relates to the frequent use he made of them. For what sense can there be in the construction, "I can speak in the tongues of you all," when the Corinthians used one tongue only, namely, the Greek? For if (in the extremest case) there were among them some Jews who could speak Chaldee, yet that alone would not make it matter of such congratulation; nor would it be pertinent here, when he is speaking of tongues not acquired by habit, but divinely infused. Epiphanius indeed, who says very little on the subject, refers it only to the Greek language, and supposes Paul to say, that he spoke it with greater readiness than all the Corinthians (Epiph. adv. Hæres. n. 42, p. 363), but this is perfectly absurd.-But, to return to the subject: if the gift of tongues had been bestowed on the Apostles for the faculty and practice of teaching, why was it bestowed on Paul * above the others; for, in every place where he taught, Greek and Chaldee were the only tongues spoken or required; nor, as is clear from his history, did he ever use any other? For his teaching was confined within the limits of the Roman empire, and for the most part to Greek countries; and in every place he commenced with the Jews, and in the synagogue, where the Greek tongue alone was used; which language also was commonly understood in all cities of note; and therefore to the Roman church he wrote in Greek, and not in Latin. And the other Apostles, for preaching throughout the world, had no need to use any other than the vernacular language of Palestine, or the Greek, with both of which they were sufficiently acquainted for this purpose; for the Greek tongue was from a very early period familiarly known to the Jews in Palestine, in consequence of their constant intercourse and commerce with the Greeks of Syria, Asia, and Egypt. This can occasion no surprise to persons conversant with such matters, since at this day there are persons of French extraction, born and educated in Germany, and, again, Germans living in Germany itself, but under French rule, who speak both languages sufficiently for all the purposes of life. And the Jews who then assembled together at Jerusalem, from all parts of the world, were equally acquainted both with the language spoken there, and with that spoken where they were born and educated. And, among other proofs that it was then common in the East that in one and the same city and country two distinct languages should be promiscuously spoken, it may be mentioned, that in the ruins of Palmyra inscriptions have been discovered written both in Greek and in the native language. For those, too, who preached the Gospel

*It is clear that at the date of St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians (A. D. 60), and before he went to Rome (A. D. 62), he had never been out of Asia Minor or Greece.-Trans.

in the East, and even beyond the Euphrates, it would appear that Greek alone was sufficient; for those countries were in earlier times long under Greek subjection, and had acquired the use of that language, which, even before the times of the Greek empire, had made such progress in those countries (in consequence of the commerce established from the earliest periods by the Greeks in all parts of the world), that many Greek words had been received into the Chaldee. Instances of this are furnished by Daniel; for some Greek words, under a Chaldee form, are found in his Prophecies, which are enumerated by Casaubon (Exercitat. contra Baronium, p. 434). But bad there been the greatest need for Chaldee, or any other language, there would still have been no necessity that it should be divinely imparted. We conclude, therefore, that the Apostles, for enabling them to fulfil their duties of teaching, did not require the knowledge of any other tongues than those acquired by ordinary use in their own country.

An observation, which has been frequently urged, should be here allowed its due weight; namely, that the Agency of Divine Providence has been clearly manifested in thus propagating the Greek language throughout the world, thereby opening a way to the Gospel in every land. Which observation can only be understood as implying that the heralds of Christ were fully furnished, by the possession of that one language, for going into all parts, and instructing all nations in the religion of Christ: and if so, there could be no need for the gift of other tongues as the instrument of that apostolic office of carrying instruction among the nations. It is assuredly plain that they had no need of any new or other tongue, except the language of their own country and the Greek, in all the regions from whence came those Jews and other proselytes mentioned by Luke*. Nor, if we choose to be guided by sure testimony alone, does it appear that the Apostles travelled beyond the bounds of those countries; but when they had founded Christian churches, where previously had existed what may be called Jewish colonies, they left to those churches and their successors the labour and care of the wider propagation of the Gospel: in the West, it is quite clear that they advanced no further. But, however that may be, it is of small importance, comparatively: we should rather mark, that if the proper end of the gift of tongues was not for the purpose of teaching, nor was intended to be exercised among nations whose languages the Apostles had not learned, it remains for consideration, what was the end for which the gift was bestowed, and what was the use made thereof in the church.

The first end, then, had reference, without doubt, to those

*Acts ii. 9-11.

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who believed on Christ, as the Apostles and others his friends and followers; and next, to those who afterwards believed in consequence of the Apostles' preaching, as those disciples of John mentioned in Acts xix., as Cornelius and his household, and many others: and the end was, that they might be confirmed in the truth, and possess this gift as a pledge thereof. For, in order to answer this purpose, and under the name of gifts, the Holy Ghost himself was the earnest possessed by the faithful; and there was in this gift of tongues a remarkable testimony of the Holy Ghost, giving confirmation, in the minds of the faithful, to that truth which, nevertheless, was sufficiently manifested to them by its own intrinsic characteristics. Another end, expressly declared to be such by Christ himself and the Apostles, has reference to those who as yet believed not: γλώσσαι εις σημειυν τοις απιςοις, tongues are a sign to those who believe not," says Paul (1 Cor. xiv. 22, compared with Acts v. 32). And this it was, that, having their wonder excited by the manifestation, they might be brought to consideration and apprehension of the truth, and might have this first access opened to the knowledge thereof. Which end was common to this with the other gifts mentioned in Mark xvi.; and in all of them there was the manifestation of a power calculated to make an extraordinary impression on the senses. For among the μερισμοις Άγιο Πνεύματος, those “ gifts or dividings of the Holy Ghost," by which God is said (Heb. ii. 4) to give testimony to the doctrine of Christ, there cannot be a doubt but that the gift of tongues is to be included: and we see, at the very beginning, what numbers were immediately added to the church, when the astonished audience had learnt the power and source of that gift from the preaching of Peter (Acts ii. 41). But both these ends were frequently produced in conjunction-for instance, in that first act, if we may so call it, both the Apostles were confirmed by the accomplishment of that promise for which they were commanded by Christ at his ascension to wait at Jerusalem (Acts i. 4); and at the same time multitudes were converted to the knowledge and faith of Christ.

But, as Divine Wisdom ordinarily arranges that all things, so far as possible, shall concur in all His counsels, so He hath in such way coupled these ends with every other part of religion, that the same gift shall be the means of exciting and nourishing, as well the pious feelings of the person gifted as of others. For the Spirit of God regulated it on this wise, that in their meetings for worship he employed the tongues of the faithful in the utterance of foreign words, while engaged in speaking of religious truths, or in reading the Scriptures. And on such occasions the whole substance of what they said would consist either of prayer, or of praise to God for his works; his judgments,

"

or the blessings conferred by him through Christ. That this was the case is evident from every part of Scripture where the matter is mentioned, especially in Acts ii. and 1 Cor. xiv. 4: for the wonderful works of God," μeyaλeia re Oes, mentioned in the first of those passages, doubtless signify Divine praises, which all of those, on whom the Spirit fell, in order proclaimed; and the expressions in the latter chapter can be referred only to prayer and the praise of God. "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue," says the Apostle, "let him pray that he may interpret: for if I pray in an unknown tongue," &c.: where it is clear that speaking in an unknown tongue is used synonimously with praying in an unknown tongue, and consequently there was no real distinction between the two. Consistently, with this follow verses 15, 16: "What is it, then? I will pray with the Spirit, and will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?" This much may suffice for explaining the end and use of this gift. Let us now, with the assistance of the same guides, inquire into the mode of exercise and form of the gift.

Let us first examine the cases of those who received the gift, and we shall discern in all of them an influence impressed by the Holy Ghost, who thereby employs their tongues and lips in the praise of God by new and unusual ways; that is to say, by means of the utterance of unknown words, and sentences unprepared by premeditation. For the expressions here employed are the same as are used in the instances of persons speaking on a sudden, by Divine inspiration, what they had not themselves intended or premeditated, as Luke i. 41, 42, and 67; and in both cases they are said to be full of the Holy Ghost. Nor is there any other difference noted between the two, except that the latter spoke in their own language, which was known to the by-standers; the others in a foreign and unknown tongue. There is, indeed, a distinction in the expressions of Paul, as to those who did not speak for the first time, but exercised a gift before received; for they are said (yλwooar exε) to have a tongue (1 Cor. xiv. 26). But the mode of exercise of it is the same in both; and the words are spoken, not in consequence of a knowledge of the new tongue, as in persons who had learnt such tongue, but by the impulse of the Spirit, and by a Divine action on the person, as in all other instances of Oconveνsia, Divine inspiration. And this, too, is proved by the passage where Paul tells us*, that, among the persons who exercised this

and

*It was clearly possible, and no doubt the case with many, that they could repeat in the common tongue what had been said by themselves in the unknown

gift, there were those who could not repeat in their own what they had spoken in the foreign tongue; which could not have been the case, had they possessed the same command of it as is given by education or habit, namely, the power of using it when and in what way they pleased. For persons may speak in Latin, for instance, what they have premeditated in their native language; and what they have thus spoken in Latin, they can readily translate and interpret in their native tongue, to any who ask them; nor do they require a by-stander to interpret it for them. And this gives us the only rational account of the office of interpreter mentioned by Paul, which has occasioned so much doubt and research to many. For Paul does not intend, by that word, to describe those whom we should usually call interpreters, but persons who, in order, by Divine suggestion, forthwith delivered in a known tongue what had been said by those speaking in an unknown tongue, although they themselves (namely, the interpreters) were ignorant of the very language the words of which they so interpreted for no otherwise would it be a gift of the Holy Ghost, which, like revelation and the others, was to be obtained or asked of God in prayer, rather than an acquisition to be derived from learning.

That this was the way in which the matter was understood in the periods nearest to the Apostle's age, may be gathered from a passage in Tertullian (Lib. v. contra Marcionem, p. 591): "Let Marcion produce the gifts of his God: some prophets who shall speak, not from the actings of the human mind, but from the Spirit of God; who also shall foretell future events, and shall bring to light the hidden things of the heart. Let him deliver some psalm, some vision, some utterance in the Spirit,

tongue; but this, not in consequence of their understanding what they had thus spoken, but by means of another gift—namely, the gift of interpretation, for which St. Paul directs those who had received the gift of tongues to pray : "Let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue, pray that he may interpret" (1 Cor. xiv. 13). And the person thus endowed with two gifts would thus, first of all, give utterance to words in an unknown tongue, demonstrating that the power was not of man, but of God; and then would receive what had been thus said into his understanding, at the same time with the other by-standers, by means of the gift of interpretation; whereby he would pour forth, by the same Spirit, and not from his own mind, the meaning of the unknown words.

And this is not only consistent with the author's reasoning in the preceding passage, and in the succeeding clause, where he speaks of interpretation, but is also the exemplification and unfolding of the Apostle's meaning in 1 Cor. xiv. 6 : "Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?" What shall I profit you, unless I shall speak to you in the Spirit, either by interpreting and giving by the Spirit the substance of what I have just said in the tongue, or, without exercising the gift of tongues, by addressing to you, in our common language, some word of the Spirit (for the Apostle probably included both), which will be given unto you, either in the way of revelation, knowledge, prophesying, or teaching?