Error and Weakness than this Universal Doubting, whose mistaken force they fo fondly have recourse to.
'Twould be in vain to imagin, that Nature defigning to impofe upon our Infirmities, imprinted in our Minds certain false notions, upon which we might argue as upon true principles. For this Metaphifical doubt would foon be destroyed by the irrefiftible perception of almost an infinite number of particular Truths. An abftracted and remote Speculation cannot be stronger than the Knowledge we have already of the existence of our Soul, which thinks, doubts, reasons and knows that the performs all these Operations, and after a Thousand Chimerical Suppofitions, we fhall be forced at length to renounce these general Doubts, that we may receive the evidence of these particular Princi ples, viz. That the whole is bigger than its parts; that if from equals, you take away equals, what re mains will be equal. These first Principles of Com mon Sense being fo evident, as by their bare pro pofal, to create a strong affent; and in this reSpect resembling the Sun, that cannot borrow from abroad the Univerfal Light it imparts to e very thing else.
'Tis true indeed, fhould we stay our Minds up on these general Speculations and this Univerfal Doubt, and not fuffer them to defcend to more particular Confiderations, we might be Scepticks for a few Moments, but at the fame time we fhould be very extravagant, fince it is a kind of Madness to doat fo much upon one Object, as to be thereby rendred incapable of thinking of any thing else. Give the Mind but liberty to conf der well the Doubts of a Sceptick, and to compart them with that certainty it is fenfible of,