The Institution of Christian Religion

Whereas they are wont to lay this against us, that Paul sayeth:¹ If a man have all faith, so that he remove mountains: if he have not charity, he is nothing: whereby they would deform faith, in spoiling it of charity: they consider not what the Apostle in that place meaneth by faith. For when in the chapter next before it, he had spoken of the diverse gifts of the holy ghost, among the which he had reckoned the diverse kinds of languages, ⟨p. 1012⟩power and prophecy, and had exhorted the Corinthians to follow the best of these gifts, that is to say, such gifts whereby more profit and commodity might come to the whole body of the Church: he straight way said further, that he would show them yet a more excellent way. That all such gifts, how excellent soever they be of them selves, yet are nothing to be esteemed, unless they serve charity. For they were given to the edifying of the Church, and unless they be applied thereunto, they loose their grace. For proof of this he particularly rehearseth them, repeating the self same gifts that he had spoken of before, butte in other names. And he useth the words Powers and Faith, for all one thing, that is for the power to do miracles. Sith therefore this, whether ye call it power or faith, is a particular gift of God, which every ungodly man may both have and abuse, as the gift of tongues, as prophecy and other gifts of grace: it is no marvel if it be severed from charity. Butte all the error of these men standeth in this, that where this word Faith, hath diverse significations, they not considering the diversity of the thing signified, dispute as though it were taken for one thing in all places a like. The place of James which they allege for maintenance of the same error, shall be else where discussed. Butte although for teachings sake, when we mean to show what manner of knowledge of God there is in the wicked, we grant that there are diverse sorts of faith: yet we acknowledge and speak of butte one faith of the godly, as the Scripture teacheth.

Whereas they are wonte to laye thys agaynste vs, that Paule sayeth:¹ If a manne haue all faythe, so that hee remoue mountaynes: yf he haue not charitie, hee ys nothynge: whereby they woulde deforme faythe, in spoylinge it of charitie: they consyder not what the Apostle in that place meaneth by faithe. For when in the chapiter next before it, he hadde spoken of the diuerse gyftes of the holy ghoste, amonge the whyche he had reckened the diuerse kindes of languages,