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 pistle of S. Iames

¶ The fyrst Chapter.

[illustration]

IAmes the seruaūt of God and of the [ A] Lorde Iesus Christ / sendeth gretinge to y^•. xii. trybes which are scattered here and there. ✚ My bre∣thren / count it excedynge ioye when ye faule into di∣vers tēptacions / for as mo¦che as ye knowe how that the tryinge of youre fayth bringeth pacience: and let pacience have her parfect worke / that* 1.1 ye maye be parfecte and sounde / lackinge nothinge.

Yf eny of you lacke wysdome / let him axe of God which geveth to all men indifferent∣lie / and casteth no man in the teth: and it shal be geven him. But let him axe in fayth & wa∣ver* 1.2 not. For he that douteth is lyke the wa∣ves of the see / tost of the wynde and caried with violence. Nether let that man thinke that he shall receave eny thinge of the Lorde.

A waveringe mynded man is vnstable in all [ B] * 1.3 his wayes.

Let the brother of lowe degre reioyce in y^t he is exalted / & the ryche in that he is made lowe. For evē as y^• flower of the grasse / shall he vanysshe awaye. The sonne ryseth with heate / & the grasse wydereth / & his flower fal∣leth awaye / and the beautie of the fassion of it perissheth: even so shall the ryche man peris∣she with his aboundance.

Happy is the man that endureth in tempta¦cion / for when he is tryed he shall receave the croune of lyfe / which the Lorde hath promy∣sed to them that love him. ⊢

Let no man saye when he is tēpted that he is tempted of God. For God tēpteth not vn∣to evyll / nether tēpteth he anie mā. But every mā is tēpted / drawne awaye / & entysed of his awne concupiscēce. Then when lust hath cō∣ceaved / she bringeth forth synne / & synne whē it is fynisshed bringeth forthe deeth.

Erre not my deare brethren. ✚ Every good gyfte / & every parfayt gyft / is from above and commeth doune frō the father of light / with whom is no variablenes / nether is he chaun∣ged vnto dareknes. Of his awne will begat [ C] he vs with the worde of lyfe / that we shuld be the fyrst frutes of his creatures.

Wherfore deare brethren / let every man be swyfte to heare / slowe to speake / and slowe to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not that which is ryghteous before God.

Wherfore laye a parte all fylthynes / all su¦perfluite

of maliciousnes / and receave with meknes the worde y^t is grafted in you / which is able to save youre soules ✚. ✚ And se that ye be doars of the worde & not hearers only / deceavinge youre awne selves with sophistrie [ D] For yf eny heare the worde / and do it not / he is lyke vnto a man that beholdeth his body∣ly face in a glasse. For assone as he hath loked on him silfe / he goeth his waye / & forgetteth immediatlie what his fassion was. But who so loketh in the parfaict lawe of libertie / and continueth ther in (yf he be not a forgetfull hearer / but a doar of y^• worke) the same shall∣be happie in his dede.

Yf eny man amonge you seme devoute / and refrayne not his tonge: but deceave his awne herte / this mannes devocion is in vayne Pure devocion and vndefiled before God the father / is this: to vysit the frendlesse and wid∣dowes* 1.4 in their adversite / and to kepe him sil∣fe vnspotted of the worlde. ⊢

¶ The .ii. Chapter. ✚

BRethren have not the fayth of oure lor¦de Iesus Christ the lorde of glory in respecte of persons. Yf ther come into [ A] youre company a man with a golden rynge and in goodly aparell and ther come in also a poore man in vyle rayment / and ye have a res∣pecte to him that weareth the gaye clothynge and saye vnto him. Sit thou here in a good place: and saye vnto the poore / stonde thou there or sit here vnder my fote stole: are ye not parciall in youre selves / and have iudged af∣ter

evyll thoughtes?

Harken my deare beloved brethren. Hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde / which are ryche in fayth / and heyres of the kyngdom which he promysed to them that lo¦ve him? But ye have despised the poore. Are [ B] not the rych they which opresse you: and they which drawe you before iudges? Do not they speake evyll of that good name after which ye be named.

Yf ye fulfill the royall lawe accordynge to the scripture which sayth. Thou shallt love thyne neghbour as thy silfe / ye do well. But yf ye regarde one person more then another / ye commit synne / and are rebuked of the lawe as transgressours. Whosoever shall kepe the whole lawe / and yet fayle in one poynt / he is gyltie in all. For he that sayd. Thou shallt not commit adulterie / sayed also: thou shallt not kyll. Though thou do none adulterie / yet yf thou kill / thou arte a transgresser of the la∣we. So speake ye / and so do as they that shal∣be iudged by the * 1.5 lawe of libertie. For ther shalbe iudgement merciles to him that she∣weth no mercy / and mercy reioyseth agaynst iudgement: ✚ [ C]

What a vayleth it my brethren / though a man saye he hath fayth / when he hath no de∣des? Can fayth save him? If a brother or a sister be naked or destitute of dayly fode / and one of you saye vnto them: Departe in peace / God sende you warmnes & fode: not withston¦dynge ye geve thē not tho thyng{is} which are

nedfull to the body: what helpeth it thē? Evē so fayth / yf it have no dedes / is deed in it selfe.

Ye & a man myght saye: Thou hast sayth / and I have dedes: Shewe me thy fayth by thy dedes: and I will shewe the my fayth by my dedes. Belevest thou y^t ther is one God? Thou doest well. The devyls also beleve and tremble.

Wilt thou vnderstonde o thou vayne man / [ D] that fayth with out dedes is deed? Was not Abrahā oure father iustified thorow workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpō the aul¦tre? Thou seist how that fayth wrought with his dedes / and through the dedes was the fayth made parfect: & y^• scripture was ful¦filled which sayth: Abraham beleved God / & it was reputed vnto him for rightewesnes: & he was called the frēde of God. ✚ Ye se then how that of dedes a man is iustified / & not of fayth only. Lyke wyse also was not Raab the harlot iustifyed thorow workes / when she re∣ceaved the messengers / & sent thē out another waye? For as the body / with oute the sprete* 1.6 is deed / evē so fayth with out dedes is deed ⊢

The .iii. Chapter.

MY brethren / be not every mā a * 1.7 ma∣ster / remembringe how that we shall [ A] receave the more damnacion: for in many thinges we synne all. Yf a man synne not in worde / the same is a parfecte mā / & able to tame all the body. Beholde we put bittes into y^• horses mouthes that they shuld obeye vs / & we turne aboute all the body. Beholde

also the shyppes / which though they be so gret / and are dryven of fearce windes / yet are they turned about with a very smale helme / whither soever the violence of the governer wyll. Even so the tonge is a lyttell member / and bosteth great thinges.

Beholde how gret a thinge a lyttell fyre kyndleth / & the tonge is fyre / and a worlde of wyckednes. So is the tonge set amonge oure members / that it defileth the whole body / & setteth a fyre all that we have of nature / and is it selfe set a fyre even of hell.

All the natures of beastes / & of byrdes / and [ B] of serpentes / and thinges of y^• see / are meked & tamed of the nature of man. But the tonge can no man tame. Yt is an vnruely evyll full of deedly poyson. Therwith blesse we God the father / and therwith cursse we mē which are made after the similitude of God. Out of one mouth proceadeth blessynge and cursyn∣ge. My brethren these thinges ought not so to be. Doth a fountayne sende forth at one place swete water and bytter also? Can the fygge tree / my Brethren / beare olive beries: o∣ther a vyne beare fygges? So can no fountay∣ne geve bothe salt water and fresshe also. If eny man be wyse and endued with learnynge amonge you let him shewe the workes of his [ C] good conversaciō in meknes that ys coupled with * 1.8 wisdome.

But Yf ye have bitter envyinge and stryfe in youre hertes / reioyce not: nether be lyars agaynst the trueth. This wisdome descēdeth

not from a boue: but is erthy / and * naturall / * 1.9 and divelisshe. For where envyinge & stryfe [ A] is / there is stablenes & all māner of evyll wor¦kes. But the wisdom that is from above / is fyrst pure / then peasable / gentle / and easy to be entreated / full of mercy and good frutes / without iudgynge / and without simulaciō: yee / and the frute of rightewesnes is sowen in peace / of them that mayntene peace.

¶ The .iiii. Chapter.

FRom whence commeth warre & fight∣tynge [ A] * 1.10 amonge you: come they not here hence? even of youre volupteousnes that rayne in youre members. Ye lust / and ha¦ve* 1.11 not. Ye envie & have indignacion / and can∣not obtayne. Ye fight and warre & have not / because ye axe not. Ye axe and receave not / because ye axe a mysse: even to consume it a∣pon* 1.12 youre volupteousnes. Ye advouterars / & wemen that breke matrimonie: knowe ye not how y^t the frēshippe of y^e worlde is ennimite to godwarde? Whosoever wilbe a frende of the worlde / is made the enemie of god. Ether do ye thinke that the scripture sayth in vayne [ B] The * 1.13 sprite that dwelleth in you / lusteth evē contrary to envie: but geveth more grace.

Submit youre selves to god / and resist the devyll / and he will flye from you. Drawe nye to god & he will drawe nye to you. Clense you¦re hondes ye synners / and pourdge youre her∣tes ye waverynge mynded. Suffre afflicciōs: sorowe ye and wepe. Let youre laughter be turned to mornynge / and youre ioye to hevy∣nes.

Cast doune youre selves before the lorde / and he shall lift you vp. Backbyte not one a∣nother / brethren. He that * 1.14 backbyteh hys bro¦ther / and he that iudgeth his brother / backby∣teth the lawe / and iudgeth the lawe. But and yf thou iudge the lawe / thou art not an obser∣ver of y^e lawe: but a iudge. Ther is one lawe gever / which is able to save and to distroye. [ D] What art thou that iudgest a nother man?

Go to now ye that saye: to daye & to morow let vs go into soche a citie and continue there a yeare & bye and sell / and wynne: and yet can not tell what shall happen to morowe. For what thynge is youre lyfe? It is even a va∣poure that apereth for a lytell tyme / and thē vanyssheth awaye: For that ye ought to saye: yf the lorde will and yf we live / let vs do this or that. But nowe ye reioyce in youre bostin∣ges. All soche reioysynge is evyll. Therfore to him that knoweth how to do good / and doth it not / to him it is synne.* 1.15

The .v. Chapter.

GOo to now ye ryche men. Wepe / and howle on youre wretchednes that shall [ A] come apon you. Youre ryches is corru¦pte / youre garmentes are motheaten. Youre golde and youre silver are cankred / and the rust of them shalbe a witnes vnto you / & shall eate youre flesshe / as it were fyre. Ye have he∣aped treasure togedder in youre last dayes: Beholde the hyre of y^e labourers which have reped doune youre feldes (which hyer is of you kept backe by fraude) cryeth: & y^• cryes of

them which have reped / are entred into the ea¦res of th•• lorde Sabaoth. Ye have lived in ple¦asure on the erth and in wantannes. Ye have norysshed youre herte / as in a daye of * 1.16 slaugh¦ter. Ye have condempned and have killed the iust / and he hath not resisted you.

✚ Be pacient therfore brethren / vnto the com¦mynge of the lorde. Beholde the husbande man wayteth for the precious frute of the erth / and hath longe pacience ther vppon / vn∣till he receave (the erly and the latter rayne.) Be ye also pacient therfore / and settle youre hertes / for y^• commynge of the lorde draweth nye. Grodge not one agaynst another brethrē / * 1.17 lest ye be dāpned. Beholde the iudge stondeth before the dore. Take (my brethren) the pro∣phettes for an ensample of sufferynge adver∣sitie / and of longe pacience / which spake in the name of the lorde. ✚ Beholde we counte them happy which endure. Ye have hearde of the pacience of Iob / & have knowen what ende the lorde made. For the lorde is very pi∣tifull and mercifull.

But above all thynges my brethrē / sweare not / nether by heven / nether by erth / nether by eny other othe. Let youre * 1.18 ye be ye / and youre [] maye naye: lest ye faule into ypocrecy. Yf eny of you be evyll vexed / let him praye. Yf eny of you be mery / let him singe Psalmes. Yf eny be deseased amonge you / let him call for the elders of the congregacion / and let thē praye over him / and anoynte him with oyle in the name of the lorde: and the prayer of fayth

shall save the sicke / and the lorde shall rayse him vp: and yf he have committed synnes / they shalbe forgeuen him.

✚ knowledge youre fautes one to another: & [] praye one for another / that ye maye be healed. The prayer of a ryghteous mā avayleth mo∣che / yf it be fe••vēt. Helias was a man mortall even as we are / and he prayed in his prayer / * 1.19 that it myght not rayne: and it rayned not on the erth by the space of thre yeares and sixe monethes. And he prayed agayne / & the hevē gave rayne & the erth brought forth her frute.

Brethren yf eny of you erre from the trueth* 1.20 and a nother convert him / let the same knowe that he which converted the synner frō goyn¦ge a straye out of his waye / shall save a soule frō deeth / & shall hyde y^e multitude of synnes.

The ende of the pistle of Saynct Iames.

Notes

• * 1.1

  rom. v. a.
• * 1.2

  mat. vij. a &. xxj .c. mar. xj. c luc. xj. b. io. xvj. b. and. xvj e
• * 1.3

  * In christ webe all lyke go∣od / & euen seruaun∣tes eche to other for chri∣stes sake / euery mā in his of∣fice. And he that ta¦keth mo∣re on him then that / of what soeuer de¦gre he be of is a fal¦se christē & an apo∣stata frō Christ.
• * 1.4

  Pure de∣vocion.
• * 1.5

  To wor¦ke offea∣re & cōpul¦sion is bō¦dage: but to loue is libertie & the fullfil¦linge of y^• lawe befo¦re god / & maketh a mā mer¦cifull to worke of his aw¦ne accorde And to the mercifull hath God boūde him selfe to sh∣ew mercie And con∣trary vn∣to the vn∣mercifull he threat¦neth iud∣gement with oute mercie. And mer∣cie reioy∣seth and trimphe¦th ouer iu¦dgement. For whe∣remercye is / there hath dāna¦cion no pl¦ace by go¦des promi¦se. God ha¦th promy¦sed all me¦rcie to the mercifull onlye. Now yf a¦nye that is not mer¦cyfull be∣leueth to haue mer¦cye of god he decea∣ueth him¦selfe: beca¦use he ha∣th no Go¦des wor∣de for him For go∣des pro∣mise par∣tayneth to y^• mer∣cifull on∣lye: & true faith ther¦fore is knowen by hirde∣des.
• * 1.6

  io su. ij. e.
• * 1.7

  He that taketh au¦ctoryte to rebuke o∣ther of that whe∣rin he sin¦neth him¦selfe / the same sha∣ll haue the greater damnaciō He must be witho∣ut▪ synne that will cast y^• fyr¦ste stone.
• * 1.8

  wysdo∣me: All mekenes and obedi¦ence must be accordi¦ge to the wisdome▪ & worde of god.
• * 1.9

  Naturall that is all that a mā doth with¦oute the spirite of god. Godly wi¦sdome ho∣w it is kn¦owen.
• * 1.10

  Stryfe / whence it cōmeth.
• * 1.11

  Why men obtayne not.
• * 1.12

  He that is loued of the wo¦rlde is ha¦ted of god
• * 1.13

  Christ¦es spirite (which is in all that be his ro. viij.) resi¦steth hate enuie and all synne. Whose mocyon if we folo∣we / grace increaseth in vs and lustes my nyshe: and therfore he sayth Submyt your sel∣ues to god &c.
• * 1.14

  He that backbyt∣eth or iud¦geth his / brother dothe iud¦ge the la∣we to be e¦uell for y^• lawe for∣biddeth to do so.
• * 1.15

  He that knoweth and yet do¦th not is withoute excuse. For God hath pro∣mised no mercie: but to him that wyll do his god¦lye will.
• * 1.16

  Slaug∣hter: as whē men kyll best∣es to ma∣ke chere with all / and as the Iewes did in their thāke of∣feringes / •• frewill offerin∣ges &c.
• * 1.17

  (Two spe¦ciall ray∣nes) haue they / the one at so∣wēge ty∣me / & the∣oter at bl∣ominge ty¦me: of wh¦ich if they lacke eth∣er / all is frutelesse
• * 1.18

  whether ye saye ye or naye: se it be so. For yf ye haue one thinge in the harte and ano∣ther in the mouth o•• dede / in v•• sture or ge sture: it is y pocry sie or dissim∣ulacion.
• * 1.19

  iij. r••. xv•• lu. iiii. d.
• * 1.20

  mat. xiij.