N05663:246
A careful and strict enquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of…
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]
printed by S. Kneeland, 1754
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.
Mr. Chubb does very plainly suppose Motive or Excitement to be the Ground of the Being of Volition. He speaks of it as the Ground or Reason of the EXERTION of an Act of the Will, P. 391, & 392. and expressly says, that Volition cannot TAKE PLACE without some previous Ground or Motive to induce it, P. 363. And he speaks of the Act as FROM the Motive, and FROM THE INFLUENCE of the Motive, P. 352. and from the Influence that the Motive has on the Man, for the PRODUCTION of an Action. P. 317. Certainly, there is no Need of multiplying Words about this; 'Tis easily judged, whether Motive can be the Ground of Volition's being exerted and taking Place, so that the very Production of it is from the Influence of the Motive, and yet the Motive, before it becomes the Ground of the Volition, is passive, or acted upon by the Volition. But ⟨p. 88⟩this I will say, That a Man who insists so much on Clearness of Meaning in others, and is so much in blaming their Confusion and Inconsistence, ought, if he was able, to have explained his Meaning in this Phrase of passive Ground of Action, so as to show it not to be confused and inconsistent.
Mr. Chubb does very plainly suppose Motive or Excitement to be the Ground of the Being of Volition. He speaks of it as the Ground or Reason of the EXERTION of an Act of the Will, P. 391, & 392. and expresly says, that Volition cannot TAKE PLACE without some previous Ground or Motive to induce it, P. 363. And he speaks of the Act as FROM the Motive, and FROM THE INFLUENCE of the Motive, P. 352. and from the Influence that the Motive has on the Man, for the PRODUCTION of an Action. P. 317. Certainly, there is no Need of multiplying Words about this; 'Tis easily judged, whether Motive can be the Ground of Volition's being exerted and taking Place, so that the very Production of it is from the Influence of the Motive, and yet the Motive, before it becomes the Ground of the Volition, is passive, or acted upon by the Volition. But ⟨p. 88⟩this I will say, That a Man who insists so much on Clearness of Meaning in others, and is so much in blaming their Confusion and Inconsistence, ought, if he was able, to have explained his Meaning in this Phrase of passive Ground of Action, so as to shew it not to be confused and inconsistent.