented
{ with no small reason ) that in the pursuit of a shadow he had lost a substance . Perhaps if thou hadst had as much to endure as he , thou wouldest have feared that another and a heavy load would have been too much for thy shoulders . That the question of secession was , at the time of Newton , a perptexing one , is evident from the following passage out of Whiston ' s Memoirs : With what church or sect the Arians , in this present corrupted state of things , ought to communicate till it pleases God more completely to reform the Christian world ? Whether with that established , or whether they ought
to separate and go over to the Dissenters ? as many Arian ministers are supposed to be among them . Now had the Unitarians the liberty of public assemblies and a ministry of their own , the point would easily then be determined . To speak the truth , I think their case a little hard ; for , while all sects and opinions are tolerated , they alone are denied this happy privilege , ivhich so many good men wish for . " This is part of a letter addressed to
Whiston , seeking his advice . He replies in substance , that though he had long communicated with the church established , shewing his dislike to what he did not believe ; yet , " 1 do not think , " he adds , " I shall easily satisfy myself to do so any more . I mean , if he who officiates is a reader of the horrible Athanasian creed , and by consequence frequently and solemnly pronounces me , and the rest of the Eusebians or primitive Christians , accursed . "
Newton , it is affirmed , was offended at Whiston ' s declaring him an Arian , so much so , as to prevent his being elected a member of the Royal Society . That Newton prevented Whiston ' s election , Whiston himself declares ; but the same authority assigns the reason . These are his words : "If the reader desire to know the reason of Sir Isaac Newton's unwillingness to have me a member , he must take notice , that as his making me first his deputy ,
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158 £$ r Isaac Newton an Antitrimlurwn .
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1831, page 158, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2595/page/14/
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