BOOK I PART II
Every thing capable of being infinitely di-
vided contains an infinite number of parts; oth-
erwise the division would be stopt short by
the indivisible parts, which we should immedi-
ately arrive at. If therefore any finite extension
be infinitely divisible, it can be no contradic-
tion to suppose, that a finite extension contains
an infinite number of parts: And vice versa,
if it be a contradiction to suppose, that a fi-
nite extension contains an infinite number of
parts, no finite extension can be infinitely divis-
ible. But that this latter supposition is absurd,
I easily convince myself by the consideration
of my clear ideas. I first take the least idea I
can form of a part of extension, and being cer-
tain that there is nothing more minute than this
idea, I conclude, that whatever I discover by
its means must be a real quality of extension.
I then repeat this idea once, twice, thrice, &c.,