Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsJames 1

English College of Douai–Rheims

James 1:6

Ask in faith nothing doubting.

^◦ The Protestants would prove by this, that no man ought to pray without assurance that he shall obtain that which he asketh. Where the Apostle meaneth nothing else, but that the asker of lawful things may not either mistrust God's power and hability, or be in diffidence and despair of his mercy: but that our doubt be only in our own unworthiness or undue asking.

◦ What faith is required in prayer.

James 1:13

Let no man say that he is tempted of God.

^◦ We see by this, that when the Scriptures (as in the Pater noster and other places) seem to say, that God doth sometimes tempt us, or lead us into tentation: they mean not, that God is any ways the author, causer, or mover of any man to sin, but only by permission, and because by his gracious power he keepeth not the offender from tentations. Therefore the blasphemy of Heretics, making God the author of sin, is intolerable. See S. August. ser. 9. de divers. c. 9.

◦ God is not author of evil.

God is not a tempter of evils.

^[1] The protestants as much as they may, to diminish the force of the Apostle's conclusion against such as attribute their evil tentations to God (for other tentations God doth send to try men's patience and prove their faith) take and translate the word passively, in this sense, that God is not tempted by our evils. Where more consonantly to the letter and circumstance of the words before & after, & as agreeably ^[2] to the Greek, it should be taken actively as it is in the Latin, that God is no tempter to evil. for being taken passively, there is no coherence of sense to the other words of the Apostle.

1 Partial and willful translation.
2 * ἀπείραςος κακῶν.

James 1:15

Concupiscence when it hath conceived.

^◦ Concupiscence (we see here) of it-self is not sin, as Heretics falsely teach: but when by any consent of the mind we do obey or yield to it, then is sin engendered and formed in us.

◦ Concupiscence of itself no sin.

Sin consummate engendereth death.

^◦ Here we see that not all sin nor all consent unto concupiscence is mortal or damnable, but when it is consummate, that is, when the consent of man's mind fully and perfectly yieldeth to the committing or liking of the act or motion whereunto concupiscence moveth or inciteth us.

◦ Not every sin mortal.

James 1:25

The law of perfect liberty.

^◦ The law of the Gospel and grace of Christ, is called the law of liberty, in respect of the yoke and burden of the old carnal ceremonies, and because Christ hath by his blood of the new Testament delivered all that obey him, from the servitude of sin and the Devil. But not as the Libertines and other Heretics of this time would have it, that in the new Testament every man may follow his own liking and conscience, & may choose whether he will be under the laws and obedience of spiritual or Temporal Rulers, or no.

◦ What is the law of liberty in the New Testament.

James 1:27

Religion clean.

^◦ True religion standeth not only in talking of the Scriptures, or only faith, or Christ's justice: but in purity of life, and good works, specially of Charity and mercy done by the grace of Christ. This is the Apostolical doctrine, and far from the Heretical vanity of this time.

◦ Good works a part of man's justice.

Original Douay–Rheims Annotations — English College of Douai–Rheims. CC0 1.0