Edwards, Jonathan, 1713-1758,

A

CAREFUL AND STRICT INQUIRY

INTO THE

Modern Prevailing Notions

OF THAT

FREEDOM OF THE WILL,

WHICH IS

SUPPOSED TO BE ESSENTIAL TO MORAL AGENCY, VIRTUE AND VICE,

REWARD AND PUNISHMENT, PRAISE AND BLAME.

ROM. IX. 16. IT IS NOT OF HIM THAT WILLETH.

NEW YORK:

PUBLISHED BY LEAVITT & ALLEN,

379 BROADWAY.

1857.

1. A CAREFUL AND STRICT INQUIRY INTO THE PREVAILING NO
TIONS OF THE FREEDOM OF THE WILL.

PAGB

PART I. Wherein are explained and stated various terms and things belong

ing to the subject of the ensuing Discourse

1

SECT. 1. Concerning the Nature of the Will

II. Concerning the Determination of the Will

ib.

3

1. Concerning the meaning of the terms, Necessity, Impossibility, Inability,

&c., and of Contingence

IV. Of the distinction of natural and moral Necessity, and Inability

v. Concerning the notion of Liberty, and of moral Agency

PART II. Wherein it is considered, whether there is or can be any suca sort of

Freedom of Will, as that wherein Arminians place the essence of the Lib-

erty of all Moral Agents; and whether any such thing ever was or can be

conceived of

Sacr. 1. Showing the manifest inconsistence of the Arminian notion of Liberty

of Will, consisting in the Will's self-determining Power

II. Several supposed ways of evading the foregoing reasoning, considered

III. Whether any Event whatsoever, and Volition in particular, can come tc

pass without a Cause of its existence

IV. Whether Volition can arise without a Cause, through the activity of the

nature of the soul

▼. Showing, that if the things asserted in these Evasions should be supposed

to be true, they are altogether impertinent, and cannot help the cause of

Arminian Liberty; and how, this being the state of the case, Arminian

writers are obliged to talk inconsistently

VI. Concerning the Will determining in things which are perfectly indifferent

in the view of the mind

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39

VII. Concerning the notion of Liberty of Will, consisting in Indifference

VIII. Concerning the supposed Liberty of the Will, as opposite to all Necessity 45

IX. Of the Connection of the Acts of the Will with the Dictates of the Under-

standing

75073

x. Volition necessarily connected with the influence of Motives: with partic

ular observations of the great inconsistence of Mr. Chubb's assertions and

reasonings about the Freedom of the Will.

48

XI. The evidence of God's certain Foreknowledge of the Volitions of moral

Agents

XII. God's certain Foreknowledge of the future volitions of moral agents, in-

consistent with such a Contingence of those volitions as is without all Ne-

cessity

XIII. Whether we suppose the volitions of moral Agents to be connected with

any thing antecedent, or not, yet they must be necessary in such a sense as

to overthrow Arminian Liberty

PART III. Wherein is inquired, whether any such Liberty of Will as Arminians

hold be necessary to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Praise and Dis-

praise, &c.

SECT. 1. God's moral Excellency necessary, yet virtuous and praiseworthy

11. The Acts of the Will of the human soul of Jesus Christ, necessarily holy,

yet truly virtuous, praiseworthy, rewardable, &c.

52

6.

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