V ER. 5. Rorn.9 cleared. 69 9e(desthat Gddtatón he ityand that with fuch a will as doth expect with much patience their converGon, and all for the obtainingofmoft jolt things : But for this latter it is plainethe argument of the Potter is à pari or minari, ifit be compared to God. Shall we think that Godhath leffepoweroverhis creatures then the Pottery God,I fay,whocreateth and maketh the clay, hee difpofeth r And to ufe this fimilitude to Arminius his order is to illuftratea thing by that which bath nothing like ;for Gods worke(by guinncth where; that vlrminius conceiveth) hath no refemblance to that the Potter his patieace doth,as is already filmed. For , the matter anfwered. endeth. Firft,heconceivethnotthe queflion right:They aske not whether Gods induration be caufe of his anger, but whether God may be angry at them who come to this flareof being hardned y Now this is certaine , that men hardnedand forfaken, are the object about which Gods anger is exercifed, as a malefactor punifhedis the object about which the Ma- giftratesanger is exercifed, though punifhment is not the caufe why he is angry,but theeffect ofit;neither is thereone word in this verfe,which teftifieth God to harden fuch,withwhomhe is angry for finne,unleffeto beare with patience, lignifie to harden, andveffels made or prepared to deftruction, men now having by finneprovoked God : the fiat abfurd, that an act ofpatience fhould be induration oppofed to mercy ; the o- ther equivocall, as a veffel prepared to glory is notavefí'ell now belee- ving and fanctified,and actually fitted for glory;foon the contrarie. For the fecond it is falfe that here is any thing to teftifie Gods w ill unrefiftible , which the Apoftle did never except againfi, but rather j u- ftifie, andyet maintaine it equall by a comparifon fore- confirued. And this is no argument why hisdecreeing will fhouldnot be irrefiftible ; this I fay,that he ufeth patience toward thofe whom he bathdecreed to reject, he conceiveth the will ofGod tohave corne to election, and o e therwife to include in appetite as it were,ofhaving fomething which hee.will not worke by his omnipotencie, but he whole omnipotency is not in everything,he is not aGod omnipotent;for there are fome things inwhich he is not omnipotent ; not to namethe fame things he would have ofus, he hashcovenanted to work them in us, I insipid my fpirit in yaw hearts,andmakeyou &c.& that thereis no power inGod which isnot infiniteand omnipotent; true it is that theverfe fetteth downe juftends, and that therefore God bath power topurpofe and worke moft jufily that which is decreed anddone to fo juft purpofe.Thefe are collections which hishead bath deduced, but not once imagined by the Apofile : and marke now how the Apofle hath foyled the caufe of God, by firugling folaborioufly and myfticaly againfi that which might fo eafi- ly be anfwered:They feemeto murmure againft God ; if he be angry at them who arehardned by hiswill , or adecreeofhis will irrefrftible: The plaine anfwere is , God is not unjufi though he be angry, becaufe the decreeof his will diddetermine thehardningofnone, but fuchwho fhould firft by their ungratefull and horrible unbeleefe provoke his juft anger and induration, (whereas you thinke that hee did decree to bring you to this with a will uurefi tole) the truth is, he did decree nothing about
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