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.

Of desire of Praise.

8 The godlie haue wherewithall to comfort themselues verie well, * 1.1 by this sentence of the apostle; (When the Lord shall come, * 1.2 then shall euerie one haue praise of God) when they be backbited, when their good name is impeached, and when the things that they haue well doone, are brought into slander by euill persons. For they be taught to expect praise from Christ, and with a noble courage to contemne the praise that commeth from men, which for the most part is vaine. Indéed man, of his owne nature, is gréedie inough of praise. Wherefore Augu∣stine, in his 13. booke De Trinitate, * 1.3 dooth cite a verse of Ennius; namelie, * 1.4 that All mortall men doo feruentlie desire that they may be praised. And no maruell; séeing man is according to the image of God: and God will haue his praises to be most highlie celebrated. But this desire must be reformed, least by our abuse it hinder saluation. This may be doone, if we followe the counsell of Paule, in expecting praise to come from God; whereby it may be counted perfect and sincere. * 1.5 Augustine in his 13. booke of con∣fessions writeth, that concerning this matter he had much cause to be greatlie gréeued, (for he was oftentimes commended, neither was it an easie thing to ouercome the flattering mo∣tion of the mind:) but he saith that he vsed this comfort, that he knew it was most surelie de∣termined by God, that praise is a perpetuall companion of pure and chast life. And hereof were not the Ethniks ignorant, when as they made praise to be as a shadowe following the bodie, to kéepe continuall companie with ver∣tue. I ought not (saith one) for that cause, to liue naughtilie, that all men may hate me, so soone as they heare me spoken of.

But when we heare our selues praised, * 1.6 there must be vsed a double remedie. First, let vs re∣ioise on the behalfe of our neighbours; bicause they be so appointed by God, and inspired by his spirit, as they will praise and allow of those things, which they shall iudge woorthie to be praised: which benefit of God is not common. Another remedie there is, that whatsoeuer praise

is giuen vnto vs, let vs turne all that vpon God himselfe, * 1.7 who is author of all good things; ta∣king speciall héed, that we be not desirous to be praised of men. For this desire is so pernicious, that sometime it driueth men to madnesse. Iuli∣an the apostata (as we read in the sixt booke of the tripartite historie) although otherwise a man wicked, yet in humane philosophie and sciences of the Schools verie well learned: what time as he mooued warre against the Persians, was so desirous of glorie, that in pride of mind, he began now to dreame and imagine vnto himselfe a glorie, whereby he might be equall with Alexander of Macedonia. Yea and he fell into so great a follie, as he said, that The soule of Alexander was translated, and dwelt in him∣selfe. We be taught in the epistle to the Ro∣mans, * 1.8 that True praise is to be expected from God: where the apostle speaking of Circumcisi∣on, which is in the spirit, not in the flesh, nor in the letter, straitwaie added; Whose praise is not of men, but of God. And in the second to the Corinthians, * 1.9 he saith; Not he which commen∣deth himselfe is allowed, but whom God com∣mendeth. * 1.10 If euerie mans praise shall come vn∣to him from God, the same is also to be iudged of dispraise. For in the iudgement of God, as there shall be manie praised; so on the other part, manie according to their deserts shall be dis∣praised.

* 1.11 9 But insomuch as godlie men doo séeme somtimes to be forgetfull of themselues, when they speake honourablie of their owne vertues, we will declare in few words, how the same may be lawfull. * 1.12 First, the godlie make no shew or brag of their owne vertues: for they knowe them to be the gifts of God, and that they them∣selues be defiled and manie waies corrupted. Secondlie, they acknowledge those vertues to be giuen them, not onelie for their owne sakes, but also for the people; that they may prouide and care for such things as be necessarie for o∣thers. Thirdlie, they perceiue that they haue not fulfilled the lawe of God, but that they often∣times offend and fall; and that they be not able to stand in iudgement before God. But if they be compared with their aduersaries, they doubt not, but euen before God they shall be their su∣periours. Moreouer, they would, that by their good life the glorie of God should be set foorth; and that others, by their example, should be stir∣red vp to liue well and godlie. Furthermore, they call their owne acts to remembrance; not for to make vaunt of themselues among o∣thers, but to giue a weight vnto their doctrine, sith their spéeches be neither false nor vaine, nor full of wind. For, as when place serueth, they set foorth their goodnesse; so else-where they dissem∣ble not their euill. But here must be diligent héed taken, that we be not be guiled by our flesh. For as touching the thing it selfe, the verie same is doone by the godlie, which is doone by the wicked: howbeit, that which is doone well of the one, is doone wickedlie of the other. Samuel, * 1.13 Eze∣chias, and others, commend their owne acts; the verie same dooth the Pharisie: * 1.14 but not with the same mind. God is he that knoweth the hart, and séeth with what mind euerie thing is doone of euerie man. Againe, the godlie giue thanks vnto God for his gifts; and as often as they call this to remembrance, so manie times doo they begin to be of a most assured hope, that GOD will in this sort be with them perpetuallie. Last∣lie, they would not, that the same light, which they perceiue is kindled in them, * 1.15 should be hid∣den vnder a bushell; or the citie to be set in an obscure place, where it cannot be séene. It is pro∣bable, that Samuel had respect vnto these things; but yet to nothing rather, than that the people should acknowledge their sinne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  In 1. Cor. 4. verse. 5.
• * 1.2

  1. Cor. 4.
• * 1.3

  Augustine.
• * 1.4

  Ennius.
• * 1.5

  Augustine▪
• * 1.6

  Remedies against hu∣mane prai∣ses.
• * 1.7

  The loue of glorie some∣time dri∣ueth men into mad∣nesse. Iulian the apostata.
• * 1.8

  Rom. 2, 29.
• * 1.9

  2. Co. 10, 18
• * 1.10

  If praise be from God, so is also dispraise.
• * 1.11

  In 1. Sam. 12, verse. 5.
• * 1.12

  How the godlie may praise them selues.
• * 1.13

  Esaie. 38, 3.
• * 1.14

  Luke. 18, 11
• * 1.15

  Matt. 5. 14.