Rambam and Sir Isaac Newton - Kindred Souls?

I just finished watching a fascinating Nova segment on DVD, about Sir Isaac Newton that was brought to my attention by my son Alex. Based on the recent deciphering of his private notes and writings a fascinating man is emerging. What is amazing is the fact that although being the greatest scientist ever, having taken us into the modern world almost single handedly, he understood that science and religion were one and worked hand in hand. He secretly believed the Trinity was wrong and that only a Unique God existed. Jesus could not have been more than a man and the whole theology of Christianity as taught by the different churches are wrong. It confirms Rambam’s understanding that through science only can one really get to know about God and His Uniqueness.

What was also fascinating was his interest in alchemy. It is now believed that he was trying to find the occult force that was possibly behind gravity. He could calculate its effects but had no idea what it was composed of. He thought of it as some kind of occult possibly spiritual force. He still believed that these spritual forces were part of nature and science. No wonder astrology and magic were still considered a possibility.

I always was astounded by the Gra who was such a rationalist in his Halachik and textual analysis yet believed that magic was real as he comments in Yoreh Deah attacking Rambam as misguided by the philosophers in denying it. Gra (1720 – 1797) who was almost a contemporary of Newton (1642-1727) probably still believed that magic was a science just like Newton still suspected.

Rambam understood (see Moreh 2:5) Hashamayim Mesaperim Kevod El as literal because Aristoteleian physics understood the stars to be sentient, their will to emulate their perfect Creator being the impetus that made them move in a circular mode. Newton having discovered gravity clearly proved Rambam wrong in this particular case. However he also proved a contemporary of his, Baruch Spinoza ( 1632- 1677) wrong by showing that knowing the physical world leads to God rather than away from Him.

Newton was totally involved in his studies, at least during the earlier and most productive part of his life, shunning all wordly pleasures. He was the paradigm of "Ein divrei Torah miskayemim elo bemi shmeimis atzmo oleiho" - if you follow Rambam in the idea that science and metaphysics are part of Torah.
והעניינות הנקראין פרדס, בכלל התלמוד. (Hil. Talmud Torah 1:14)
That might have helped in his making better choices when subjective judgment was required.

Re the Halacha that a non-Jew may not learn Torah, though I am usually loath to accept things as they seem at first blush without a thorough analysis of the subject, I know I will get comments questioning my post on that basis, so I had a fast look at it. Chasam Sofer (as quoted in Frankel's Rambam Mekoros Vetziyunim) holds that it does not apply to a non-Jew who commits not to worship idols. They may be taught too not only sciences but Torah in general. From what I saw, Newton definitely falls into that category.