ich God gave him, and he
cannot choose by any other means.

Then, if Man chooses evil, he chooses evil by means of the power of
choice God gave him.

Then, if that power of choice given to him by God makes for evil,
it follows that Man must choose evil, since he has no other power of
choice.

Then, the only power of choice God gave Man is a power that will choose
evil.

Then, Man is unable to choose good because his only power of choice will
choose evil.

Then, as Man did not make nor select his power of choice, Man cannot be
blamed if that power chooses evil.

Then, the blame must be God's, who gave Man a power of choice that would
choose evil.

Then, Man cannot sin against God, for Man can only use the power God
gave him, and can only use that power in the way in which that power
will work.

The word "will" is a misleading word. What is will? Will is not a
faculty, like the faculty of speech or touch. The word will is a symbol,
and means the balance between two motives or desires.

Will is like the action of balance in a pair of scales. It is the
weights in the scales that decide the balance. So it is the motives in
the mind that decide the will. When a man chooses between two acts
we say that he "exercises his will"; but the fact is, that one motive
weighs down the other, and causes the balance of the mind to lean to the
weightier reason. There is no such thing as an exterior will outside the
man's brain, to push one scale down with a finger. Will is abstract, not
concrete.

A man always "wills" in favour of the weightier motive. If he loves
the sense of intoxication more than he loves his self-respect, he will
drink. If the reasons in favour of sobriety seem to him to outweigh the
reasons in favour of drink, he will keep sober.

Will, then, is a symbol for the balance of motives. Motives are born of
the brain. Therefore will depends upon the action of the brain.

God made the brain; therefore God is responsible for the action of the
brain; therefore God is responsible for the action of the will.

Therefore Man is not responsible for the action of the will. Therefore
Man cannot sin against God.

Christians speak of the will as if it were a kind of separate soul, a
"little cherub who sits up aloft" and gives the man his course.

Let us accept this idea of the will. Let us suppose that a separate soul
or faculty called the will governs the mind. That means that the "little
cherub" governs the man.