Thomas Newton (1 January 1704 – 14 February 1782) was an English cleric,

biblical The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

scholar and author. He served as the Bishop of Bristol from 1761 to 1782.

Biography

Newton was educated at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

and was subsequently elected a fellow of Trinity. He was ordained in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

and continued scholarly pursuits. His more remembered works include his annotated edition of ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an Epic poetry, epic poem in blank verse by the English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The poem concerns the Bible, biblical story of the fall of man: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their ex ...

'', including a biography of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

, published in 1749. In 1754 he published a large scholarly analysis of the prophecies of the Bible, titled ''Dissertations on the Prophecies''. In his 1761 edition of Milton's poetry, he gave the title ''On His Blindness'' to Sonnet XIX, '' When I Consider How My Light is Spent''. Newton was appointed the Bishop of Bristol in 1761 and in 1768 became the

Dean of St Paul's The dean of St Paul's is a member of, and chair of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in London in the Church of England. The dean of St Paul's is also '' ex officio'' dean of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of th ...

Cathedral in London. He has been considered a Christian universalist. One of Newton's famous quotes concerns the

Jewish people Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

The preservation of the
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
is really one of the most signal and illustrious acts of
divine Providence In theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's intervention in the universe. The term ''Divine Providence'' (usually capitalized) is also used as a names of God, title of God. A distinction is usually made between "general prov ...
... and what but a supernatural power could have preserved them in such a manner as none other nation upon earth hath been preserved. Nor is the providence of
God In monotheistic belief systems, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. In polytheistic belief systems, a god is "a spirit or being believed to have created, or for controlling some part of the un ...
less remarkable in the destruction of their enemies, than in their preservation... We see that the great empires, which in their turn subdued and oppressed the people of God, are all come to ruin... And if such hath been the fatal end of the enemies and oppressors of the Jews, let it serve as a warning to all those, who at any time or upon any occasion are for raising a clamor and persecution against the

/blockquote> "Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral" William Sinclair (Archdeacon of London), Sinclair, W. p. 464: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909.

References

Sources
*Nigel Aston
‘Newton, Thomas (1704–1782)’
''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'', Oxford University Press, 2004, accessed 26 Aug 2008 *

External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Newton, Thomas 1704 births 1782 deaths 18th-century Church of England bishops People from Lichfield Bishops of Bristol Deans of St Paul's English Christian universalists Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge Canons of Westminster Christian universalist clergy 18th-century Christian universalists Anglican universalists 18th-century Anglican theologians