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

biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...

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

Biography

Newton was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge and was subsequently elected a fellow of Trinity. He was ordained in the Church of England and continued scholarly pursuits. His more remembered works include his annotated edition of ''

Paradise Lost ''Paradise Lost'' is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poet John Milton (1608–1674). The first version, published in 1667, consists of ten books with over ten thousand lines of verse (poetry), verse. A second edition fo ...

'', including a biography of

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet and intellectual. His 1667 epic poem '' Paradise Lost'', written in blank verse and including over ten chapters, was written in a time of immense religious flux and political ...

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

The preservation of the Jews 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 title of God. A distinction is usually made between "general providence", which ...
... 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 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'', 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