The translator for the remouing of all suspition, concerning the ca∣nonicall Epistle of Iames.
TOutching this Iames whose Epistle hath bene suspected, take this lesson of Ierome, agaynst Heluidi∣us: disce Scripturae consuetudinem eundem hominem diuersis nominibus nuncupari, learne the maner of the Scripture which calleth one and the same man after diuerse names, he is called in Math. 10. Marke 3. Act. 1. Iacobus Alphaei, and numbred among the 12. Apostles. Though Ierome lib.* 1.1 5. cap. 17. vpon the Prophet Esay, call him decimum tertium Apostolum, and Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus do terme him one of the 70. Disciples. He is called Iacobus frater Domini, Iames the brother of the Lord, in Math. 13. 27. Marke 6. 15. Galat. 1. and in this present history▪ but in what sense he might be called his brother, being his mothers sisters sonne, reade Ierome agaynst Heluidius, which handleth that question purposely. He is called Iacobus Iustus, and Oblias, in the former chapiter of Eusebius. This history reporteth him to haue bene placed by the Apostles, Bishop of Ierusalem, and there to haue go∣uerned the Church the space of 30. yeares, for oft in the Scriptures he is founde at Ierusalem, as Act. 1. 15. 21. 1. Corinth. 15. Galat. 1. 2. Concerning his epistle, and other parcells of holy Scripture, that they were not generally receaued, no maruell at all, considering the malice of the Deuill, in obscuring those thinges which proceade from the holy Ghost. Eusebius writeth, that besides the Epistle of Iames, the E∣pistle of Iude, the latter of Peter, the 2. and 3. of Iohn, with the reuelation, were called into controuersy, so that some reiected them, some cleaued vnto them, tanquam certis, & indubitatis Scripturis, as cer∣tayne, and vndoubted Scriptures. Ierome in Catalog. Eccles. Scrip, of Iames writeth thus: vnam tan∣tum scripsit epistolam, quae & ipsa, ab alio quodam sub nomine eius aedita asseritur. he wrote one epistle, which is thought to haue bene published by an other, vnder his name if this be the whole, no dan∣ger* 1.2 at all. The Canons commonly called the Apostles, Canone 84. haue decreed this, of the Epistle of Iames, together with the other parcells of holy Scripture, that it was to be receaued for Canonicall. so hath the councell of Laodicea, vnder Damasus, cap. 59. about the yeare of our Lord 371. And the third councell of Carthage, vnder Siricius, about the yeare 417. cap. 47. Innocentius the first, about the yeare of our Lord 408. in his Epistle to Euxperius, cap. 7. and Gelasius the first, about the yeare 494. together with seuenty Bishops, haue receaued them for Canonicall, of this minde is Ierome ad Paulinum, Augu∣stine de doctrina Christiana, lib. 2. cap. 8. so that from that tyme vnto this day, they were generally al∣lowed, and receaued for Canonicall Scripture. Thus much I thought good heere to note, leste that the