confdered under the Notion of Wifdon. 19 and to judge for himfelf ; obedience may S E R m. be demanded by mere authority ; the fub- I. jet is not at liberty to enquire into the rea- fons of what is enjoined by his fuperior ; but counfel is addreffed to the underftanding ; and whatever is propofed under the charac- ter of wifdom muff nece_farily be fubmit -= ted to our own confederation, that we may receive it fo far as there appeareth fufficient caufe to our own reafon and judgment. Now, certainly this is a doctrine which will abide the ftridteft and moil impartial trial, that true religion, and every branch of it, is wifdom, and the knowledge of the Holy is underflanding. Perhaps the bell: and molt fatisfying way for illuftrating this, would be to enter into particulars, to confider the duties of piety, of juftice, of meeknefs, of charity, and the refs ; and to thew that every one of them is indeed wifdom, molt becoming men, exaftly fuited to the Rate and relations of the human nature, and con- ducive to the higheft and molt important ends which fuch a Being ought to purfue but that would be too large for the prefent defign. If we take the whole fyftem toge- ther, it will not be difficult to judge whe. ther it deferveth to be called wifdom, and C 2 whether
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