A14350:117
The Common Places
The common places of the most famous and renowned divine Doctor Peter Martyr divided into four principal parts: with a large addition of many theological and necessary discourses, some never extant before. Translated and partly gathered by Anthony Marten, one of the sewers of her Majesties most honourable chamber.The common places of the most famous and renowmed diuine Doctor Peter Martyr diuided into foure principall parts: with a large addition of manie theologicall and necessarie discourses, some neuer extant before. Translated and partlie gathered by Anthonie Marten, one of the sewers of hir Maiesties most honourable chamber.
Imprinted at London : In Pater noster Rowe, by Henry Denham and Henry Middleton at the costs and charges of Henry Denham, Thomas Chard, William Broome, and Andrew Maunsell, 1583Imprinted at London : In Pater noster Rovve, by Henry Denham and Henry Middleton at the costs and charges of Henrie Denham, Thomas Chard, VVilliam Broome, and Andrew Maunsell, 1583
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2 And whereas it is written: It was made manifest in them: neither is it said, In all: the Scripture doth sever the wise and the philosophers, from the barbarous & unskilful multitude. For all things were not known to all alike: which nevertheless happened by the fault of these philosophers. For they ought to have preached openly, and beaten into the ears of the common people, those things which they knew. 1And yet this they did not, as did the prophets and apostles, but with a proud mind kept these things among themselves, yea and after a sort hid them, that they should not be understood of all men. Whereupon the epistle of Aristotle to Alexander is much spoken of; wherein he saith, that his books of natural philosophy are so set forth by him, as if they were not set forth. For the philosophers seemed of set purpose, to make their writings obscure, to the intent they should not be understood by others. Besides this, through their arguings they polluted those excellent things which they knew to be pure. When they understood that there is but one God, and judged that he ought to be worshipped, they gathered afterward of themselves: 2Seeing the common people are not apt to worship the high divinity that is spread over all things, (for they cannot perceive it after this manner) it shall be well done to divide it, and to assign it unto images, 3signs of heaven, and to other creatures. And the same men, when they acknowledged that the nature of GOD was severed from all corporal matter: that is to say, that he is a Spirit, and therefore to be worshipped in mind and spirit: they thinking the common people to be so rude in comparison of themselves, as they could not attain unto this, brought in outward rites and ceremonies devised of their own heads, the which men having performed, they should think that they had fulfilled the service of God: and so by their slender reasons they corrupted that, which being pure they had gathered out of the creatures, and gave no such credit as they ought to have done to the truth which they knew. 4Otherwise they would have submitted themselves to the mighty power, which they acknowledged, and would have suffered themselves to be ruled by the providence of God, and would have trusted to him in their adversities: which nevertheless they did not,