Gods Decree is Not the Cause of Any Mans Sin or Condemnation, Conclusion
It is a cuſtome amongſt men to conclude that free wil muſt needs followe this vnderſtanding of vniverſal redemption: and if there meaning were freewill in Chriſt / ād that we have free power ād ability through Chriſt / to worke out our ſalvation / and that through Chriſt we are made able to every good worke: ſuch a freewil we hold: But that man hath any freewil or power in himſelf to worke his owne ſalvation / or to chuſe life / we vtterly deny / haveing learned of Thappoſtli Epheſ. 2.8.9. That by grace mē are ſaved through Faith, & that not off themſelves, but off the gift off God not off workes leaſt any man should boaſt himſelff: But this grace of God (which is his merciemercy by Chriſt) hath God given to al / but all receive it not as appeareth. joh. 1.10.11. He was in the World, & the World knewe him not. He came to his owne, & his owne receaved him not. And Act. 13.46. Paule and Barnabas pake boldly and ſaid it was neceſſary that the word of God ſhould firſt have bene ſpokē vntounto you / but ſeeing you put it from you ād judg your ſelves vnworthy of everlaſting life / loe we turne to the Gentiles. And Stephen ſaith Act. 7.51. Yee ſtifenetked and of vncircumciſed harts and earesryee have always reſiſſed the holy Ghoſt.
Thus Chriſt offering himſelf / man hath power and doth reject Chriſt: Put the Word off God from him: Reſiſt the Holy Ghoſt / and freely off his owne will worke his owne condēnation: But he hath no power at all to worke his owne ſalvation: And ſo much onelyonly to cleare our ſelves from that groſſe and fearefull error of freewil / from the which the Lord in great merciemercy hath freed vsus.
The End.
End of the text · Thomas Helwys, Gods Decree is Not the Cause of Any Mans Sin or Condemnation (1611)