Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsJames 2

In acception of persons.

^[1] The Apostle meaneth not, as the Anabaptists and other seditious persons sometime gather hereof, that there should be no difference in Commonweals or assemblies, betwixt the Magistrate and the subject, the free man and the bond, the rich and the poor, betwixt one degree and another: for God and nature, and the necessity of man, have made such distinctions, and men are bound to observe them. ^[2] But it is meant only, or specially, that in spiritual gifts and graces, in matters of faith, Sacraments, and salvation, and bestowing the spiritual functions and charge of soul, we must esteem of a poor man or a bond man, no less than of the rich man and the free, than of the Prince or the Gentleman: because as Christ himself calleth all, and endueth all sorts with his graces: so in such and the like things we must not be partial, but count all to be fellows, brethren, and members of one head. And therefore the Apostle saith with a special clause, That we should not hold or have the Christian faith with or in such differences or partialities.

• 1 Scripture abused by the Anabaptists to make no distinction of persons.
• 2 What the Apostle meaneth by acception of persons.

Is made guilty of all.

^◦ He meaneth not, that whosoever is a thief, is also a murderer, or that every murderer is an adulterer also: or that all sins be equal, according to the stoics and the Heresy of Iovinian: much less, that he shall have as great damnation that transgresseth one commandment, as if he had offended against every precept. But the sense is, that it shall not avail him to salvation, that he seemeth to have kept certain and not broken all the commandments: seeing that any one transgression of the Law, proveth that he hath not observed the whole. which he was bound to do, so far as is required, and as is possible for a man in this life. S. Augustine disputing profoundly in his 29 Epistle to S. Hierom, of this place of S. James, expoundeth it thus: that he which offendeth in one, that is, against the general and great commandment of love or charity (because it is in a manner all, as being the sum of all, the plenitude of the law, and the perfection of the rest) breaketh after a sort and transgresseth all, no sin being committed but either against the love of God, or of our neighbour.

• ◦ How he that offendeth in one commandment, is guilty of all.

Judgement without mercy.

^◦ Nothing giveth more hope of mercy in the next life, than the works of alms, charity, and mercy, done to our neighbours in this life. Neither shall any be used with extreme rigour in the next world, but such as used not mercy in this world. August. de pec. merit. li. 2. c. 3. Which is true, not only in respect of the judgment to everlasting damnation, but also of the temporal chastisement in Purgatory, as S. Augustine signifieth, declaring that our venial sins be washed away in this world with daily works of mercy, which otherwise should be chastised in the next. See epist. 29. aforesaid in fine. and li. 21. de Civ. Dei c. 17. in fine.

• ◦ Works of mercy exceeding grateful to God.

What shall it profit, if a man say he hath faith?

^◦ This whole passage of the Apostle is so clear against justification or salvation by only faith, damnably defended by the Protestants, and so evident for the necessity, merit, & concurrence of good works, that their first author Luther and such as exactly follow him, boldly (after the manner of Heretics) when they can make no shift nor false gloss for the text, deny the book to be Canonical Scripture. But Calvin and his companions disagreeing with their Masters, confess it to be holy Scripture. But their shifts and fond glosses for answer of so plain places, be as impudent as the denying of the Epistle was in the other. who would never have denied the book, thereby to shew themselves Heretics, if he had thought those vulgar evasions that the Zuinglians and Calvinists do use (whereof they were not ignorant) could have served. In both sorts the Christian Reader may see, that all the Heretics vaunting of express Scriptures & the word of God, is no more but to delude the world. whereas indeed, be the Scriptures never so plain against them, they must either be wrested to sound as they say, or else they must be no Scriptures at all. And to see Luther, Calvin, Beza, & their fellows, sit as it were in judgement of the Scriptures, to allow or disallow at their pleasures, it is the most notorious example of Heretical pride & misery that can be. See their prefaces and censures upon this Canonical Epistle, the Apocalypse, the Machabees, and other.

• ◦ The proud & impudent dealing of the heretics against this Epistle, because it is so plain against only faith.

Abraham, was he not justified by works?

^[1] It is much to be noted that S. Augustine in his book de fide & operibus c. 14. writeth, that the heresy of only faith justifying or saving, was an old Heresy even in the Apostles' time, gathered by the false interpretation of some of S. Paul's profound disputation in the Epistle to the Romans, wherein he commended so highly the faith in Christ, that they thought good works were not available: adding further, ^[2] that the other three Apostles, James, John and Jude, did of purpose write so much of good works, to correct the said error of only faith, gathered by the misconstruction of S. Paul's words. Yea when S. Peter (Ep. 2. c. 3.) warneth the faithful that many things be hard in S. Paul's writings, and of light unlearned men mistaken to their perdition: the said S. Augustine ^[3] affirmeth, that he meant of his disputation concerning faith, which so many Heretics did mistake to condemn good works. And in the preface of his commentary upon the 81. Psalm, he warneth all men, that this deduction upon S. Paul's speech, Abraham was justified by faith, therefore works be not necessary to salvation: is the right way to the gulf of Hell and damnation.

• 1 Only faith, an old heresy.
• 2 S. James & the rest inculcate good works against the error of only faith falsely gathered of S. Paul's words.
• 3 loco citato.

^[1]

And lastly (which is in it-self very plain) that we may see this Apostle did purposely thus commend unto us the necessity of good works, and the inanity and insufficiency of only faith, to correct the error of such as misconstrued S. Paul's words for the same: ^[2] the said holy Doctor noteth that of purpose he took the very same example of Abraham, whom S. Paul said to be justified by faith, and declareth that he was justified by good works, specifying the good work for which he was justified and blessed of God, to wit, his obedience and immolation of his only son. But how S. Paul saith that Abraham was justified by faith, see the Annotations upon that place. Ro. 4. v. 1.

• 1 S. Augustine's whole disputation in this point very notable, & directly against only faith.
• 2 * Li. 83. q. q. 76.

Faith did work with.

^[1] Some Heretics hold, that good works are pernicious to salvation and justification: other, that though they be not hurtful but required, yet they be no causes or workers of salvation, much less meritorious, but are as effects and fruits issuing necessarily out of faith. Both which fictions, falsehoods, and slights from the plain truth of God's word, are refuted by these words, when the Apostle saith, ^[2] That faith worketh together with good works: making faith to be a coadjutor or cooperator with works, and so both jointly concurring as causes and workers of justification: yea afterward he maketh works the more principal cause, when he resembleth faith to the body, and works to the spirit or life of man.

• 1 Heresies against good works.
• 2 Works concur with faith as cause of justification.

The friend of God.

^◦ By this also another false and frivolous evasion of the Heretics is overtaken, when they feign, that the Apostle here when he saith, works do justice, meaneth that they shew us just before men, and avail not to our justice before God. For the Apostle evidently declareth that Abraham by his works was made or truly called the friend of God, and therefore was not (as the Heretics say) by his works approved just before man only.

• ◦ Works make us just indeed before God.

Not by faith only.

^[1] This proposition or speech is directly opposite or contradictory to that which the Heretics hold. For the Apostle saith, Man is justified by good works, and not by faith only. But the Heretics say, Man is not justified by good works, but by faith only. Neither can they pretend that there is the like contradiction or contrariety betwixt S. James' speech and S. Paul's for though S. Paul say, man is justified by faith, yet he never saith, by faith only, nor ever meaneth by that faith which is alone, but always by that faith which worketh by charity, ^[2] as he expoundeth himself. Though concerning works also, there is a difference betwixt the first justification, whereof S. Paul specially speaketh: and the second justification, whereof S. James doth more specially treat. Of which thing ^[3] else-where there is enough said.

^◦

The fathers indeed use sometimes this exclusive, sola, only: but in far other sense than the Protestants. For some of them thereby exclude only the works of Moyses' law, against the Jews: some, the works of nature and moral virtues without the grace or knowledge of Christ, against the Gentiles: some, the necessity of external good works where the parties lack time and means to do them, as in the case of the penitent thief: some, the false opinions, sects, and religions contrary to the Catholic faith, against Heretics and miscreants: some exclude reason, sense, and arguing in matters of faith and mystery, against such as will believe nothing but that they see or understand: some, the merit of works done in sin before the first justification: some, the arrogant Pharisaical vaunting of man's own proper works and justice, against such as refer not their actions and good deeds to God's grace. To these purposes the holy Doctors say sometimes, that only faith saveth and serveth: but never (as the Protestants would have it) to exclude from justification and salvation, the cooperation of man's free will, dispositions and preparations of our hearts by prayers, penance, and sacraments, the virtues of hope and charity, the purpose of well-working and of the observation of God's commandments: much less, the works and merits of the children of God, proceeding of grace and charity, after they be justified and are now in his favour: which are not only dispositions and preparations to justice, but the meritorious cause of greater justice, and of salvation.

• 1 The Protestants say, by faith only: S. James clean contrary, Not by faith only.
• 2 * Gal. 5.
• 3 * See the annot. upon the epistle to the Romans c. 2. v. 13.
• ◦ The manifold meaning of certain Fathers, when they say, Only faith.

Rahab.

^◦ This Apostle allegeth the good works of Rahab by which she was justified, and S. Paul (11 Hebr.) saith she was justified by faith. Which are not contrary one to the other. for both is true, that she was saved by faith, as one saith: and that she was saved by her works, as the other saith. But it were untruly said, that she was saved either by only faith, as the Heretics say: or by only good works, as no Catholic man ever said. But because some Jews and Gentile Philosophers did affirm: they, that they should be saved by the works of Moyses' law: these, by their moral works: therefore S. Paul to the Romans disputed specially against both, proving that no works done without or before the faith of Christ, can serve to justification or salvation.

• ◦ S. Paul nameth faith, & S. James works, causes of justification: but neither the one, faith only, nor the other, works only.

Faith without works is dead.

^◦ S. James (as the Protestants feign) saith that faith without good works is no faith, and that therefore it justifieth not, because it is no faith. for he saith that it is dead without works, as the body is dead without the soul, and therefore being dead hath no activity or efficacy to justify or save. But it is a great difference, to say that the body is dead, and to say that it is no body. even so it is the like difference, to say that faith without works is dead, and to say that faith without works is no faith. And if a dead body be notwithstanding a true body, then according to S. James' comparison here, a dead faith is notwithstanding a true faith, but yet not available to justification, because it is dead, that is, because it is only faith without good works.

• ◦ Faith without works is a true faith, but not available: as the body without the spirit is a true body, though it be dead.

^◦

And therefore it is a great impudency in Heretics, and a hard shift, to say that the faith of which the Apostle disputeth all this while, is no true or properly called faith at all. It is the same faith that S. Paul defined and commended in all the 11. Chapter to the Hebrews, and the same which is called the Catholic faith, and the same which being formed & made alive by charity, justifieth. Mary true it is, that it is not that special faith which the Heretics feign only to justify, to wit, when a man doth firmly believe as an article of his faith, that himself shall be saved. this special faith it is not whereof the Apostle here speaketh. for neither he, nor S. Paul, nor any other sacred writer in all the holy Scriptures ever speak or knew of any such forged faith.

• ◦ What faith the Apostle speaketh of: & that he knew no special faith.