N05663:105

A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…

Name: A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…
Author: Jonathan Edwards

A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of will, which is supposed to be essential to moral agency, virtue and vice, reward and punishment, praise and blame. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the church in Stockbridge. ; [One line from Romans]A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of will, which is supposed to be essential to moral agency, vertue and vice, reward and punishment, praise and blame. By Jonathan Edwards, A.M. Pastor of the church in Stockbridge. ; [One line from Romans]

Jonathan Edwards 1703–1758printed by S. Kneeland, 1754

[2], vi, [4], 294, [14] p. ; 20 cm. (8vo) · 127k words · Evans 7187

Title page: Princeton Theological Seminary Library copy, digitized by the Internet Archive (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

Part 1 › Section 5: Concerning the Notion of Liberty, and of moral Agency.

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:102–117 of 753

:102p. 28

But one Thing more I would observe concerning what is vulgarly called Liberty; namely, that Power & Opportunity for one to do and conduct as he will, or according to his Choice, is all that is meant by it; without taking into the Meaning of the Word, any Thing of the Cause or Original of that Choice; or at all considering how the Person came to have such a Volition; whether it was caused by some external Motive, or internal habitual Bias; whether it was determined by some internal antecedent Volition, or whether it happened without a Cause; whether it was necessarily connected with something foregoing, or not connected. Let the Person come by his Volition or Choice how he will, yet, if he is able, and there is Nothing in the Way to hinder his pursuing and executing his Will, the Man is fully & perfectly free, according to the primary and common Notion of Freedom.

But one Thing more I would observe concerning what is vulgarly called Liberty; namely, that Power & Opportunity for one to do and conduct as he will, or according to his Choice, is all that is meant by it; without taking into the Meaning of the Word, any Thing of the Cause or Original of that Choice; or at all considering how the Person came to have such a Volition; whether it was caused by some external Motive, or internal habitual Bias; whether it was determin'd by some internal antecedent Volition, or whether it happen'd without a Cause; whether it was necessarily connected with something foregoing, or not connected. Let the Person come by his Volition or Choice how he will, yet, if he is able, and there is Nothing in the Way to hinder his pursuing and executing his Will, the Man is fully & perfectly free, according to the primary and common Notion of Freedom.

:103p. 28–29

What has been said may be sufficient to show what is meant by Liberty, according to the common Notions of Mankind, and in the usual & primary Acceptation of the Word: Put the Word, as used by Arminians, Pelagians & others, who oppose the Calvinist•, has an entirely different Signification.— These several Things belong to their Notion of Liberty. ⟨p. 29⟩

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

The book

Title as printed

Author

Jonathan Edwards 1703–1758

Printer

S. Kneeland

Year

1754

Size

[2], vi, [4], 294, [14] p. ; 20 cm. (8vo)

Words

127,416

Catalogue

Evans 7187

Text

Evans-TCP N05663

Passages

753

Sections

Title page

A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…

PART II. Wherein it is considered whether there is or can be any such Sort of FREEDOM OF WILL, as that wherein Arminians place the Essence of the Liberty of all moral Agents; and whether any such Thing ever was or can be conceived of.

SECTION I. Showing the manifest Inconsistence of the Arminian Notion of Liberty of Will, consisting in the Will's self-determining Power.

SECTION I. Shewing the manifest Inconsistence of the Arminian Notion of Liberty of Will, consisting in the Will's self-determining Power.

SECTION II. Several supposed Ways of evading the foregoing Reasoning, considered.

Transcription key

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

PART II. Wherein it is considered whether there is or can be any such Sort of FREEDOM OF WILL, as that wherein Arminians place the Essence of the Liberty of all moral Agents; and whether any such Thing ever was or can be conceived of.

SECTION I. Showing the manifest Inconsistence of the Arminian Notion of Liberty of Will, consisting in the Will's self-determining Power.

SECTION I. Shewing the manifest Inconsistence of the Arminian Notion of Liberty of Will, consisting in the Will's self-determining Power.

SECTION II. Several supposed Ways of evading the foregoing Reasoning, considered.

Transcription key