Seven Statements on Religion

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: Keynes Ms. 6, King's College, Cambridge, UK

Published online: February 2002

Additional Information
- Notes on the Original Document
  - The manuscript breaks off after the beginning of the eighth statement
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- Revision History
  - 1 April 1998
    - Transcribed by Stephen Snobelen
  - 1 January 2001
    - Catalogue information compiled by Rob Iliffe, Peter Spargo & John Young
  - 1 February 2002
    - Checked against original by John Young
  - 22 February 2002
    - Tagged by John Young
  - 25 October 2006
    - Coding audited and updated to Newton v2.0 DTD by Michael Hawkins
  - 22 February 2008
    - Coding checked and updated to Newton v2.1 DTD by John Young
  - 20 April 2009
    - Updated to Newton V3.0 (TEI P5 Schema) by Michael Hawkins
  - 29 September 2011
    - Catalogue exported to teiHeader by Michael Hawkins
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<1r>

1 That religion & Philosophy are to be preserved distinct. We are not to introduce divine revelations into Philosophy, nor philosophical opinions into religion.

3 Men are not to be deprived of communion without violating the conditions upon which they were admitted into communion.

2 That Religion & polity or the laws of God & the laws of man are to be kept distinct. We are not make the commandements of men a part of the laws of God

4 The conditions or articles of communion are those which in the primitive Church were taught the Catechumeni in order to baptism & imposition of hand, viz^t [to forsake the Devil & all his works, to abstein from the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye & the pride] repentance & abstinence from dead works, & a practical beleif in one God the father in one Lord Iesus Christ & in the Holy Ghost

5 By dead works we are to understand Idolatry, inordinate lusts of the flesh, covetousness & ambition. We are to forsake the Devil & his works that is fals gods & idols with the works which accompany such worship as being contrary to the love of God: & we are to refrain from the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye & the pride of life, that is from inordinate desires of the flesh, & from covetousness & ambition [] as being contrary to the love of our neighbour. And we are to beleive aright in one God & one Christ & in the Holy Ghost & be baptized in their name & to love our neighbour as our selves, & being admitted into the communion of some particular Church by the governours thereof upon these conditions, we are not to be deprived of that communion without breach of those conditions.

6 By communion I understand a fellowship in the worship of that Church so as to joyn with them in their publick prayers praises thanksgivings & in celebrating the Eucharist, & by excommunication a deprivation of that communion. T

7 This communion men are to be admitted into or deprived of by Order of the board of the governours of that Church & the Order is properly to be declared by the President of the board & the Declaration may be accompanied with some ceremony , as of imposition of hands The Declaration by imposition of hands is a Iewish ceremony. We call it confirmation, meaning a confirmation of what was done by the Godfathers in baptizing the Infant.