A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More

Superstition—which I understand only through logical deduction original: "mere collection of Reason", as I have had no personal experience with it to stimulate original: "quickening" my writing style or expand my thoughts on the matter. However, I think I may safely affirm, as I have elsewhere, that it is Superstition (unless it is vainglory, self-interest, or something worse) when men have an excessive original: "over-proportionated" zeal for or against things in religion that God places little or no value upon, whether they are performed or omitted. If this were seriously and conscientiously considered, it would go a long way toward calming or preventing the usual storms original: "blusters" of Christendom. And there could be no better result from writing an entire book. But I must confess that the success and growth of the Church is a profound secret original: "Arcanum" that lies deeper in Providence; it is a mystery of life rather than of external reason. Paul may plant and Apollos may water, but God gives the growth original: "increase".

It should not offend knowledgeable and honorable people that men are shy or jealous toward truths they are not familiar with.

10. As for the letters that follow next, they speak for themselves regarding their purpose. I have added the one addressed to V. C. likely a Latin abbreviation for "Vir Clarissimus" or "Most Illustrious Man," referring to a specific correspondent for several reasons, but chiefly to encourage a better opinion in those who are not well-acquainted with Descartes and his writings. It is inevitable that even men of excellent spirit may struggle with prejudice against such a worthy author due to the misrepresentation of his ideas. I must confess that novelty alone is enough cause for even the most honorable people to hesitate; for anything strange carries the face of something hostile. This is why enemy original: "Hostis" and foreigner original: "Peregrinus" once had the same meaning, as Cicero observes. Furthermore, it is a sign of rudeness and a lack of skill in understanding both the nature of things and the perfection of Divine Providence (who has generally implanted in us a stubborn attachment to what we are used to, so that the human mind might be a safer container once it finds what is best) to imagine that just because a truth is self-evidently proven, its opposite will immediately surrender the castle. Considering this should ensure that honorable people maintain sincere civility and respect even toward those who suspiciously doubt or oppose new truths; it makes it seem a piece of surprising ignorance or inhumanity to feel otherwise toward them.

Certain remarkable things concerning Descartes and his writings.

* Letters of Mr. Descartes. Volume 2, letters 75, 76, 80.

11. Nothing specific regarding that letter comes to mind now, except perhaps to applaud the luckiness of my guess concerning Descartes's distortion of the true and natural idea of motion. I believe he did this because of Galileo’s misfortune, who was so harshly treated by a Council of Cardinals for his hypothesis on the motion of the earth. It is now very evident from several of his letters to Mersenne that Descartes had this in mind. I had no knowledge of those passages until a few days ago, and my own letter was written before this second volume of Descartes's letters was published. In the meantime, I cannot help but notice the harm this external force and fear causes to the community of learning, and how many innocent and deserving young minds have been mentally tortured original: "put upon the Rack", just as Galileo was put into prison. For his imprisonment frightened Descartes into such a distorted description of motion that no man’s reason could make good sense of it, yet no man's modesty would allow him to imagine anything as nonsense original: "Non-sense" in such an excellent author.

My main goal in my letter was to clear Descartes original: "Cartesius" from that flighty and groundless suspicion of atheism (which surely could only be believed by the most unrefined and vulgar spirits), which I believe I have done fully...