Exposition on the Catholic Epistles, James
THE CATHOLIKE EPISTLE OF THE Apoſtle IAMES.
THis Epiſtle together with the ſix following, hauehave gone vnderunder the name of Catholike Epiſtles amongſt the Greekes, and of Canonicall amongſt the Latines a long time; but vponupon what reaſon it is vncertaine, ſaith Pareus. Pareus in Iac. Epiſt. Lyra, Oecum. Gorran.The reaſon which is yeelded by Lyra, Oecumenius and Gorran, that they hauehave the name of Catholike from the vniuerſality of thoſe, to whom they are directed, either to all the Iewes diſperſed into all countries, or to all Chriſtian people in all Countries of the world; whereas Saint Pauls Epiſtles are directed to particular Countries, ſeemeth vntounto him to be no good reaſon, becauſe ſo the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes being written to all the Iewes whereſoeuer, ſhould hauehave beene intituled Catholike likewiſe; and the two latter Epiſtles of Saint Iohn, being to particular perſons, could not by this reaſon be called Catholike. And touching the name canonicall, it is more diſliked by Beza alſo,Beza. becauſe not theſe ſeuen Epiſtles, but all the reſt are canonicall alike. But the reaſon of the name Catholike ſeemeth to me to bee good, notwithſtanding the exceptions alledged: for the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes haply was ſent to Ieruſalem, the proper place of the Hebrewes, where they ſtill offered their Sacrifices, as ſeemeth by the Argument of the Epiſtle; and therefore might not ſo well be intituled Catholike, but onelyonly The Epiſtle to the Hebrewes; as that to the Romans, The Epiſtle to the Romans: but this of Iames is named to the Iewes ſcattered in all parts. And touching the two latter Epiſtles of Saint Iohn, although they are directed to particular perſons, yet the Argument of them is Catholike or Vniuerſall, alike concerning all Chriſtians; and not particular, as the Arguments of the Epiſtles of Paul for the moſt part of eueryevery of them are. For although, euen in them generall duties concerning all are ſet forth, yet each of them is principally directed to particular points, to diſpute of which, particular occaſion was miniſtred by the Chriſtians of that place, to which the Epiſtle was ſent.
This Epiſtle in order is the firſt, not becauſe Iames is to be preferred before Peter, who was the firſt …d chiefe of the Apoſtles,Gorran. if there were any ſuch; but, as ſome hauehave well noted, becauſe this Epiſtle is to all Iewes in all Countries, who were the firſt people of God, and had the Goſpell firſt preached vntounto them; whereas the other of the Catholike Epiſtles, are to the Gentiles that beleeued in all parts of the world. Wherefore Ierome ſetteth them in this order alſo,Hieron. prolog. though the Latines, reſpecting the dignity of Peter, placed his Epiſtles firſt.Pareus. Pareus holdeth, that they ſhould rather bee put in another order, firſt, 1 Peter, and then Iames, becauſe Peter wrote that Epiſtle firſt, and then Iames following Peter in the ſame, after both which Paul wrote to the Hebrewes. Howſoeuer, this matter needeth no great diſpute, ſeeing order in the placing of the Bookes of holy Scripture is not ſo preciſely obſerued: yet in reaſon, ſeeing Saint Iames his Epiſtle is nominatim to the twelue Tribes, but Saint Peters is not ſo, and his ſecond Epiſtle is to all Chriſtians; if any preference be giuen to an Epiſtle in the placing thereof in reſpect of them to whom it is written, this of Iames ſhould be firſt, and then thoſe of Peter together, it being neuer vſed to ſeparate the Epiſtles of one and the ſame Author, but to place them together. This Epiſtle is ſaid to be of the Apoſtle Iames, and ſo it is intituled by Beza both in Greek and Latine,Euſeb. Eccl. …iſt. lib. 3. cap. 25. Hieren Epiſt. 41. ad Paulin. Cypr. lib. ad Nouat. Aug. Epiſt. 29. and both Euſebius and Ierome doe teſtifie, that this Epiſtle was counted Apoſtolicall in their times. Cyprian alſo citeth it, as Apoſtolicall, and Auguſtine and Concilium Mileuitan, Can. 7. Pareus alſo ſubſcribeth to this. Yet ſome thinke it was written by Iames, ſurnamed Iuſtus, or Oblias, that is, Mute, who according to Epiphanius, was called the Brother of our Lord, becauſe hee was the ſonne of Ioſeph by a former Wife,Epiphan. in Haereſ. Antidicomarianorum. and hee was one of the 70. ſent forth by our Lord, being afterwards conſtituted Biſhop of Ieruſalem. To this Luther ſubſcribeth,Luther. and the Lutherans following him, who doe not therefore hold it to be canonicall Scripture. But for as much as it hath anciently beene receiued as Canonicall and Apoſtolicall, not onelyonly by the forenamed Authors, but alſo by Origen, Athanaſius, Orig. Hom. i… Ioſ. Athan. in Synopſ. Epiph. lib. 3. haer. 76, Iſid. Hiſp. lib. 6. Etymol. cap. 1. Niceph. lib. 2. hiſt. cap. 46. Damaſc. lib. 4. de fide, cap. 11.Epiphanius, Iſidorus Hiſpalenſis, Nicephorus, and Damaſcen; and the very directing of it to all parts after an Apoſtolicall manner, doth argue it to be written, not by a Biſhop of any particular place, but by an Apoſtle, who was ſent vntounto all, I hold it, without doubt, to be the Epiſtle of the Apoſtle Iames, and conſequently Canonicall, as the Epiſtles of other Apoſtles are. If it be demanded, which Iames wrote it, for there were two of that name, Iames the ſonne of Zebedeus, and brother of Iohn, and Iames the ſonne of Alpheus, a Kinſman of our Lord, and therefore called his Brother alſo, as Iames Oblias before ſpoken of was? I anſwer with Pareus and others, that the conſideration of the time when it was written argueth, that the firſt of theſe, Iames the brother of Iohn cannot be the Author of it, but Iames the ſonne of Alpheus, otherwiſe called Iames the leſſer:Act. 12. for the elder Iames was ſlaine by Herod before the diſperſion of the Iewes the ſecond yeere of Claudius, Sucton. in Claud. cap. 25.who did afterwards caſt the Iewes and Chriſtians out of the City, and then in the time of their diſperſion was this Epiſtle written vntounto them, as appeareth by the ſuperſcription thereof.Enſeb. lib. 2 c. 22. Hieron. in Catal. If it be obiected, that Euſebius and Ierome both doe report, that it was anciently doubted of, whether it be Canonicall or no: I anſwer, that they did onelyonly mention ſuch a thing, but they did not doubt hereof themſelues. If it be further obiected, that he doth not call himſelfe an Apoſtle, but the ſeruant of Ieſus Chriſt, I anſwer, that Paul in ſome of his Epiſtles in ituleth himſelfe likewiſe, the name of an Apoſtle being omitted; and neither Iohn nor Iude write themſelues Apoſtles, but only Peter. Laſtly, if it bee obiected, that here is ſomething deliuered contrary to that of Saint Paul, touching iuſtification not by ſaith onelyonly but by workes, and anointing with Oile is mentioned, which none of the other Apoſtles ſpeaketh of: I anſwer, that I hauehave already ſhewed vponupon Rom. 3. that the ſeeming contrariety betwixt Saint Paul and Saint Iames is nothing, they being rightly vnderſtood; and touching the anointing with Oile, it ſhall be conſidered in the proper place. As for any thing elſe obiected, it is not worth the naming, and therefore I come directly to the Epiſtle it ſelfe, wherein after a ſalutation, he comforteth them, as the preſent occaſion of their diſtreſſed eſtate did require; and hauing called their troubles herein temptations, he taketh occaſion to ſpeake alſo of inward temptations tending vntounto euill, verſ. 13. prouing that they come not from God, one ſpeciall reaſon of which is, that eueryevery good and perfect gift is from him, verſ. 17. and to proue this, hee doth inſtance in the great gift and grace of our regeneration, which is of God by his Word, verſ. 18. and therefore inferreth a readineſſe to heare this Word, remouing the ill effects that through mens owne corruption follow of hearing, wrath and ſpeaking in wrath, verſe 19. &c. and ſetting downe the right vſe and end of hearing, verſe 22. &c. And laſtly, to driue all men from ſpeaking in wrath, he ſheweth the vanity of his religion that doth ſo, verſe 26. and to perſwade to louelove and pure affections in hearing, the contrary to which he had commanded to lay apart, verſe 21. he commendeth charity, whereby our louelove is moſt declared, and of which it is ſaid, GiueGive almes of that yee hauehave, Luk. 11.47.and all things ſhall be cleane vntounto you: and purity from the inquinations of the world, to which a man is ſubiect by ouerualuing the things thereof, verſe 27. How the other Chapters of this Epiſtle doe cohere, each one with the former and in it ſelfe, ſhall bee ſhewed, as wee come to the expounding of them in order.