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which . 13 a painful one—a consciousness of having , in innumerable instances , " done those things which I ought not to have done / ' and which I had power not to do , and having " left undone those things which I ought to have done , " and which I had power to do . While I feel my
conscience accusing me some - stances and excusing me in some others , ( which is , you know , the apostle ' s language , and his proof of the knowledge and the guilt of the heathen who had no express revelation , ) I can no more doubt that I am a free agent , than I can that I exist . Aad while I
feel this sensation within me , the objections against free agency all vanish ^ though I can by no means answer all the subtle arguments that may be -brought in favour of necessity . I cannot possibly conceive how a Holy God can punish sinners , or how
they can feel anguish and remorse of conscience , if they are any way , or by any superior agent , necessarily determined to act as they do . The whole scheme of the gospel , which supposes and addresseth us as guilty creatures ^
depends upon this . For where there is no self-agency , no power in man to act otherwise than he doth , I cannot -see how he can be chargeable with guilt , any tnore than a beast , or a piece of matter , which is acted upon .
I never read Edwards' book , ( though I have seen extracts from it , ) and I suppose never shall . I bought and read his tract upon religious affections , which I did not understand . And how that can be important , fundamental and essential , which a plain
and unlearned man cannot understand , is to me a mystery . And indeed the supposition is absurd in itself , and contrary to all our natural ideas of God , and the account which the Scriptures give us of him ; agreeable aad correspondent to these—I see not
how God can be the moral governor of the world , and as the Judge of the earth do right , if his creatures could not da otherwise than they do . How God foreknows future contingencies I
know not , neither is it my business to inquire . A great deal depends on the idea yau affix to the word contingency , and perhaps most of the difficulties attending this controversy have been owing * to the use of words ,
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to which various and even contradictory ideas may be and have been fixed , ' and arguing and disputing on both skies without clear ideas . I apprehend what immediately influences our temper and practice is a general
and clear idea * - that God knows all things , and will bring every work into judgment . There I must rest . You will never have occasion , and I hope never have inclination , to bring this controversy into the pulpit ; nor do I
apprehend that the determining of it so much affects the leading truths of the gospel as some have supposed . I have known many , who were in the scheme of necessity , but I never could conclude it from their sermons and
prayers * These were expressed in such a manner , as plainly to intimate , that man was a free agent . Dr . Watts ' s Essay on the Freedom of Will in Creatures , is a good piece , and deserves your careful perusal and study . Collins , as far as I understand
him , shuffles egregiously . I presume I have left you as much in the dark as before . But now my faculties begin to fail me . I am scarce fit to write upon any subject , much less on one so abstruse as this . I think upon
the whole every man ' s reason and experience and feelings will teach him that he is a free agent , and no man would think otherwise , except he had some metaphysical notions put into his head .
Is it not something strange , that Edwards and Dr . Priestley ( whose schemes of divinity are toto ctelo different ) should both be champions , strenuous champions , for necessity ? But thus extremes meet . And you will often see reason to remark this ,
as you proceed iu the course of your studies . When you meet with such texts as these , Why will ye die , O house of Israel ? I would have gathered you but ye would not . Ye will not come unto me , &c . ; and * ll those where the ruin of sinners is charged upon themselves , think what an idea we must entertain of God and his
word , if men have not n natural liberty to hear and to obey , and some kind of moral liberty too ! But enough of this dry subject . The manner in which you , write pleases me much , and especially the modesty with Which you propose the
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Letter frarn the late Rev * , Job Orton to Rev * Joseph Jevans . 1 &&
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vol ,. xx . x
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), March 2, 1825, page 153, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2534/page/25/
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