Background
Collins was born on June 21, 1676 O. S in Heston, near Hounslow in Middlesex, England.
Collins was born on June 21, 1676 O. S in Heston, near Hounslow in Middlesex, England.
He was educated at Eton and King's College, Cambridge, and was for some time a student at the Middle Temple.
The most interesting episode of his life was his intimacy with Locke, who in his letters speaks of him with affection and admiration.
His writings are important as gathering together the results of previous English Freethinkers.
His Essay concerning the Use of Reason in Propositions the Evidence whereof depends on Human Testimony (1707) is written in opposition to Whiston's attempt to show that the books of the Old Testament did originally contain prophecies of events in the New Testament story, but that these had been eliminated or corrupted by the Jews, and to prove that the fulfilment of prophecy by the events of Christ's life is all " secondary, secret, allegorical, and mystical, " since the original and literal reference is always to some other fact.
Since, further, according to him the fulfilment of prophecy is the only valid proof of Christianity, he thus secretly aims a blow at Christianity as a revelation.
No less than thirty-five answers were directed against this book, the most noteworthy of which were those of Bishop Edward Chandler, Arthur Sykes and Samuel Clarke.
In philosophy, Collins takes a foremost place as a defender of Necessitarianism.
His brief Inquiry Concerning Human Liberty (1715)hasnot been excelled, at all events in its main outlines, as a statement of the determinist standpoint.
One of his arguments, however, calls for special criticism, -his assertion that it is self- evident that nothing that has a beginning can be without a cause is an unwarranted assumption of the very point at issue.
He was attacked in an elaborate treatise by Samuel Clarke, in whose system the freedom of the will is made essential to religion and morality.
He died at his house in Harley Street, London.
He set forth the position of the deists and defended the cause of rational theology.
His Discourse of Free Thinking (1713) was answered by many clergymen and was satirized by Jonathan Swift.
His Philosophical Inquiry Concerning Human Liberty (1715) is an excellent presentation of the determinist position, the theory that all events are determined by prior causes.
The imperturbable courtesy of his style is in striking contrast to the violence of his opponents; and it must be remembered that, in spite of his unorthodoxy, he was not an atheist or even an agnostic.
From his first marriage he had two sons both of whom died young, the eldest in infancy, the second was Anthony Collins (c. 1701 – 1723); and two daughters: Elizabeth Collins (born c. 1700) who, in 1738, married Walter Cary; and Martha Collins (c. 1700 – 1744) who, in 1741, married Robert Fairfax, 7th Lord Fairfax of Cameron (1706–1793).
His second marriage was to Elizabeth Wrottesley (born c. 1680), a daughter of Walter Wrottesley, 3rd Baronet Wrottesley (1659–1712) and Eleanora, née Archer (1661–1692).
He married first Martha Child (1677–1703) a daughter of Sir Francis Child MP (1642–1713) and Elizabeth, née Wheeler (1652–1720).
