Freedom of the will - Edwards - I - Preface & Part I

Required reading
Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards (available from Amazon or free here) - Begin by reading the Preface and Part 1.

My summary
Today we begin a new book.

In the Preface Edwards defends his use of the terms Arminian and Calvinist.

Then Part I sets out definitions of various terms that will be used in the rest of the book.

Section I defines the Will as 'that by which the mind chooses any thing'.

Section II defines Determining as that which causes the act of the Will should be thus and not something else.

Section III defines Necessity, Impossibility and Inability: 'A thing is said to be necessary, when we cannot help it, let us do what we will. So any thing is said to be impossible to us, when we would do it, or would have it brought to pass, and endeavor it; or at least may be supposed to desire and seek it; but all our desires and endeavors are, or would be, vain. And that is said to be irresistible, which overcomes all our opposition, resistance, and endeavor to the contrary. And we are said to be unable to do a thing when our supposable desires and endeavors are insufficient. '

Section IV defined natural and moral necessity: 'By natural necessity, as applied to men, I mean such Necessity as men are under through the force of natural causes; as distinguished from what are called moral causes, such as habits and dispositions of the heart, and moral motives and inducements.'

Section V defined liberty as 'The power, opportunity, or advantage, that any one has, to do as he pleases.'  It also defined moral agency as 'A moral agent is a being that is capable of those actions that have a moral quality, and which can properly be denominated good or evil in a moral sense, virtuous or vicious, commendable or faulty'.

What grabbed me
This book looks like it will definitely stretch out minds.  If anyone thought that today's reading was excessively large, sing out and I'll narrow them down in future.  Otherwise the readings will be roughly the same size for the rest of the book.

I loved the Preface and Edwards unashamed stance on calling Calvinists Calvinists and Arminians Arminians: 'Thus we have often occasion to speak of those who are the descendants of the ancient inhabitants of France, who were subjects or heads of the government of that land, and speak the language peculiar to it, in distinction from the descendants of the inhabitants of Spain, who belonged to that community, and speak the language of that country. And, therefore, we find the great need of distinct names to signify these different sorts of people, and the great convenience of those distinguishing words, French and Spaniards; by which the signification of our minds is quick and easy, and our speech is delivered from the burden of a continual reiteration of diffuse descriptions, with which it must otherwise be embarrassed.  That the difference of the opinions of those who in their general scheme of divinity agree with these two noted men, Calvin, and Arminius, is a thing there is often occasion to speak of, is what the practice of the latter itself confesses; who are often, in their discourses and writings, taking notice of the supposed absurd and pernicious opinions of the former sort. And, therefore, the making use of different names in this case cannot reasonably be objected against, or condemned, as a thing which must come from so bad a cause as they assign.'

Letting people know I'm a Calvinist immediately lets them know where I'm coming from.  Couching my understandings in other terms only creates confusion or wastes time with lengthy explanations.

Next week's reading
Commence Part II by reading Sections I to VI.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.