And the best, like Newton, were able to separate their beliefs from the science. He didn't know what was causing the orbital precession of Mercury, but refused to give "God's doing it" as an explanation. He didn't know what the "action at a distance" was that he was observing, but also refused to give a supernatural explanation. It would have been interesting had he delved into the history of life on Earth.
don’t mention Mendel (pea pod selection and inheritance) was a monk...