Letters of Euler on different subjects in physics and philosophy. Addressed to a German princess / Translated from the French by Henry Hunter, with original notes and a glossary. Of foreign and scientific terms.

  • Euler, Leonhard, 1707-1783.
Date:
1802
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters of Euler on different subjects in physics and philosophy. Addressed to a German princess / Translated from the French by Henry Hunter, with original notes and a glossary. Of foreign and scientific terms. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    which we have laid down, that {pirits can be govern ed only by motives. > Vheologians have maintained, and fome ftill main- tain, that converfion is the immediate operation of God, without any co-operation on the part of man. They imagine that an act of the Divine will is fuf- ficient to transform, in an inftant, the greateft mif- creant into a virtuous man. Thefe good gentlemen may mean extremely well, and confider themfelves as thus exalting the divine Omnipotence; but this fentiment feems to me inconfiftent with the juftice and goodnefs of God, even though it were not fub- verfive of human liberty. How, it will with reafon be faid, if a fimple exertion of the divine Omnipo- tence is fuflicient for the inftantaneous converfion of every finner, can it be poflible that the decree fhould not actually pafs, rather than leave fo many thou- fands to perifh, or employ the work of redemption, by which a part only of mankind is faved? I ac- knowledge that this obje@tion appears to me much more formidable than all thofe which infidelity raifes againit our holy religion, and which are founded en- tirely in ignorance of the true deftination of man; but, blefled be God, it can have no place in the fyf- tem which I have taken the liberty to propofe. Some divines will perhaps accufe me of herefy, as if I were maintaining that the power of man is fuf- ficient for his converfion; but this reproach affeéts me not, as ] am confcious of intending to place the -goodnefs of God in it’s cleareft light. In the work . 6 of