A Christian instruction, conteyning the law and the Gospell. Also a summarie of the principall poyntes of the Christian fayth and religion, and of the abuses and errors contrary to the same. Done in certayne dialogues in french, by M. Peter Viret, sometime minister of the Word of God at Nymes in Prouince. Translated by I.S. Seene and allowed according to the Queenes Maiesties iniunctions.

Of the gifts of the holie Ghost which mē may haue & 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 cal∣led the quickning spirite. There resteth nowe that we speake of other of his gif∣tes, whiche thou haste sayde maye serue to the Saluation of them whyche haue them not, withoute seruing at all them whiche haue 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 vn∣to 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 haue the examples of the prophets and of the Apostles whiche witnesse it vnto me.

P.

But albeit that these gifts be commu∣nicate to diuers of the elect and faithfull, yet they are not giuen generally to all, neither to euery one specially, and as the others wherof we haue 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 haue them in greater number and grea∣ter abundance than the others.

M.

Giue me example of that whiche thou sayst.

P.

Saint Iohn Baptist was so excellente a Prophet, that he was by Iesus Chryste preferred to all the other Prophets whi∣che 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 euery man, as is expediente for him. But to come againe to S. Iohn Baptist, no more had he the gifte of mi∣racles. 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, with∣out the gift of eyther miracles or toungs, forsomuche as they did prophecie but in the Churche of Israel, and among people which vnderstod their natural speach

M.

We fynd not many prophets y^t haue 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.

Notes

• Matth. 11 b Luke. 7. d
• 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