Ecclesiastical history epitomized containing a faithful account of ye birth life & doctrine, crucifixion & ascension of ye holy Iesus : with the lives of ye apostles evangelists & primitive fathers & other famous men in ye Christian Church both antient & modern who have couragiously confessed & suffered glorious martyrdomes & persecutions under several tyrannical governours both heathenish and Romish : faithfully continued to ye reformation and since deduced to this present age / carefully collected by J.S. ... ; in two parts.

The Life and Glorious Martyrdom of St. JAMES the Less, an Apostle.

SOme Scruple there has been made about this Apostle; whether he that St. Paul calls our Lords Brother, was the same with him that sat Bishop of Jerusalem, and was called James the Just. But seeing there is no mention of any James more than two in Scripture, that were Apostles, it will not be amiss to take it for granted that there were no other than James the Great and James the Less, and that this Apostle was the same Person with James the Just, and then consequently the same James that sat Bishop of Jerusalem; and that which induces me the rather to believe it, is be∣cause all the Arguments that have been used to disprove it, have not been admitted as reasonable by the Antients.

Thus having opened the matter, I shall proceed ••o the History of his Life. He was past doubt ••he Son of Joseph (who Espoused the Blessed Vir∣gin) by a former Wife, and thence call'd our Lord's Brother, for as the Jews objected against ••ur Saviour, when he wrought such Miracles in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 their sight as never man did, Is not this the Car∣••••nters Son? is not his Mother called Mary, and his ••rethren James and Joses and Simon and Jude, and ••s Sisters are they not all with us? whence then hath ••it man these things Mat. 13.55, 56.

As for the certain place of his Birth, no men∣tion is made, nor of his Employment, before he was called to be a Disciple. In which Station he behaved himself so prudently, that our Saviour highly favoured him during his Continuance upon Earth, especially after his Resurrection, particu∣larly appearing unto him, as St. Paul has it in hi•• first Epistle to the Corinthians, chap. 15. ver. 7. where he discoursing about our Lord's Appear∣ance to 500 Brethren at once, he expresly says that afterwards he was seen of James.

St. Hierom gives us an Account, that in the Hebrew Gospel of the Nazaren, this passage is in∣serted, viz. that St. James having made a solem•• Protestation after our Saviour's last Supper, tha•• he would eat no Bread till he saw the Lord rise•• from the Dead. Therefore when our Savio•••• was returned from the Arms of the Grave, he a••¦peared to him and commanding Bread to be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before him, he broke it, and gave it to him, say¦ing, eat thy bread my brother, for the Son of man 〈◊〉〈◊〉 truly risen from among them that sleep. After th•• Ascension of our Saviour, though no particul•••• time is mentioned, he was by the unanimous co••¦sent of the Apostles chosen Bishop of Jerusalem being preferred before the rest in relation of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 being a kin to our Lord.

A while after we find Paul upon his Conversi•••• making his address to him, desiring his Conversa••••¦on, and giving him the right hand of Fellowshi•• And to him it was that St. Peter, after his Mirac••¦lous delivery out of Prison by the Angel, sent tell what had happened. He it was who was Pri••¦cipal in the Synod at Jerusalem, when the mat•••••• in relation to the Gentile Converts, was in D••¦bate;

and there notwithstanding St. Peter and o∣thers were present, he stood up and passed the Decretory Sentence, which render'd him greatly honoured by all the Apostles, who gave him precedency in such a weighty Affair; which had St. Peter done, the Church of Rome would past doubt have Trumpeted it out as the main Argu∣ment of his being the chief of all the Apostles.

In fine, he administred in his Province with Care and Diligence, omitting no part that ap∣pertained to his Ministry, that by his uprightness and unwearied endeavours he so calmed the stub∣born Jews, that a great number not only of the vulgar sort, but of those of most eminence a∣mongst them adhered to his Doctrine. Yet there wanted not some Sons of Belial amongst them to inveigh against him, and stir up the Multitude as they saw fit opportunity, and these were the Engines of the Scribes and Pharisees, even such notorious Villains as they could hire, to promote mischief. These insinuated into the multitude that the Apostle was a Perverter of the Law of Moses, and a stirer up to Rebellion; and that, if such things were suffered, God would bring the Romans upon them to take away their Country.

That having spread their Infection abroad though to little purpose, they resolved to try an other way, whereupon the Scribes and Pharisees (those Masters of mischievous invention, and chief dissemblers) came to the Apostle at the Feast of the Passover telling, that since the People were unsettled in their Opinions, they did not think it amiss that he should from a convenient place stand over the Temple porch, and exhort them to a stedfast belief of Christianity; telling him that

for their parts they looked upon Jesus as the true Messiah. To which the Apostle consenting, when he was conveniently placed, they with a loud Voice made this following Address to him, Tell us, O Justus, whom we have all the reason in the world to believe, That seeing the people are so generally led away with the doctrine of Jesus that was crucified, tell us what is the Institution of the crucified Jesus. Whereunto the Apostle made answer with an audible Voice, saying, why do ye enquire of Jesus the son of man, he sits in Heaven on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and will come again in the Clouds of Heaven. Which the People that were below no sooner heard, but with a Loud shout they Glorified the blessed Jesus, and proclaimed him with Hosanna's. Where∣upon the Scribes and Pharisees seeing their Policy defeated, and that they had rather confirmed the People than any ways withdrawn them, it so en∣raged them, that thereupon they resolved his death and crying out that Justus himself was se∣duced and become an Impostor; then took him up by force and threw him down from the Bat∣tlements: Notwithstanding which fall he rear∣ed himself upon his Knees and prayed for them, the which whilst he was doing, such Villains as they had appointed for that purpose fell upon him with Clubs and Stone till one amongst the rest (notwithstanding the Intreaty of many to save his Life) with a Fuller's Club beat out his Brains, and by that means gave his Soul a pas∣sage to the Eternal Habitations of Bliss and Joy that fade not away.

He dyed in the 94 year of his Age, and 24 after Christs Ascension to the grief of all good Men. Gregory Bishop of Tours informs us that he was

buried upon Mount Olivet, in a Tomb which he had caused to be erected during his Life. In which he had buried old Simeon and Zacharias, though Hegesippus will have it that he was buried near the Temple in the place where he was Mar∣tyred, and that there being a Monument erected for him, it continued there for many years after.

The End of the LIFE of St. JAMES the Less.