contrary decrees of her popes and councils do most clearly demonstrate. So that the church of Rome is fo far from being the fountain of truth, that he has fhewn herfelf to be the fource and fountain of the moft grofs and palpable errors; and therefore, is by no means fit to be relied upon in cafes of this nature. Nevertheless, though the uncertainty that all revelation and traditionary religion, from the very nature of the thing, must needs be liable to, does not lay us under a neceffity of returning back to the church of Rome; yet it fhews the great propriety of our returning back to that prior rule of action, which is the ground and foundation of moral truth, and confequently, of moral certainty, viz. the eternal and invariable rule of right and wrong, as to an infallible guide, and as the folid ground of our peace and fafety, which rule we are too too eafily diverted from,

SEC

SECTION IX.

OF THE

PERSONAL CHARACTER

O F

JESUS CHRIST:

AND O F

The FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE he used in EXERCISE of his MINISTRY.

SECTION IX.

CONCERNING THE

Perfonal Character of Jefus Chrift, and of the figurative language he used in the exercife of his ministry.

S to the perfonal character of Jefus Chrift, I apprehend him to have been what he appeared to be, viz. a man, or one of the fpecies of mankind; as he was born, was nurtured and brought up, increafed in ftature and wisdom or understanding, was fubject to the fame wants and infirmities, lived and died, like all other mén. And as Jefus Chrift thus plainly appeared to be a man of the fame fpecies with us; fo he declared of himself that he was the fon and fent of God; and it was faid of him that he was God or a God; which

modes