Here is an original RARE book entitled Memoirs of the Life and Writings of William Whiston Volume 1 written by William Whiston. It was published in 1753 in London, England. This is an amazing book, its written in a way that William Whiston is almost sitting down next to you telling you about his life and the books that he wrote and why he wrote them. There are many gems found in this volume. Here are a few of them where Whiston bravely and courageously says:

On page 127 he talks about the Athanasian doctrine of the Trinity and calls it absurd.

On page 126 he tells how he visited a friend of his and after discovering that his friend believed in the eternity of hell torments he shows how he spent about two hours with his friend  and using Bible reference aids proved to him that this was a false doctrine..

On page 318 he writes to Thomas Emlyns son about his father, Thomas Emlyn, telling how much he appreciated his great courage of the most important (Bible) truths even when it caused him much suffering.

You can read more about William Whiston below:

2014 Awake 8/14 pp. 12-13 William Whiston 

PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST

William Whiston

William Whiston was a scientist, mathematician, clergyman, prolific writer, and colleague of English physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton. In the year 1702, Whiston succeeded Newton as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, England. This chair, or professorship, has been held by some of the greatest minds in science and technology.

WHISTON is also known, especially to Bible students, for his translation into English of the writings of first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. The Works of Josephus shed considerable light on Jewish history and the world of the early Christians.

WHISTON’S BELIEFS

Whiston applied his keen intellect to many topics, especially science and religion. He believed that the Bible’s account of creation is accurate and that the design, elegance, and order evident in nature point to a divine Architect.

Moreover, Whiston believed that the churches of Christendom had fragmented into many denominations because the clergy had strayed from the Bible, preferring the non-Biblical teachings and traditions of church councils and so-called Church Fathers.

Because Whiston recognized the Bible as a book of spiritual truth, he rejected the notion of eternal torment in  hellfire. He viewed it as absurd and cruel, as well as an insult to God. What especially pitted him against church authorities, though, was his rejection of the Trinity, which doctrine defines God as three coequal and coeternal persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Yet, it is claimed that there are not three gods, but one god.

“FROM RENOWNED ACADEMIC TO OUTCAST”

After careful research, Whiston concluded that the Trinity was not taught by early Christians but was later adopted when pagan philosophy infiltrated Christianity. His friends warned him about the perils of publishing his findings, but Whiston could not ignore what he perceived to be a perversion of Jesus’ true nature as the Son of God and a created being.

The University of Cambridge barred from office any who taught ideas contrary to Anglican doctrine, which meant that Whiston could lose his chair. Nevertheless, he did not keep silent—unlike Newton, who also considered the Trinity to be a false teaching but was covert in expressing his views. Whiston wrote: “No worldly motives whatever . . . shall dissuade me.”

In 1710, Whiston was expelled from Cambridge. Because he refused to compromise his beliefs, he “went from renowned academic to outcast.” Even then, he was not cowed. In fact, while being accused of heresy, he wrote a series of essays called Primitive Christianity Revived—“primitive” meaning original Christianity, that practiced by Jesus’ early followers. Later, Whiston founded the Society for Promoting Primitive Christianity, which met in his London home.

Although losing his professorship and suffering financially for a time, Whiston continued to write and to lecture in coffeehouses in London. In 1737, as a contribution to the understanding of early Christianity’s historical context, he published his translation of Josephus’ writings. It has been in print ever since.

Because of his courageous but unpopular stand, Whiston is viewed by many today as “an eccentric figure,” says author James E. Force. Others, however, admire him as a Bible scholar, as a sincere searcher for religious truth, and as a man determined to live by his beliefs.

[Footnote] ...

- Whiston was charged with heresy but was never convicted.

- “One of Whiston’s outstanding qualities was his complete honesty.”—English Versions of the Bible.

[Blurb on page 13]

Because he refused to compromise his beliefs, Whiston “went from renowned academic to outcast”

[Box on page 13]

A Thinker Who Did Not Follow the Crowd

“If his contemporaries found him overeager to sacrifice his career for the sake of principle, Whiston found his contemporaries far too ready to sacrifice any and all principle for the sake of preferment [personal advancement].”—William Whiston—Honest Newtonian.

“Whiston used his scientific skills to research, ponder and draw conclusions in the world of religion. His beliefs against Trinitarianism and his belief in Primitive Christianity came from extensive reading and thinking.”—Robert Bruen, PhD.

Other references to William Whiston include:

1994 Watchtower 3/15 pp. 26-28 William Whiston—Heretic or Honest Scholar? 

William Whiston—Heretic or Honest Scholar?

WOULD you sacrifice your career for the sake of your beliefs? William Whiston did.

He became a figure of religious controversy in the early 18th century, when he took issue with the Church of England over the Bible’s teachings. As a result, he was eventually branded a heretic. His course thus brought him ridicule but also earned him respect.

Who was William Whiston? And what did he accomplish?

A Bible Scholar

William Whiston was a brilliant Cambridge University colleague of Sir Isaac Newton. If you consult the English edition of the writings of the first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, you will likely be reading the translation made by Whiston in 1736. Although other translations exist, his scholarly rendering, along with his notes and essays, has yet to be surpassed and is still in print. Many consider this work to be the pinnacle of Whiston’s achievements.

Not to be overlooked, however, is the Primitive New Testament, Whiston’s translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures. It was published in 1745, in his 78th year. Whiston translated the four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles from the Codex Bezae, Paul’s letters from the Clermont Codex, and the remaining portion, including Revelation, from the Alexandrine Manuscript. He carefully omitted the spurious part of 1 John 5:7. Whiston chose these three ancient Greek sources as the best available at the time.

Love for the Bible was the apparent motivation for what Whiston did. Prevalent in his day was deism, the teaching that reason alone is an adequate basis for belief in God. According to the book William Whiston—Honest Newtonian, he strongly upheld “the traditionalist view that the Bible is the one infallible source of ancient history.” The term “Newtonian” here is a reference to Isaac Newton, best known for his Principia, in which he expounded the law of universal gravitation. Newton’s thinking had a profound effect on William Whiston. How?

Contrasting Personalities

William Whiston was born in 1667, the son of a Church of England clergyman. After being ordained in 1693, he returned to Cambridge University to study mathematics and become an assistant to Newton. A close bond developed between them. When Newton relinquished his position as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics about three years later, he made sure that Whiston was appointed in his stead. Pursuing his career, Whiston lectured on astronomy and mathematics, but Newton’s influence also spurred him to take a deeper interest in Biblical chronology and doctrine.

Newton was a religious man. As a committed believer in the Biblical Millennium, he wrote extensively on the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. However, hardly any of these writings were published during his lifetime. He rejected the Trinity doctrine. But when it came to publishing his evidence against the Trinity, “Newton withdrew in fear that his anti-Trinitarian views would become known,” observes The New Encyclopædia Britannica. F. E. Manuel puts it this way in Isaac Newton, Historian: “Newton’s group either kept their opinions secret or restrained their enthusiasm. . . . Where Newton was covert Whiston shrieked in the marketplace.” The two men thus had contrasting personalities.

Ostracism

In July 1708, Whiston wrote to the archbishops of both Canterbury and York, urging reform of Church of England doctrine in view of the false teaching of the Trinity as reflected in the Athanasian Creed. Understandably, he was counseled to be cautious. Yet Whiston persisted. “I have studied these points to the bottom,” he said, “and am thoroughly satisfied the christian church has been long and grossly cheated in them; and, by God’s blessing, if it be in my power, it shall be cheated no longer.”

Newton feared for his social and academic position. Whiston, on the other hand, did not. Having crystallized his anti-Trinitarian beliefs, he wrote a pamphlet presenting his views. But in August 1708, Cambridge University refused to grant Whiston a license to print this material, as it was deemed to be unorthodox.

In 1710, Whiston was charged with teaching doctrine contrary to Church of England belief. He was found guilty, deprived of his professorship, and banished from Cambridge. However, despite legal proceedings against him, which continued nearly five more years, Whiston was never convicted of heresy.

Although his anti-Trinitarian views were akin to Whiston’s, Newton did not speak out for his friend and eventually ostracized him. In 1754, Newton’s Biblical scholarship exposing the Trinity was finally published—27 years after his death. But that was too late to be of any help to Whiston, who had died two years earlier.

Newton is also considered responsible for debarring Whiston from the prestigious Royal Society. But Whiston was not discouraged. He and his family moved to London, where he founded a Society for Promoting Primitive Christianity. He put all his energies into writing, his most important work to that time being the four volumes of Primitive Christianity Revived.

Controversial to the End

As a scientist, Whiston worked on different ways for mariners to determine longitude at sea. Even though his ideas were not taken up, his persistence eventually led to the development of the marine chronometer. Though many of Whiston’s views on Bible prophecy, like those of his contemporaries, have proved to be inaccurate, he left no stone unturned in his search for truth. His tracts on the orbit of comets and his postulations on the effects of the Deluge of Noah’s day are among the many he wrote to defend both scientific and Biblical truth. Transcending his other writings, however, are those exposing the Trinity doctrine as unscriptural.

True to form, Whiston left the Church of England in 1747. He did so, both literally and figuratively, when he walked out of church as a clergyman began to read the Athanasian Creed. A Religious Encyclopædia says of Whiston: “One must admire the manly openness and truthfulness of his character, the consistency of his life, and the straight-forwardness of his conduct.”

For William Whiston, truth could not be compromised, and personal convictions were more precious than the plaudits and accolades of men. Although controversial, Whiston was an honest scholar who fearlessly championed the Bible as the Word of God.—2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

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This rare book is in VERY NICE condition.    The covers and spine have some ageing and wear but are still beautiful!  Please look at the pictures as they are part of the description.  There is some ageing and wear to the paper which is normal for its age  otherwise the pages are SUPER CLEAN!!!

PS: Due to the virus there are not any returns unless significantly not as described. Thank you.

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