The Prologue upon the Epistle of St. James.

THOUGH this Epistle was refused in the old time, and denied of many to be the Epistle of a very Apostle, and though also it lay not the foundation of the faith of Christ, but speaketh of a general faith in God, neither preacheth his death and resurrection, either the mercy that is laid up in store for us in him, or everlasting covenant made us in his blood, which is the office and duty of a very Apostle, as Christ saith: (John, xv.) "Ye shall testify of me:" yet because it setteth up no man's doctrine, but crieth to keep the law of God, and maketh love which is without partiality the fulfilling of the law, as Christ and all the Apostles did; and hath thereto many good and godly sentences in it; and hath also nothing that is not agreeable to the rest of the Scripture: if it be looked indifferently on, me thinketh it ought of right to be taken for holy Scripture. For, as for that place for which haply it was at the beginning refused of holy men (as it ought if it had meant as they took it, and for which place only, for the false understanding, it hath been chiefly received of the Papists); yet if the circumstances be well pondered, it will appear that the author's intent was far otherwise than they took for. For where he saith, in the second chapter, faith without deeds is dead in itself, he meaneth none other thing than all the Scripture doth: how that that faith which hath no good deeds following, is a false faith, and none of that faith justifieth or receiveth forgiveness of sins. For God promised them only forgiveness of their sins which turn to God to keep his laws; wherefore they that purpose to continue still in sin, have no part in that promise, but deceive themselves if they believe that God hath forgiven them their old sins for Christ's sake, And after, when he saith, that a man is justified by deeds,

and not of faith only; he will no more, than that faith doth not justify every where; that nothing justifieth save faith. For deeds also do justify. And as faith only justifieth before God, so do deeds only justify before the world, whereof is enough spoken, partly in the Prologue on Paul to the Romans, and also in other places. For as Paul affirmeth (Romans, ii.) that Abraham was not justified by works before God, but by faith only, as Genesis beareth record, so will James, that deeds only justified him before the world, and faith wrought with his deeds, that is to say, faith wherewith he was righteous before God in the heart, did cause him to work the will of God outwardly, whereby he was righteous before the world, and whereby the world perceived that he believed in God, loved and feared God. And as (Hebrews, xi.) the Scripture affirmeth that Rahab was justified before God through faith, so doth James affirm that through works, by which she shewed her faith, she was justified before the world; and it is true.

The Parable of the wicked Mammon.

"THERE was a certain rich man, which had a steward that was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. And called him and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give accompts of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer my steward. The steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my master will take away from me my stewardship. I cannot dig, and to beg I am ashamed. I wot what to do, that when I am put out of my stewardship they may receive me into their houses. Then called he all his master's debtors, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my master? And he said, An hundred tuns of oil, and he said to him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another, What owest thou? And he said, An hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him, Take thy bill and write fourscore. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely. For the children of this world are in their kind, wiser than the children of light. And I say also unto you, make you friends of the wicked mammon, that when ye shall have need, they may receive you into everlasting habitations." LUKE, xvi. chapter.

Forasmuch, as with this and divers such other texts, many have inforced to draw the people from the true faith, and from putting their trust in the truth of God's promises, and in the merits and deservings of his Christ our Lord, and have also brought it to pass (for many false prophets shall arise and deceive many, and much wickedness must also be, saith Christ, Matthew, xxiii. And Paul saith, 2 Tim. iii. evil men and deceivers shall prevail in

evil, while they deceive and are deceived themselves) and have taught them to put their trust in their own merits, and brought them in belief, that they shall be justified in the sight of God, by the goodness of their own works, and have corrupted the pure word of God, to confirm their Aristotle withal. For though that their philosophers and worldly wise men were enemies above all enemies to the Gospel of God: and though the worldly wisdom cannot comprehend the wisdom of God, as thou mayest see, 1 Corinthians, chap. i. and ii. And though worldly righteousness cannot be obedient unto the righteousness of God, Romans, x. ; yet whatsoever they read in Aristotle, that must be first true. And to maintain that, they rend and tear the Scriptures with their distinctions, and expound them violently contrariwise to the meaning of the text, and to the circumstances that go before and after, and to a thousand clear and evident texts: wherefore I have taken in hand to expound this Gospel, and certain other places of the New Testament, and (as far forth as God shall lend me grace) to bring the Scripture unto the right sense, and to dig again the wells of Abraham, and to purge and cleanse them of the earth of worldly wisdom, wherewith these Philistines have stopped them. Which grace grant me God, for the love that he hath unto his Son Jesus our Lord, unto the glory of his name. Amen.

That faith only before all works, and without all merits but Christ's only, justifieth and setteth us at peace with God, is proved by Paul in the first chapter to the Romans. "I am not ashamed (saith he) of the Gospel," that is to say, of the glad tidings and promises which God hath made and sworn to us in Christ. "For it (that is to say the Gospel) is the power of God unto salvation, to all that believe." And it followeth in the foresaid chapter, "the just

or righteous must live by faith." For in the faith which we have in Christ, and in God's promises, find we mercy, life, favour and peace. In the law we find death, damnation and wrath: moreover, the curse and vengeance of God upon us. And it (that is to say the law) is called of Paul, 2 Corinthians, ch. iii. the ministration of death and damnation. In the law we are proved to be the enemies of God, and that we hate him. For how can we be at peace with God and love him, seeing we are conceived and born under the power of the devil, and are his possession and kingdom, his captives and bondmen, and led at his will, and he holdeth our hearts so that it is impossible for us to consent to the will of God; much more is it impossible for a man to fulfil the law of his own strength and power, seeing that we are by birth and of nature, the heirs of eternal damnation. As saith Paul, Ephesians, ii. "we (saith he) are by nature the children of wrath." Which though the law doth but utter only, and helpeth us not, yea requireth impossible things of us. The law, when it commandeth that thou shalt not lust, giveth thee not power so to do, but damneth thee because thou canst not so do.

If thou wilt therefore be at peace with God and love him, thou must turn to the promises of God, and to that Gospel which is called of Paul in the place before rehearsed to the Corinthians, "the ministration of righteousness and of the Spirit." For faith bringeth pardon and forgiveness, freely purchased by Christ's blood, and bringeth also the Spirit; the Spirit looseth the bonds of the devil, and setteth us at liberty. "For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty," saith Paul, in the same place to the Corinthians, that is to say, there the heart is free, and hath power to love the will of God, and there the heart mourneth that he cannot love