"Of all kinds of knowledge that we can ever obtain, the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves are the most important...the knowledge of ourselves consists chiefly in right apprehensions concerning those two chief faculties of our nature, the understanding and will. Both are very important: yet the science of the latter must be confessed to be of greatest moment; inasmuch as all virtue and religion have their seat more immediately in the will." Such this work of Edwards begins in the preface to this "...careful and strict inquiry into the modern prevailing notions of that freedom of the will which is supposed to be essential to moral agency, virtue and vice, reward and punishment, praise and blame."