Sir Isaac Newton was a “Christadelphian” pioneer. Not in a literal sense, of course, as he died 138 years before our particular name was invented. But certainly in his Bible knowledge and his exposition of what we call “the Truth,” he was a true pioneer. This is clear from earlier articles in the Christadelphian Tidings, November, 2001, and June, 2002, (my name appended to this latter article was an error as it was submitted by Bro. Vic Aucott of Nottingham, UK), and in much greater detail in a series of articles by Bro. Stephen Snobelen in Contending for the Faith Quarterly, 1993-1994. Further studies since those publications have amply confirmed this view. Moreover, a few scholars and historians who are acquainted with the Christadelphians are acknowledging that we are modern representatives of a “cult” which in Newton’s England was considered not only “abominable heresy” but a capital crime. In a personal communication, the late Harvard Professor George Huntston Williams agreed that we have a strong case to be considered the “Brethren in Christ” of today.
His credentials as a scientist
First, however, what about Sir Isaac’s credentials as a scientist? This question is of great importance in assessing his religious convictions, as we shall see. Biographers nowadays, following a trend in global culture, spend much time debunking human greatness. Despite this, it is now widely accepted that Sir Isaac Newton was certainly the greatest scientist and perhaps the greatest intellectual in the history of mankind. Six facts about Newton will confirm this conclusion beyond all cavil.
- The core concept of general relativity — that light is bent by gravity — was first explicitly stated by Newton (Opticks, 339), and only mathematically refined by Einstein two centuries later.
- Newton was the first to propose the two basic explanatory notions of quantum mechanics, namely that light and matter interact, and that heat represents the vibration of atoms in any body (Opticks, 266,340).
- Even more far-sighted — it appeared almost occult to his contemporaries — was his extraordinary speculation that the energy possessed by sub-atomic particles acting one upon another produces “a great part of the phenomena of Nature.” Having demonstrated that bodies act upon one another by the forces of gravity and electromagnetism, he suggested that “there may be more attractive powers than these” (Opticks, 290). It took three hundred years to identify these powers as the strong and weak nuclear forces.
- Newton’s formulae on lunar mechanics were “employed by NASA scientists guiding spaceships to the moon” (M. White, Isaac Newton, 341). I know this to be true, as my colleagues were using them when I was a junior scientist working on the U.S. space program in the 1960’s.
- In one unpublished manuscript, Newton put forward the “staggering hypothesis” that “the same universal forces affect the galaxies and sub-atomic particles alike” (Cambridge MS 3970, 336). This fundamental principle of science was almost forgotten for two hundred and fifty years.
- No scientist before, or since, has got closer to the “holy grail” of science, the GUT or Grand Unifying Theory. For Newton, the whole of everything, from quasars to quarks, from biology to Bible prophecy, exists and moves according to the principles of a wonderful, all-embracing design (Opticks, Query 31, 375). Which idea leads us directly to consider Newton’s religious faith.
Newton could not sever his official links with the state Church of England and retain his Cambridge professorship, although it was noted that he attended college chapel “very seldom.” He survived to the age of 84 only through keeping his faith discreetly secret. On one occasion he almost committed a religious manuscript to a printer, but on the advice of his colleagues, withdrew it at the last moment.
Biblical doctrines
In millions of words, mostly unpublished to this day, Sir Isaac systematically taught the unity of God, the divine Son ship and sinlessness of Jesus Christ, the nature and mortality of man, the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants of promise, salvation by grace, faith and believers’ baptism, the atonement, the second coming of Christ, resurrection, the day of judgement, the hope of Israel, the return of the Jews to their ancient Land, the biblical devil, the Kingdom of God on earth, the Millennium with immortal rulers and mortal subjects, and many other Scriptural doctrines which we as Christadelphians espouse and proclaim.
His surviving religious writings — he deliberately burned most of them to escape persecution — run into many thousands of pages. There are a thousand folios of them in the Bodleian Library in Oxford alone, and that is a minor collection! His interpretations of prophecy and chronology, written in the 17th century, proved to be more accurate than those of John Thomas written in the 191 century. For example, he predicted that there would be a major return to Palestine in 1899, the date when the Jewish Colonial Trust was established to facilitate just such a return, and that 1948 would see “the redemption of Israel.” No wonder the Israelis consider Sir Isaac Newton a virtual national hero and one of the first of the honoured “Righteous Gentiles”! No wonder many of his religious manuscripts are kept in Jerusalem as a national treasure!
Ultimately, after many years of intense Bible study, Newton rejected the dogma of the trinity, substitutionary atonement, sabbatarianism, eternal torments, transubstantiation, predestination, and salvation by works. He repudiated both the authority of the Pope and the theology of Luther and Calvin. Most significantly of all, perhaps, he secretly befriended Polish and German Brethren in Christ fleeing from persecution in their homelands, and purchased or was given copies of their publications. In general terms, our preaching booklets, and even our various complicated statements of faith, would have seemed very familiar to him, if only he had had a chance to read them. He was a Christadelphian in all but name. But does this mean that Sir Isaac Newton “had the Truth,” to use our Christadelphian cliché? Let us probe a little deeper, into Newton’s soul, and also into our own.
“Knowledge puffs up, love builds up”
The apostle Peter tells us that knowledge is only step number three in the eight-step heavenly staircase to salvation. The top of the staircase is “love” (II Peter 1:5-7). We do not attain to the Truth simply through knowledge of it, but by being “conformable” to the Lord’s sacrificial death (Phil. 3:10-11). Without love, knowledge is useless: we are “nothing” (I Cor. 13:2). In fact, while knowledge “vanishes away,” love “abides” (vv. 8,13). By knowledge alone, we cannot be saved. Only by developing and manifesting the godly character of the Lord Jesus will we have any hope of being honoured with a place in his Kingdom. If we are to inherit that Kingdom, we must respond to God’s love by showing, in every aspect of our lives, love to our fellow men and women, “especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). And most significantly, that love must be “unfeigned,” that is to say, a genuine inner emotion, not just put on for show (I Peter 1:22; II Cor. 6:6). Engaging in malice, dissension, division, slander, scandal, gossip, misrepresentation, and lying will utterly disqualify us from acceptance at the judgement seat of Christ, before which (no, before whom!) every one of us shall appear (II Cor. 5:10). What has all this got to do with Sir Isaac Newton? A great deal.
Newton’s character and personality
A “bishop,” or ecclesial leader, we are told, “must be blameless…of good behavior…moreover he must have a good report of them which are without,” that is those outside the household of faith. The following are the “reports” of those who knew Sir Isaac Newton best, including some who would have liked to be his disciples. It would be tedious to provide references here for each of the quotes, but they can easily be supplied if requested. They include the comments of Whiston, who shared many of Newton’s religious tenets; Humphrey Newton, a relative; academic colleagues such as the astronomer Flamsteed; and others who worked closely with him. There is almost complete unanimity in the assessment of Sir Isaac’s character and personality.
“He was ostentatious and vain.” “He was fearful of guilt by association.” “He had the most fearful, cautious, and suspicious temper that I ever knew.” “Hasty, unkind, arrogant, sanctimonious, acrimonious and ill-tempered, he expected near-perfection from others.” “He wanted to have all things in his own power;” “A master manipulator.” “He was too much influenced by flatterers.” “Perpetual Dictator.” “He had no capacity for forgiveness.” “He was excessively competitive, oversensitive, and introverted.” “He was never a man to give credit unless absolutely necessary, and, once crossed, he never forgave.” “The truly spiteful, uncompromising, and razor-sharp viciousness of his character.” “In performance he was most accurate, strict, and exact;” “A slave driver.” “He craved recognition.” “He relished power and status, and schemed for them throughout his life.” “Time did not heal his bitterness and resentment.” “He would go to any lengths in order to destroy anyone who crossed his path.” “Newton was never one to defer to anybody over anything.” “He was unable to deal with criticism in any form, from anyone.” “He was convinced that he knew the truth about everything, and had a divine mission to convince the world of the fact.”
Was he my brother in Christ?
Yes, Sir Isaac Newton was a “Christadelphian.” He knew the Truth. I am sure that he would have been thrilling to listen to at any Bible School. I envy his passion for Bible study and his humility before the infinite majesty of God Almighty. But I have wrestled long and hard over this: was he my brother in Christ? What would you say?
To the new generation of leaders in the Caribbean, and in the brotherhood worldwide, who are taking over from elders like me who have lived and loved among you for a lifetime, I say: believe what Sir Isaac Newton believed, make his hope your own, but please, please, I beseech you: do not be like him.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One