The Abiding Gift of Prophecy

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The Testimony of Mosheim

The significant testimony placed on record by Gibbon is fully supported by Mosheim, a church historian of high repute, who wrote with candor and certainty regarding the manifestation of AGP 178.3

the spiritual gifts in the primitive church during both the second and the third centuries: AGP 179.1

“That what are called the MIRACULOUS gifts Of the Holy Spirit, were liberally conferred, not only in this but also in the following century, especially on those engaged in propagating the gospel; all who are called Christians, believe, on the unanimous and concordant testimony of the ancient writers. Nor do we, in my opinion, hereby incur any just charge of departing from sound reason. For, as these witnesses are all grave men, fair and honest, some of them philosophers, men who lived in different countries, and relate not what they HEARD, but what they SAW, call God to witness the truth of their declarations (see Origen, contra Celsum, l. i., p. 35, ed. Spencer), and do not claim for themselves, but attribute to others, these miraculous powers; what reason can there be, for refusing to believe them?” “Institutes of Ecclesiastical History,” John Lawrence yon Mosheim, D. D., Book I, cent. 2, part 1, chap. 1. Notes on par. 8. New York: Robert Carter & Bros.

It is to the presence of these gifts in the church that Mosheim attributes the marvelous power that attended the proclamation of the gospel in pagan lands. AGP 179.2

But more than the manifestations of power attended these gifts. The rapid progress of the gospel among the nations, and the stability of this work, are attributed by Mosheim to “the extraordinary divine gifts which the Christians exercised.” His statement is very clear: AGP 179.3

“It is easier to conceive than to express, how much the Miraculous Powers and the Extraordinary Divine Gifts which the Christians exercised on various occasions, contributed to extend the limits of the church The gift of foreign tongues appears to have gradually ceased, as soon as many nations became enlightened with the truth, and numerous churches of Christians were everywhere established; for it became less necessary than it was at first. But the other gifts with which God favored the rising church of Christ, were, as we learn from numerous testimonies of the ancients still conferred on particular persons here and there.” Id., par. 8.

It should be noted that Mosheim’s statements are based “on the unanimous and concordant testimony of the ancient writers,” who, as he affirms in the context, were “grave men, fair and honest, some of them philosophers, men who lived in different countries, AGP 179.4

and relate not what they HEARD, but what they SAW.” Surely the testimony of these eyewitnesses contributes reliable information. AGP 180.1