there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire,

3 And you have respect to him that is clothed with the fine apparel, and shall say to him: Sit thou here well: but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool:

4 Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

5 Hearken, my dearest brethren hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him!

6 But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by night; and do not they draw you before the judgment-seats?

7 Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you?

8 If then you fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: you do well.

96 But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.

10 And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.

a Lev. 19. 18. Matt. 22. 39. Mark 12. 31. Rom. 13. 9. Gal. 5. 14.-b Supra, 1. Lev. 19. 15.-c Deut. 1. 18. Matt. 5. 19.

Ver. 10. Guilty of all; that is, he becomes a transgressor of the law in such a manner, that the observing of all other points will not avail him to salvation; for he despises the lawgiver: and breaks through the great and general commandment of charity, even by one mortal sin. For all the precepts of the law are to be constdered as one total and entire law, and

11 For he that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but shalt kill: thou art become a transgressor of the law.

12 So speak ye, and so do, as being to be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment.

14 What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works! Shall faith be able to save him?

15 And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food:

16 And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be you warmed and filled: yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body: what shall it profit!

17 So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

18 But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works: and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.

19 Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe. and

tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O

d 1 John 3. 17.

as it were a chain of precepts whereby breaking one link of this chain, the whole chain is broken, or the integrity of the law consisting of a collection of precepts. A sinner therefore, by a grievous offence against any one precept, incurs eternal punishment: yet the punishments in hell shall be greater for those who have been greater sinners, as a greater reward shall be for those in heaven who have lived with greater sanctity and per. fection.

vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 a Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

22 Seest thou that faith did co-operate with his works: and by works faith was made perfect.

23 And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.

24 Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?

25 And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way?

26 For even as the body without the spirit is dead: so also faith without works is dead.

CHAP. III.

Of the evils of the tongue. Of the difference between the earthly and heavenly wisdom.

BEye not many masters, my brethren, knowing that you receive the greater-judg

ment.

378

they are great, and are driven by strong winds, yet are they turned about with a small helm, whithersoever the force of the governor willeth.

5 So the tongue also is indeed a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how small a fire what a great wood it kindleth?

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is placed among our members, which defileth the whole body, and inflameth the wheel of our nativity, being set on fire by hell.

7 For every nature of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of the rest, is tamed and hath been tamed by the nature of man:

8 But the tongue no man can tame, an unquiet evil, full of deadly poison.

9 By it we bless God and the Father: and by it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.

11 Doth a fountain send forth, out of the same hole, sweet and bitter water?

12 Can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear grapes; or the vine, figs? So neither can the salt water vield swe

13 Who sa ise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew, by a good conversation, his work in the meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter zeal, and there be contentions in your hearts; glory not, and be not liars against the truth.

15 For this is not wisdom,

descending from above: but earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and contention is, there is inconstancy, and every evil work,

17 But the wisdom, that is from above, first indeed is is chaste, then peaceable, modest, easy to be persuaded, consenting to the good, full of mercy and good fruits, without judging, without dissimulation.

18 And the fruit of justice is sown in peace, to them that make peace.

CHAP. IV.

The evils that flow from yielding to con cupiscence, and being friends to this world. Admonitions against pride, detraction, &c.

7 Be subject therefore to God, but resist the devil and he will fly from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners: and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy, into sorrow.

10 Be humbled in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11 Detract not one another, my brethren. He that detracteth his brother, or he that judgeth his brother, detracteth the law, and judgeth the law.

2 You covet, and have not: you kill, and envy, and cannot obtain. You contend and war, and you have not, because you ask not.

3 You ask, and receive not: because you ask amiss: that you may consume it on your concupiscences.

4 Adulterers, know you not that the friendship ofthis world, is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God.

5 Or do you think that the scripture saith in vain: To envy doth the spirit covet which dwelleth in you?

12 There is one lawgiver, and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver.

13 But who art thou that judgest thy neighbour? Behold, now you that say: To-day to-morrow we will go into such a city, and there we will spend a year, and will traffic, and make our gain.

14 Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow.

15 For what is your life? It is a vapour which appeareth for a little while, and afterwards shall vanish away. For that you should say: If the Lord will, and, if we shall live, we will do this or that.

a Prov, 3. 34 1 Pet, 5 &

17 To him therefore who knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin.

Rom. 14. 4.

CHAP V.

A we to the rich that oppress the poo Exhortations to patience, and to avoi swearing. Of the anointing the sicA confession of sine, and fervour is prayer.

O to now, ye rich men, wee

and howl in your miserie which shall come upon you.

2 Your riches are corrupted and your garments are motl

esten.

3 Your gold and silver cankered and the rust of then shall be for a testimony agains you, and shall eat your fles] like fire. You have stored up to yourselves wrath against the last days.

4 Behold the hire of the la bourers, who have reaped dow your fields, which by fraud ha been kept back by you, crieth and the cry of them hath en tered into the ears of the Lor of sabaoth.

5 You have feasted upo earth and in riotousness yo have nourished your hearts, ir the day of slaughter.

6 You have condemned an. put to death the just one, anc he resisted you not.

7 Be patient therefore, bre thren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandmar waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth: patiently bearing til! he receive the early and the latter rain,

8 Be you therefore also pa tient, and strengthen you. hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

9 Grudge not, brethren, on against another, that you may not be judged. Behold the judge standeth before the door

10 Take, my brethren, for ar example of suffering evil, o 280

labour and patience, the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord.

11 Behold we account then blessed who have endured. You have heard of the patience of Job, and you have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is merciful and compassionate.

12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. But let your speech be, yea, yea: no, no: that you fall not under judgment.

13 Is any of you sad! Let him pray. Is he cheerful in mind? Let him sing.

14 Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with on in the name of the Lord.

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.

16 Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be

a Matt. 5, 34.

in, &c. CHAP V. Ver. 14. Let him bring in, &c. See here a plain warrant of scripture for the sacrament of extreme unction, that any controversy against its institution would be against the express words of the sacred text in the plainest terms.

Ver. 16. Confess your sins one to another. That is, to the priests of the church, whom, ver. 14, he had ordered to be called for, and brought in to the sick; moreover, to confess to persons who had no power to forgive sins, would be useless. Hence the precept here means, that we must confess to men whom God hath appointed, and who, by their ordination and jurisdiction, have received the power of remit ting sins in his name.