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

Nothing can be more weak and inconsiderate than such a Reply as this. For that preceding Act of the Will, in determining to attend and consider, still is an Act of the Will (it is so to be sure, if the Liberty of the Will consists in it, as is supposed) and if it be an Act of the Will, it is an Act of Choice or Refusal. And therefore, if what the Doctor asserts be true, it is determined by some antecedent Light in the Understanding concerning the greatest apparent Good or Evil. For he asserts, it is that Light which alone doth move the Will to choose or refuse. And therefore the Will must be moved by that in choosing to attend to the objective Light offered, in order to another consequent Act of Choice: so that this Act is no less necessary than the other. And if we suppose another Act of the Will, still preceding both these mentioned, to determine both, still that also must be an Act of the Will, & an Act of Choice; and so must, by the same Principles, be infallibly determined by some certain Degree of Light in the Understanding concerning the greatest Good. And let us suppose as many Acts of the Will, one preceding another, as we please, yet they are every one of them necessarily determined by a certain Degree of Light in the Understanding, concerning the greatest and most eligible Good in that Case; and so, not one of them free according to Dr. Whitby's Notion of Freedom. And if it be said, the Reason why Men don't attend to Light held forth, is because of ill Habits contracted by evil Acts committed before, whereby their Minds are indisposed to attend to, and consider of the Truth held forth ⟨p. 81⟩to them by God, the Difficulty is not at all avoided: still the Question returns, What determined the Will in those preceding evil Acts? It must, by Dr. Whitby's Principles, still be the View of the Understanding concerning the greatest Good and Evil. If this View of the Understanding be that alone which doth move the Will to choose or refuse, as the Doctor asserts, th•n every Act of Choice or Refusal, from a Man's first Existence, is moved and determined by this View; and this View of the Understanding exciting and governing the Act, must be before the Act: And therefore the Will is necessarily determined, in every one of it's Acts, from a Man's first Existence, by a Cause beside the Will, & a Cause that don't proceed from, or depend on any Act of the Will at all.

Nothing can be more weak and inconsiderate than such a Reply as this. For that preceeding Act of the Will, in determining to attend and consider, still is an Act of the Will (it is so to be sure, if the Liberty of the Will consists in it, as is supposed) and if it be an Act of the Will, it is an Act of Choice or Refusal. And therefore, if what the Doctor asserts be true, it is determined by some antecedent Light in the Understanding concerning the greatest apparent Good or Evil. For he asserts, it is that Light which alone doth move the Will to chuse or refuse. And therefore the Will must be moved by that in chusing to attend to the objective Light offered, in order to another consequent Act of Choice: so that this Act is no less necessary than the other. And if we suppose another Act of the Will, still preceeding both these mention'd, to determine both, still that also must be an Act of the Will, & an Act of Choice; and so must, by the same Principles, be infallibly determin'd by some certain Degree of Light in the Understanding concerning the greatest Good. And let us suppose as many Acts of the Will, one preceeding another, as we please, yet they are every one of them necessarily determined by a certain Degree of Light in the Understanding, concerning the greatest and most eligible Good in that Case; and so, not one of them free according to Dr. Whitby's Notion of Freedom. And if it be said, the Reason why Men don't attend to Light held forth, is because of ill Habits contracted by evil Acts committed before, whereby their Minds are indisposed to attend to, and consider of the Truth held forth