James, the seruaunt of God, and of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, to the twelue kinredis, that ben in scatering abrood, helthe. My britheren, gesse ȝe, or deme, al ioye, whan ȝe shulen falle in to diuerse temptaciouns, or tribulaciouns, witynge, that the prouyng of ȝoure feith werchith pacience; sotheli pacience hath parfijt werk, that ȝe be parfijt and hool, in no thing faylinge. Forsothe if ony of ȝou nedith wisdom, axe he of God, the which ȝiueth to alle men largeli, and vpbraydith not; and it shal be ȝouun to him. Sotheli axe he in feith, no thing doutynge; forsothe he that doutith, is lijk to a wawe of the se, the which of wijnd is moued and born aboute. Therfore gesse not the ilke man, that he shal take ony thing of the Lord. A man double of inwit is vnstable in alle his weyes. Forsothe a meke brother glorye in his enhaunsinge, sotheli a riche man in his mekenesse; for as the flour of hay, or grasse, he shal passe. Sotheli the sunne is sprungen vp with brennynge, or heete, and driede the hay, and the flour of it fel doun, and the fayrnesse of his cheere perischide; so and a riche man welewith in his weies. Blessid is the man, that suffrith temptacioun; for whan he shal be proued, he shal receyue the crown of lijf, the which God aȝen bihiȝte to men louynge him. No man whan he is temptid, seie, for he is temptid of God; sotheli God is vntempter of yuel thingis, forsothe he temptith no man. Sotheli ech man is temptid of his coueitinge, drawun fro resoun, and snaarid, or deceyued. Thanne coueityng, whan it hath conseyued, bringith forth synne; sotheli synne, whan it is fulfillid, gendrith deeth. And so, my moost derworthe britheren, nyle ȝe erre. Ech best thing ȝouun, and al parfijt ȝift is fro aboue, comynge doun of the fadir of liȝtis, anentis whom is not ouerchaunginge, nether shadewing of whileness, or tyme. Forsothe wilfully he gendride vs with the word of treuthe, that we be sum bigynnyng of the creature of him. Wite ȝe, my britheren moost loued, be ech man swift for to here, forsothe slowe for to speke, and slowe to wraththe; sotheli the wrath of man werchith not the riȝtwisnesse of God. For which thing ȝe castinge awey al vnclennesse, and plente of malice, in myldenesse, or homelynesse, receyue ȝe the word insent, or ioyned, that mai saue ȝoure soules. Forsothe be ȝe doers of the word, and not herers onely, deceyuynge ȝou silf. For if ony man is an herer of the word, and not doer, this shal be comparsound, or likned. to a man biholdinge the cheere of his birthe in a myrour; sotheli he biheld him silf, and wente, and anoon he forȝat what maner he was. Forsothe he that shal parfijtly biholde in the lawe of parfijt fredom, and shal dwelle in it, not maad a forȝetful herer, but a doer of werk, this shal be blessid in his dede. Forsothe if ony man gessith hym silf for to be religious, not refreynynge his tunge, but deceyuynge his herte, the religioun of him is veyn. This is a clene religioun, and vnwemmyd anentis God and the fadir, for to visite pupilles, that is, fadirles and modirles, or bothe, and widewes in her tribulacioun, and for to kepe him silf vndefoulid fro this world.
Mi britheren, nyle ȝe in accepcioun, or takinge, of personys, haue the feith of oure Lord Jhesu Crist of glorie. Forsothe if ther shal entre in to ȝoure couent, or gederinge to gydere, a man hauynge a golden ryng, and in whijt, or fayr, cloth, forsothe and a pore man shal entre in foul habite, or clooth, and ȝe biholde in to him that is clothid with ful cleer clooth, and if ȝe shulen seie to him, Thou sitte heere wel; sotheli to the pore man ȝe seie, Stonde thou there, or sitte vndir the stool of my feet; wher ȝe deme not anentis ȝou silf, and ben maad domesmen of wickid thouȝtis? Here ȝe, my moost dereworthe britheren, wher God chees not pore men in this world, riche in feith, and eyris of the kyngdom, that God bihiȝte aȝen to men louynge him? Forsothe ȝe han despisid the pore man. Wher riche men oppresen not ȝou bi power, and drawen ȝou to domys? Wher thei blasfeme not the good name, that is inclepid on ȝou? Netheles if ȝe performen the kynges lawe, vp scriptures, Thou shalt loue thi neiȝebore as thi silf, ȝe don wel. Sotheli if ȝe taken persones, ȝe werchen synne, ȝe ben repreued of the lawe, as trespassoures. Forsothe who euer shal kepe al the lawe, sotheli offende in oon, he is maad gylty of alle. For he that seide, Thou shalt not do leccherie, seide and, Thou shalt not sle; that if thou shalt not do leccherie, but thou sleest, thou art maad trespassour of the lawe. Thus speke ȝe, and thus do ȝe, as bigynnynge for to be demyd bi lawe of parfijt fredom. Sotheli doom with outen mersy to him that doith not mersy; forsothe merci aboue reisith doom. Mi britheren, what shal it profite, if ony man seie him for to haue feith, werkes forsothe he haue not? wher feith shal mowe saue him? Forsothe if a brother or systir be nakid, and han nede of eche day lijflode, forsothe ony of ȝou seie to hem, Go ȝe in pees, be ȝe maad hoot, and be ȝe fulfillid; sotheli if ȝe shulen not ȝiue to hem what thinges ben necessarie of body, what shal it profite to ȝou? So and feith, if it hath not werkes, is deed in it silf. But sum man shal seie, Thou hast feith, and I haue werkes; shewe thou to me thi feith with outen werkes, and I shal shewe to thee my feith of werkis. Thou bileuest, for oo God is; thou doist wel; and deuels bileuen, and togydere tremblen. Forsothe wolt thou wite, thou veyn man, for feith with outen werkes is ydel? Abraham, oure fadir, wher he was not iustified of werkis, offringe Ysaac, his sone, on the auter? Therfore thou seest, for feith wrouȝte with his werkis, and his feith is fulfillid of werkis. And the scripture is fulfillid, seiynge, Abraham bileuede to God, and it is rettid to him to riȝtwisnesse, and he is clepid the frend of God. Ȝe seen for a man is iustified of werkis, and not of feith onely. Also forsothe and Raab, hoore, wher she was not iustified of werkis, receyuynge the messageres, and bi an other weie doynge out, or sendinge out? Forsothe as a body with oute spirit is deed, so and feith with oute werkis is deed.
Mi britheren, nyle ȝe be maad many maystris, witynge for ȝe taken the more doom. Sotheli alle we offenden in many thingis. If ony man offendith not in word, this is a parfijt man; forsothe he mai with a bridel lede aboute al the body. Forsothe if we putten to horsis bridles in to mouthis, for to consente to vs, and we beren ther with aboute al the body of hem. And lo! shippes, whan thei ben greete, and ben dryuen of stronge wijndis, sotheli thei ben born aboute of a litel gouernayle, where the bire of a man dressinge shal wole. So and the tunge sotheli is a litel membre, and reysith greete thinges. Lo! hou miche fijr kyndlith hou greete a wode. And oure tunge is fijr, the vniuersite of wickidnesse. The tunge is ordeyned in oure membris, the which defoulith al the body; and it enflaumed, or set afijre, of helle, enflaumeth the wheel of oure birthe. Sotheli al the kynde of beestis, and foulis, and serpentis, and of othere, ben ouercome, or vndirȝokid, and ben maad taame, of mannus kynde; forsothe noon of men mai daunte, or chastise, the tunge, sotheli it is an vnquyet, or vnpesible, yuel thing, and ful of deedly venym. In it we blessen God, the fadir, and in it we cursen men, that ben maad to the licnesse of God. Of the same mouth cometh forth blessyng and cursyng. My britheren, it bihoueth not thes thinges for to be maad so. Wher a welle of the saame hole bringe forth swete and salt watir? My britheren, wher a fijge tree mai make grapes, or a vijne fyges? So nether salt watir mai make swete watir. Who is wijse, and disciplined, or chastisyd, among ȝou? shewe he of good lyuyng his werk, in myldenesse of wisdom. That if ȝe han bitter zeel, or enuy, and striuyngis ben in ȝoure hertis, nyle ȝe glorye, and be liȝers aȝens the treuthe. Forsothe this wisdom is not fro aboue comynge doun, but ertheli, beestly, and fendli. For wher is enuye and strijf, there vnstedefastnesse and al shrewid werk. Forsothe wisdom that is fro aboue, first sotheli it is chaast, aftirward pesible, mylde, suadible, that is, esy for to treete, and to be treetid, consentynge to goode thingis, ful of mersy and goode fruytis, demynge with oute feynynge. Sotheli the fruytes of riȝtwisnesse ben sowun in pees, to men makinge pees.
Wherof bateyles and cheestes, or chidinges, a mong ȝou? Wher not of ȝoure coueytisis, that fiȝten in ȝoure membris? Ȝe coueyten, and ȝe han not; ȝe sleen, and ȝe han enuye, and ȝe mowen not gete. Ȝe chijden, and maken bateyl; and ȝe han not, for which thing ȝe han not axid. Ȝe axen, and ȝe receyuen not; for that ȝe axen yuel, as in ȝoure coueytise ȝe shewen. Auowtreres, witen not ȝe, for the frendschip of this world is enemy to God? Therfore who euer shal wole for to be freend of this world, is ordeyned the enemye of God. Wher weene ȝe, that veynly the scripture seith, The spirit that dwellith in ȝou, coueytith to enuye? Forsothe he ȝiueth more grace; for which thing he seith, God withstondith proude men, forsothe to meke men he ȝiueth grace. Therfore be ȝe suget to God; forsothe withstonde ȝe the deuel, and he shal flee fro ȝou. Neiȝe ȝe to God, and he shal neiȝe to ȝou. Ȝe synners, clense the hondes, and ȝe double of inwit, or wille, purge ȝe hertes. Be ȝe wrecches, in ȝoure owne iȝen, and weyle ȝe, and wepe ȝe; ȝoure leiȝing be it turned in to wepyng, and ȝoure ioye in to sorewe of herte. Be ȝe mekid in the siȝt of the Lord, and he shal enhaunse ȝou. Mi britheren, nyle ȝe bakbite ech other. He that bakbitith his brothir, or that demeth his brother, bakbitith the lawe, and demeth the lawe. Forsothe if thou demest the lawe, thou art not a doere of the lawe, but domesman. Sotheli oon is speker, or maker, of the lawe, and iuge, that mai leese, and delyuere. Forsothe who art thou, that demest thi neiȝebore? Lo! now ȝe that seien, To day or to moru we shulen go in to the ilke citee, and there sotheli we shulen make a ȝeer, and we shulen make marchaundise, and we shulen make wynnyng; the whiche witen not, what is to ȝou in the morewe. Forsothe what is ȝoure lijf? A vapour, or smoke, to a litil semynge, and afterward it shal be waastid. Therfore that ȝe seie, If the Lord shal wole, and if we shulen lyue, we shulen do this thing, or that thing. Now forsothe ȝe gladen in ȝoure pridis; euery sich ioying is wickid. Therfore to a man kunnynge for to do good, and not doynge, synne is to him.
Do now, ȝe riche men, wepe ȝe, ȝoulynge in ȝoure wrecchidnessis that shulen come to ȝou. Ȝoure richesses ben maad rotun, and ȝoure clothes ben eten of mouȝtis. Ȝoure gold and siluer hath rustid, and rust of hem shal be to ȝou in to witnessing, and shal ete ȝoure flesches, as fijr. Ȝe han tressourid to ȝou wrath in the laste dayes. Lo! the hijre of ȝoure werkmen, that repiden ȝoure cuntrees, that is fraudid of ȝou, crieth; and the cry of hem entride in to the erys of the Lord of hoostis. Ȝe han ete on the erthe, and in ȝoure leccheries ȝe han nurchid ȝoure hertes. In the dai of sleynge ȝe ledden to, and slewen the iust man, and he aȝenstode not ȝou. Therfore, britheren, be ȝe pacient, til to the comyng of the Lord. Lo! an erthe tilyer abijdith precious fruyt of the erthe, paciently suffringe, til he receyue tymeful and lateful. And be ȝe pacient, and conferme ȝe ȝoure hertes, for the comyng of the Lord shal neiȝe. Britheren, nyle ȝe be soreweful ech in to other, that ȝe be not demed. Lo! the iustise stondith niȝ bifore the ȝat. Britheren, take ȝe ensaumple of yuel goyng out, and of long abijdinge of trauele, and pacience, the prophetes, that spaken to ȝou in the name of the Lord. Lo! we blessen hem that suffreden. Ȝe herden the suffring, or pacience, of Job, and ȝe siȝen the ende of the Lord, for the Lord is merciful, and doynge mercy. Bifore alle thingis, my britheren, nyle ȝe swere, nether bi heuene, ne bi erthe, nethir bi what euere other ooth. Forsothe be ȝoure word, Is, is, Nay, nay, that ȝe falle not vndir doom. Sotheli ony of ȝou is soruful, or heuy, preye he with euene inwit, and seie he psalme. Ony of ȝou is sijke, lede he in prestis of the chirche, and preye thei on him, anoyntinge with oyle in the name of the Lord; and the preier of feith shal saue the sijke, and the Lord shal discharge, or make hym liȝt; and if he be in synnes, thei shulen be forȝiue to him. Therfore knowleche ȝe oon to an othere ȝoure synnes, and preye ȝe for ech othere, that ȝe be saued. Forsothe the contynuel preyer of a iust man is miche worth. Helye was a man lijk to vs passible, or able for to suffre, and in preyer he preyede, that it shulde not reyne on the erthe, and it reynede not thre ȝeeres and sixe monethes. And eftsoone he preyede, and heuen ȝaf reyn, and the erthe ȝaf his fruyt. Britheren, forsothe if ony of ȝou shal erre fro treuthe, and ony shal conuerte hym, he owith for to wite, for he that shal make a synner for to be turned fro the errour of his weie, shal saue the soule of hym fro deeth, and couerith the multitude of synnys.
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