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

If any, to evade these Things, should own, that a State of Liberty, and a State of Indifference are not the same, and that the former may be without the latter; But should say, that Indifference is still essential to the Freedom of an Act of Will, in some Sort, namely, as 'tis necessary to go immediately before it; It being essential to the Freedom of an Act of Will that it should directly and immediately arise out of a State of Indifference: still this will not help the Cause of Arminian Liberty, or make it consistent with it self. For if the Act springs immediately out of a State of Indifference, then it do's not arise from antecedent Choice or Preference. But if the Act arises directly out of a State of Indifference, without any intervening Choice to choose and determine it, then the Act not being determined by Choice, is not determined by the Will; the Mind exercises no free Choice in the Affair, and free Choice and free Will have no Hand in the Determination of the Act. Which is entirely inconsistent with their Notion of the Freedom of Volition.

If any, to evade these Things, should own, that a State of Liberty, and a State of Indifference are not the same, and that the former may be without the latter; But should say, that Indifference is still essential to the Freedom of an Act of Will, in some Sort, namely, as 'tis necessary to go immediately before it; It being essential to the Freedom of an Act of Will that it should directly and immediately arise out of a State of Indifference: still this will not help the Cause of Arminian Liberty, or make it consistent with it self. For if the Act springs immediately out of a State of Indifference, then it do's not arise from antecedent Choice or Preference. But if the Act arises directly out of a State of Indifference, without any intervening Choice to chuse and determine it, then the Act not being determined by Choice, is not determined by the Will; the Mind exercises no free Choice in the Affair, and free Choice and free Will have no Hand in the Determination of the Act. Which is entirely inconsistent with their Notion of the Freedom of Volition.

If any should suppose, that these Difficulties and Absurdities may be avoided, by saying, that the Liberty of the Mind consists in a Power to suspend the Act of the Will, and so to keep it in a State of Indifference, 'till there has been Opportunity for Consideration; and so shall say, that however Indifference is not essential to Liberty in such a Manner, that the Mind must make it's Choice in a State of Indifference, which is an Inconsistency, or that the Act of Will must spring immediately out of Indifference; yet Indifference may be essential to the Liberty of Acts of the Will in this Respect; viz. That Liberty consists in a Power of the Mind to forbear or suspend the Act of Volition, and keep the Mind in a State of Indifference for the present, 'till there has been Opportunity for proper Deliberation: I say, if any one imagines that this helps the Matter, it is a great Mistake: It reconciles no Inconsistency, and relieves no Difficulty which the Affair is attended with. — For here the following Things must be observed,