The Epistle of Saynct James. The fyrst Chapter.
- James the seruaut of God and of the Lorde Jesus Christ sendeth gretinge to ye .xii. trybes which are scattered here and there.
- My brethren count it excedynge ioye when ye faule into divers teptacions
- for as moche as ye knowe how that the tryinge of youre fayth bringeth pacience:
- and let pacience have her parfect worke that ye maye be parfecte and sounde lackinge nothinge.
- Yf eny of you lacke wysdome let him axe of God which geveth to all men indifferentlie and casteth no man in the teth: and it shal be geven him.
- But let him axe in fayth and waver not. For he that douteth is lyke the waves of the see tost of the wynde and caried with violence.
- Nether let that man thinke that he shall receave eny thinge of the Lorde.
- A waveringe mynded man is vnstable in all his wayes.
- Let the brother of lowe degre reioyce in yt he is exalted
- and the ryche in that he is made lowe. For eve as ye flower of the grasse shall he vanysshe awaye.
- The sonne ryseth with heate and the grasse wydereth and his flower falleth awaye and the beautie of the fassion of it perissheth: even so shall the ryche man perisshe with his aboundance.
- Happy is the man that endureth in temptacion for when he is tryed he shall receave the croune of lyfe which the Lorde hath promysed to them that love him.
- Let no man saye when he is tepted that he is tempted of God. For God tepteth not vnto evyll nether tepteth he anie ma.
- But every ma is tepted drawne awaye and entysed of his awne concupiscece.
- Then when lust hath coceaved she bringeth forth synne and synne whe it is fynisshed bringeth forthe deeth.
- Erre not my deare brethren.
- Every good gyfte and every parfayt gyft is from above and commeth doune fro the father of light with whom is no variablenes nether is he chaunged vnto darcknes.
- Of his awne will begat he vs with the worde of lyfe that we shuld be the fyrst frutes of his creatures.
- Wherfore deare brethren let every man be swyfte to heare slowe to speake and slowe to wrath.
- For the wrath of man worketh not that which is ryghteous before God.
- Wherfore laye a parte all fylthynes all superfluite of maliciousnes and receave with meknes the worde yt is grafted in you which is able to save youre soules.
- And se that ye be doars of the worde and not hearers only deceavinge youre awne selves with sophistrie
- For yf eny heare the worde and do it not he is lyke vnto a man that beholdeth his bodyly face in a glasse.
- For assone as he hath loked on him silfe he goeth his waye and forgetteth immediatlie what his fassion was.
- But who so loketh in the parfaict lawe of libertie and continueth ther in (yf he be not a forgetfull hearer but a doar of ye worke) the same shall be happie in his dede.
- Yf eny man amonge you seme devoute and refrayne not his tonge: but deceave his awne herte this mannes devocion is in vayne
- Pure devocion and vndefiled before God the father is this: to vysit the frendlesse and widdowes in their adversite and to kepe him silfe vnspotted of the worlde.