A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 12
The twelfth Dialogue is of the giftes of the holie Ghoſt, whiche are common to the elect, and to the reprobates.
Of the gifts of the holie Ghoſt which mē may hauehave & not be choſen of god, and without the which the elect may be ſaued touching themſelues.
MATHEVV.
I Doe nowe better vnderſtande than before, why thou doeſt call the thirde worke of God, the whiche thou attributeſt to the holy Ghoſte, worke of viuification, and for what cauſe the holie Ghoſt is called the quickning ſpirite. There reſteth nowe that we ſpeake of other of his giftes, whiche thou haſte ſayde maye ſerue to the Saluation of them whyche hauehave them not, withoute ſeruing at all them whiche hauehave them to their ſaluation.
P.
I will ſhewe thee by example that whiche thou aſkeſt, we maye place in this ranke the gift of toungs, the gifte of prophecie or preachyng, the gifte of miracles, and ſuche other lyke.
Math.
Dothe GOD ſometyme communicate theſe guifts vntounto the reprobates and vnfaythefull?
Peter.
Thou doeſt not doubte but that hée dothe diſtrybute them to the electe and the faythfull when it pleaſeth him.
Math.
I may not doubt thereof, ſéeing I hauehave the examples of the prophets and of the Apoſtles whiche witneſſe it vntounto me.
P.
But albeit that theſe gifts be communicate to diuers of the elect and faithfull, yet they are not giuen generally to all, neither to eueryevery one ſpecially, and as the others wherof we hauehave alreadie ſpoken: and on the other ſyde, they be not giuen in equall and one meaſure to all thoſe to whome they be giuen. For the one ſorte hauehave them in greater number and greater abundance than the others.
M.
GiueGive me example of that whiche thou ſayſt.
P.
Saint Iohn Baptiſt was ſo excellente a Prophet,Matth. 11 b Luke. 7. d that he was by Ieſus Chryſte preferred to all the other Prophets whiche were before him: and yet wee reade not that he had the gift of tongues, as the Apoſtles had.
M.
It ſéemeth alſo to mée, that it was not neceſſarie, forſomuche as he was not ſent but to thoſe of his owne nation.
P.
And therfore I ſay with Saint Paule, that the holy Ghoſte diſtributeth his giftes to eueryevery man, as is expediente for him. But to come againe to S. Iohn Baptiſt, no more had he the gifte of miracles. For it is written of him playnly, that he did none at all.
M.
I thinke alſo, that there were many of the Prophetes which had but the gift of prophecie, without the gift of eyther miracles or toungs, forſomuche as they did prophecie but in the Churche of Iſrael,Iohn. 10. g Exod. 7.8.9.10. 1. Kings. 17. d 2. King. 1. c.d 2. a. 4. f.g. 5. c. d. 6. c and among people which vnderſtod their natural ſpeach
M.
We fynd not many prophets yt hauehave had the gift of miracles, as had Moyſes, Elie, and Elizee. But the Apoſtles hadde bothe the gifte of prophecie, miracles, toungs, and ſuche lyke.
Of the giftes of the holy Ghoſte giuen to the wicked.
M.
I I knowe nowe well by theſe examples, in what ſorte theſe giftes hée diſtributed to the faithfull, albéeit they be not diſtributed to eueryevery one in verye number and portion, euen of thoſe which are made partakers of them: but thou haſte not yet proued how theſe giftes are alſo ſomtyme beſtowed vponupon the reprobates and vnfaithfull.
P.
I wil ſhew thée firſt the teſtimonie of Ieſus Chriſt which ſayth,Matth. 7. d Theſe are cō mrers, ſorcerers, and ſuche lyke, that many ſhal ſay vntounto him at the later day, Lorde, Lorde, we hauehave prophecied, and driuen out diuels, and wrought great effects in thy name: vntounto whom he ſhall ſaye: I know you not, depart from mee ye workers of iniquitie.
M.
Peraduenture they ſhall boaſt them ſelues falſly of that whiche they neuer did.
Pet.
To reſolue this difficultie, thou haſt beſide it the examples,Numeri. 23. a 6. a. 24. a 2. Pet. 2. d 1 Sam. 19. a …hn. 11. g Matth. 10. a Luke. 9. a not onelyonly of Balaam, of Saule, and of Cayphe, whyche hauehave prophecied, but alſo of Iudas, vntoo whome not onelyonly the gifte of prophecie and office of Apoſtle was giuen, as it was to his other fellowes, but alſo the gifte of miracles.
M.
Howe mayſt thou knowe for certayne if that Iudas hadde the gift of miracles?
Peter.
Bicauſe that when Ieſus Chryſte did giuegive it to hys Apoſtles, Iudas was not put out of the number, but was compriſed in the number of twelue, vntounto whiche the Euangeliſtes witneſſe, that this gifte was giuen by Ieſus Chriſte.
Math.
That whiche thou ſayeſt, hath ſome apparance.
Peter.
And on the other ſide, thou mayſt not fynd it ſtrange, that the gift of miracles was giuen vntounto him, whiche is far leſſe neceſſarie to the Churche than the gift of prophecie and office of Apoſtle.
For vvhat cauſe God ſometime dothe cō municate to the wicked of the giftes of the holie Ghoſt, the which he doth not cōmunicate to the electe.
M.
SEing that theſe gifts be ſo noble & ſo excellēt, it abaſheth me that God ſomtime diſtributeth them to ye vnfaithful & reprobate, rather than to the faithfull & elect. For albeit that in the time of Balaam, Saule, Cayphe, & Iudas, many of the faithfull and choſen were endowed with theſe gifts, yet notwithſtanding the greateſt nūber of thē had thē not at al, but had only thoſe gifts which are proper and cōmon to al the elect and faithful.
P.
It is true: but thou muſte note that God will hauehave it ſo, chiefly for two cauſes.
M.
whiche is the firſt?
P.
It is that he will giuegive vsus to know what difference we ought to put betwene theſe gifts, to the ende that his elect mought know which ar the moſt excellent, and what fauour he hathe ſhewed to them more than to the others, in communicating them vntounto them.
Math.
Whiche is the other reaſon?
P.
It is that God will ſhewe howe paſſyng excellent a woorker he is, whiche can vſe al inſtrumentes bothe good and bad, yea the very diuels to make them ſerue to his glorie, and to the edification and ſaluation of his Churche when it pleaſeth him. But ſeeing that he may well do by his elect that whiche he dothe by theſe wicked inſtruments, why dothe he not rather this honour to his children than to his enimies.
P.
He dothe no diſhonour to his children, but doth them great honor, when he conſtrayneth the very wicked to ſerue them will they nill they.
M.
There is a point wel worth the note.
P.
On the other ſide he honoureth the enimies the more, but putteth them to greater confuſion, and maketh them more inexcuſable, in ſo muche as thorough their owne fault, they hauehave abuſed his giftes.
Of the giftes of God which are moſte excellent and moſt to be deſired.
M.
FOr ſo muche as I can vnderſtande by thée, thou eſtéemeſt the firſt giftes whereof thou ſpakeſt, to bée muche more excellente and neceſſarye to eueryevery one in his particular, than the others wherof thou ſpakeſt in the ſeconde place.
P.
Thou mayeſt well thinke, that the gifts which God hath chiefly prepared for his elect, are the moſt principall, and thoſe whome he moſt eſtéemeth, and of the which alſo he willeth that we hauehave moſt care, & namely for two cauſes.
M.
Shewe me the firſte.
P.
It is, that theſe giftes make vsus more like to God than the others do. For we are refourmed in déede to his Image by them:
Mat.
Shewe me ſomething more plainely what thy meaning is.
P.
Albeit that all vertues are in God in all excellencie and full perfection, yet notwithſtanding the chéefe vertue that he will hauehave acknowledged in hym, and by the which he will chiefly be glorified, and that alſo whiche maketh him to vsus moſt amiable, and whiche is moſt conuenient and neceſſarie for vsus, and whiche doth beſt declare vntounto vsus his true nature, it is his goodneſſe.
M.
Wilte thou alſo cō clude thereby, that he doth more eſtéeme thoſe giftes whiche make good thoſe who hauehave them, than the giftes which may bée in men withoute making them good, and yelding thoſe better which are partakers of them, albeit they mought ſerue others, to bring them to the communion of theſe other more excellente gifts.
P.
It is ſo.
Hovv the gifte of prophecie may ſerue to the ſaluation of thoſe vvhichwhich hauehave it not, and not of them vvhiche hauehave it.
M.
THy meaning is, ſo farre as I can vnderſtande, that a man may hauehave the gifte of prophecie, by meane whereof God will call his electe to his knowledge, and notwithſtanding he by whome he ſhall call them, ſhal not himſelfe hauehave the ſame true knowledge wherewith God maketh himſelfe knowen to his elect, and by the which he maketh them like to him ſelfe, and are broughte to honoure him.
P.
I do ſo vnderſtāde it.
M.
But how may a man giuegive that whiche he hath not?
P.
How may a whetſtone make ſharpe an yron, ſéeing it is but a ſtone and it ſelfe cannot cut? And how may a bell call and cauſe people to come to the ſermon whervnto it ſelfe goeth not, nor may go.
M.
Is it the like of the matters whiche we now handle?
P.
Thou haſt two point is to l…e in this.
M.
Whiche is the firſte?
P.
It is that the miniſters by whome God is ſerued, doe not communicate the giftes of God, but as inſtrumentes, but it is God himſelfe whiche doth communicate them by them, as he which is the Lord and maſter, which hath them in his power to diſtribute and retaine at his pleaſure.
M.
I thinke in déede if theſe giftes were in the power of the miniſters and inſtruments wherewith God ſerueth himſelfe, al thoſe whiche ſhoulde heare their doctrine, and which ſhould receiue of thē the outwarde Sacramentes, whiche they adminiſter, ſhould be made partakers of the giftes of God whereof they be miniſters and diſpenſators ſo farre as toucheth their miniſterie.
P.
Experience teacheth vsus yt which thou ſayeſt. Yet notwithſtanding we may not contemne the miniſterie of man, whē it pleaſeth God to ſerue himſelfe with thē whatſoeuer they be, prouided that we bée aſſured that they ſet foorthe to vsus purely the things of God.
Of the true knovvledge of God proper only to his elect, and of the generall vvhichwhich is common to all men.
M.
WHich is the other point that thou ſayeſt I had to note vppon thys matter?
P.
It is that we muſt conſider the knowledge of God in two ſortes.
M.
How is that?
P.
There is one knowledge of God whiche cauſeth men as ſoone as they hauehave it, to glorifie him as belongeth vntounto him. That is the true knowledge of God whiche deſerueth ſuche a name, and which is proper to the only elect of God, and is neuer ſeparate from true faith in him.
M.
What other ſorte of knowledge is there yet?
P.
There is one generall and common to all as well faithfull as vnfaithfull, the which is ſufficient inough to condemne all men before God, but not to ſaue them.
M.
Howe doeſt thou vnderſtande that it is ſufficient to condemne, and not to ſaue? For it ſéemeth to me that it were better not to hauehave ſuche a knowledge than to hauehave it.
P.
It is the knowledge of God, whereof Sainct Paule ſpeketh in the beginning of the epiſtle to the Romaines, the which condemneth men, in ſomuche as they hauehave ſufficient knowledge of God to know that they oughte to honoure and glorifie him, and yet notwithſtanding, they neyther honoure nor glorifie him according as he hath declared himſelfe to them, and as they know him:Rom. 1. c wherein they ſhew their malice, peruerſitie, and ingratitude, the whiche maketh them wholly inexcuſable.
M.
But ſéeing that this knowledge is not ſo greate that it can induce vsus to glorifie God as is méete, is there at all no excuſe for them?
P.
If they did glorifie him according to the meaſure of their knowledge, there ſhuld be yet ſome apparance in that which thou ſayeſt, albeit that ignorance ſhall excuſe no man, forſomuche as it procéedeth of ſinne, whereof the faulte cannot be imputed but to man. But they ſhew theyr naturall peruerſitie and malice in the ſame, that they make none accoumpte to glorifie God as God, accordingly as they know him.
Hovv that the vvicked vvhichwhich prophecie do vnderſtand or not vnderſtand, their ovvne very prophecies.
M.
THy meaning thē is, that they whiche hauehave the gifts of God, wherby they may ſerue to the ſaluation of others and in the meane time do not profite thē ſelues, hauehave euen ſuche a knowledge of God, as is that whereof thou nowe haſte ſpoken.
P.
There are yet diuers conſiderations vponupon the which thou concludeſt. For there are ſome whiche hauehave propheſied of things which they themſelues wel vnderſtoode, and there be others whiche vnderſtoode not their owne propheſies.
M.
Gyue me example therof.
P.
Balaam did well vnderſtande that whiche he propheſied of the children of Iſraell. For he well did know that people to be bleſſed of God. But Cayphas propheſied not vnderſtanding what he ſayde, for he ment of one, and the ſpirite of god who made him to ſpeake ſo, made him to ſpeake an other which he vnderſtood not himſelfe.
M.
Caiphas was then the mouth of God and the mouth of the Deuill all at once.
P.
He was the mouth of God, in ſo muche as God made him to ſay, that his people coulde not be ſaued but only by the death of his ſonne Ieſus Chriſte, but he was the mouth of the Deuill according to hys intente after the whiche he ſo ſpake. For he did not ſpeake according to the meaning of the holy Ghoſt, but as a murderer an enimie of truth, pretending the deathe of Ieſus Chriſte, bycauſe of the hatred which he had toward him.
Hovv that the true knovvledge of God comprehendeth both the vnderſtanding and the vvill.
M.
IF Cayphas vnderſtoode not his propheſie, I do not greatly maruell although it profited him not. But I do more maruell of Balaam, that he did not better proffite by his, than he hathe done, forſomuche as he hath had ſufficiente vnderſtanding to leade him rather to follow the people of GOD than his enimies.
Peter.
There are yet two poyntes to be noted herein, by the knoweledge whereof thou mayeſt vnderſtande the better the cauſe which letted Balaam to proffite better by hys propheſie, and by the knowledge of God whiche he had. And in like ſorte thou mayeſt iudge of all others like.
M.
Whiche are thoſe two pointes?
P.
A man cannot well honoure God, if firſte he knowe hym not as he ought to know him, & he cannot know him in ſuch ſorte excepte he be firſt deliuered from two great euils which are in him by the meane of ſinne.
M.
Whiche are theſe two great euils?
P.
The one is the ignoraunce that hath poſſeſſed his vnderſtāding.
M.
And the other?
P.
The malice whiche hathe corrupted not only his vnderſtanding, but alſo his whole will, and conſequently all the affections which are in him.
M.
Doth the true knowledge of God comprehende the vnderſtanding and the will of man?
P.
If the true knowledge of God doth cauſe man to honoure him, it muſte then neceſſarily come to paſſe, that thereby manne is refourmed as touching his vnderſtāding, harte, will, and all other his affections, ſéeing that he cannot well honoure God,Deuter. 6. a. Matth. 22. d Luke. 10. c. if he louelove him not with all his vnderſtanding, and with all his harte, and with all his ſoule, and with all his power and forces.
Of the true and full reformation of man, and of the partes thereof.
M.
BY what meane may a man be ſo perfectly reformed as thou ſayeſt?
P.
After that the vnderſtandyng of man thorow ſin hath ben blinded by the darkneſſes of error and ignorance, the which it hath brought to himt, he vnderſtāding, can not be well reformed, if God by his heauenly light doe not dryue awaye theſe darkneſſes, and the ignorance that there is, to giuegive him true knowledge of God his Creator.
M.
In what ſort alſo is the wil reformed?
P.
When God hath changed it from euill into good, and where it is rebellious to his, he maketh it lyke vntounto the ſame.
M.
Wilt thou then ſay that a man is not fully regenerate if his will and vnderſtanding be not alſo reformed?
P.
Hée can not be fully, if that all that which hath ben corrupted in him thorow ſynne, be not repaired and reſtored by the grace of God.
Hovv that ignorance and malice are contrary to true regeneration and reformation, and hovv there is either more or leſſe ignorance and malice in ſome than in other ſome.
M.
BVt if a man be not thorowly regenerate & reformed of all theſe two partes, may he not at the leaſt be of one of them?
P.
If he be not of them bothe, we maye not proprely call him regenerate and reformed. And yet notwithſtanding, I confeſſe that among them whiche are not regenerate and reformed by the ſpirite of God, ſome hauehave more malice than ignoraunce, and others more ignorance than malice, whiche are the two vices the moſt contrarie to true regeneration and reformation that may bée, whiche comprehende the vnderſtanding and the will. For ignoraunce is proprely reported to the vnderſtanding, and malice to the will.
Of thoſe vvhiche offende more thorow malice than by ignorance.
M.
SHew me by exāple what thy meaning is.
P.
Lette vsus take againe in hand ye example of Balaam. Thou mayſt wel know by what he hath ſayde & done, that he was more malicious than ignorant. For he knew well inough the way that he ought to walk: but couetouſneſſe wherewith he had his hearte filled, did let his will not to agrée with the knowledge of God which he had.
M.
If I hauehave well vnderſtode that whiche thou haſte alreadie ſaid of the knowledge of God, it ſeemeth to me, that a man maye not call that of Balaam true knowledge of God, forſomuche as it was not ſuche that hys vnderſtanding was ſo well lightened by the ſpirite of God, that he did foorthwyth drawe and guyde hys hearte and wyll to glorifye GOD as hée oughte.
Pet.
That which thou ſayeſt is true: And therefore I did not cleane exempt Balaam of ignorance, when I ſayde, that there was in him more malice than ignoraunce, but I would giuegive to vnderſtand that ther was ignorance in him, albeit the malice was the greater: For if hée had knowne God as he ought to hauehave done, he hadde forthwith loued him, and woulde hauehave endeuored himſelfe rather to pleaſe him than the king Balaac, and woulde not hauehave preferred the worldly honour and profit which he loked for at his hand, to ye honor of God, and to his giftes and graces.
M.
GiueGive mée yet ſome example to thys purpoſe, by whiche I may better vnderſtād this matter.
P.
Take Annas, Cayphas,1. Cor. 2. b Act. 3. c. ye Scribes and Phariſeyes, and ſuche lyke. For albeit they did not truly knowe Ieſus Chriſt as ye apoſtles & the other faithful did, yet had they knowledge inough to cōdemn them bicauſe yt their own malice did more let thē to acknowledge & receyue him as their Sauiour,Matth. 12. b Iohn. 5. g …. g. than did the ignorance that was in them.
Of thoſe whiche ſinne more through ignorance than through malice.
M.
I Am ſatiſfyed wyth the examples that thou haſte alreadie alledged of thoſe which ſinne more of malice than of ignorance, GiueGive me now examples of the others whiche offend more of ignorance than of malice.
P.
Séeing we hauehave ſpokē of phariſeys, thou haſte an euident example of S. Paule,Act. 8. a. 9. a 1. Tim. 1. c if thou do cōſider whē he was a phariſey and a perſecuter, before yt he was conuerted to the Goſpell.
M.
I know wel that he was then a greate perſecuter of the Chriſtians.
Pet.
Hée dothe playnly confeſſe it himſelfe. But he did not perſecute them with ſo euill a conſcience as the Scribes and Phariſeis did perſecute Chriſt and his apoſtles For he did more of ignorance than of malice, as he himſelfe dothe witneſſe.1. Tim. 1. c
M.
But was there alſo no malice in him?
P.
As I doe not cléerely exempt from ignorance thoſe which offend more of malice thā of ignorance, euen in like ſort do I not exempt cléerely from malice thoſe which offende more of ignorāce thā of malice.
M.
Thou meaneſt then that bothe ſorts hauehave both ignoraunce and malice in them, and that there is no difference betwéene them, but only in the muchneſſe or litleneſſe of the ignoraunce and malice of eyther ſorte.
P.
Thou moughteſt well vnderſtande it by that which I hauehave ſayd: And therfore we ſay, that they whiche offende more of ignorance than of malice,Rom. 10. … offende by zeale without knowledge, and the others whiche fight againſt the knowledge whiche they hauehave, do ſinne and fight more openly againſt their owne conſcience, and in very déede oftentimes go ſo far, that they ſinne agaynſt the holie Ghoſt,Matth. 12. … the which as Ieſus Chriſte wilneſſeth, ſhall neuer be pardoned of God, bicauſe that he fighteth openly againſt the grace and the giftes of the holie Ghoſt, without the whiche no man may euer obtaine pardone.
M.
I woulde gladly that thou diddeſt expounde vntounto me ſome thing more familiarly what this ſinne of the holy Ghoſt is: for there be verye fewe that are fully reſolued therin.
P.
I woulde ſhewe thée myne opinion, but the matter would be too long for this preſent, wherfore let vsus folow our purpoſe which we hauehave begon.
Of the compariſon betwene thoſe which offende of malice, and thoſe whiche offende through ignorance.
M.
I Iudge theſe laſt which offēd of malice to be much worſe than the firſt, and further off frō the kingdom of God.
P.
Thou iudgeſt right well: For ther is yet better ſéede of Religion and greater teſtimonie of the feare of God, and of louelove toward him, in thoſe which ſin of ignorāce and thorow zeale, without knowledge, than in them whiche ſin as of purpoſe determined, and againſt their owne conſcience, which teſtifieth vntounto them of the good which they will not folowe, and condemneth the euil which they do.
M.
It ſéemeth to mee alſo that they whiche offend more of malice than of ignorāce, be further of from the nature of God, & that they hauehave more of the nature of the diuell than the others.
P.
It is euen ſo: for the diuell hath muche more malice than ignorance.
M.
I thinke in déede that he doth not often offende of ignorance, but only of malice that is in him.
P.
And therfore I ſaid heretofore that there was nothing wherein man didde more reſemble God, and wherein he did better expreſſe his image, than in goodneſſe. For it is a vertue the whiche God doth neuer communicate but to his elect.
Of the difference which God vſeth in the diſpenſation of his gifts betwene the elect and the reprobates and how the wicked corrupt and abuſe the giftes of God.
M.
ANd doth he communicate his other vertues to the reprobates?
P.
To ſpeake proprely, God doth not cō municate his vertues to the wicked and to the reprobate: For albeit he beſtowed vponupon them of his gifts and of his graces, yet are they not vertues in their perſon, as they be in God and in his electe.
M.
Why ſo?
P.
Bycauſe they doe abuſe and peruert them as dothe the diuell, in ſuch ſorte that whereas they ſhould ſerue to the honor of God, it is no thank to thē that they diſhonor him not by them: And on the other ſide, bicauſe they do ſo foule thē, not reporting thē to the glorie of god as they ought to do, but do cleane contrarie, they do infect and enpoyſon them, as muche as in them is, by the venim which the diuell hath put into their heartes and vnderſtandings, in ſuche ſorte that they be in them, ſo farre as concerneth theyr perſon, as a meate, whiche of his nature béeing good, mought be corrupted by poyſon.
M.
Declare this to mée ſome thing more eaſily, and giuegive mée ſome examples.
P.
We conſider in God chiefly his power, his wiſedome, and his goodneſſe, whiche are thrée excellent vertues, to the whiche all the others may be referred. Nowe if his goodneſſe were not ioyned with his power, and his wiſedome, his power ſhould be tyrannie, and his wiſedome cautele & craft, as it is in the diuell. But the goodneſſe that is in him, is the cauſe that hée neuer abuſeth his power & his wiſedome, but maketh it alway to ſerue his iuſtice and clemencie, his merciemercy and charitie, and all his other like vertues which procéede al from that infinite goodneſſe whiche is in him, whiche is the fountayne, and which is goodneſſe it ſelfe.
M.
Wilte thou ſay by this that God doth communicate of his power, of his knowledge, and of his wiſedome to the wicked and reprobates?
P.
I ſay more than that, for I ſay he communicateth of it ouer to the very deuilis: but not of his goodneſſe nor the true vertues which procéede of the ſame.
M.
How vnderſtandeſt thou it?
P.
We cannot denie but that the deuills he maruellous ſtrong and mightie, & muche wiſer than are all men. No more may we in like ſorte denie but that they hauehave receyued this power, knowledge and vnderſtanding of God, wherefore we maye call them mightie, and wiſe in the ſenſe that men take theſe names.
M.
It ſéemeth to me that we may ſaye the like of Tyrants and of many other men, of whome the one ſorte are mightie and ſtrong, & the others ſkilfull, wiſe & graue according to the world: & an other ſort hauehave both theſe qualities togither, and yet for al that they be not honeſt and vertuous men, but vicious and wicked.
P.
It is bycauſe they do abuſe theſe giftes of God, and therefore their power is violence and tyrannie, and their wiſedome and vnderſtanding cautele and malice. For the true power and wiſedome maye neuer be ſeparate from goodneſſe and other vertues.
VVhat cauſe men hauehave to glory of the gifts of God, and of vvhat qualitie, and vvhiche be thoſe men that ought to be moſt eſteemed.
M.
I Sée nowe well that men hauehave no greate occaſion to glory in the giftes of God which they hauehave receyued, if they hauehave not receyued thoſe ſame, whereby they may be made the children of God, and made like to him, in goodneſſe, iuſtice and holyneſſe, and by whoſe meanes they are faſhioned and framed to make all the others to ſerue to his glory, who hath giuen them vntounto them, cōſidering that they ſerue them not but to greater condemnation, if that they hauehave not thoſe which are the principall.
P.
There is yet this more, that withoute theſe giftes whereof thou ſpeakeſt, the moſt excellente and moſt of eſtimation in the world may not greatly glory in any thing whatſoeuer, wherein the deuill hath not more iuſt occaſion to glory than they, yea verily, if they ſhould prophecie or ſhoulde do miracles.
M.
And yet mē do muche more eſtéeme thoſe ſame gifts, and power, knowledge, wiſedome, eloquence and ſuch like gifts, than they do goodneſſe, iuſtice, holyneſſe, innocencie, & ſuch other vertues which followe and accompanie them. For if a man be but an honeſt and vertuous man, not hauing thoſe other gifts which are of more great ſhewe before men, and whiche men hauehave in greater admiration, he ſhall not bée eſtéemed, but ſhall bée contemned as a poore vile and abiecte man. On the contrarye if a man hauehave theſe other giftes, althoughe he bée otherwyſe vyciouſe and wicked, yet ſhall hée bée euermore eſtéemed and aduaunced among men.
Peter.
I confeſſe that whiche thou ſayeſt. And ſo by the ſame verye meane the Deuyll myghte bée preferred vntounto the honeſteſt manne of the worlde. For as I hauehave alredy ſayd, he is more excellente than any man in all thoſe thinges wherof the moſt braue and moſt excellente of the world may glory and vaunte them.
M.
I ſée well they do greatly deceiue thēſelues therein, & that an honeſt man, which hath the true feare of God and liueth holy, is much more to be eſtéemed, than al ye moſt mightie, ſkilfull, wiſe, experimented and diſcréete, and all the moſt excellent that a man mought finde in all things, if ye feare of God, goodneſſe, iuſtice and holyneſſe be wanting.
P.
Thou concludeſt very well. And therfore Ieſus Chriſt ſayd to hys Apoſtles, whiche did glory bycauſe the deuills were ſubiect to them, by meane of ye gifte of miracle which was giuē to them: Reioice not,Luke. 10. d ſaide he, in that that, the ſpirites are ſubiecte to you, but reioyce in that that your names are writtē in Heauen.
M.
What meaneth he thereby?
Pe.
That they ſhould much more eſtéeme the fauoure whiche God had ſhewed vntounto them in that that he had choſen them to bée his children and heires,Iohn. 17. b. and that hée had made them partakers of the giftes, by meane whereof they hauehave obtayned ſuch a benefite, than in that that he gaue them the gifte of miracles, yea indéede, than in that that he made them Apoſtles. For Iudas was choſen an Apoſtle, and had the gifte of prophecie and of miracles, as we hauehave alredy ſayde, but for that he was not of the true choſen which were choſen to be the children of God, the gifts which he had receiued of him ſerued him not but only to more greiuous condemnation. And therefore Ieſus Chriſte did call hym Deuill, bycauſe he had not thoſe other more excellente giftes of God,Iohn. 6. g. by whiche he moughte hauehave béene reformed to hys Image as the other Apoſtles were.
M.
Thou toucheſt here thinges whyche doo well deſerue to be noted, to the ende that we pleaſe not our ſelues nor glory at all but in the grace that God doth ſhewe vsus in Ieſus Chriſte.
Peter.
For that cauſe Saincte Paule dothe alſo witneſſe, that if a man had the gifte of tongues in ſo great perfection that he could ſpeake the very language of Angells,1. Cor. 13. a and although he coulde by the gyfte of miracle remoue mountaines from one place to an other, yet notwithſtanding it ſhould be nothing if he had not charitie, the which doth teſtifie, that there is true faith in the man that hath it, but alſo maketh the man like vntounto God,1. Iohn. 4. b. inſomuch as Sainct Iohn ſaith, he is charitie it ſelfe.