A14353:208
Most learned and fruitful commentaries of D. Peter Martyr Vermilius Florentine, professor of divinity…Most learned and fruitfull commentaries of D. Peter Martir Vermilius Florentine, professor of diuinitie…
Most learned and fruitful commentaries of D. Peter Martyr Vermilius Florentine, professor of divinity in the school of Tigure, upon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romans wherein are diligently [and] most profitably entreated all such matters and chief common places of religion touched in the same Epistle. With a table of all the common places and expositions upon divers places of the scriptures, and also an index to find all the principal matters contained in the same. Lately tra[n]slated out of Latin into English, by H.B.Most learned and fruitfull commentaries of D. Peter Martir Vermilius Florentine, professor of diuinitie in the schole of Tigure, vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes wherin are diligently [and] most profitably entreated all such matters and chiefe common places of religion touched in the same Epistle. With a table of all the common places and expositions vpon diuers places of the scriptures, and also an index to finde all the principall matters conteyned in the same. Lately tra[n]slated out of Latine into Englishe, by H.B.
London: printed by John Daye. Cum gratia & privilegio Regiæ Maiestatis per decennium. These books are to be sold, 1568London: printed by Iohn Daye. Cum gratia & priuilegio Regiæ Maiestatis per decennium. These bookes are to be solde, 1568
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
unto them all, for the ⟨p. 21⟩scripture putteth a difference between the wise men and Philosophers, and between the Barbarous and unlearned common people. For things were not to all men a like known: which yet happened through the default of these philosophers. For they ought to have preached and beaten into the ears of the1 common people these things which they knew. But so did they not, as did the Prophets, and the Apostles, but, being puffed up in their minds, they kept these things to themselves: yea rather they after a sort hid them, that all men should not come to the knowledge of them. As there is abroad a certain Epistle of Aristotle to Alexander the king, wherein he saith that his books of natural philosophy were so set forth of him, as though they had not been set forth at all. For those things which they wrote, they seemed of purpose to darken, that other men should not understand them. Farther through their disputations they blotted those pure and good things which they knew. When they understood that there was but one God, and judged that he only ought to be worshipped, afterward of themselves they thus gathered: forasmuch as the common people are not apt to worship the high and principal divinity diffused abroad in all things (for they can not in such sort attain to the understanding of it) it shall be good, that it were divided, and annexed unto Images, celestial signs, and other creatures. And the self same men, when they knew that the nature of God is a thing separate from all corporal matter, that is, that he is a spirit, and therefore ought to be worshipped in spirit and mind, they I say thinking that the people were in comparison of them so rude that they could not attain to this, brought in outward rites and ceremonies, which of their own head they had invented: which when men had done, they should think, that they had fully done their duty as touching the honour of God. And so by their deep disputations and reasonings, they defiled that pure thing which they attained unto by the creatures, neither believed they the truth which they knew, which yet they ought to have done. Otherwise they would have submitted2 them selves unto that chief power which they knew: and have suffered them selves to be governed by the providence of God, & would have put their trust in it in all adversities, which yet they did not: