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On the Nature of Man
Nemesius of Emesa, tr. Wither, 1636
29. I. Of things done voluntarily, and against our will.
I Have often made mention of things done voluntarily, and by constraint, of which somwhat must be now expressed, lest errors may be occasioned through want of an exact knowledge of these.
But hee that undertaketh to discourse of things done voluntarily and against our will, must in the first place set downe some assured rules, and certaine tokens, wherby it may be well discerned whether the thing done, be (unquestionably) voluntary, or against our will.
Seeing therefore that every voluntarie thing consisteth in some action; seeing moreover, that all those things which are said to be done against our will, consist in action also (as shall bee anon declared) and seeing likewise, some think that the thing which is done against our will, consisteth both in action & passion; we wil (before we proceed further) define what an action is.
An action is the actuall IIdoing of any thing with the use of reason.
After all actions, there followeth either praise or dispraise. Some actions are exercised with pleasure, and some with griefe. Some are to bee chosen by the doer, and some are to be avoided. Of thē which are to bee chosen, some are at all times to be made choice of; some at one time rather then at another. The same circumstances are considerable in such actions as are to bee eschewed also; and this moreover is observable, that some actions are pittied, some pardoned, some hated, and some punished.
IIINow then, let these be the markes to discern the things which are willingly done; namely, that praise or dispraise alwaies follow them; that they are done with pleasure; and that the actions are to bee chosen by the doers of them, either at all times, or at those times in which they are done. The notes of involuntary actions are these; They are vouchsafed pardon; or they are pittied, or they are done with griefe, and they are not done by our owne choice. These things being thus defined and ordered; wee will first speake of such things as are done against our will.