Those “Whose Business It Is To Cavill”: Newton’s Anti-Catholicism

Abstract

In November 1690, Isaac Newton completed a study of two texts of Scripture which he thought proved them to be corruptions introduced at a later date. Sending it as “an historical account” to an anonymous recipient (actually John Locke), he began by examining the case against the authenticity of 1 John 5:7 and told Locke: “I have done it the more freely because to you who understand the many abuses wch they of ye Roman Church have put upon ye world, it will scarce be ungratefull to be convinced of one more yn is commonly beleived.” Having discussed many issues of mutual interest at various meetings over the previous year, Newton was aware that he was writing to someone who shared many of his own theological views, and more generally, he and Locke were part of a Protestant intellectual culture which took it for granted that papists had altered Scripture and indeed the whole of the Christian religion to suit their own ends. Such abuses had to be challenged, and Newton noted that many commentators such as Luther and Grotius had queried the passage mentioned above, but: ye generality are fond of ye place for its making against heresy. But whilst we exclaim against the pious frauds of ye Roman Church, & make it a part of our religion to detect and renounce all things of that kind: we must acknowledge it a greater crime in us to favour such practises, then in the Papists we so much blame on that account. For they act according to their religion but we contrary to our’s.