Two sermons preached at Thurlow in Suffolk on those words, Rom. 6.13 "Yield your…

Besides, that Sanctity must be judged as necessary to the final salvation and felicity of the souls of men as Orthodoxy, or exemption from doctrinal Error, by all, with whom either Christian Religion, or common Reason signifies any thing. For the same reason therefore for which it can be thought necessary God should have put it into the power of any man to make others not err, he should have put it equally into his power to make them holy, to renew and change their hearts and lives. But what man hath this power? And one would reasonably expect, ⟨p. 21⟩if either were, that both powers should be lodged in the same man; which if they should pretend, who assert the other unto one man, their own Histories might make them blush, unless they can think it more probable that he can and will effectually sanctify another, and make him holy, who is himself most infamously impure and unholy, than that he can secure another from erring in matters of Doctrine, who cannot secure himself.

Besides, that Sanctity must be judg'd as necessary to the final salvation and felicity of the souls of men as Orthodoxy, or exemption from doctrinal Errour, by all, with whom either Christian Religion, or common Reason signifies any thing. For the same reason therefore for which it can be thought necessary God should have put it into the power of any man to make others not err, he should have put it equally into his power to make them holy, to renew and change their hearts and lives. But what man hath this power? And one would reasonably expect, ⟨p. 21⟩if either were, that both powers should be lodg'd in the same man; which if they should pretend, who assert the other unto one man, their own Histories might make them blush, unless they can think it more probable that he can and will effectually sanctifie another, and make him holy, who is himself most infamously impure and unholy, than that he can secure another from erring in matters of Doctrine, who cannot secure himself.

But then it may be said, If such sure light and guidance is not to be found or had from one man, it must be from some community or body of men in the Christian Church. For, can it be thought God should have taken care to settle a Religion in the World, on purpose for the saving of mens souls, that yet affords no man any certainty of being saved by it?