WHISTON, hwis'ton, William, Esh mathematician and Anglican clergyman: b. Nor ton, Leicestershire, 9 Dec. 1667; d. London, 27 Aug. 1752. He took his degree at Clare Hall. Cambridge, in 1690, and in 1691 was elected to a fellowship there. He was ordained a deacon in 1693, was appointed chaplain to the bishop of Norwich, and in 1698 became vicar of Lowe stoft, Suffolk. He was appointed deputy pro fessor of mathematics to Newton at Cambridge in 1701, and in 1703, upon Newton's resigna tion, succeeded to the Lucasian professorship He continued to preach, but having given ex pression to Arian views, was in 1710 summarily expelled from his professorship and the uzu versity. He removed to London where he pub lished 'An Historical Preface to Primitive Christianity Revived' (1711). He i•as there upon prosecuted for heresy, but after proceed ings lasting five years, was permitted to remain in the English Church. He subsequently en
gaged in lecturing upon scientific subjects, being among the first to Introduce lectures with ex periments in London. He founded in 1715 a society for the promotion of primitne Chris tianity, the meetings of which were held in his home, and afterward became a Baptist. He made a translation of Josephus (1737) which ran through many editions and wrote 'New Theory of the Earth' (16%) ; 'The Accom plishment of Scripture Prophecies' (17014) ; New Method of Discovering the Longitude' (1714); 'The True Origin of the Sabellian and Athanasian Doctrines of the Trinity' (1720)- ' 'The Testimony of Phlegon Vindi cated' 0732); 'The Longitudes Found by the Ellipsis of Jupiter's Planets' (1738); 'Mem oirs' (1749), etc.