Meaning of free-willer | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A person who believes that human beings have free will.
2. A person who exercises free will.
3. A person belonging to a sect that rejected the doctrine of predestination.
   derogatory, historical
4. An immigrant to the United States who, upon arrival, voluntarily became an indentured servant.
   US, historical

Examples

“[…] most of us are “free-willers.” We automatically assume⟳ we can shape⟳ the future, including our technology, in almost any fashion we wish⟳, at least within the constraints of the natural environment. A small but vocal school of determinists, however, argues that we delude ourselves.”

“2006, John Taylor: The Mind⟳: A User’s Manual, Chichester: John Wiley, Part 3, Chapter 18, p. 205, Causality and determinism, in a quantum framework, persist down to the very shortest distances that experiments have⟳ been performed in high-energy particle accelerators. I see⟳ no way that a person could employ⟳ forces above (or even approximately near) what are achieved in those gigantic particle machines to achieve⟳ the dream⟳ of the free willers: uncaused processes.”

“Here's the challenge⟳ to a free willer: Find⟳ me the neuron that started this process⟳ in this man's brain, the neuron that had an action potential for no reason⟳, where no neuron spoke to it just before.”

“1847, Ralph Waldo Emerson, journal entry dated May 1847, in Stephen E. Whicher (ed.), Selections from Ralph Waldo Emerson: An Organic Anthology, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1957, p. 310, The Americans are free-willers, fussy, self-asserting, buzzing all round creation.”

“[…] the saviour is no longer the volition of the full-grown spirit of Man, the Free Willer of Necessity, sword in hand, but simply Love⟳ […]”

“1614, John Robinson, Of Religious Communion Private, & Publique, “Of the Baptism of Infants,” p. 96[a], Since all are by nature alike children of wrath, I would know⟳ of these free-willers, how some become⟳ the children of God, & beleevers, & some abyde vnder the wrath of God?”

“1675, Richard Baxter, Richard Baxter’s Catholick Theologie, London: Nevill Simmons, “Of Natural Corruption and Impotency, and Free-will,” The third Crimination, p. 125, And is it not then a horrid shame, to hear⟳ honest people so seduced into Love-killing factious sidings by their Teachers, as that Boys and Women speak⟳ of wiser and better persons with disaffection and reproach, saying, O he is a Free-willer, or he holdeth Free-will, when they know⟳ not what they talk⟳ of: but are made believe⟳ that it is some monstrous impious Opinion, making a man almost an Heretick?”

“1779, Isaac Watts, undated letter to Enoch Watts, in Posthumous Works, London: T. Becket and J. Bew, Volume 2, p. 153, There was one Pelagius of old, that invented several opinions about free-will, and against free-grace, those that followed him strictly were called Pelagians; those that allowed more to free-grace were called Semi-Pelagians, almost the same with modern Armenians, called also Remonstrants, and by the common people Free-willers. Their notions are, that God elects none to salvation but on the account of that faith he foresees in them.”

“1862, Philip Cater, Punch in the Pulpit, London: William Freeman, Letter 1, p. 19, […] let⟳ a man be deeply imbued with the spirit of hyper-calvinism, and he will treat⟳ those whom he deems mistaken brethren, with ridicule and contempt; he will call⟳ them “free-willers,” “duty-faith men,” &c.; he will give⟳ them all sorts of nicknames, and cover⟳ them with all sorts of religious abuse.”

“1770, William Eddis, letter dated 20 September, 1770 in Letters from America, Historical and Descriptive, comprising occurrences from 1769, to 1777, inclusive, London: for the author, 1792, pp. 63-64, Persons in a state of servitude are under four distinct denominations: negroes, who are the entire property of their respective owners: convicts, who are transported from the mother country for a limited term: indented servants, who are engaged for five years previous to their leaving England; and free-willers, who are supposed, from their situation, to possess⟳ superior advantages.”

“There were two kinds of redemptioners—‘indented servants,’ who had bound themselves to their masters for a term of years previous to leaving Europe, and ‘free-willers,’ who allowed themselves to be sold on arrival to defray the cost⟳ of passage to America.”

“1889, Andrew D. Mellick Jr., Story of an Old Farm or Life in New Jersey in the Eighteenth Century, Somerville, NJ: The Unionist-Gazette, Chapter 11, p. 150, Alas! the “free-willers,” with rare exceptions, had a rude awakening on reaching the colonies. Under their agreements, the captains had a legal lien on the persons of the immigrants until the ship charges were paid; consequently they were not allowed to go on shore, but were exposed to view⟳ on deck to the people who came on board⟳ in search⟳ of servants.”

“Indentured service continued through the 18th and into the 19th century. In fact there was not appreciable decline⟳ in the number⟳ of German “free-willers” who entered Maryland until after 1817, when legislation protecting the servants made the trade⟳ unprofitable for the shipmasters.”

CEFR level