The Newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale, and fynesshed in the yere of our Lorde God A.M.D. & xxxiiij. in the moneth of Nouember.

¶ The Prolge vpon the pistles of S. Iames and Iudas.

THough this epistle were refu∣sed in the olde tyme and denyed of manye to be the epistle of a verye apostle / and though also it laye not the foundacyon of the fayth of Christ / but spea∣keth of a generall fayth in god / nether preacheth his deathe and resurreccyon / ether the mercye that is layde vp in store for vs in him / or euerlastynge couenaūt made vs in his bloude / which is the offyce and dutye of a verye apostle / as Christ sayeth. Io. xv. ye shall testifie of me: yet because yt setteth vp no mannes doctryne / but cryeth to kepe the lawe of god / and maketh loue which is withoute percialite the fullfillinge of the lawe / as christ and all the apostles dyd / & hath therto manye good and godlye sentēces in it: & hath also no∣thinge y^• is not a greable to y^• rest of the scriptu¦re yf it beloked indifferentlye on: me thynketh it ought of ryght to be taken for holye scriptu∣re. For as for that place for which haply it was at the begynninge refused of holye men (as it ought / if it had meant / as they toke it / and for which place only / for the false vnderstondinge /

it hath been chefely receaued of the Papistes) yet if the circumstāces be well pondered it will apere that the auctors entent was farre other wise then they tooke him for.

For where he sayth in the .ij. chap. fayth wit∣houte deedes is deed in it selfe / he meaneth none other thinge then all the scripture dothe: how that that fayth which hath no good dedes folo∣winge / is a false fayth & none of that fayth iusti¦fieth or receaueth forgeuenes of synnes. For God promised thē onlie forgeuenes of their syn¦nes which turne to god / to kepe his lawes. Wher¦fore they that purpose to cōtinew still in synne haue no parte in that promyse: but deceaue thē selues / if they beleue that God hath forgeuē thē their olde synnes for Christes sake. And after whē he sayth that a mā is iustified by dedes & not of fayth onlye / he will no more then that fayth dothe not so iustifie euery where / that nothinge iustifieth saue fayth. For dedes also do iustifie. And as fayth onlye iustifieth before God / so do dedes onlye iustifie before the worlde / wher of is ynough spoken / partlye in the Prologe on Paule to the Romayns / & also in other places. For as Paule affyrmeth Roma. iij. that Abra¦ham was not iustified by workes a fore God / but by fayth onlye as Genesis beareth recorde / so will Iames that dedes onlye iustified him be fore the worlde / and fayth wrought with his de¦des: that is to saye / fayth wherwith he was ryghteous before God in the hert did cause him to worke the will of God outwardlye / wherby he was ryghteous before the worlde / & wher∣by the worlde perceaued that he beleued in god loued & feared God. And as Hebre. xj. the scrip¦ture affirmeth th••t Rahab was iustified before God thorow fayth / so doth Iames affirme that thorow workes by which she shewed hir fayth / shew as iustified before the worlde / & it is true.

And as for the epistle of Iudas / though men haue & yet do doute of the auctoure / & though it seme also to be drawen oute of the seconde e∣pistle of S. Peter / and therto alledgeth scriptu¦re that is no where founde / yet seinge the mat¦ter is so godly and agreynge to other places of holye scripture / I se not but that it ought to haue the aucrorite of holye scripture.