Let ever so
much probability hang on one side of a covetous man's reasoning, and
money on the other; it is easy to foresee which will outweigh. Earthly
minds, like mud walls, resist the strongest batteries: and though,
perhaps, sometimes the force of a clear argument may make some
impression, yet they nevertheless stand firm, and keep out the
enemy, truth, that would captivate or disturb them. Tell a man
passionately in love that he is jilted; bring a score of witnesses
of the falsehood of his mistress, it is ten to one but three kind
words of hers shall invalidate all their testimonies. Quod volumus,
facile credimus; what suits our wishes, is forwardly believed, is, I
suppose, what every one hath more than once experimented: and though
men cannot always openly gainsay or resist the force of manifest
probabilities that make against them, yet yield they not to the
argument. Not but that it is the nature of the understanding
constantly to close with the more probable side; but yet a man hath
a power to suspend and restrain its inquiries, and not permit a full
and satisfactory examination, as far as the matter in question is
capable, and will bear it to be made. Until that be done, there will
be always these two ways left of evading the most apparent
probabilities:
13. Two means of evading probabilities: I.
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