347 
truths must bo conceived as coming to us subsequently to the idea 
and fact of Duty ; and subsequently to the idea and R evelation 
thought of the Supreme Governor, or God. It finds us subsequent to 
responsible ; and treats us as responsible; through - Ees P° n3lbllit y* 
out. The “ authority ” it may assert is such as is compatible 
with moral agency in us : the “ illumination ” it may give must 
be the illumination of a moral agent. It must be to us a voice 
from our Moral Governor, Who is true-always ; it must be the 
influence of our Moral Governor; exerted for us, or upon us, 
or in us. 
We must insist at every point, for it is obstinately for- 
gotten, — that whatever Revelation may undertake for us, it 
cannot abrogate freedom while it retains respon- 
sibility : it cannot place moral beings in a position And cannot 
out ol harmony with goodness : it cannot make us sibie Freedom 
parts of a mere religious mechanism. — It can- truth. prior 
not persuade us in a moral matter of anything 
against our foundations : it cannot, i.e ., clash with what we 
are obliged to begin with, — viz. the relation of the Supreme 
Ruler, and of all conscious agents, with the true-always. 
125. Many have in various ways disputed the individual right 
to say thus beforehand, what Revelation can, or cannot, teach. 
But this is disputing Probation. Such pre-judgment has been 
called “dictating to God,” — “ sitting in judgment on God,” — 
“private judgment,” — and similar ill-sounding names. — But 
let us be reasonable. How can we even prefer one Religious 
kind of knowledge to another, unless we may 0ur right 
think ? How think without forming a “ private and duty in 
judgment”? How form a judgment without ieged d Be?el£ 
“ sitting in judgment ” ? — How love what is tl0n * 
revealed, unless we feel it to be in harmony with the true- 
always ? — Surely we are bound to choose the right, and we 
shall have no satisfaction if we avoid the obligation. All that 
we previously know to be true, must be remembered, and 
adhered to, in making later decisions. 
XVIII. 
126. We have already seen that there is from the first a 
wide difference in knowledge among the conscious agents, who 
nevertheless, are responsible, and on Probation. If this be 
the case prior to Revelation, it may be so afterwards, for 
beings who, both before and after, are under the same 
Supreme Governor. 
