A14350:143
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.
14 But now that spirit, wherewith they be stirred up, is sometime good, and sometime evil. For as God doth edify the church by his prophets: so the devil apishly counterfeiting God, subverteth it by his prophets. There was never any heresy that boasted more of prophesies, than did the Montanists. For they accounted their Prisca and Maximilla, being rich and wealthy women, for prophetesses. The idolaters foretold some things that were true, & the more easily to deceive, did mingle them with falsehoods. But thou wilt say, 2Why did God suffer them to speak true things? Augustine in his 14. book De trinitate answereth, Because they were both sins, and the punishments of sins: and they had deserved to be given up to lies, and strong delusions, as Paul saith to the Thessalonians. And God saith, 3that If a prophet be seduced, I have seduced him. And Augustine against Julian saith: 4The devils report true things even of Christ, because God will by all means maintain the truth, both to the comfort of the godly, and condemnation of the wicked. But such kind of witches are now forbidden by the laws of princes, 5as appeareth in the Code De maleficis & mathematicis. Howbeit because none shall be deceived, they are not called Mathematics in that place, which do foreshow any thing by the stars, or speculation of natural causes: but such as under the name of Mathematics uttered for gain curious arts and enchantments: which kind of people the Emperor Constantine commanded to be burnt. But the good spirit is sent in by God, which when the heathen knew not, they called it fury, and distraughting of the mind. Plato in his dialogues Phaedro and Jove, 6saith, that poetical fury is one mystical, another foretelling of that which should come, and another divine. Now concerning the original of prophecy, it is certain, that as touching the time thereof, the same was first in Adam: 7