Jesus, Prophet of Islam - The Islamic Bulletin

204 Jesus, Praphet of Islam

Newton hoped that Locke could help him have the manuscript
translated into Frenchandpublished in France, since he felt it would
be too dangerous to print it in England. It was called An Historical
Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Seripture. In 1692, an attempt
was made to publish a Latin translation of it anonymously. When
he heard of this, Newton entreated Locke to take steps to prevent
this publication, since he felt that the time was not yet ripe for il. In
his Historical Account, Newton says, referring to 1 John 5: 7:

In all the vehement universal and lasting controversy

about the Trinity in Jerome' s time and both before and

long enough after it, this text of the 'three in heaven'

was never once thought of. It is now in everybody's

mouth and accounted the main text for the business and

would assuredly have been 50 too with them, had it been

in their books.

He continues:

Let them make good sense of it who are able. For my

part I can make none. If it be said that we are not to

determine what is Scripture and what not by our pri­

vate judgements, I confess it in places not controverted,

but in disputed places I love to take up with what I can

best understand. It is the temper of the hot and super­

stitious part of mankind in matters of religion ever to

be fond of mysteries, and for that reason to like best

what they understand least. Such men may use the

Apostle John as they please, but I have that honour for

him as to believe that he wrote good sense and there­

fore take that to be his which is the best. 44

According to Newton, 1 John 5: 7 appeared for the first time in the
third edition of Erasmus's New Testament. He believed that before
the publication of this edition, the rspurious text' was not to be
found in the New Testament: 'When they got the Trinity into his
edition they threw by their manuscript, if they had one, as an al­
manac out of date. And can such shuffling dealings satisfy consid­
ering men?' He continues, 'It is rather a danger in religion than an
advantage to make it now lean on a broken reed.'

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