JOHN LOCKE

by
Dr. A. Zahoor

John Locke (1632-1704) is best known for his treatises on the social contract. He is accredited with formulation of the terms of the Toleration Act of 1689. Locke held Unitarian views but was afraid to declare them openly. He was forced to leave England for his political views. When he returned after the revolution of 1688, he took great pains not to offend the powers of the Church to avoid further persecution. His monograph supporting reason was disliked by the Church, and one of his work was published anonymously.

Locke studied the teachings of the early disciples of Christ and could find no justification for the belief in Trinity. He was a close friend of Newton and had discussed the belief in Trinity, a subject much in dispute in his time. Le Clere, who was a friend of Newton and Locke, said that no controversy was ever conducted with so much skill on the one hand or, on the other, with so much misrepresentation, confusion and ignorance.

Reference
A. Wallace, “Anti-Trinitarian Biographies,” Vol. III, 1850.