Sir Isaac Newton, an English physicist and mathematician (described in his own day as a “natural philosopher“) is now widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time and a key figure in the scientific revolution. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (“Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy”), first published in 1687, laid the foundations for classical mechanics.
Biographical Overview
Born in England, 1642 – 1727
Physicist
Founder of Modern Physics; established Newtonian Mechanics, Universal Law of Gravity, Calculus, Laws of Motion, Optics, Binomial Series
Fellow of The Royal Society (FRS), 1672
Worldview
Using a biblical worldview perspective, Newton successfully applied the scientific method to investigate the laws of nature, His worldview is most notably in what he said:
“This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being.”
“How came the Bodies of Animals to be contrived with so much Art, and for what ends were their several parts? Was the eye contrived without Skill in Opticks, and the Ear without Knowledge of Sounds? …. And these things being rightly dispatch’d does it not appear from Phænomena that there is a Being incorporeal, living, intelligent…?”
“To reject Daniel is to reject the Christian religion.”
“About the time of the end, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the Prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation, in the midst of much clamor and opposition.”
“’When I first wrote my treatise about our systems, I had an eye upon such principles as might work with considering men, for the belief of a deity, and nothing can rejoice me more than to find it useful for that purpose.’”
“Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors”
“We account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever…. Worshipping God and the Lamb in the temple of God, for his benefaction in creating all things, and in the Lamb, for his benefaction in redeeming us with His blood.”
“There is one God, the Father, ever-living, omnipresent, omniscient, almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, the one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.”
“To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. That is, we are to worship the Father alone as God Almighty, and Jesus alone as the Lord, the Messiah, the Great King, the Lamb of God who was slain, and hath redeemed us with His blood, and made us kings and priests.”
“The Book of Revelation exhibits to us the same peculiarities as that of Nature… The history of the Fall of Man – of the introduction of moral and physical evil, the prediction of the Messiah, the actual advent of our Saviour, His instructions, His miracles, His death, His resurrection, and the subsequent propagation of His religion by the unlettered fishermen of Galilee, are each a stumbling-block to the wisdom of this world.”
“But through the system of revealed truth which this Book contains is, like that of the universe, concealed from common observation, yet, the laborers of the centuries have established its Divine origin, and developed in all its order and beauty, the great plan of human restoration.”
“God in the beginning formed matter in solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, movable particles, and in such proportions to space, as most conduced to the end for which He formed them.”
“If the Bible is true, the time is coming when men shall travel at fifty miles an hour.” (see Voltaire’s statement below)
Isaac Newton
François-Marie Aroue, French Enlightenment writer known as Voltaire, commented on Newton’s “fifty miles an hour” comment: “Now look at that mighty mind of Newton who studied gravitation. When he became an old man and got into his second childhood, he began to study the book that is called the Bible. And it seems in order to credit its fabulous nonsense we must believe that the knowledge of mankind will be so increased that he will be able to travel at the rate of 50 miles an hour. The poor dullard! No man can travel at the rate of 30 miles an hour and get his breath!”
