Religion and Virtue; S E R nz. Juftice is a very important branch of our I. duty, a virtue which we have frequent oc- cation for the exercife of in life ; it direfteth a great part of our behaviour towards man- kind, injoineth us to preferve the rights of men inviolàble, and to render to all their due, to do as we would be done by, with- out being warped by a regard to any felfith or private intereft. Perhaps there is not any thing in religion itfelf more difagree- able to the wifdom of the world for, gene- rally, men make their own intereft the chief end of their policy, and form their fchemes for private advantage, without caring to dif tinguifli nicely between right and wrong; and however they may efteem inflexible righteoufnefs, as virtue and religion, yet it is far from being accounted wifdom. But not to enter upon an inquiry into the truth of the cafe, whether juílice be only a kind of religious fimplicity, or real wifdom, founded on the belt maxims, and worthieft of an intelligent nature, and conducive to all the ends it ought to purfue ; or if that cunning which deviateth from integrity, ufeth fraud and indireec arts to promote fel- fifh ends, be true difcretion, and becoming the underílanding of a man ; without inqui- rind
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