WILLIAM WHISTON BIOGRAPHY

WHISTON, WILLIAM (1667-1752). —Theologian, and man of science, born at Norton, Leicestershire, and ed. at Camb., where he succeeded Newton as Lucasian Prof. of Mathematics, was a prominent advocate of the Newtonian system, and wrote a Theory of the Earth against the views of Thomas Burnet ( q.v. ). He also wrote several theological works, Primitive Christianity Revived and the Primitive New Testament . The Arian views promulgated in the former led to his expulsion from the Univ. His best known work was his translation of Josephus . He was a kindly and honest, but eccentric and impracticable man, and an insatiable controversialist.