Laboure for loue, and couete spirituall gyftes: but moste chiefely that ye maye pro∣phecye. For he that speaketh with the tongue, speaketh not vnto menne: but vnto God. For no man he heateth hym. Howebeit in the spirite he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophecyeth, speaketh vnto menne, for theyr edifying, for theyr exhortacion, and for theyr comforte. He that speaketh with the tongue, profiteth hymselfe: he that prophecyeth, edi∣fieth the congregacion. I woulde that ye all spake with tongues: but rather that ye pro∣phecyed.
BVt these thynges, which we haue honourably rehear∣sed of the excellencie of charitie, make not to this pur∣pose, either to shewe that other gyftes are to be despi∣sed or disdayned: but rather to teache, that ye shoulde in suche sorte laboure for charitie, that ye yet neuerthe∣lesse haue in reuerence and beare a fauour vnto the gyfte of diuersitie in languages, and the gyfte also of interpretacion of the woorde, moste of al yet endeuou∣ryng to that of bothe, whiche is more profitable: that is to wete, to prophecie, declaryng the spirituall sense to the wealthe of the hearers. For he that doeth but speake with a tongue, speakethe not to men, to whome with his voyce he doeth no good, but speaketh to god, whome he prayseth with wordes not vnderstande. For as touchyng the edifying of other, yf he be not vnderstande, what maketh it mattier, whether he holde his peace or speake? Thesame manne as inspired with the spirite of god vt∣tereth misteries, whiche, put case hymselfe vnderstande, yet he bestoweth thesame vpon no bodye: and put the case he doe good, yet he dooeth good, but to hymselfe onelye. In vayne therfore speaketh he in the congrega∣cion, whome no manne heareth, and hym heareth not a manne whome he vnderstandeth not: and besyde this, the spirituall worde of god is not vn∣derstanden, vnlesse a manne perceyue the priueye and misticall sence, which the heauenly spirite of God mente by thesame woordes, whiche thyng no manne canne doe, but by the speciall gyfte of the spirite. Contrarie, he* 1.1 that doeth the office of a prophete speaketh not onelye to God, but also to menne, by dyuerse and sondrye wayes profityng them, whiles he bothe pro∣uoketh euell lyuers to amendmente, and suche as are slouthful to diligence, and stiereth vp and comforteth them, that are faynte hearted. Marke, howe great difference there is betwixte one gift and another. He that speaketh but with tongues, profiteth onely hymselfe. But he, that by the gifte of prophe∣cie expoundeth the misteries of scripture, edifyeth the whole congregacion.
Nowe then euerye good thyng the more common it is the better it is. To rehearse agayne therfore that, whiche I before sayed, leste ye myghte paraduenture disdayne the gifte of tongues, I tell you, that it is of it selfe a great thyng, and a gyfte of the holye ghoste, and woulde wyshe, that