Wesley Corpus

Thoughts upon Necessity Source: The Works of John Wesley, Volume 10 (Zondervan) Author: John Wesley --- I HAD finished what I designed to say on this subject, when the “Essay on Liberty and Necessity” fell into my hands: A most elaborate piece, touched and retouched with all possible care. This has occasioned a considerable enlargement of the following tract. I would fain place mankind in a fairer point of view than that writer has done; as I cannot believe the noblest creature in the visible world to be only a fine piece of clock-work. Is man a free agent, or is he not? Are his actions free or necessary? Is he self-determined in acting; or is he determined by some other being ? Is the principle which determines him to act, in himself or in another? This is the question which I want to colsider. And is it not an important one? Surely there is not one of greater import ance in the whole nature of things. For what is there that more nearly concerns all that are born of women? What can be conceived which more deeply affects, not some only, but every child of man? I. l. That man is not self-determined; that the principle of action is lodged, not in himself, but in some other being; has been an exceeding ancient opinion, yea, near as old as the foundation of the world. It seems, none that admit of Reve lation can have any doubt of this. For it was unquestion ably the sentiment of Adam soon after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit. He imputes what he had done, not to himself, but another, “The woman whom thou gavest me.” It was also the sentiment of Eve, “The Serpent, he beguiled me, and I did eat.” “It is true, I did eat; but the cause of my eating, the spring of my action, was in another.” 2. The same opinion, that man is not self-determined, took root very early, and spread wide, particularly in the eastern world, many ages before Manes was born. Afterwards indeed, he, and his followers, commonly called Manichees, formed it into a regular system.