1 Euseb., lib. ii. Hist. Eccles., c. 23.
2 So Dr Hamner rendereth that clause, IffTeou fihv tij voBQveroL
3 Hieron. in CataL Eccles. Script.
10 A PREFACE TO THE WHOLE EPISTLE.
epistolam, quce et ipsa ah alio quodam suh ejus nomine edita esse asset-itur, licet paidlatim tempore procedente ohtinuerit auctoritaiem ; that is, 'James wrote but one epistle, which is also said to be put forth by another in his name, though by little and little in process of time it gained authority in the church.' These are the clauses which first begat a doubt of this epistle, but without reason— these two authors reporting the sense of others rather than their own ; and if any part of scripture should be laid aside because some have questioned it, the devil would soon obtain his purpose. One time or another the greatest part of it hath been impeached by men of a wicked and unsober wit, who, when they could not pervert the rule to gratify their purposes, reflected a scorn and contempt upon it. Now it would exceedingly furnish the triumphs of hell if we should think their private cavils to be warrant sufficient to weaken our faith, and besides disadvantage the church by the loss of a most considerable part of the cauon ; for the case doth not only concern this epistle, but divers others, as the Second of Peter, the Second and Third Epistles of John, the Book of the Eevelation, the last chapter of Mark, i some passages in the 2'2d of Luke,- the beginning of the 8tli of John,^ some passages in the 5th chapter of the First Epistle of John. Where would profaneness stay ? and, if this liberty should be allowed, the flood of atheism stop its course? But, besides all this, wliy should a few private testimonies prejudice the general consent of the church, which hath transmitted this epistle to us, together with other parts of the New Testament ? For if we go to external testimony, there is no reason but the greater number should carry it. It were easy to instance in councils and fathers, who by an unanimous sufi'rage have commended this epistle to the faith and reverence of the church. Those canons which com- monly go under the name of the apostles ^ (though I build not much upon that testimony) decreed it to be received for scripture ; so the Council of Laodicea, can. 51) ; so of Milevis, cap. 7 ; so the third Council of Carthage, cap. 47 ; of Orange, cap. 25 ; Concilium Cabil- onense, cap. 33 ; of Toledo, cap. 3. So for the consent of the most ancient fathers, ^ by whom it is quoted as scripture, as by Ignatius, Epist. ad Fphesios, &c. You may see Brochmand, in Prolog. E])ist. Jacob, and lodocus Coccius, his ' Thesaurus Theologicus,' tom. i., lib. 6, art. 23 ; read also Dr Rainold's ' De Libris Apocryphis,' tom. i., praelect. 4, &c. Out of all which you may see what authority it had among the ancients. Of late, I confess, it hath found harder measure. Cajetan and Erasmus siiow little respect to it; Luther plainly rejecteth it ; and for the incivility and rudeness of his exi)ression in calling it siramincam epistolam, as it cannot be denied,*^ so it is not to be excused. Luther himself seemeth to retract it, speaking of it else-
^ See Hieron., Quest. 3, ad Hedibium et Euthymium. » HextuH SeneiiKis Bibl. sanct., lib. i. c. 2'i, 24. ' Hieron. adversus Pelag., lib. ii.
♦ See Caranza, his Surniua Conciliorum, p. 7.
' EuBcbiuB himself differcnceth it from those that are plainly spurious — ^lib. iii. Eccles. Hist., c. 25.
• Doctor Whitaker denyeth it, as not finding it in his works ; but it is generally granted that this v,a» Lutlxr's expression, it being found in his Gt^rman Bibles printed. 15'^8. The words recorded by Brochman are tliesf : — fjjilstola Jacobi vcre ttraniinea epUtola est, collala cum Eiamjelio Jokannit el ejus Einstola prima, et cum Eiaslolis Paul-
A PREFACE TO THE WHOLE EPISTLE. 11
where with more reverence : Episiolam hanc, quamvis rejectam a veteri- hus, pro utili tamen et non contemnenda Jiabeo, vel ob hanc causam quod nihil plane humance doctrince offerat, ut legem Dei for Liter urcj eat; veruw, id meam de ilia sententiam candide promam extra prmjudi- cium, existimo mdlius esse apostoli (Luther Prgef. Epist. Jacob.) ; that is, ' This epistle, though not owned by many of the ancients, I judge to be full of profitable and precious matter, it offering no doctrine of a human invention, strongly urging the law of God; yet, in my opinion (which I would speak without prejudice), it seemeth not to be written by any apostle ;' which was the error and failing of this holy and eminent servant of God ; and therein he is followed by others of his own profession, Osiander, Camerarius, Bugenhag, &c., and Althamerus, whose hlasphemies are recorded by Grotius in his ' Eivetian Apol. Discuss./ p. 170, and by him unworthily urged to reflect a scorn upon our churches. Concerning this Andreas Althamerus, see learned Kivet's reply, in his Si,dXvaL<; (Grot, Discuss., p. 480). However, Luther is herein deserted by the modern Lutherans, who allow this epistle in the canon, as is plain by the writings of Hunnius, Montrer, Gerhard, Walther, &c. Brochmand, a learned Lutheran, and Bishop of Zealand, in Denmark, hath written a worthy comment upon this epistle, to whom (though I received him late, and when the work was in a good progress) I have been beholden for some help in this exposi- tion, especially in the critical explication of some Greek words, and most of the quotations out of the Socinian pamphlets, and for whom I acknowledge myself indebted to the courtesy of that learned and worthy gentleman. Colonel Edward Leigh, to whose faithfulness and industry the church of God oweth so much.