The XII. Chapter.
[ A] AS concernynge spirituall giftes (bre∣thren) I wolde not that ye were igno¦raunt. Ye knowe that ye were Heythē and wente youre wayes vnto dōme Idols, euē as ye were led. Wherfore I declare vnto you, * 1.1that no man speakynge thorow the sprete of God, defyeth Iesus. And no man can saye that Iesus is the LORDE, but by the holy goost.
* 1.2There are dyuerse giftes, yet but one spre¦te: and there are dyuerse offices, yet but one LORDE: and there are dyuerse operacions* 1.3 yet is there but one God, which worketh all in all. The giftes of the sprete are geuen vn∣to euery man to profit the cōgregacion. To one is geuen thorow the sprete the vtteraun¦ce of wiszdome: to another is geuen the vtte¦raunce of knowlege acordinge to the same sprete: to another, faith in the same sprete: to another, the giftes of healinge in the same sprete: to another, power to do miracles: to another, prophecienge: to another,* 1.4 iudg∣ment to discerne spretes: to another, dyuerse tunges: to another, the interpretacion of tun¦ges. These all doth ye same onely sprete wor∣ke, and distributeth vnto euery man, acor∣dinge as he will.
[ B] For as the body is one, and hath yet ma∣ny membres,* 1.5 neuertheles all the membres of the body though they be many, are yet but one body: euen so Christ also. For we are all baptysed in one sprete to be one body, whe∣ther we be Iewes or Gentyles, whether we be bonde or fre, and haue all * 1.6 dronkē of one sprete. For the body also is not one membre, but many. Yf the fote saye: I am not ye han¦de, therfore am I not a membre of the body, is he therfore not a membre of ye body? And yf the eare saye: I am not the eye, therfore am I not a membre of the body, is he therfo¦re not a membre of the body? Yf all the bo∣dy were an eye, where were then the hearin∣ge? Yf all were hearinge, where then the smellinge? But now hath God set the mem¦bres, euery one seuerally in the body, as it hath pleased him. Neuertheles yf all the mē¦bres were one membre, where were then the body? But now are the membres many, yet is the body but one.
The eye can not saye vnto the hande: I [ C] haue no nede of the: or agayne the heade vn∣to the fete, I haue no nede of you: but ra∣ther a greate deale the mēbres of the body which seme to be most feble, are most neces∣sary: and vpon those membres of the body which we thinke least honest, put we most honestie on: and oure vncomly partes haue most beutye on. For oure honest membres neade it not. But God hath so measured ye body, and geuen most honoure vnto that mēbre which had nede, that there shulde be no stryfe in the body, but that the membres shulde indifferently care one for another. And yf one membre suffre, all the membres suffre with him: and yf one membre be had in honoure, all the membres are glad with him also. But ye are the body of Christ, and membres, euery one of another.
And God hath ordeyned in the congre∣gacion, first the * 1.7 Apostles, secōdly prophe∣tes, thirdly * 1.8 teachers, then doers of mira∣cles, after that the giftes of healinge, hel∣pers, gouerners, dyuerse tunges. Are they all Apostles? Are they all prophetes? Are they all teachers? Are they all doers of mira¦cles? Haue they all the giftes of healinge? Speake they all with tunges? Can they all interprete? But covet ye the best gif∣tes. And yet shewe I you a more excellent waye.