discussions, in consequence of which Newton consented to prepare his complete work for the press. He died in 1727, however, before the preparation was complete, and the book was issued by Pemberton in 1728 under the title of ‘The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended.’ The book contains an attempt to determine the dates of ancient events from astronomical considerations. Its positive results are not of great importance, chiefly because Newton was not in a position to distinguish between mythical and historical events. Thus great attention is paid to the date of the Argonautic expedition. Newton, however, indicates the manner in which astronomy might be used to verify the views on the chronological points derived in the main from Ptolemy, which were held in his time. These views have since that date been proved, by the Babylonish and Egyptian records, to be on the whole correct. Another chronological work is entitled ‘Considerations about rectifying the Julian Calendar.’
Newton's theological writings were begun at an early period of his life. An account of them will be found in Brewster's ‘Life,’ vol. ii. chap. xxiv. Some of them passed from Lady Lymington to her executor, and thence into the hands of the Rev. J. Ekins, rector of Little Sampford, Essex. Newton was known previous to 1692 as an ‘excellent Divine’ (Pryme's MSS.), and from 1690 onwards corresponded with Locke on questions relating to the interpretation of prophecy and other theological speculations. M. Biot endeavours to connect some of these writings with the serious illness of 1693, but without much success.
In 1690 he sent to Locke his ‘Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of the Scriptures,’ dealing with the texts 1 John v. 7: ‘For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one;’ and 1 Timothy iii. 16: ‘Great is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh.’ With regard to the first text, Hort (New Testament Appendix, p. 104) states that it is certainly an interpolation: ‘There is no evidence for the inserted words in Greek or in any language but Latin before cent. xiv. … The words occur at earliest in the latter part of cent. v.’ They appear to have been unknown to Jerome, and were omitted by Luther in the last edition of his ‘Bible,’ though they were afterwards restored by his followers. They were also omitted by Erasmus in his first two editions, but inserted in the edition of 1522. They were discussed by Simon in 1689, and by Bentley in a public lecture.
Newton was of the same opinion as these divines, and argued for the omission of the words. In the second text, 1 Timothy iii. 16, Newton maintained that the word θεος was a corruption effected by changing ὁ, which he supposed to be the correct reading, into θε. The correct reading is almost certainly ὁς, not ὁ. Hort says ‘that there is no trace of θεος till the last third of cent. iv.’ Newton placed its introduction at a later date.
Newton's design in writing to Locke was that he should take the manuscript to Holland and have it translated into French and published there. Locke's contemplated journey was put off, and he sent the manuscript, but without Newton's name, to Le Clerc, who undertook to translate and publish it. Newton, who was not at once informed that the manuscript had been sent, and, knowing that Locke had not gone, supposed that the matter had been dropped, changed his mind when he was told of Le Clerc's wishes, and stopped the publication. Le Clerc deposited the manuscript in the library of the Remonstrants, and a copy was published in an imperfect form in 1754. A genuine edition appeared in vol. v. of Horsley's ‘Newtoni Opera,’ 1779–85. It was reprinted in 1830, in support of the Socinian system, and the views expressed in it have been quoted as proving Newton to be an anti-Trinitarian. They can hardly be pressed so far; they are rather the strong expression of his hostility to the unfair manner in which, in his opinion, certain texts had been treated with a view to the support of the Trinitarian doctrine.
A third work, first printed in 1733, is entitled ‘Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse.’ In it an interpretation is given of Daniel's dreams, and the relation of the Apocalypse to the Books of Moses and to the prophecy of Daniel is considered.
A bibliography of Newton's works, together with a list of books illustrating his life and works, was published by G. J. Gray in 1888. This contains 231 entries. A new and revised edition, issued in 1908, brings the number of entries to 412. The only collected edition of his works is that by Samuel Horsley (five vols. 4to, 1779–85), and this is not complete. Some of his mathematical works were reprinted by Castillon at Lausanne in 1744. Of the ‘Principia’ three editions appeared in England in Newton's lifetime, the last, edited by Pemberton, being published in 1726. Editions were published at Amsterdam in 1714 and 1723. Pemberton's edition was reprinted in facsimile at Glasgow by Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) and Professor Blackburne in 1871. In 1739–42 Le Sueur and Jacquier's edition
