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

To illustrate this, let us suppose a Scale of a Balance to be intelligent, and a free Agent, and endued with a self-moving Power, by Virtue of which it could act and produce Effects to a certain Degree; ex. gr. to move it self up or down with a Force equal to a Weight of ten Pounds; and that it might therefore be required of it, in ordinary Circumstances, to mov• it self down with that Force; for which it has Power and […] Liberty, and therefore would be blame-worthy if it failed of it. But then let us suppose a Weight of ten Pounds to be put in the opposite Scale, which in Force entirely counter-balances it's self-moving Power, and so renders it impossible for it to move down at all; and therefore wholly excuses it from any such Motion. But if we suppose there to be only nine Pounds in the opposite Scale, this renders it's Motion not impossible, but yet more difficult; so that it can now only move down with the Force of one Pound: But however, this is all that is required of it under these Circumstances; it is wholly excused from nine Parts of its Motion: And if the Scale, under these Circumstances, neglects to move, and remains at Rest, all that it will be blamed for, will be it's Neglect of that one tenth Part of it's Motion; which it had as much Liberty and Advantage for, as in usual Circumstances, it has for the greater Motion, which in such a Case would be required. So that this new Difficulty, don't at all increase its Exposedness to any Thing blame-worthy.

To illustrate this, let us suppose a Scale of a Balance to be intelligent, and a free Agent, and indued with a self-moving Power, by Virtue of which it could act and produce Effects to a certain Degree; ex. gr. to move it self up or down with a Force equal to a Weight of ten Pounds; and that it might therefore be required of it, in ordinary Circumstances, to mov• it self down with that Force; for which it has Power and 〈…〉 Liberty, and therefore would be blame-worthy if it fail'd of it. But then let us suppose a Weight of ten Pounds to be put in the opposite Scale, which in Force entirely counter-balances it's self-moving Power, and so renders it impossible for it to move down at all; and therefore wholly excuses it from any such Motion. But if we suppose there to be only nine Pounds in the opposite Scale, this renders it's Motion not impossible, but yet more difficult; so that it can now only move down with the Force of one Pound: But however, this is all that is required of it under these Circumstances; it is wholly excused from nine Parts of its Motion: And if the Scale, under these Circumstances, neglects to move, and remains at Rest, all that it will be blamed for, will be it's Neglect of that one tenth Part of it's Motion; which it had as much Liberty and Advantage for, as in usual Circumstances, it has for the greater Motion, which in such a Case would be required. So that this new Difficulty, don't at all increase its Exposedness to any Thing blame-worthy.