Mr. Arnauld does not comprehend anything that he criticizes. This is perhaps my fault, rather than the quality of the material, or the disposition of his spirit. One may judge it as one wills: but I am able to say nothing on this text more honest & more Christian. I do not respond to it, because after what I have said, it seems to me that I ought not to respond to it. But here, Sir, is a text rather distressing to me. The quarrels [mouvemens] of Mr. Arnauld agitate me only a little: but I am not able to read this text without emotion, because supposing that Mr. Arnauld understands my sentiments a bit, I find there a horrible spite [malignité].[Three Letters I, Rem. XVII; OC 6:248]
(I think what Malebranche is primarily referring to is Arnauld's claim that Malebranche "says God is incorporeal, at the same time that he makes Him corporeal".) In any case, this sort of thing is actually fairly common in the Malebranche-Arnauld dispute: they continually exasperate and anger each other, repeating in different words the arguments they already gave, exchanging words that are more and more bitter.
