BOOK I PART II
difficulties can take place, and one argument
counter-ballance another, and diminish its au-
thority. A demonstration, if just, admits of no
opposite difficulty; and if not just, it is a mere
sophism, and consequently can never be a dif-
ficulty. It is either irresistible, or has no man-
ner of force. To talk therefore of objections and
replies, and ballancing of arguments in such a
question as this, is to confess, either that human
reason is nothing but a play of words, or that
the person himself, who talks so, has not a Ca-
pacity equal to such subjects. Demonstrations
may be difficult to be comprehended, because
of abstractedness of the subject; but can never
have such difficulties as will weaken their au-
thority, when once they are comprehended.
It is true, mathematicians are wont to say,
that there are here equally strong arguments on