Common Places, Title page – Dedication
POSSIDETE ANIMAS VESTRAS
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.
Meliora ſpero.
In the end of the booke are annexed two tables of all the notable matters therein conteined.
1. Cor. 3, 11.
Other foundation can no man laie, than Christ Ieſus, which is alreadie laid.
TO THE Moſt excellent, mightie, and religious Princeſſe, ELIZABETH, by the grace of God QVEENE of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the true Christian faith, &c.
IF almightie God (most gratious ſouereigne Ladie) had but as meanlie furniſhed mee with vnderstanding and vtterance, as hee hath plentifullie inriched your Maiestie with manie most excellent gifts and graces, my penne at this time would runne more agreeable to your Highneſse eares, and my words pearſe more deepe into your Princelie breast. Then might I, though with ſome boldneſse, yet with all humbleneſse, approch your preſence, and preſent you with ſuch matter, as God by his holie ſpirit hath offered mee: and in ſuch maner as might be most liking to your godlie diſpoſition. Not that J poore ſimple man can prefer aught as yet vnknowne to your excellent Maiestie, to whom God in his ſonne Christ hath imparred as great abundance of his wiſedome and knowledge, as fleſh & bloud in this life can well conceiue, but that J hauehave of long time beene carried with an extraordinarie zeale and deſire incomparable once in my life, by ſome perpetuall record of your roial name, to giuegive an outward teſtimonie of mine inward hart, and an aſſured ſeale of my bounden dutie, ſo long borne to your manifold vertues, religious profeſsion, and high estate. And for the better performance of this my determined purpoſe, perceiuing my ſelfe, though not vnwilling, yet vnable to publiſh anie worke wholie of mine owne deuiſe, woorthie the regard of ſo great a Prince, and the reading of ſo iudiciall a cenſure, J reſolued at last vponupon this booke: a worke, not ſo long, as learned; conteining matter, not ſo hard, as true: written by an Author, not ſo late, as famous, which J hauehave faithfullie tranſlated, and partlie gathered, and wholie dedicated to your excellent Maiestie. For as all ſcripture inſpired from aboue, is profitable to teach, to reprooue, to correct, and to instruct in righteouſneſse, that the man of God may be wiſe vntounto ſaluation, and perfect vntounto all good works: ſo in this worke is drawne a perfect forme of the most ancient religion, & true ſeruice of God ſet downe by the Apostles. Jn it is reprooued the huge heape of hereſies and errours ſproong vp in the church, ſince the incarnation of Christ, with the particular diſcouerie of the Romane Antichristian kingdome: Jn it is compriſed a due correction of ſundrie defaults in life, and defects in gouernement: Jn it is deliuered a perfect instruction for ſoundneſse of conſcience and ſinceritie of conuerſation to all estates: beſides manie ſpeciall comforts to the troubled, exhortations to the ſlowe, perſuaſions to the doubtfull, incouragements to the forward, reprehenſions of the obstinate, explications of hard ſcriptures, distinctions of difficult ſaiengs, diſcoueries of falſe arguments, and definitions of diffuſe questions. And as for the Authour in a word or two: neuer was there yet found anie aduerſarie ſo enuious, as to denie his learning; nor ſo ſubtill, as to refell his arguments; nor ſo wiſe, as to ouer-reach his diſcretion; nor ſo terrible, as to driue him from his godlie purpoſe; no nor ſo malicious, as to ſlander his life: wherein he bestowed his time, and behaued himſelfe not onelie as a right Euangelist, but (if it be lawfull ſo to ſaie) as a verie Apostle. Wherefore, I most humblie beſeech your Maieſtie, that according to your accuſtomed gratious fauour, it will pleaſe you to be partaker of theſe fruits of his, and protector of theſe labours of mine, ſowne and ſproong vp, ripened and gathered, begun and ended within the walles of your Highneſse Court, by your most faithfull and loiall ſubiect and ſeruant.
But now in making mention of this matter, J cannot but call to mind with ioie and reuerence, that this our natiue countrie did first of all kingdoms in the world, faithfullie receiue, and publikelie profeſse the religion of Christ. And it reioiſeth me much more, that after ſo long and ſo foule a fall of the houſe of God, this of all other kingdoms did first openlie indeuour to repaire the ruines thereof: a principall labourer in which worke was D. Peter Martyr, who long ſusteined vponupon his owne, and almost onlie ſhoulders the greatest weight of this burthen: but most of all doo I praiſe the Lord euen from my hart, that after ſatan our ancient enimie had giuen a ſharp aſsault vponupon Gods ſaints, who began to laie both their heds & their hands to the new building of this temple, the Lord, by your Maiestie, though weake in reſpect of your ſex, yet ſtrong by his power (who chooſeth the weake things of this world to confound the ſtrong, that his power might appeere in our infirmitie) repelled his violence, defeated his practiſes, withstood his force, ouerthrew his complices, and proceeded to the reedification of his church. O that bleſsed daie, wherein your Maiestie was placed in your roiall ſeate, to restore the decaied church, ſo long captiuated vnderunder cruell Pharao and idolatrous Nabuchad-nezar! wherein the bloud of ſo manie thouſand ſeruants of God was ſaued from the vile hands of Antichristian tormentors: wherin the deſperate estate of poore ſeelie afflicted baniſhed ſoules was recouered and restored by a mightie hand and ſtretched-out arme, from Babylon, to Ieruſalem; from Dan & Bethel, to the holie hill of Sion; from ſuperſtition, to religion; from idolatrie, to true worſhip; from the heatheniſh maſſe, to a chriſtian Communion; from papisticall rites, to apostolicall ceremonies; from beads to praiers; from legends to ſermons; from bondage to libertie: and euen as it were from hell to heauen. O that all Christian Engliſh harts would celebrate that happie daie with all ioifull ſolemnitie, with all praiſes to God, and praiers for you, who reduced vsus in triumph, your ſelfe as principall captiue leading the danſe before the arke of the Lord! Jt was your Maieſtie that reuiued thoſe good and godlie decrees, which your moſt renowmed father and gratious brother had made for the repairing of the Lords tabernacle. You ſent laborers vntounto the building, you preſcribed them perfect rules, whereby to ſquare euerie ſtone and peece of timber according to the paterne that the Lord ſhewed Moſes in the mount: You commanded them to raiſe their building vponupon the foundations of the prophets and apoſtles, Jeſu Chriſt being the head corner ſtone. But ô lamentable caſe to be ſorrowed of all ſuch, as ſeeke ſaluation in Christ alone, and ſigh with vnſpeakable grones to ſee the perfect finiſhing and furniſhing of the holie temple. The enimie hath ſowed tares among the good ſeed, Reum and Samſai with their adherents hauehave bended themſelues againſt the children of God. The ſonne of perdition exalting himſelfe in the temple of God, aboue all that is called God, hath ſpred diuers nets, laid many ſnares, digged deepe pits, vſed ſundrie, ſome bloudie, ſome craftie meanes to hinder the worke, and to deſtroie the workmen: now by out-criengs & horrible rorings of the Romiſh bull: now by attempting forreine power, to depoſe your Highneſse from your ſtate, and diſcharge your loiall ſubiects of their allegeance: now by aſsaieng how he could preuaile by more than ciuill ſword: now by raiſing ſundrie dangerous and damnable ſects and ſectaries to diminiſh the credit, and hinder the good ſucceſse of the Goſpell: now by ſophiſticall writing and printing againſt the receiued truth, mightilie confirmed by the inuincible word of God: and lastlie by conueieng in that ſecret ſeminarie of ſedition, which cloſelie and craftilie entering into this realme, vnderunder pretenſe of long praiers, deuoure widowes houſes, lead captiue ſimple women, and other ſillie ſeduced ſoules; trauell by land and ſea to make proſelytes double woorſe the children of hell than they themſelues: and ſo rob your Maiestie of your ſubiects, God of his creatures, Christ of his members, the people of their ſaluation: and vnderunder a colourable cloke of defending themſelues, and bewailing their owne eſtate, in their phariſaicall libels, ouer-boldlie dedicated to your Maiestie, and the Lords of your Honourable priuie Councell, doo traiterouſlie inſinuate & vniustlie accuſe you and your most moderate lawes and ſtatutes of intollerable rigour and crueltie. But ſuch as their doctrine is wicked and worldlie, ſuch are their words falſe and forged. Howbeit, all theſe their pestilent deuiſes and deſignements notwithstanding, as your Maiestie hath begun most godlie, and most maruellouſlie proceeded, ſo go you forward most happilie from faith to faith, from ſtrength to ſtrength, and from glorie to glorie, vntill Christ ſhall tread downe his and your enimies vnderunder his feet and yours. Arme your ſelfe, most mightie Princeſse, with the principall ſpirit of fortitude, ſtrengthen your hart with the certeintie of the truth, repoſe your faith on the onelie written word, cast your hope and care vponupon the prouidence diuine. So ſhall you neuer need to feare, neither the maine forces of your profeſsed enimies, nor the diſsembled practiſes of your pretenſed freends. For ſo renowmed is your name and honour among all godlie Princes, as no enuie can diminiſh your glorie; ſo trulie doo your people louelove you, as no ſecret treaſon can be hid from your perſon; ſo wiſe and circumſpect is your Councell, as no forreine practiſes can preuaile against you; ſo ſtrong is your Kingdome, ſo well furniſhed your munition, ſo terrible your nauie, and ſo ſtedfast your fortune. Againe, ſo valiant are your ſubiects, ſo manie in number, ſo frequented with victories, ſo readie to your defenſe, ſo aſsured to their countrie, and ſo zealous in religion: On the other ſide, ſo godlie are your owne purpoſes, ſo miraculous your proceedings, ſo peaceable your deſires, ſo bountifull your benefits, and ſo cleare your owne conſcience; ſo cleare, J ſaie, ſpeciallie from the bloud of all men, as there remaineth no more in this worke of yours, but that you vtterlie ſhake off all feare, and put your trust in the Lord of hosts, and ſo finiſh this glorious building. Which being performed, bleſse you with Salomon all the church of Jſrael, and with all your people giuegive thanks vntounto God the father in his deere ſonne, bicauſe he hath dealt mercifullie with you, and made you more gratious and honourable in his ſight, than anie King and Prince of the earth. And now, as your Maiestie for your owne part, by the ſpeciall aſsisting grace of God, hath beene hitherto, and is at this daie, and ſhall by Gods grace for euer be throughlie ſetled and grounded on the right ſide, of all queſtions now in controuerſie betweene vsus and our aduerſaries; ſo to the end that your people may continuallie vnderſtand how they hauehave beene carried awaie by falſe teachers from the ſinceritie and ſingleneſse of the Goſpell publiſhed by the Apostles, and eſtabliſhed in this your realme, vntounto a multitude of erronious opinions and mans inuentions: and that no faithfull ſubiect hereafter may iuſtlie complaine of ignorance, or pretend a readineſse to followe the truth, if it were rightlie taught, and eaſie to be found; your Maiestie of your godlie zeale, hath vouchſafed to ſuffer the works of manie learned and true profeſsors to hauehave free courſe in all your dominions to all good and godlie effects and purpoſes. Wherein you hauehave not onlie performed all the good parts of a gratious Christian Queene; but hauehave thereby ſaued infinite ſoules, which otherwiſe without the benefit thereof had liued ſtill in blindneſse, and died in danger of euerlasting damnation. Wherefore, ſeeing this booke of D. Peter Martyrs Common places, among and aboue all other bookes written of like argument will moſt fullie and ſufficientlie ſatisfie all thoſe that read the ſame with a ſingle eie, and bring not with them conſciences vnſenſible, ſeared vp with an hot iron: and ſeeing all the doctrine herein comprehended, is agreeable to the word of eternall life, and conformable to the religion reſtored in this your Realme, J am eftſoones moſt humblie to deſire your Maieſtie, that the ſame may obteine free paſsage throughout your Kingdome. Whereby your Maieſtie, beſides all other benefits, for the which I ſtand moſt deepelie bounden vntounto your Highneſse, ſhall heape vponupon me a gratious fauour, by vouchſafing my labours ſo great a credit: vponupon the Author himſelfe, by giuing him ſo famous a teſtimonie: vponupon your naturall ſubiects, by granting them ſo ſingular a commoditie: yea & vponupon your ſelfe, by witneſsing to all poſteritie and ſucceding ages, how highlie you eſteeme the learning and vertue of ſo excellent a man. Finallie, you ſhall doo that, which will redound to the glorie of almightie God, to the credit of the time, the increaſe of the church, the furtherance of the Goſpell, the extirpation of error, the aduancement of vertue, and to the vtter ouerthrowe of all vngodlineſse togither with Antichrist and all his adherents.
At your Maieſties Court in Greenewich the eight of Maie. 1583. Your Maieſties moſt humble ſubiect and faithfull ſeruant, ANTHONIE MARTEN.