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On the Freedom of the Will: Part II: Section I (Refuting Arminian Free-Willism)
CCEL ^ | 1754 | Jonathan Edwards

Posted on 02/10/2004 10:46:05 AM PST by ksen

On the Freedom of the Will

PART II

Section I: Showing the manifest inconsistence of the Arminian notion of Liberty of Will, consisting in the Will's self-determining Power.

Having taken notice of those things which may be necessary to be observed, concerning the meaning of the principal terms and phrases made use of in controversies concerning human liberty, and particularly observed what Liberty is according to the common language and general apprehension of mankind, and what it is as understood and maintained by Arminians; I proceed to consider the Arminian notion of the Freedom. of the Will, and the supposed necessity of it in order to moral agency, or in order to any one's being capable of virtue or vice, and properly the subject of command or counsel, praise or blame, promises or threatenings, rewards or punishments; or whether that which has been described, as the thing meant by Liberty in common speech, be not sufficient, and the only Liberty, which make, or can make any one a moral agent, and so properly the subject of these things. In this Part, I shall consider whether any such thing be possible or conceivable, as that Freedom of Will which Arminians insist on; and shall inquire, whether any such sort of Liberty be necessary to moral agency, &c. in the next part. And first of all, I shall consider the notion of a self-determining Power in the Will: wherein, according to the Arminians, does most essentially consist the Will's freedom; and shall particularly inquire, whether it be not plainly absurd, and a manifest inconsistence, to suppose that the Will itself determines all the free acts of the will.

Here I shall not insist on the great impropriety of such ways of speaking as the Will determining itself; because actions are to be ascribed to agents, and not properly to the powers of agents; which improper way of speaking leads to many mistakes, and much confusion, as Mr. Locke observes. But I shall suppose that the Arminians, when they speak of the Will's determining itself, do by the Will mean the soul willing. I shall take it for granted, that when they speak of the will, as the determiner, they mean the soul in the exercise of a power of willing, or acting voluntarily. I shall suppose this to be their meaning, because nothing else can be meant, without the grossest and plainest absurdity. In all cases when we speak of the powers or principles of acting, or doing such things we mean that the agents which have these Powers of acting, do them, in the exercise of those Powers. So where we say, valor fights courageously, we mean, the man who is under the influence of valor fights courageously. Where we say, love seeks the object loved, we mean, the person loving seeks that object. When we say, the understanding discerns, we mean the soul in the exercise of that faculty So when it is said, the will decides or determines, this meaning must be, that the person, in the exercise of: Power of willing and choosing, or the soul, acting voluntarily, determines.

Therefore, if the Will determines all its own free acts the soul determines them in the exercise of a Power of willing and choosing; or, which is the same thing, it determines them of choice; it determines its own acts, by choosing its own acts. If the Will determines the Will then choice orders and determines the choice; and acts c choice are subject to the decision, and follow the conduct of other acts of choice. And therefore if the Will deter mines all its own free acts, then every free act of choice is determined by a preceding act of choice, choosing that act. And if that preceding act of the will be also a free act. then by these principles, in this act too, the will is self-determined: that is, this, in like manner, is an act that the soul voluntarily chooses; or, which is the same thing, it is an act determined still by a preceding act of the will, choosing that. Which brings us directly to a contradiction: for it supposes an act of the Will preceding the first act in the whole train, dieting and determining the rest; or a free act of the Will, before the first free act of the Will. Or else we must come at last to an act of the will, determining the consequent acts, wherein the Will is not self-determined, and so is not a free act, in this notion of freedom: but if the first act in the train, determining and fixing the rest, be not free, none of them all can be free; as is manifest at first view, but shall be demonstrated presently.

If the Will, which we find governs the members of the body, and determines their motions, does also govern itself, and determines its own actions, it doubtless determines them the same way, even by antecedent volitions. The Will determines which way the hands and feet shall move, by an act of choice: and there is no other way of the Will's determining, directing, or commanding any thing at all. Whatsoever the will commands, it commands by an act of the Will. And if it has itself under its command, and determines itself in its own actions, it doubtless does it the same way that it determines other things which are under its command. So that if the freedom of the will consists in this, that it has itself and its own actions under its command and direction, and its own volitions are determined by itself, it will follow, that every free volition arises from another antecedent volition, directing and commanding that: and if that directing volition be also free, in that also the will is determined; that is to say, that directing volition is determined by another going before that; and so on, till we come to the first volition in the whole series: and if that first volition be free, and the will self-determined in it, then that is determined by another volition preceding that. Which is a contradiction; because by the supposition, it can have none before it, to direct or determine it, being the first in the train. But if that first volition is not determined by any preceding act of the Will, then that act is not determined by the Will, and so is not free in the Arminian notion of freedom, which consists in the Will's self-determination. And if that first act of the will which determines and fixes the subsequent acts, be not free, none of the following acts which are determined by it can be free.-- If we suppose there are five acts in the train, the fifth and last determined by the fourth, and the fourth by the third, the third by the second, and the second by the first; if the first is not determined by the Will, and so not free, then none of them are truly determined by the Will: that is, that each of them are as they are, and not otherwise, is not first owing to the will, but to the determination of the erst in the series, which is not dependent on the will, and is that which the will has no hand in determining. And this being that which decides what the rest shall be, and determines their existence; therefore the first determination of their existence is not from the Will. The case is just the same, if instead of a chain of five acts of the Will, we should suppose a succession of ten, or an hundred, or ten thousand. If the first act he not free, being determined by something out of the will, and this determines the next to be agreeable to itself, and that the next, and so on; none of them are free, but all originally depend on, and are determined by, some cause out of the Will; and so all freedom in the case is excluded, and no act of the will can be free, according to this notion of freedom. If we should suppose a long chain of ten thousand links, so connected, that if the first link moves, it will move the next, and that the next; and so the whole chain must be determined to motion, and in the direction of its motion, by the motion of the first link; and that is moved by something else; in this case, though all the links, but one, are moved by other parts of the same chain, yet it appears that the motion of no one, nor the direction of its motion, is from any self-moving or self-determining power in the chain, any more than if every link were immediately moved by something that did not belong to the chain.-- If the Will be not free in the first act, which causes the next, then neither is it free in the next, which is caused by that first act; for though indeed the Will caused it, yet it did not cause it freely; because the preceding act, by which it was caused, was not free. And again, if the Will be not free in the second act, so neither can it be in the third, which is caused by that; because in like manner, that third was determined by an act of the Will that was not free. And so we may go on to the next act, and from that to the next; and how long soever the succession of acts is, it is all one: if the first on which the whole chain depends, and which determines all the rest, be not a free act, the Will is not free in causing or determining any one of those acts; because the act by which it determines them all is not a free act; and therefore the Will is no more free in determining them, than if it did not cause them at all.-- Thus, this Arminian notion of Liberty of the Will, consisting in the will's Self-determination, is repugnant to itself, and shuts itself wholly out of the world.


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To: Dr. Eckleburg
Is the struggle in understanding the instructions or in following the instructions?

What does your life teach you? I know I am not to lie, but telling the truth is often difficult, I hedge, I skirt, I excuse. So clearly I understand that I must love my personal enemies, but I do not, I despise them, seek revenge, hope for their comeuppance.

It might be quite easy to live an entire Christian life ignorant of the arguments for and against limited atonement and still be hear those words "well done" from the Judge...but should I neglect the plain demands Christ makes upon me (demands so simple we understand them all from the beginning of our new-birth and so difficult we spend our lives working on compliance) then His response will be quite different..

I'm trying to grasp your point and your criticism of Calvin, particularly since I know of nothing in Calvinism that teaches not to be "kind, sacrifice for others, be faithful...to love God, to love our neighbor."

Nor do I, although from what little history I've read I would not look to Calvin as a model for kindness. My point is simply that it is going to take every breath I have, all the energy my body will ever produce to love my neighbor as I love myself each moment of each day.....and the temptation is to find refuge in a easier path.

781 posted on 02/14/2004 11:20:03 PM PST by reflecting
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To: bondserv; Markofhumanfeet
Thank you so much for all the excellent passages!

Indeed, Markofhumanfeet raised John 1:4 earlier. What a beautiful chapter it is and how appropriate to this conversation (post 721 includes the entire chapter.)

How can we know if we are within the boundaries of God's Will?

From that same chapter:

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

The first priority is to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, strength and understanding and the second priority is to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). I find that particularly interesting, because when we abide in Him (John 15) He loves through us.

782 posted on 02/14/2004 11:32:32 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl
Jeepers. Must be getting late. The John 1:4 above should be 1 John 4. Sorry about that...
783 posted on 02/14/2004 11:34:30 PM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: xzins; Markofhumanfeet; Alamo-Girl; Dr. Eckleburg; bondserv; AndrewC
She is saying that the perfect Word of God is Jesus. The Bible is NOT the inerrant Word of God. The Word of God is Jesus, and that is made clear at the beginning of John 1.

AG admitted your interpretation is correct, xzins. AG, you have made a logical and historical error. There is a significant difference between the logos, a concept rooted in Greek philosophy and grapha (Scripture). A quick check with a Greek NT, a lexicon, a concordance or a reliable commentary could verify this. "The Logos" is what the Greeks referred to as the unknown but ultimate creator/source God. John is simply saying Jesus is that logos.

Your claim that "the spirit" revealed error to you is suspect in that it is illogical (why would the true Spirit testify against itself?), unbibical, unlikely and unnecessary in that you could find all sorts of alleged errors on skeptic sites.

The more you write, AG, the less orthodox you appear to be. I'm not sure where you get some of this stuff but it isn't from the Southern Baptists. Sorry if that sounds harsh. I would much rather have this discussion in private but, since the assertions are already public, it is too late.

784 posted on 02/15/2004 1:51:32 AM PST by Dataman
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To: Alamo-Girl
But there was another possibility I also intended to address in my remark – the possibility that some men may be conceived with only the soul of an animal (nephesh). I do not know this is the case, but I have no leaning in the Spirit to rule it out either.

Think about it. What is the Imago Dei? The Imago Dei and nephesh are exclusive. Therefore you need no leaning in the Spirit to rule it out. Your mind can do it for you.

785 posted on 02/15/2004 1:57:46 AM PST by Dataman
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To: Dataman; xzins; Markofhumanfeet; Alamo-Girl; Dr. Eckleburg; bondserv; AndrewC
"...why would the true Spirit testify against itself?...

The Holy Spirit does not and will not testify against Himself (the Holy Spirit is not an "it"); however, He will lead you into all truth. Keep in mind that there is a way that seems right to man, but the end is death. Seems to me very wise to rely on the Holy Spirit.

786 posted on 02/15/2004 5:08:13 AM PST by Vernon (Sir "Ol Vern" aka Brother Maynard - One of God's kids by Adoption!)
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To: Alamo-Girl
Your choice of the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) was profound because it was in direct response to the question ‘who is my neighbor’

The parable is taught to us in the Eastern Orthodox church with a completely different meaning. It has nothing to do with a neighbor. Christ is the Samaritan and we are the wounded lying in the ditch. Christ is willing to pay any cost in order to make us well again. Of course this is in line with the EO vision of sin, which is that it makes us ill and separates us from God. And we know that Christ did pay the cost for us to be made well.

787 posted on 02/15/2004 8:33:55 AM PST by MarMema
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To: Alamo-Girl
He loves through us.

Exactly.

788 posted on 02/15/2004 8:36:18 AM PST by MarMema
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To: MarMema
Thank you so much for your replies and for sharing the Eastern Orthodox teachings concerning the Good Samaritan! Considering our previous discussions, I am not surprised we agree on His loving through us! Hugs!
789 posted on 02/15/2004 9:15:40 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl
As you stay within the context of scripture I can only agree with you. Praise God!

I will also add that the same Holy Spirit that inspired the authors of the books of the Bible, dwells is the hearts of all believers. He is consistent and unchanging as the Father and the Son, for the Holy Spirit is God.

It is my opinion that scripture indicates that the Word of God in our hearts is used by God to transform us into the loving Christlike beings we were originally intended to be.

Psalm 119:9-16
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.
790 posted on 02/15/2004 9:20:35 AM PST by bondserv (Alignment is critical!)
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To: Dataman; Vernon; xzins; Markofhumanfeet; Alamo-Girl; Dr. Eckleburg; bondserv; AndrewC; MarMema
Thank you for your posts and for sharing your concerns!

Therefore you need no leaning in the Spirit to rule it out. Your mind can do it for you.

That pretty much sums up the difference between us. I try diligently not to lean on my own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

I'm not sure where you get some of this stuff but it isn't from the Southern Baptists.

Indeed. I do not subscribe to the doctrine of any mortal whether Calvin, Arminius, the Pope, Joseph Smith, Billy Graham, Matthew Henry etc. (Mark 7) I rely on the Spirit Who indwells me:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. – John 14:16-17

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? – Luke 11:13

With regard to your concerns about my understanding of the meaning of the term “Word of God”:

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. – John 6:63

In Hebrew, the phrase for Word of God is dabar 'elohiym or dabar Y@hovah’. Here the phrase dabar 'elohiym is used in the Old Testament:

And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, - 1 Chronicles 17:3

Here the phrase dabar Y@hovah’ is used in the Old Testament:

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I [am] thy shield, [and] thy exceeding great reward. – Genesis 15:1 The phrase is used many times throughout the prophets. But our relationship with the Word of God changed when He was made flesh in Jesus:

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; - Hebrews 1:1-3

And from John 1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men….

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

And John 3:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

And completing the circle, revisiting John 14:23-26

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being [yet] present with you. But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.


791 posted on 02/15/2004 9:21:56 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: bondserv
Thank you for your reply, my brother in the Lord!

As you stay within the context of scripture I can only agree with you. Praise God!

Indeed. Without context, the Scriptures are only a book.

792 posted on 02/15/2004 9:26:55 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl
So reliance on feelings is the way God wants us to learn? What does Ephesians 4 direct a Christian to do? Pay special attention to verses 11-24 please. i see nothing in scripture about being led by a "feeling" and am sort of puzzled about the conclusions you drew.
793 posted on 02/15/2004 9:33:38 AM PST by CARepubGal (SWMBFAO)
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To: CARepubGal
Feelings can be deceptive.
794 posted on 02/15/2004 9:46:46 AM PST by Wrigley (Swarm members: Watch your back.)
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To: Wrigley
And feelings are easily counterfeited.
795 posted on 02/15/2004 9:50:15 AM PST by CARepubGal (SWMBFAO)
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To: Alamo-Girl
Just for clarification my comments:

Study the Word of God foremost, and share with others the Creator of the Universe.

I was speaking in regard to materials we choose to study, not what the most important thing we can do with our life. AG, thank's again for your admonition of which I agree wholeheartedly.

Note to self: We must edify the Body of Christ with our speech.

796 posted on 02/15/2004 9:51:25 AM PST by bondserv (Alignment is critical!)
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To: CARepubGal
Thank you so much for your reply, but I am not speaking of either “feelings” or “conclusions”. I am speaking of being led by the Spirit (Romans 8, I Corinthians 2) Ephesians 4 speaks to this as well (emphasis mine):

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

[There is] one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with [his] hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.


797 posted on 02/15/2004 9:56:24 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: bondserv
Thank you so very much for your reply and clarification and encouragements! May God bless you abundantly, dear bondserv. Hugs!!!
798 posted on 02/15/2004 9:59:29 AM PST by Alamo-Girl
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To: Alamo-Girl
I do not see what you do in those verses. I am seeing the change from the old man to the new man but nothing whatsoever saying to rely on feelings alone.

And further reflection leads to this: How do you know which Spirit is leading you without first being grounded in the Word? And frankly, Satan is an expert at counterfeiting Feelings (therefore the Campus Crusade for Christ illustration of a train is relevant and a timely warning. Faith is the engine, fact is the coal car and feeling is the caboose. The engine and coal car are vital and the caboose is not so vital). Emotion is not a method of detecting truth (remember Clinton tweaked our emotions as a nation quite adeptly).

799 posted on 02/15/2004 10:01:56 AM PST by CARepubGal (SWMBFAO)
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To: CARepubGal; Alamo-Girl
...And frankly, Satan is an expert at counterfeiting Feelings...

Yes, and Satan is an expert at quoting scripture to rationalise away other scripture (see Matthew 4:5-6). Note: i am not accusing Alamo-Girl of this. The post is merely an exortation to steadfastness and dilligence in handling the Word of God properly.

800 posted on 02/15/2004 11:50:59 AM PST by Calvinist_Dark_Lord (I have come here to kick @$$ and chew bubblegum...and I'm all outta bubblegum! ~Roddy Piper)
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