il CHAPTER Vt. 499 Again, Libertyof the will is always a liberty of spontaneity gr voluntariness, without considering whether it can dootherwise or not : So when an intelligent beingwills and pursues its own supposedsatisfaction or happiness, this being is called free herein, though this action be necessary, and it cannot do otherwise. The liberty of the will is sometimes a liberty of choice and indif- ference, a freedomor powerto chuse or not to chose among two or more things proposed :. So a man chuses to speak or to be silent. This freedom is inconsistent with necessity ; and this is called by many writers liberty in the most proper sense ; andperhaps it had not been amiss if the term liberty had been always confined to this sense only, but mankind have not always done so. There may be also an absolute or perfect freedom, as when a hungry man wills to go to dinner ; or a comparative freedom, when a sick man wills or consents to take some nauseous physic rather than continue in pain. Let this suffice for the distinction of free and necessary actions. See something more relating to this subject in the chap. of cause and effect. Some philosophers suppose nothing worthy of the name of agent or action but the will and its exercises ; and theycall all other beings and their powers and operations merely passive ; but this perhaps is too great a violence offered to the common sense of words, though there may be some appearance of reason for it in the nature of things. Having spoken particularly of act and action ; let us now say something more of power. We may distinguish several powers with the degrees and kinds of them. First, disposition, which is an imperfect power of performing any thing, and but the lowest degree : Next to this is mere ability to perform, i. e. with difficulty and care ; and then a strong habit, i. e. to perform with easeand certainty. Amongpowers, some are merely corporeal and inanimate, as the power of the sun to melt snow, and to draw up vapour : Some are vegetative, as nourishment, growth: Some are animal powers, as eating, swallowing, digesting, moving, walking, sleeping, &c. Some are spiritual, as meditating, reasoning, re- flecting, chasing, refusing, &c. Some are human, arising from the union of mind and body, as sensation, imagination, language. Of the passions of man and what sort of powers they are, see the " Doctrine of the Passions explained and improved. Edit. 2d, 1732. Again, Of powers some are natural, as a man's power to form a voice : some acquired, as music, ploughing, language, learned by degrees ; and some are infused, as the power of the apostles to speak many languages. Powers acquired by exercise are most properly called habits. All powers of natural action animals or artificial in men, are calledfeculties, as a power t i 2
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=