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

Therefore let us put the Case thus: Supposing that God in the Beginning had created but one perfectly solid Sphere, in a certain Place; and it should be enquired, Why God created that ⟨p. 247⟩individual Sphere, in that Place, at that Time? And why […] did not create another Sphere perfectly like it, but numerically different, in the same Place, at the same Time? Or why •e chose to bring into Being there, that very Body, rather th•n any of the infinite Number of other Bodies, perfectly like it; either of which he could have made there as well, and would have answered his End as well? Why he caused to […], at that Place and Time, that individual Roundness, rather […] any other of the infinite Number of individual […] ▪ just like it? Why that individual Resistance, rather than any other of the infinite Number of possible Resistances just like it? And it might as reasonably be asked, Why, wh•• God […] it to Thunder, he caused that individual •ound th•• to be made, and not another just like it? Why did he make Choice of this very Sound, and reject all the infinite Number of other possible Sounds just like it, but numerically differing from it, and all differing one from another? I think, every Body must be sensible of the Absurdity and Nonsense of what is supposed in such Inquiries. And if we calmly attend to the Matter, we shall be convinced, that all such Kind of Objections as I am answering, are founded on nothing but the Imperfection of our Manner of conceiving of Things, and the Obscureness of Language, and great Want of Clearness and Precision in the Signification of Terms.

Therefore let us put the Case thus: Supposing that God in the Beginning had created but one perfectly solid Sphere, in a certain Place; and it should be enquired, Why God created that ⟨p. 247⟩individual Sphere, in that Place, at that Time? And why 〈…〉 did not create another Sphere perfectly like it, but numerically different, in the same Place, at the same Time? Or why e chose to bring into Being there, that very Body, rather thn any of the infinite Number of other Bodies, perfectly like it; either of which he could have made there as well, and would have answered his End as well? Why he caused to , at that Place and Time, that individual Roundness, rather any other of the infinite Number of individual just like it? Why that individual Resistance, rather than any other of the infinite Number of possible Resistances just like it? And it might as reasonably be asked, Why, wh God it to Thunder, he caused that individual ound th to be made, and not another just like it? Why did he make Choice of this very Sound, and reject all the infinite Number of other possible Sounds just like it, but numerically differing from it, and all differing one from another? I think, every Body must be sensible of the Absurdity and Nonsense of what is supposed in such Inquiries. And if we calmly attend to the Matter, we shall be convinced, that all such Kind of Objections as I am answering, are founded on nothing but the Imperfecion of our Manner of conceiving of Things, and the Obscureness of Language, and great Want of Clearness and Precision in the Signification of Terms.