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

If any one should imagine, that this Manner of arguing ing is Nothing but Trick and Delusion; and to evade the Reasoning, should say, that the Thing wherein the Will exercises it's Liberty, is not in the Act of Choice or Preponderation it self, but in determining it self to a certain Choice o• Preference; That the Act of the Will wherein it is free, and uses it's own Sovereignty, consists in it's causing or determining the Change or Transition from a State of Indifference to a certain Preference, or determining to give a certain Turn to the Balance, which has hitherto been even; and that this Act the Will exerts in a State of Liberty, or while the Will yet remains in Equilibrium, and perfect Master of ⟨p. 69⟩it self:— I say, if any One chooses to express his Notion of Liberty after this, or some such Manner, let us see if he can make out his Matters any better than before.

If any one should imagine, that this Manner of arguing ing is Nothing but Trick and Delusion; and to evade the Reasoning, should say, that the Thing wherein the Will exercises it's Liberty, is not in the Act of Choice or Preponderation it self, but in determining it self to a certain Choice o• Preference; That the Act of the Will wherein it is free, and uses it's own Sovereignty, consists in it's causing or determining the Change or Transition from a State of Indifference to a certain Preference, or determining to give a certain Turn to the Balance, which has hitherto been even; and that this Act the Will exe•ts in a State of Liberty, or while the Will yet remains in Equilibrium, and perfect Master of ⟨p. 69⟩it self:— I say, if any One chuses to express his Notion of Liberty after this, or some such Manner, let us see if he can make out his Matters any better than before.

What is asserted is, that the Will, while it yet remains in perfect Equilibrium, without Preference, determines to change it self from that State, and excite in it self a certain Choice or Preference. Now let us see whether this don't come to the same Absurdity we had before. If it be so, that the Will, while it yet remains perfectly Indifferent, determines to put it self out of that State, and give it self a certain Preponderation; Then I would enquire, whether the Soul don't determine this of Choice; or whether the Will's coming to a Determination to do so, be not the same Thing as the Soul's coming to a Choice to do so. If the Soul don't determine this of Choice, or in the Exercise of Choice, then it don't determine it voluntarily. And if the Soul don't determine it voluntarily, or of it's own Will, then in what Sense does it's Will determine it? And if the Will don't determine it, then how is the Liberty of the Will exercised in the Determination? What Sort of Liberty is exercised by the Soul in those Determinations, wherein there is no exercise of Choice, which are not voluntary, and wherein the Will is not concerned?— But if it be allowed, that this Determination is an Act of Choice, and it be insisted on, that the Soul, while it yet remains in a State of perfect Indifference, chooses to put it self out of that State, and to turn it sel one Way; then the Soul is already come to a Choice, and chooses that Way. And so we have the very same Absurdity which we had before. Here is the Soul in a State of Choice, and in a State of Equilibrium, both at the same Time: the Soul already choosing one Way, while it remains in a State of perfect Indifference, and has no Choice of one Way more than the other.— And indeed this Manner of talking, tho' it may a little hide the Absurdity, in the Obscurity of Expression, is more nonsensical, and increases the Inconsistence. To say, the free Act of the Will, or the Act which the Will exerts in a State of Freedom and Indifference, does not imply Preference in it, but is what the Will does in Order to causing or producing a Preference, is as much as to say, the Soul chooses (for to Will and to Choose are the same Thing) without Choice, and prefers without Preference, in order to cause or produce the Beginning of a Preference, or the first Choice.