John Hutchinson (writer) facts for kids

John Hutchinson (1674 – 28 August 1737) was an English thinker. He studied religion, so he was a theologian. He also studied how the natural world works, which was called natural philosophy back then.

Early Life and Work

John was born in a place called Spennithorne in Yorkshire, England. He worked as a manager for important families. Later, a powerful person, the Duke of Somerset, helped him get an easy job that paid well.

In 1700, John met Dr. John Woodward. Dr. Woodward was a doctor and a writer who studied Earth's history. John Hutchinson had collected many fossils and notes. He gave them to Dr. Woodward to help publish them.

His Big Ideas and Books

But John Hutchinson and Dr. Woodward had a big disagreement. Because of this, John Hutchinson wrote his own book in 1724. It was called Moses's Principia. In this book, he made fun of Dr. Woodward's ideas. He also tried to prove that Sir Isaac Newton's ideas about gravity were wrong.

He wrote more books after that, including:

• Moses's Principia, Part II (1727)
• Moses's Sine Principio (1730)
• The Confusion of Tongues and Trinity of the Gentiles (1731)
• Power Essential and Mechanical (1732)
• Glory or Gravity (1733)
• The Religion of Satan (1736)

What John Hutchinson Believed

John Hutchinson believed that the Bible held all the answers. He thought it contained not only true religion but also all the knowledge about how the world works. He had a special way of reading the Hebrew language of the Bible. He thought it had hidden meanings and symbols.

His Followers

Some people agreed with John Hutchinson's ideas. Bishop George Horne, a religious leader, followed his teachings for some years. William Jones of Nayland also believed in Hutchinson's ideas throughout his life.

Later Publications

After John Hutchinson passed away, his friends collected all his writings. A complete set of his books was published in 1748. There were 12 volumes in total. Later, a shorter version and a book about his life were also published.

One of his other important books was The Covenant in the Cherubim. In this book, he wrote about how perfect the Hebrew Bible was. He also discussed changes made by religious scholars over time.