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.

3 The words which be in the second booke of Samuel, the seuenth chapter, * 1.1 verse the 23. name∣lie, The gods came that he might redéeme vnto himselfe a people, are a sharpe corsie vnto the Hebrues, which will not acknowledge thrée persons in the diuine nature. Som, bicause it is said, Gods, refer it to the opinion of men. Such is that saieng of Paule; There be manie gods, and manie lords. * 1.2 For neither can they admit or alow of a multitude of gods. But forsomuch as the intreating here is of a singular or parti∣cular fact, this place must in anie wise be vn∣derstood of the true God. Kimhi thinketh, that Dauid said, Gods, for honor sake; euen as men also, to speake the more pleasinglie and ciuilie, doo oftentimes vse the plurall number, in stead of the singular. But if it be so, what new religi∣on entered straitwaie into Dauid? Why did he straitwaie adde; Thou Lord, in the singular number? For we must heape vpon God all the honours that we can. Others had rather refer this saieng vnto Moses and Aaron, who were sent to deliuer the people out of Aegypt: but this cannot be; for in the booke of Chronicles,

all these things are spoken of God himselfe by name. * 1.3 For so Dauid speaketh; Thou camest to redeeme thy people. Wherefore we shall much more rightlie and trulie vnderstand the thrée persons in one diuine nature; * 1.4 namelie, the Fa∣ther, the Sonne, and the holie Ghost: which be∣ing thrée persons, yet are they shut vp vnder one substance. This opinion is true, sound, and ca∣tholike, whether the Hebrues will or no.

But those words, which be added; And might doo great things for you: some would by Apo∣strophe or conuersion of speach, refer them to the Iewes, which me thinke is not probable. For Dauid talked not of these things with the people, but secretlie with God. Wherefore I had rather thus to vnderstand them of God himselfe, and to ascribe these maruellous things to one God in thrée persons. But God came to deliuer his people, when he sent Moses & Aaron vnto them: for when he appointed Moses to that message, he added withall; And I will be with thee. God doubtlesse is in euerie place at all times; * 1.5 but then he is said to come, * 1.6 when he dooth some great or new thing. And so he was said to be among the Iewes, when he smote the Aegyptians and their first borne. Againe, when Pharao followed the Iewes going foorth of Aegypt, and that they began to murmur, thinking that they should e∣uen then haue perished, Moses on this wise re∣comforted them; God shall fight for you, and ye shall be still: * 1.7 yea the Aegyptians themselues also did perceiue the same. For they said; Let vs flie awaie, * 1.8 for God himselfe dooth fight for them. Yea and afterward, when the people had worshipped the golden calfe, and that God was angrie, he would not go foorth with them, yet Moses intreated him to go on with them. * 1.9 Wher∣fore to deliuer the people, there came both the Father, and the Sonne, & the holie Ghost. And although those works were common vnto the thrée persons, yet are they seuerallie and parti∣cularlie ascribed to the Sonne. And therefore Paule saith vnto the Corinthians, * 1.10 that that rocke, from whence the water did flowe, was Christ; And let vs not tempt Christ (saith he) as some tempted him in the desart. By which words of Paule, we manifestlie gather; that the Iewes murmured against Christ. Which being so, the Arrians may be verie well confuted by that place. * 1.11 For if it were Christ, as doubtlesse it was, (which came to redéeme the people) how can Da∣uid saie; There is no other God as thou art, if the Sonne be either a creature, or inferiour to the father? For although this argument bind not the Iewes, who receiue not Paule; yet dooth it bind the Arrians, which cannot refuse Paule.

* 1.12 4 But the testimonies, whereby we prooue the diuinitie of Christ, are taken as well out of the old, as out of the new testament. Mat∣thew saith; that We must baptise in the name of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the holie Ghost: In which words he sheweth, that there be thrée persons coequal one with an other. And we read in Iohn; This is life euerlasting, to knowe thee, the onlie true God, * 1.13 and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Neither might Christ be called the first and principall good, or else eternall life, vn∣lesse he were God. When the high preest had demanded of Christ with admiration, * 1.14 whether he were the sonne of the liuing God? The Lord answered him; Thou hast said. The which he hea∣ring, rent his garments, and vnderstood that he affirmed himselfe to be God. Furthermore, ve∣ry firme is that saieng; And God was the word: * 1.15 especiallie séeing it is added a little after; And the word was made flesh. Where thou séest, that the subtile argument of the Arrians taketh no place, wherby they affirme, that Christ no doubt was called God, but yet that he was not so in∣déed: whereas Iohn saith most plainelie; that The word was God, and was made flesh. * 1.16 Fur∣ther we read in the same Iohn; that No man hath seen God at anie time, * 1.17 but the sonne which is in the bosome of the father, he hath declared him. In which place thou hearest, that the son of God is exempted from the common condition of men. It is said by the same Iohn; All things are made by him. * 1.18 Vpon which place Augustine dooth verie well infer, that the sonne of God was not made: for if he had béene made, then all things that were made, had not béene created by him; at the leastwise he had beene created by another thing.

Thomas, when he had séene the gashes where the nailes entred, & the open wound of Christ his side, he spake foorth alowd; My Lord & my God. * 1.19 Also Christ praied to his father saieng; Glorifie me, ò Father, with the glorie, * 1.20 which I had with thee, before the world was made: which saieng might not stand, vnlesse that Christ had the di∣uine nature; for his humane nature was not be∣fore the world was made. Also the Lord said; * 1.21 All things that my father hath, are mine: and that the father hath the diuine nature, it is by none called in question; and so of necessitie the sonne is not without the same. Besides, Christ testi∣fieth & saith; All things that my father dooth, * 1.22 I al∣so doo: but the action of them both, being all one, the natures of them must néeds be one and the same. He said to the Iewes; * 1.23 Before that Abra∣ham was, I am: which cannot otherwise be refer∣red but to his diuine nature: and no lesse do these saiengs prooue; I am the resurrection and the life. * 1.24 Againe; As the father hath life in himselfe, so he hath granted to the sonne to haue life in himself. * 1.25 Hereby it is prooued, that the sonne is equall to the father. And the same Iohn wrote in his first epistle, the fift chapter; * 1.26 And we are in him that

is true: that is, in his sonne Christ, which is verie God, and eternall life. Our sauiour said to Ni∣chodemus; * 1.27 No man ascendeth into heauen, but he that came downe from heauen, euen the son of man, which is in heauen. And Christ was not in heauen, while he talked with the Iewes, vn∣lesse it were as touching his diuine nature: nei∣ther did he descend out of heauen, but in respect that he was God. Of which comming downe, he againe testifieth, * 1.28 when he saith; I came downe from heauen, not to doo mine owne will, but the will of him that sent me. * 1.29 Againe, I came out from my father, and I go vnto my father.

5 All these things must be referred vnto the diuine nature. In the Apocalypse also he testifi∣eth, that he is α and ω, * 1.30 The first and the last. And in the same booke, the 19. chapter, it is written of Christ, that there was written vpon his thigh, and vpon his garments, * 1.31 King of kings, and Lord of lords. And least thou shouldst imagine, that that litle, was the * 1.32 Epitheton ascribed vn∣to God, there is mention made in the seauen∣téenth chapter of the lambe himselfe; that He had the victorie, * 1.33 bicause he was the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Which propertie, that it be∣longs onlie vnto God, it is manifest by the first epistle of Paule vnto Timothie, where, towards the end of the epistle, it is written; Vntill the ap∣pearing of our Lord Iesus, * 1.34 which he shall shew in due time, that is blessed, and Prince onlie, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. To the Ro∣mans he saith; * 1.35 Of them came the fathers, of whome, as touching the flesh, Christ came, who is God ouer all, blessed for euer. Besides, when it is commanded; * 1.36 Thou shalt woorship the Lord thy God, and him onlie thou shalt serue. It is said by Paule vnto the Philippians; In the name of Iesus, * 1.37 let euerie knee bow, both of things in heauen, of things in earth, and things vnder the earth. And to the Hebrues; When he bringeth his sonne into the world, * 1.38 he saith, Let all the angels of God woorship him. And in the same place, * 1.39 out of the sentence of the psalme, the power of creating is attributed vnto him; * 1.40 And thou Lord in the beginning, didst laie the foun∣dation of the earth. There is also another psalme alledged; Therefore hath God, euen thy God annointed thee with oile of gladnes aboue thy fellowes. * 1.41

And there is a comparison of Christ with Mel∣chisedecke, namelie, that they were both with∣out father, * 1.42 without mother, and without genea∣logie; which thing accordeth not with Christ, but so far foorth as he is God. Vnto the Colossinas we reade; * 1.43 that In Christ dwelleth all the fulnes of the godhead bodilie. * 1.44 Againe; All things are made by him, whether they be things visible or inuisible, * 1.45 or thrones, or dominions. Vnto Ti∣tus; We expecting the blessed hope, and com∣ming of the glorie of the great God. Héere Christ is most plainelie called The great God. And in the second to the Corinthians; * 1.46 When he was rich, he was made poore for all men. It can not be meant that he was rich, but in respect of his diuine nature. * 1.47 And in the first epistle to the Corinthians; If they had knowne him, they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of glorie. And in the eight chapter; * 1.48 To vs neuertheles there is one God, which is the father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Iesus Christ, by whome are all things, and we by him. But if that all things are by him, verelie there is no doubt, but that he is God. And vnto the Galathians, as touching the time of infidelitie, it is written; * 1.49 When as yee serued those which in nature be no gods, &c. By which words, the contrarie is gathered; that séeing they were conuerted vnto Christ, and serued him, they ser∣ued him that in nature is God.

But to followe the sure and more vndoubted testimonies of the old Testament, * 1.50 out of Dauid we haue; The Lord said vnto my Lord, Sit on my right hand, vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole. Esaie calleth him Emanuel. * 1.51 And a∣gaine he saith; His name shall be called Woon∣derfull, a Counsellour, God, &c. Ieremie in the 21. chapter, saith, * 1.52 that he must be called God our righteousnes, & he vseth the name Tetragram∣maton. The verie which thing thou maist sée to be done by the same Prophet, in the 31. chapter, * 1.53 wherein, though he speake of the citie, I meane of the people of God, or of the church; yet ne∣uertheles, all that doth appertaine vnto Christ, which is the head of the same: yea rather by him is such a name attributed to the church & people of God. Also we reade in Esaie; * 1.54 Who shall be able to reckon his generation? And in the Pro∣phet Micheas; * 1.55 And thou Bethleem of Iewrie art not the least among the thousands of Iuda: for out of thee shall come foorth vnto me, one that shall rule my people Israel, whose out-going hath bin from the beginning, and from euerla∣sting: by which words, both the natures of Christ are shewed. * 1.56 Adde againe out of the Prophet E∣saie, that which is cited by Paule in the 15. chap∣ter to the Romanes; * 1.57 There shall be a roote of Iesse, which shall arise to rule ouer the Gentiles, and in him shall the Gentiles trust. And certaine it is, that he is to be accursed, * 1.58 which putteth anie hope in a creature. Therefore, séeing we must put our trust in Christ, and that he is to be cal∣led vpon, it plainelie appéereth that he is God. There might be heapt vp other testimonies of this matter, but these I thinke to be enough, and enough againe, to confute the boldnes of these men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In 2. Sam. 7, verse. 23. Looke In Gen. 18. at the begin∣ning. And In 2. Sam. 23, verse. 2.
• * 1.2

  1. Cor. 8, 5.
• * 1.3

  1. Chro. 17, verse 11.
• * 1.4

  The Tri∣nitie.
• * 1.5

  Exod. 3, 12.
• * 1.6

  How God is said to come. Exo. 12, 12.
• * 1.7

  Exo. 14, 14.
• * 1.8

  Ibidem. 25.
• * 1.9

  Eoxd. 33, 3.
• * 1.10

  1. Cor. 10. 4. and 9.
• * 1.11

  Against the Arrians.
• * 1.12

  Christs di∣uinitie is prooued. Looke part 2. plac. 17. art. ••. Matt. 28 19.
• * 1.13

  Iohn. 17, 3, Iohn. 14, 6.
• * 1.14

  Matt. 26, 63.
• * 1.15

  Iohn. 1, 1
• * 1.16

  Iohn. 1, 14.
• * 1.17

  Iohn. 1, 18.
• * 1.18

  Iohn. 1. 3. Augustine.
• * 1.19

  Iohn. 20, 28.
• * 1.20

  Iohn. 17, 5.
• * 1.21

  Iohn. 16, 15.
• * 1.22

  Iohn. 5, 19.
• * 1.23

  Iohn. 8, 58.
• * 1.24

  Iohn. 11, 25.
• * 1.25

  Iohn. 5, 26.
• * 1.26

  1. Ioh. 5, 20.
• * 1.27

  Iohn. 3, 13.
• * 1.28

  Iohn. 6, 38.
• * 1.29

  Iohn. 16, 28.
• * 1.30

  Apoc. 1, 8.
• * 1.31

  Apoc. 19, 16.
• * 1.32

  Addition of name.
• * 1.33

  Apoc. 17, 14
• * 1.34

  1. Tim. 6, 15.
• * 1.35

  Rom. 9, 5.
• * 1.36

  Deut. 6, 13.
• * 1.37

  Phil. 2, 10.
• * 1.38

  Hebr. 1, 6.
• * 1.39

  Hebr. 1, 10.
• * 1.40

  Psalm. 102.
• * 1.41

  Hebr. 1, 9.
• * 1.42

  Hebru. 7, 3.
• * 1.43

  Coloss. 2, 9.
• * 1.44

  Colo. 1, 16.
• * 1.45

  Titus. 2, 13.
• * 1.46

  2. Cor. 8, 9.
• * 1.47

  1. Cor. 2, 8.
• * 1.48

  1. Cor. 8, 6.
• * 1.49

  Gala. 4, 8.
• * 1.50

  Psal. 110, 1.
• * 1.51

  Esaie. 7, 14. Esaie. 9, 6.
• * 1.52

  Ierem. 21, 6.
• * 1.53

  Iere. 31, 23.
• * 1.54

  Esaie. 53, 8.
• * 1.55

  Miche. 5, 2.
• * 1.56

  Esaie. 11, 10.
• * 1.57

  Rom. 15, 12.
• * 1.58

  Looke In Rom. 1, and 4, & 25, & 8, verse 34, & 9, a, 5, & 33, & 10, 17, & 11, 7, & 27. 1. Cor. 11, verse. 3.