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

That a being accustomed to an Union of different Ideas, from early Childhood, makes the habitual Connection exceeding strong, as tho' such Connection were owing to Nature, is manifest in innumerable Instances. It is altogether by such an habitual Connection of Ideas, that Men judge of the Bigness or Distance of the Objects of Sight from their Appearance. Thus 'tis owing to such a Connection early established, and growing up with a Person, that he judges a Mountain, which he sees at ten Miles distance, to be bigger than his Nose, or further off than the End of it. Having been used so long to join a considerable Distance and Magnitude with such an Appearance, Men imagine it is by a Dictate of natural Sense: Whereas it would be quite otherwise with one that had his Eyes newly opened, who had been born blind: He would have the same visible Appearance, but natural Sense would dictate no such Thing concerning the Magnitude or Distance of what appeared.

III. When Men, after they had been so habituated to connect Ideas of Innocency or Blamelessness with such Terms, that the Union seems to be the Effect of mere Nature, come to hear the same Terms used, & learn to use them themselves in the forementioned new & metaphysical Sense, to signify quite another Sort of Necessity, which has no such Kind of Relation to a contrary supposable Will and Endeavour; the Notion of plain and manifest Blamelessness, by this Means, is by a strong Prejudice, insensibly and unwarily transferred to a Case to which it by no Means belongs: The Change of the Use of the Terms, to a Signification which is very diverse, not being taken Notice of, or adverted to. And there are several Reasons why it is not.

III. When Men, after they had been so habituated to connect Ideas of Innocency or Blamelesness with such Terms, that the Union seems to be the Effect of meer Nature, come to hear the same Terms used, & learn to use them themselves in the foremention'd new & metaphysical Sense, to signify quite another Sort of Necessity, which has no such Kind of Relation to a contrary supposable Will and Endeavour; the Notion of plain and manifest Blamelesness, by this Means, is by a strong Prejudice, insensibly and unwarily transfer'd to a Case to which it by no Means belongs: The Change of the Use of the Terms, to a Signification which is very diverse, not being taken Notice of, or adverted to. And there are several Reasons why it is not.