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

And whereas it has often been said, that the Calvinistic Doctrine of Necessity, saps the Foundations of all Religion and Virtue, and tends to the greatest Licentiousness of Practice: This Objection is built on the Pretence, that our Doctrine renders vain all Means and Endeavours, in order to be virtuous and religious, Which Pretence has been already particularly considered in the 5th Section of this Part; where it has been demonstrated, that this Doctrine has no such Tendency; but that such a Tendency is truly to be charged on the contrary Doctrine: inasmuch as the Notion of Contingence, which their Doctrine implies, in its certain Consequences, overthrows all Connection, in every Degree, between Endeavour and Event, Means and End.

And whereas it has often been said, that the Calvinistic Doctrine of Necessity, saps the Foundations of all Religion and Vertue, and tends to the greatest Licentiousness of Practice: This Objection is built on the Pretence, that our Doctrine renders vain all Means and Endeavours, in order to be vertuous and religious, Which Pretence has been already particularly considered in the 5th Section of this Part; where it has been demonstrated, that this Doctrine has no such Tendency; but that such a Tendency is truly to be charged on the contrary Doctrine: inasmuch as the Notion of Contingence, which their Doctrine implies, in its certain Consequences, overthrows all Connection, in every Degree, between Endeavour and Event, Means and End.

And besides, if many other Things which have been observed to belong to the Arminian Doctrine, or to be plain Consequences of it, be considered, there will appear just Reason to suppose that it is that, which must rather tend to Licentiousness. Their Doctrine excuses all evil Inclinations, which Men find to be natural; because in such Inclinations, they ⟨p. 276⟩are not self-determined, as such Inclinations are not owing to any Choice or Determination of their own Wills. Which leads Men wholly to justify themselves in all their wicked Actions, so far as natural Inclination has had a Hand in determining their Wills, to the Commission of 'em. Yea, these Notions which suppose moral Necessity and Inability to be inconsistent with Blame or moral Obligation, will directly lead Men to justify the vilest Acts and Practices, from the Strength of their wicked Inclinations of all Sorts; strong Inclinations inducing a moral Necessity; yea, to excuse every Degree of evil Inclination, so far as this has evidently prevailed, and been the Thing which has determined their Wills: Because, so far as antecedent Inclination determined the Will, so far the Will was without Liberty of Indifference and Self-determination. Which at last will come to this, that Men will justify themselves in all the Wickedness they commit. It has been observed already, that this Scheme of Things does exceedingly diminish the Guilt of Sin, and the Difference between the greatest and smallest Offences: