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me that I use my memory ; that makes a tliii’d party. I am not conscious 
of anything of the kind, nor do I believe that anybody in this room is. I 
know that some gentlemen, and, I may say, some ladies, have very strong- 
mils. (Laughter.) But that means simply that they can will very str?)ngly, 
and no one can mix in the society of either sex without finding that the in- 
dividual can will. But ' to take it for granted that he has something in 
addition to himself which does the business of willing, is to me wholly un- 
philosophical ; and this, to my mind, is the prevailing blunder of Mr. Herbert 
Spencer, ct hoc genus omne. (Applause.) 
The Chairjlvn. — There is no doubt that much confusion is caused by 
people saying that by freedom of will it is meant that a human being can 
do anything he pleases. I will only say in reference to what has been said 
by Dr. Irons, the great Truth was known in the days of Abraham, “ Shall 
not the judge of all the earth do right ? ” 
Professor O’Dell. — I fully appreciate the manner in which Mr. 
Ground has, throughout his paper, kept to the subject under discus- 
sion, and kept clear of theological matter. Mr. "Herbert Spencer has 
challenged us in regard to the question of the will, and on reading his works, 
the conclusion I have come to from time to time is that his statements are 
very much opposed to our universal experience, especially in regard to 
the subject before us to-night. If we appeal to our experience con- 
cerning the will, I think we shall be able to obtain more truthful 
information than we can derive from what has been written by Mr. Herbert 
Spencer. In considering the question, “ Is the will free ? ” let us ask 
ourselves— can we go to the right or to the left ? Can we live or die ? I 
can do any or either of these things. I can, if I choose to do so, act in 
opposition to my own intelligence, which tells me certain things, and that one 
course is wise and another foolish. We all know that we can go directly 
contrary to that which we believe to be right, and we know also that highly 
intelligent and cultured men have acted in opposition to their own reason. 
There have been men who have been educated in the highest colleges, who 
have acted in the basest manner, thus showing that they had wills which 
could deprave them to the lowest depths in direct negation of all the cul- 
ture they had received. On the other hand, we are also aware that there 
have been men reared in the lowest haunts of vice and misery, who have 
shown their freedom of will in an entirely different direction. Quite inde- 
pendently of the teaching they have had, they have exercised their wills in 
opposition to all evil influences. Again, we have the fact that there are men 
who will not allow their wills to be bound by laws, as Mr. Herbert Spencer 
must at least acknowledge, — men who refuse to obey the laws of their 
country, laws the breaking of which brings immediate punishment upon 
them, and in doing this they act in opposition to their judgment and to 
every good influence brought to bear upon them. Moreover, I would say it 
is not only in opposition to reason and reflection, and to the laws of the 
country, and without any sufficient inducement, but men are also known to 
assert their wills in opposition to the laws of God, which they acknowledge 
