John Toland
Birth & Homeland:
John Toland is the father and philosopher of Pantheism, a single word that wraps all of my beliefs into one. John Toland was born on November 30th, 1670 as a Sagittarius; near Derry in northern Ireland. Toland was raised by a Catholic Church and converted at the age of 16.
Schooling:
Toland studied in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leiden and Utrecht. Where he graduated with a masters of Arts and his philosophy became inspired by the Roman materialist poet, Lucretius and a famous italian Friar, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and astrologer; Giordano Bruno. (Bruno was the first person who had been martyred in 1600, he was burned at the stake.) In 1688 Toland purchased Queen Elizabeth's copy of Bruno's dialogues, which he studied as well. There on after, Toland was enthusiastic of Bruno's ideas.
Becoming an Author:
Leaving Oxford, Toland moved to London in 1695 and published his first novel, "Christianity not Mysterious." This book is what sparked Tolands bad reputation. With his life then feeling threatened by parliament and the bishops, Toland fled to his homeland, where he only found the out cry to be greater. Toland was living in a time where physical persecution had only just begun to cease. In september 1697, the Irish house of Commons ordered the book to be burned by the public hangsman, and for the author to be arrested and prosecuted by the Attorney General. At this point, it was dangerous enough to be known for even speaking with Toland just once.
Fleeting Hope:
Returning to England without family or fortune, Toland aspired to live by finding noble or even royal patrons (supporters).
John Toland is the father and philosopher of Pantheism, a single word that wraps all of my beliefs into one. John Toland was born on November 30th, 1670 as a Sagittarius; near Derry in northern Ireland. Toland was raised by a Catholic Church and converted at the age of 16.
Schooling:
Toland studied in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leiden and Utrecht. Where he graduated with a masters of Arts and his philosophy became inspired by the Roman materialist poet, Lucretius and a famous italian Friar, philosopher, mathematician, astronomer and astrologer; Giordano Bruno. (Bruno was the first person who had been martyred in 1600, he was burned at the stake.) In 1688 Toland purchased Queen Elizabeth's copy of Bruno's dialogues, which he studied as well. There on after, Toland was enthusiastic of Bruno's ideas.
Becoming an Author:
Leaving Oxford, Toland moved to London in 1695 and published his first novel, "Christianity not Mysterious." This book is what sparked Tolands bad reputation. With his life then feeling threatened by parliament and the bishops, Toland fled to his homeland, where he only found the out cry to be greater. Toland was living in a time where physical persecution had only just begun to cease. In september 1697, the Irish house of Commons ordered the book to be burned by the public hangsman, and for the author to be arrested and prosecuted by the Attorney General. At this point, it was dangerous enough to be known for even speaking with Toland just once.
Fleeting Hope:
Returning to England without family or fortune, Toland aspired to live by finding noble or even royal patrons (supporters).
Toland wrote tracts to the English crown and was even with the electress Sophia of Brunswick for a while, in hopes she would inherit the English throne (Daughter of the Prince electore). In Brunswick and Berlin, Toland also gave lectures and had debates with the German philosopher, Leibniz (calculus). Which is when one of Tolands most famous quotes came to be, "The sun is my Father, the earth my Mother, the world my Country and all men are my family."
Toland also wrote political pamphlets for the first Earl of Oxford, Tory Robert Harley.
Scraping Through Bottoms & Disguises:
In 1702, Toland declared himself a member of the Church of England, but his past made him untrustworthy to people. Toland never secured a stable patron he wanted, and ended up passing his life in low paid, hack-writing jobs on the edge of political powers. For most of his life Toland was forced to hide his true religious beliefs in order to survive.
"To what sneaking equivocations, to what wretched shifts and subterfuges are men of excellent endowments forced to have recourse through human frailty, merely to escape disgrace or starving."
The Beginning of Something New:
The word 'Pantheism' was first used by Toland in 1705 and in 1718 Toland was lodged in a carpenters house in Putney, where he spent the rest of his life in poverty and debt. By now Toland began drinking heavily and had later developed gallstones. John Toland then died at the age of 51 in 1721. Only a year before his death, was the first clear time when Toland began to identified himself as a Pantheist. In this year he published his last book, "Pantheisticon." Which was a novel that set out the basic and true philosophy and understandings of what it means to be a Panthiest. This novel was written in Latin so only highly educated individual could read it in private secrecy. Toland had no plans in spreading Pantheism among the community though. Only ambitious and corrupt power seekers of church and state would always pay lip service to establish religion to gain advancement. Toland never wanted to be compared to them, religion was a choice of beliefs and values, not something you could grow up into or be persuaded into leading. After Tolands death, his last novel and his past started to become highly popular. Toland was the first to combine a strict materialism with respect for the science of his day and a religious view of the universe, together.
The Simple Truth:
In all of John Tolands influenced beliefs, lays a truth in which I believe in. Outlining all of his words, I see all that I understand and enjoy about this vast world. I have come to have great respect for Toland, he tried so hard to be himself in such judgemental times. Finally I have found a word that describes everything I am and what I believe in. I am a scientific environmentalist with care and love for the world and whats around me. "Life is full of mysteries, but there are answers and they won't be found by people sitting around or calling up the pope. Even in the kids show Scooby-doo, every time there was a church with a ghoul or a ghost in a school. They looked beneath the mask and what was inside? The truth. Throughout history, every mystery ever solved, has turned out to be not magic. Does the idea that there might be knowledge frighten you? Is the notion that there might not be a supernatural blow your mind? Isn't all of this enough? Just this world? This beautiful complexed wonderfully unfathomable natural world. How does it so fail to hold their attention, that we have to diminish it with the invention of Jesus, man made myths and monsters. To gold refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw perfume on the violet, is just silly. But heres what amazes me. I am a tiny, insignificant lump of carbon. I have one life and it's short and unimportant." (Tim Miachins) Life is what we make of it, so we should live it to the fullest and wisely. we should always be allowed to live the life we want and to believe in what we want. Don't worry what people think because at the end of your life, who is really going to remember or care? Just be you. Be happy.
Toland also wrote political pamphlets for the first Earl of Oxford, Tory Robert Harley.
Scraping Through Bottoms & Disguises:
In 1702, Toland declared himself a member of the Church of England, but his past made him untrustworthy to people. Toland never secured a stable patron he wanted, and ended up passing his life in low paid, hack-writing jobs on the edge of political powers. For most of his life Toland was forced to hide his true religious beliefs in order to survive.
"To what sneaking equivocations, to what wretched shifts and subterfuges are men of excellent endowments forced to have recourse through human frailty, merely to escape disgrace or starving."
The Beginning of Something New:
The word 'Pantheism' was first used by Toland in 1705 and in 1718 Toland was lodged in a carpenters house in Putney, where he spent the rest of his life in poverty and debt. By now Toland began drinking heavily and had later developed gallstones. John Toland then died at the age of 51 in 1721. Only a year before his death, was the first clear time when Toland began to identified himself as a Pantheist. In this year he published his last book, "Pantheisticon." Which was a novel that set out the basic and true philosophy and understandings of what it means to be a Panthiest. This novel was written in Latin so only highly educated individual could read it in private secrecy. Toland had no plans in spreading Pantheism among the community though. Only ambitious and corrupt power seekers of church and state would always pay lip service to establish religion to gain advancement. Toland never wanted to be compared to them, religion was a choice of beliefs and values, not something you could grow up into or be persuaded into leading. After Tolands death, his last novel and his past started to become highly popular. Toland was the first to combine a strict materialism with respect for the science of his day and a religious view of the universe, together.
The Simple Truth:
In all of John Tolands influenced beliefs, lays a truth in which I believe in. Outlining all of his words, I see all that I understand and enjoy about this vast world. I have come to have great respect for Toland, he tried so hard to be himself in such judgemental times. Finally I have found a word that describes everything I am and what I believe in. I am a scientific environmentalist with care and love for the world and whats around me. "Life is full of mysteries, but there are answers and they won't be found by people sitting around or calling up the pope. Even in the kids show Scooby-doo, every time there was a church with a ghoul or a ghost in a school. They looked beneath the mask and what was inside? The truth. Throughout history, every mystery ever solved, has turned out to be not magic. Does the idea that there might be knowledge frighten you? Is the notion that there might not be a supernatural blow your mind? Isn't all of this enough? Just this world? This beautiful complexed wonderfully unfathomable natural world. How does it so fail to hold their attention, that we have to diminish it with the invention of Jesus, man made myths and monsters. To gold refined gold, to paint the lily, to throw perfume on the violet, is just silly. But heres what amazes me. I am a tiny, insignificant lump of carbon. I have one life and it's short and unimportant." (Tim Miachins) Life is what we make of it, so we should live it to the fullest and wisely. we should always be allowed to live the life we want and to believe in what we want. Don't worry what people think because at the end of your life, who is really going to remember or care? Just be you. Be happy.