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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.
Therefore the Sovereignty of God doubtless extends to this Matter: especially considering, that if it should be supposed to be otherwise, and God should leave Men's Volitions, and all moral Events, to the Determination and Disposition of blind and unmeaning Causes, or they should be left to happen perfectly without a Cause; this would be no more consistent with Liberty, in any Notion of it, and particularly not in the ⟨p. 261⟩Arminian Notion of it, than if these Events were subject to the Disposal of divine Providence, and the Will of Man were determined by Circumstances which are ordered and disposed by divine Wisdom; as appears by what has been already observed. But 'tis evident, that such a providential disposing and determining Men's moral Actions, tho' it infers a moral Necessity of those Actions, yet it does not in the least infringe the real Liberty of Mankind,; the only Liberty that common Sense teaches to be necessary to moral Agency, which, as has been demonstrated, is not inconsistent whith such Necessity.
Therefore the Sovereignty of God doubtless extends to this Matter: especially considering, that if it should be supposed to be otherwise, and God should leave Men's Volitions, and all moral Events, to the Determination and Disposition of blind and unmeaning Causes, or they should be left to happen perfectly without a Cause; this would be no more consistent with Liberty, in any Notion of it, and particularly not in the ⟨p. 261⟩Arminian Notion of it, than if these Events were subject to the Disposal of divine Providence, and the Will of Man were determined by Circumstances which are ordered and disposed by divine Wisdom; as appears by what has been already observed. But 'tis evident, that such a providential disposing and determining Men's moral Actions, tho' it infers a moral Necessity of those Actions, yet it does not in the least infring• the real Liberty of Mankind,; the only Liberty that common Sense teaches to be necessary to moral Agency, which, as has been demonstrated, is not inconsistent whith such Necessity.