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

An Act of Choice or Preference is a comparative Act, wherein the Mind acts with Reference to two or more Things that are compared, and stand in Competition in the Mind's View. If the Mind, in this comparative Act, prefers that which appears inferior in the Comparison, then the Mind herein acts absolutely without Motive, or Inducement, or any Temptation whatsoever. Then, if a hungry Man has the Offer of two Sorts of Food, both which he finds an Appetite to, but has a stronger Appetite to one than the other; and there be no Circumstances or Excitements whatsoever in the Case to induce him to take either one or the other, but merely his Appetite: If in the Choice he makes between them, he chooses that which he has least Appetite to, and refuses that to which he has the strongest Appetite, this is a Choice made absolutely without previous Motive, Excitement, Reason or Temptation, as much as if he were perfectly without all Appetite to either: Because his Volition in this Case is a comparative Act, attending and following a comparative View of the Food which he chooses, viewing it as related to, and compared with the other Sort of Food, in which View his Preference has absolutely no previous Ground, yea, is against all previous Ground and Motive. And if there be any Principle in Man from whence an Act of Choice may arise after this Manner, from the same Principle Volition may arise wholly without Motive on either Side. If the Mind in it's Volition can go beyond Motive, then it can go without Motive: for when it is beyond the Motive, it is out of the Reach of the Motive, out of the Limits of it's Influence, and so without Motive. If Volition goes beyond the Strength and Tendency of Motive, and especially if it goes against it's Tendency, this demonstrates the Independence of Volition or Motive. And if so, no Reason can be given for what Mr. […] so often asserts, even that in the Nature of Things Volition cannot take Place without a Motive to induce it.

An Act of Choice or Preference is a comparative Act, wherein the Mind acts with Reference to two or more Things that are compared, and stand in Competition in the Mind's View. If the Mind, in this comparative Act, prefers that which appears inferiour in the Comparison, then the Mind herein acts absolutely without Motive, or Inducement, or any Temptation whatsoever. Then, if a hungry Man has the Offer of two Sorts of Food, both which he finds an Appetite to, but has a stronger Appetite to one than the other; and there be no Circumstances or Excitements whatsoever in the Case to induce him to take either one or the other, but meerly his Appetite: If in the Choice he makes between them, he chuses that which he has least Appetite to, and refuses that to which he has the strongest Appetite, this is a Choice made absolutely without previous Motive, Excitement, Reason or Temptation, as much as if he were perfectly without all Appetite to either: Because his Volition in this Case is a cmparative Act, attending and following a comparaive View of the Food which he chuses, viewing it as related to, and compared with the other Sort of Food, in which View his Preference has absolutely no previous Ground, yea, is against all previous Ground and Motive. And if there be any Principle in Man from whence an Act of Choice may arise after this Manner, from the same Principle Volition may arise wholly without Motive on either Side. If the Mind in it's Volition can go beyond Motive, then it can go without Motive: for when it is beyond the Motive, it is out of the Reach of the Motive, out of the Limits of it's Influence, and so without Motive. If Volition goes beyond the Strength and Tendency of Motive, and especially if it goes against it's Tendency, this demonstrates the Independence of Volition or Motive. And if so, no Reason can be given for what Mr. so often asserts, even that in the Nature of Things Volition cannot take Place without a Motive to induce it.