Editing Boyle Lectures (section)

=== Early lectures ===
The first such lecture was given in 1692 by [[Richard Bentley]], to whom [[Isaac Newton]] had written:
{{blockquote|Sir, When I wrote my Treatise about our System, I had an Eye upon such Principles as might work with considering Men, for the Belief of a Deity; nothing can rejoice me more than to find it useful for that Purpose.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/219/1304.html Scholars and Antiquaries (''The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21)'')]</ref><ref>"Notes on the Religious Orientation of Scientists" by [[Gerald Holton]] in ''Science Ponders Religion'', [[Harlow Shapley]], [[Appleton-Century-Crofts]], 1960, p. 59</ref>}}

The early lecturers were specifically charged to prove the truth of the [[Christianity|Christian]] religion against Jews, Muslims and non-believers, without considering any controversies or differences that might exist between different Christian groups.

{{Blockquote|text="To preach eight sermons in the year, for proving the Christian religion against notorious infidels, viz. Atheists, Deists, Pagans, Jews, Mahometans, not descending to any controversies that are among Christians themselves."|author=Richard Bentley|title=|source=The Folly and Unreasonableness of Atheism; The Epistle Dedicatory.}}

A clergyman was to be appointed to the lectureship for a term of no more than three years by [[Thomas Tenison]] (later [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]) and three other nominated trustees.<ref name="newton" /> Boyle had assigned the rent from his house in Crooked Lane to support the lectures but the income from that source soon disappeared.  Archbishop Tenison then arranged that the rental income from a farm in the parish of Brill in Buckinghamshire was to be paid at the rate of £12.10.00 per quarter to the lecturer.<ref>{{1728}}</ref>