the feeling with which every friend of Christianity must regard the name of Dr. Chalmers, I experience a peculiar claim on my gratitude, as it is to you, in some sort, that this Essay owes its existence; for it was a discourse of yours which, if it did not fix my resolution, gave me courage and vigour to prosecute the study of theology, in a season of great hesitation and perplexity, when without a friend but Him who is the tried and unfailing Friend of them who have no help of man at all.

EDINBURGH, March 1829.

THE AUTHOR.

CONTENTS.

Page

INTRODUCTION,.......

CAUSATION-Dr. Brown's theory of Cause and Effect.Distinction of Power and Property.-Dr. Brown's theory rests on a partial induction.-Many cases of Causation in which we have a direct knowledge of Power.-Dr. Brown's conclusion, being negative, falls to the ground.-The universal conclusion is legitimately drawn, that there are properties called by the general term, power.-Hence the belief of the regularity of future events.-Mr. Hume and Dr. Brown both mistaken respecting the source of this belief.

On AGENCY,.........

I

...........30

Four great classes of causes.-Voluntary and moral causes called agents.-Fatalism inconsistent with Causation.—A voluntary agent acts invariably upon his volition, and thereby secures the greatest amount of sentient enjoyment.—A moral agent fixes his volition in the exercise of his understanding, and thereby wills what he judges morally right or most advantageous upon the whole.-In both agencies the law of Causation universally prevails.-The fact of the existence of such agents the basis of all inquiries respecting liberty and necessity.

ESSAY ON MORAL FREEDOM.

SECT. I.-NATURE OF FREEDOM AND STATEMENT OF THE QUESTION, 51

Mr. Hume's method of conducting the inquiry unphilosophical and fallacious. He establishes Causation or philosophical

necessity common to matter and mind.-Freedom of will pe-
culiar to voluntary agents.-The nature of liberty and ne-
cessity. This distinction threefold, regarding man as an
animal, a moral agent, and an intelligent being.

SECT. II.-MAN, IN THE EXERCISE OF HIS UNDERSTANDING, USUAL-

LY REGULATES THE DETERMINATIONS OF HIS WILL, THAT IS, EN-

JOYS MORAL LIBERTY,

The principle not universal.—It is established by facts.-Themen-
tal process illustrated.-- Analysis of volition. The nature of mo-
tives; which are of two sorts, sentient and intellectual.-All
motives have not the same relative power in fixing volition.→→
Instances of the manner in which the judgment determines
the will, and changes it after being determined.—The think-
ing faculty combined with the judgment independent of the
will.-Intellectual and sentient association.-The mistake of
dividing the powers of mind into intellectual and active.-
The intellectual powers only essentially active and the source
of all human agency.-Their activity depends solely upon the
existence of mind.-Hence the thinking being possesses the
power of regulating his own will, and secures his moral free-
dom in multitudes of cases.

SECT. III.-OF INTELLECTUAL LIBERTY,.

From the certainty of human knowledge an argument is deriv-

ed against moral liberty.-The necessity alleged nothing but

the fact of existence. The intelligent being free when he

perceives truth to be true.-A finite being possesses per-

fect freedom when he enjoys it to the extent of his capacity.

The will determined according to external circumstances

considered. The Almighty perfectly free, and man placed

practically in precisely the same situation.-His moral na-

ture similar to that of the Creator.-The moral Creator and

the moral creature approve the same things.-Hence were

man acting uniformly upon his judgment, his will would con-

stantly coincide with the will of God.-To be wise and to

be happy the only necessity under which man is placed by

the law of his constitution.-Correctness of Mr. Locke's

views on this subject.

Page

SECT. IV-MAN, IN THE EXERCISE OF HIS UNDERSTANDING, IS

.....

Page

OCCASIONALLY UNABLE TO REGULATE THE DETERMINATIONS OF

HIS WILL, THAT IS, IS SUBJECT TO MORAL NECESSITY,... ....................................
.....122

This is an exception to the general law. The understanding
approves of all the volitions as the most agreeable at the
time.-Man often wills what he knows to be wrong.-The
process explained.-The strength of desire, and hence the
existence of volition depends on two causes, the strength of
the susceptibility and the amount of the perceived good.-
Some susceptibilities too strong; some too weak.-This is
the ground of moral necessity.-Sentient association favours
the stronger feeling.-Habit increases necessity.-Multitudes
of moral beings completely enthralled; and all in some de-
gree.-Correct views of Luther and the reformers.

SECT. V.-THE MEANS OF BEING DELIVERED FROM MORAL NECES-

SITY, AND THE UNIVERSALITY OF MORAL RESPONSIBILITY,.........152

An argument derived from real necessity against moral respon-
sibility.-Man now furnished, however, with the means of
being delivered from it.—The natural conscience can do some-
thing to effect deliverance.-A man possessing the know-
ledge of Christianity can do more.-The power of the Divine
Spirit alone can effect a man's complete deliverance.-Means
of obtaining divine aid.—The analogy between faith and vo-
lition.-Universality of moral responsibility.-Absurdity of
those who deny it.

SECT. VI.—OF THE INTRODUCTION OF MORAL EVIL,................ 184

Mode of conducting the inquiry.-Our information clear and

satisfactory to a certain point. No account of the origin of

evil among the fallen spirits.-Nature of moral government.-

Physical and moral will of God distinguished.—The account

of the fall illustrated.-Satan introduces evil in direct oppo-

sition to the moral will of the Deity.-Objections answered.

God's permission of sin explained.-God being the author of

evil by a secret purpose considered.*-God the author of

Correct Views of the Westminster Confession, Note G.