An essay on the usefulness of mathematical learning, in a letter from a gentleman in the City to his friend in Oxford / [Anon].

  • Arbuthnot, John, 1667-1735.
Date:
1701
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on the usefulness of mathematical learning, in a letter from a gentleman in the City to his friend in Oxford / [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/72 (page 8)
    upon truft. 'idly. By giving us a clear and extenfive knowledge of the Syftem of the World; which, as it creates in us the moft profound reverence of the Al¬ mighty and wife Creator; fb it frees us from the mean and narrow thoughts, which ignorance and fiiperftition are apt to beget. How great an enemy Matbe¬ maticks are to fiiperftition, appears from this, That in thofe Countries, where ffiijh Priefis exercife their barbarous Ty¬ ranny over the minds of Men, Aftrono- mers, who are fully perfwaded of the mo¬ tion of the Earth, dare not fpeak out: But thos the Inquijition may extort a Re¬ cantation, the Pope and a general Coun¬ cil too will not find themfelves able to perfwade to the contrary Opinion. Per¬ haps, this may have given occafion to a calumnious fiiggeftion, as If Matbematicks were an enemy to Religion, which is a fcandal thrown both on the one and the other; for truth can never be an enemy to true Religion, which appears always to the beft advantage, when it is moft examined. ——~ Si proptus jleSj Te captet magis.- On the contrary, the Matbematicks are friends