This Epistle (as the rest folovving) is directed specially, as S. Augustine saith, against the errour of only faith, vvhich some held at that time also, by misconstruing S. Paules vvordes. Yea not only that, but many other errours (vvhich then also vvere annexed vnto it, as they are novv) doth this Apostle here touche expresly.

He saith therfore, that not only faith, but also good vvorkes are necessarie: that not only faith, but also good vvorkes do iustifie: that they are actes of Religion, or seruice and vvorship of God: that to keepe al the commaundements of God, and so to abstaine from al mortal sinne, is not impo&esset;ible, but necessarie: that God is not author of sinne, no not so much as of tentation to sinne: that vve must stay our selues from sinning, vvith feare of our death, of the Iudgement, of hel: and stirre our selues to doing of good, vvith our revvard that vve shall haue for it in heauen. These pointes of the Catholike faith he commendeth earnestly vnto vs, inueighing vehemently against them that teach the c&obar;trarie errors. Hovvbeit he doth vvithal admonish not to neglect such, but to seeke their conuersion, shevving them hovv meritorious a thing that is. Thus then he exhorteth generally to all good vvorkes, & dehorteth from al sinne. but yet also namely to certaine, & from certaine: as, from acception of persons, from detraction and rash iudging, from concupisc&ebar;ce and loue of this vvorld, from svvearing: and, to praier, to almes, to humilitie, confe&esset;ion and penance: but most copiously to patience in persecution.

^noteNovv, vvho this Iames vvas: It is not he, vvhose feast the Church keepeth the 25 of Iulie, vvhich vvas S. Iohns brother, and vvhose martyrdom vve haue Act. 12, but he, vvhom the Church vvorshippeth the first of Maie, vvho is called Frater Domini, our lordes brother, and brother to Iude, and vvhich vvas the first Bishop of Hierusalem, of vvhom vve reade Act. 15 & 21. and also Gal. 2. of vvhose vvonderful austeritie and puritie of life, the Ecclesiasticall stories do report. Euseb. li. 2. c. 12.. Hiero. in Catalogo.

Therfore as the old High-priest had povver and charge ouer the Ievves, not only in Hierusalem and Iurie, but also dispersed in other Countries (as vve vnderstand Act. 9. v. 1, & 2.) so S. Iames likevvise, being Bishop of Hierusalem, and hauing care not only of those Ievves vvith vvhom he vvas resident there in Iurie, but of al the rest also, vvriteth this Epistle, To the tvvelue tribes that are in. dispersion. and in them, to al Christians vniuersally dispersed through the vvorld. ^note

THE CATHOLIKE EPISTLE OF IAMES THE APOSTLE. ^note Catholike Epistle. The vvord Catholike though in the title of this Epistle & the rest folovving (called The Catholike Epistles) it be not vvholy in the same sense, as it is in the Creede: yet the Protestants so feare and abhorre the vvord altogether, that in some of their Bibles they leaue it cleane out, although it be in the Greeke, and in some they had rather translate ridiculously thus, The general Epistle &c. vvhereas these are famously knovven and [Subnote: Euseb. li. 2. hist. c. 22.] specified in antiquitie, by the name of Catholike Epistles, for that they are vvritten to the vvhole Church, not to any peculiar people or person, as S. Paules are. [Subnote: The Protestants abhorre the vvord Catholike.] Chap. I. Vve haue to reioyce in persecution (but if vve be patient, and vvithal absteine from al mortal sinne) 9 considering hovv vve shal be exalted and crovvned for it, vvhen the persecutor (vvho enricheth him self vvith our spoiles) shal fade avvay. 13 But if any be tempted to fall, or to any other euil, let him not say, God is the author of it, vvho is the author of al good onely. 19 Such points of the Cath. faith vve must be content to learne vvithout contradiction and anger, and to doe accordingly. 26 Because othervvise vve may talke of Religion, but in deede it is no Religion.

1   Iames the seruant of God and of our Lord Iesvs Christ, to the tvvelue tribes that are in dispersion, greeting.

2    ^noteEsteeme it, my brethren, al ioy, vvhen you shal fall into diuers tentati&obar;s:

3   knovving that ^note the probati&obar; of your faith vvorketh patience.

4   And let patience haue a perfect vvorke: that you may be perfect & entire, failing in nothing.

5   But if any of you lacke vvisedom, let him aske of God who giueth to al men aboundantly, and vpbraideth not: and it shal be giuen him.

6   But ^note let him09Q1410 aske in faith nothing doubting. for he that doubteth, is like to a vvaue of the sea, vvhich is moued & caried about by the vvinde.

7   therfore let not that man thinke that he shal

receiue any thing of our Lord.

8   A man double of minde is inconstant in al his vvaies.

9   But let the humble brother glorie, in his exaltation.

10   and the riche, in his humilitie, because ^note as the floure of grasse shal he passe:

11   for the sunne rose vvith heate, & parched the grasse, and the floure of it fel avvay, and the beautie of the shape thereof perished: so the riche man also shal vvither in his vvaies. ^note

12   Blessed is the man that suffereth tentation: for vvhen he hath been proued, he shal receiue the crovvne of life, vvhich God hath promised to them that loue him. &cross4;

13   09Q1411Let no man vvhen he is tempted, say that he is tempted of God. for09Q1412 God is not a tempter of euils, and he tempteth no man.

14   But ^note euery one is tempted of his ovvne c&obar;cupiscence abstracted and allured.

15   Aftervvard09Q1413 concupiscence vvhen it hath c&obar;ceiued, bringeth forth sinne. but09Q1414 sinne vvhen it is consummate, ingendreth death.

16    ^noteDo not erre therfore my deerest brethren.

17   Euery best gift, and euery perfect gift, is from aboue, descending from the Father of lightes, vvith vvhom is no transmutation, nor shadovving of alteration.

18   Voluntarily hath he begotten vs by the vvord of truth, that vve may be some beginning of his creature. &cross4;

19   You knovv my deerest brethren, And ^note let euery man be svvift to heare: but slovv to speake, and slovv to anger.

20   For the anger of man vvorketh not the iustice of God.

21   For the vvhich thing casting avvay al vncleannesse and aboundance of malice, in meekenesse receiue the engraffed vvord, vvhich is able to saue your soules. &cross4; ^note

22   But ^note be doers of the vvord, and not hearers only, deceauing your selues.

23   For if a man be a hearer of the vvord, and not a doer: he shal be compared to a man beholding the countenance of his natiuitie in a glasse.

24   For he considered him self, and vvent his vvay, and by and by forgat vvhat an one he vvas.

25   But he that hath looked in09Q1415 the lavv of perfect libertie, and hath remained in it, not made a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the vvorke: this man shal be ^note blessed in his deede.

26   And if any man thinke him self to be religious, not bridling his tong, but seducing his hart: this mans religion is vaine.

27   09Q1416Religion cleane and vnspotted vvith God and the Father,

is this, to visite pupilles and vvidovves in their tribulation: & to keepe him self vnspotted from this vvorld. &cross4; ^{note note note note note note note} Chap. II. Against acception of persons. 10 From al and euery sinne vve must absteine, hauing in al our vvordes and deedes, the Iudgement before our eies: vvherein vvorkes of mercie shal be required of vs, 14 and onely faith shal not auaile vs. 18 And that the Catholike by his vvorkes shevveth that he hath faith: vvhereas the Heretike hath no more faith then the Diuel, talke he of faith neuer so much, and of iustification thereby onely, by the example of Abraham Ro. 4. For Abraham in deede vvas iustified by vvorkes also, 25 and likevvise Rahab.

1    ^noteMy brethren, Haue not the faith of our Lord Iesvs Christ of glorie09Q1417 in acception of persons.

2   For if there shal enter into your assemblie a man hauing a golden ring in goodly appareil, and there shal enter in a poore man in homely attire,

3   & you haue respect to him that is clothed vvith the goodly appareil, and shal say to him, Sitte thou here vvel: but say to the poore man, Stand thou there: or sitte vnder my foote-stoole:

4   do you not iudge vvith your selues, and are become iudges of vniust cogitations?

5   Heare my deerest brethren: hath not God chosen the poore in this vvorld, riche in faith, and heires of the kingdom vvhich God hath promised to them that loue him?

6   But you haue dishonoured the poore m&abar;. Do not the riche oppresse you by might: and them selues dravv you to iudgements?

7   Doe not they blaspheme the good name that is inuocated vpon you?

8   If not-vvithstanding you fulfil the roial lavv according to the scriptures, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self, ^note you doe vvel:

9   but if you accept persons, you vvorke sinne, reproued of the Lavv as transgressours.

10   And ^note vvhosoeuer shal keepe the vvhole Lavv, but offendeth in one:09Q1418 is made guilty of al.

11   For he that said, Thou shalt not commit aduoutrie, said also, Thou shalt not kil. And if thou doe not commit aduoutrie, but shalt kil: thou art made a transgressour of the Lavv.

12   So speake ye, and so doe, as beginning to be iudged by the lavv of libertie.

13   For09Q1419 iudgement vvithout mercie to him that hath not done mercie. And mercie ^note exalteth it self aboue iudgement.

14   09Q1420Vvhat shal it profit my brethren, if a man say he hath faith: but hath not vvorkes? Shal faith be able to saue him?

15   And ^note if a brother or sister be naked, & lacke daily foode:

16   and one of you say to them, Goe in peace, be vvarmed & filled: but you giue them not the things that are necessarie for the bodie: vvhat shal it profit?

17   So faith also, if it haue not vvorkes, is dead in it self.

18   But some man saith, Thou hast faith, and I haue vvorkes: shevv me thy faith vvithout vvorkes: & I vvil shevv thee by vvorkes my faith.

19   Thou beleeuest that there is one God. Thou doest vvel: the deuils

also beleeue and tremble.

20   But vvilt thou knovv ^note ô vaine man, that faith vvithout vvorkes is ^note idle?

21   09Q1421Abraham our father vvas he not iustified by vvorkes, ^note offering Isaac his sonne vpon the altar?

22   Seest thou that09Q1422 faith did vvorke vvith his vvorkes: and by the vvorkes the faith vvas consummate?

23   And the Scripture vvas fulfilled, saying, Abraham beleeued God, and it vvas reputed him to iustice, and he vvas called09Q1423 the freende of God. ^note

24   Do you see that by vvorkes a man is iustified: &09Q1424 not by faith only?

25   And in like maner also ^note09Q1425 Rahab the harlot, vvas not she iustified by vvorkes, receiuing the messengers, and putting them forth an other vvay?

26   For euen as the bodie vvithout the spirit is dead: so also09Q1426 faith vvithout vvorkes is dead. ^{note note note note}

^{note note note note}

^{note note} Chap. III. Against proud Maisters and authors of Sectes. 5 Of the manifold sinnes of the vnbrideled tongue. 13 The difference betvvixt proud, c&obar;tentious, and vvorldly vvisedom, and that vvisedom vvhich is heauenly, peaceable, modest, and so forth.

1    ^noteBe yee not09Q1427 many maisters my brethren, knovving that you receiue the greater iudgement,

2   For in many things vve offend al. ^noteIf any man offend not in vvord: this is a perfect man. he is able also vvith bridle to turne about the whole body.

3   And if vve put bittes into the mouthes of horses that they may obey vs, vve turne about al their body also.

4   And behold, the shippes, vvhereas they be great, and are driuen of strong vvindes: yet

are they turned about vvith a litle sterne whither the viol&ebar;ce of the director vvil.

5   So the tongue also is certes a litle m&ebar;ber, & ^note vaunteth great things. Behold hovv ^note much fire what a great vvood it kindleth?

6   And the tongue, is fire, a vvhole vvorld of iniquitie. The tongue is set amoug our members, vvhich defileth the vvhole bodie, & inflameth the vvheele of our natiuitie, inflamed of hel.

7   For al nature of beastes & foules and serpents & of the rest is tamed & hath been tamed by the nature of man.

8   but the tongue no man can tame, an vnquiet euil, ful of deadly poison.

9   By it vve blesse God & the Father: & by it vve curse men vvhich are made after the similitude of God.

10   Out of the self same mouth procedeth blessing & cursing. These things must not be so done my brethr&ebar;.

11   Doth the fountaine giue forth out of one hole svveete & soure water?

12   Can, my brethren, the figge tree yeld grapes: or the vine, figges? So neither ^note can the salt water yeld sweete.

13   Vvho is vvise and hath knowledge among you? Let him shevv by good conuersation his vvorking in mildenesse of vvisedom.

14   But if you haue bitter zeale, and there be contentions in your hartes: glorie not and be not liers against the truth.

15   for this is not ^note vvisedom descending from aboue: but earthly, sensual, diuelish.

16   For vvhere zeale and contention is: there is inconstancie, and euery peruerse vvorke.

17   But the vvisedom that is from aboue, first certes is chast: then peaceable, modest, suasible, c&obar;senting to the good, ful of mercie and good fruites, not iudging, vvithout simulation.

18   And the fruite of iustice, in peace is sovved, to them that make peace. ^note Chap. IIII. By concupiscence and loue of this vvorld, vve are made enemies to God: but vve should rather humble vs to him, punishing our selues for our sinnes. 11 Against detraction, and rash iudging. 13 To remember alvvaies the vncertentie of our life.

1   From vvhence are vvarres & contentions among you? Are they not hereof? of your concupiscences vvhich vvarre in your members?

2   You couet: and haue not. you kil, & enuie: and can not obtaine. you contend and vvarre: and you haue not, because you aske not.

3   You aske, and receiue not: because you aske amisse: that you may consume it on your c&obar;cupiscences.

4   Aduouterers, know you not that the ^note frendship of this vvorld, is the enemie of God? Vvhosoeuer therfore vvil be a frende of this vvorld: is made an enemie of God.

5   Or do you thinke that the Scripture saieth in vaine: To enuie doth the spirit couet vvhich dvvelleth in you?

6   And ^note giueth greater grace. For the which cause it saith, God resisteth the proud, & giueth grace to the humble. ^note

7   Be subiect therfore to God, but resist the Deuil, and he vvil flee from you.

8    ^noteApproche to God, & he vvil approche to you. Cleanse your handes, ye sinners: and09Q1428 purifie your hartes, ye double of minde.

9   Be miserable, and mourne, & vveepe: let your laughter be turned into mourning: and ioy, into sorovv.

10    ^noteBe humbled in the sight of our lord, and he vvil exalt you.

11    ^{note note}Detracte not one fr&obar; an other my brethr&ebar;. He that detracteth from his brother, or he that iudgeth his brother, detracteth from the Law, and iudgeth the Law. But if thou iudge the Lavv, thou art not a doer of the Lavv, but a iudge.

12   For there is one lavv-maker, and iudge that can destroy and deliuer.

13   But thou, ^note vvhat art thou that iudgest thy neighbour?

13   Behold novv you that say, To day or to morovv vve vvil goe into that citie, and there certes vvil spend a yere, and vvil traficke, and make our gaine (

14   vvho are ignor&abar;t vvhat shal be on the morovv. For vvhat is your life? It is a vapour appearing for a litle vvhile, and aftervvard it shal vanish avvay)

15   for that you should say, ^note If our Lord vvil: and, If vve shal liue, vve vvil doe this or that.

16   But novv you reioyce in your arrogancies. Al such reioycing, is vvicked.

17   To one therfore knovving to doe good, and not doing it: to him it is sinne.

^note Chap. V. By the damnati&obar; to come vpon the vnmerciful riche, he exhorteth the persecuted to patience and by their ovvne revvard, and by examples. 12 Not to svveare at all in common talke. 13 In affliction, to pray: in prosperitie, to sing: in sicknes, to call for the Priests, and that they pray ouer them and anoile them vvith oile: and that the sicke persons confesse their sinnes. 19 Finally, hovv meritorious it is, to conuert the erring vnto the Catholike faith, or the sinner to amendment of life.

1   Goe to novv ye riche men, vveepe, ^note hovvling in your miseries vvhich shal come to you.

2   Your riches are corrupt: and your garmentes are eaten of mothes.

3   Your gold and siluer is rusted: and their rust shal be for a testimonie to you, and shal eate your flesh as fire. You haue stored to your selues vvrath in the last daies.

4   Behold09Q1429 the hire of the vvorkemen that haue reaped your fields, vvhich is defrauded of you, crieth: and their crie hath entred into the eares of the Lord of Sabboth.

5   You haue made merie vpon the earth: and in riotousnes you haue nourished your hartes in the day of slaughter.

6   You haue ^note presented, and slaine the iust one: and he resisted you not.

7   Be patient therfore brethren, vntil the comming of our Lord. Behold, the husband man expecteth the pretious fruite of the earth: patiently bearing til he receiue ^note the timely and the latevvard.

8   Be you also patient, and confirme your hartes: because the comming of our Lord ^note vvil approche.

9   Grudge not brethren one against an other: that you be not iudged. Behold, the iudge standeth before the gate.

10   Take an example, brethren, of labour and patience, the prophetes: vvhich spake in the name of our Lord.

11   Behold vve acco&ubar;t them blessed that haue suffered. The sufferance of Iob you haue heard, and the end of our Lord you haue seen, because our Lord is merciful and pitieful.

12   But before al things my brethren, ^note09Q1430 svveare not, neither by heauen, nor by earth, nor other othe whatsoeuer. But let your talke be, yea, yea: no,

no: that you fall not vnder iudgement.

13    ^noteIs any of you in heauinesse? let him pray. Is he of a cheereful hart? let him sing.

14   Is any man sicke am&obar;g you? 09Q1431 let him bring in the priestes of the Churche, and let them pray ouer him, ^note09Q1432 anoiling him vvith oile in the name of our Lord.

15   and09Q1433 the praier of faith09Q1434 shal saue the sicke: and our Lord09Q1435 shal lift him vp: and if he be in sinnes,09Q1436 they shal be remitted him.

16    ^{note note}09Q1437Confesse therfore your sinnes one to an other: & pray one for an other that you may be saued. &cross4; for the continual praier of a iust man auaileth much.

17    ^noteElias vvas a man like vnto vs passible: and vvith praier09Q1438 he praied that it might not raine vpon the earth, and it rained not for three yeres and sixe monethes.

18   And ^note he praied againe: and the heauen gaue raine, and the earth yelded her fruite.

19   My brethren, if any of you shal erre from the truth, & a man conuert him:

20   he must know that he vvhich09Q1439 maketh a sinner to be conuerted from the errour of his vvay,09Q1440 shal saue his soule from death, and ^note couereth a multitude of sinnes. &cross4; ^{note note note}

^note

^{note note note note note note note note}

THE ARGVMENT OF BOTH THE EPISTLES OF S. PETER, THE FIRST, AND THE SECOND.

Of S. Peter vve reade at large, both in the Gospels, and in the Actes of the Apostles: and namely that Christ designed him, and also made him his vicar (as S. Mathevv for that cause in the catalogue of the Apostles, calleth him Primus, the first, and all antiquitie. Princeps Apostolorum, the Prince of the Apostles) and that he accordingly executed that office after Christes departure, plating the Church first among the Ievves in Hierusalem and in al that countrey and coastes about, as Christ also him self before had preached to the Ievves alone. ^note

But preaching at length to the Gentiles also, according to Christes commi&esset;ion (Mat. 28. v. 19.) and being novv come to Rome, the head citie of the Gentiles, from thence he vvriteth this Epistle to his Christian Ievves, hauing care of them in his absence, no lesse then vvhen he vvas present: and not to the Ievves that vvere at home, (belike because they had S. Iames, or his successor S. Simon Cleophæ, resident vvith them) but ^note to them that vvere dispersed in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Bithynia.

^noteAnd that he vvriteth it from Rome, him self signifieth, saying: The Church that is in Babylon saluteth you. ^noteVvhere by Babylon he meaneth Rome, as al antiquitie doth interpret him: not, that he so calleth the Church of Rome, but the heathen state of the Romane empire, vvhich then, and 300 yeres after, vnto the conuersion of Constantinus the Emperour, did persecute the elect Church of Rome, in so much that the first 33 Bishops thereof vnto S. Siluester, vvere al Martyrs.

For the matter vvhereof he vvriteth, him self doth signifie it in these vvordes: This loe the second Epistle I vvrite to you, my deerest, in vvhich (Epistles) I stirre vp by admonition, your sincere minde, that you may be mindeful of those vvordes & c. ^note So he saith there of both together. And againe of the first to the same purpose, in an other place: I haue breefely vvritten, beseeching and testifying that this is the true grace of God, vvherein you stand. ^note For, there vvere at that time certaine Seducers (as ^note S. August. also hath told vs) vvho vvent about to teach Onely faith, as though good vvorkes vvere not necessarie, nor meritorious. there vvere also great persecutions, to compel them vvith terrour to denie Christ & al his religi&obar;. He therfore exhorteth th&ebar; accordingly, neither for persecution neither by seduction to forsake it: though in the first, his exhortation is more principally against persecution: and in the second, more principally against seduction. The first epistle is noted to be very like to S. Paules epistle to the Ephesians, in vvordes also, and so thicke of Scriptures, as though he spake nothing els.

The time vvhen the first vvas vvritten, is vncertaine: the second vvas vvritt&ebar; a litle before his death, as is gathered by his vvordes in the same. c. 1. v. 14.

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