16
An Inquiry concerning
Malebranche as an example. He has in several books treated of and vindicated the opinion of seeing all things in God; and yet so acute a person as Mr. Bayle, after having read them all, declares, that he less comprehends his notion from his last book than ever.[1] Which plainly shows a defect in F. Malebranche to write upon a subject he understood not, and therefore could not make others understand.
You see, I bespeak no favor in the question before me, and take the whole fault to myself, if I do not write clearly to you on it, and prove what I propose.
And that I may inform you, in what I think clear to myself, I will begin with explaining the sense of the Question.
The Question stated.Man is a necessary Agent, if all his actions are so determined by the causes- ↑ J’ai parcouru le nouveau Livre du Pere Malebranche centre Mr. Arnauld: & j’y ai moins compris que jamais sa pretention, que les Idées, par lesquelles nous connoiffons les Objets, sont en Dieu, & non dans notre Ame. Il y a là du mal-entendu: ce sont, ce me semble, des equivoques perpetuelles. Letter of the 16th of October, 1705, to Mr. Des Maizeaux.
