who had abused to Antinomian licentiousness the free grace of God in the justification of sinners by faith in Christ 5. The plain, simple, and practical character of this epistle has caused it sometimes to be undervalued by those, who delight more in the religious feelings and views, which can be indulged in vague speculation, and barren sensation, than in those which require to be brought to the test of practice in the every-day transactions of life. They again, who have imagined that St. James in correcting the errors, into which some had fallen by misapplying the language of St. Paul, intended to controvert the doctrine of justification by faith, as laid down by the latter Apostle, have on this account been prejudiced against it. Thus Luther, in his zeal for the doctrine of justification by faith alone, or irritated by the application of a particular passage in support of two of the errors of the Church of Rome, has been led to speak slightingly of this epistle. But Luther, 5 ii. 14. • v. 14-16. adduced in support of the Romish Sacrament of extreme unction; and of the practice of auricular confession. The only passage in the common editions of Luther's works, in which he speaks slightingly of the epistle of St. James, is in the book "De Capt. Babyl.," where, with reference to the above passage, he says "Omitto, quod hanc epistolam non esse Apostoli Jacobi, nec Apostolico spiritu dignam, multi valde probabiliter asserant." The charge ordinarily brought against him of having called it an epistle of straw "strami when thus led away by the heat of a warm temper, and a vehement style, cut himself off from deriving the support he should have done to his main views from this epistle in which the practical fruits of righteousness are so powerfully set forth. He, whose very war-cry was "optima pænitentia nova vita," should have hailed St. James as an auxiliary in his attack upon the system of religious fraud and moral delusion which it was his object to overthrow. Let his error be our warning-a warning not to presume to judge Holy Writ from preconceived views-not to frame a scheme of doctrine for ourselves, and then to bend and distort the Word of God to make it fit our ideas-not to estimate the value of doctrines according as they seem to us suited to produce this or that effect: but to receive simply and trustingly the whole truth, as delivered to us, in the reliance that He who has given the medicine for our souls, best knows the disease; and that His Word in its fulness is "able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus 7." neam," with other contemptuous epithets, is founded on one of the early prefaces to his German Bible; and as the words do not appear in any edition printed later than 1525, it may fairly be assumed, that Luther regretted the use of such language, though it does not follow from this, that he had changed his opinion with respect to the epistle. But it should be observed, that he never spoke of it absolutely, as an "epistle of straw," but relatively. The words are "S. Jacobi epistolam non posse dignitate certare cum epistolis S. Petri et Pauli, sed epistolam stramineam esse, si cum illis comparetur." Now this is a very different thing from speaking of it, as contemptible in itself. The language is doubtless unjustifiable: but the fact of attributing higher importance to the truths revealed in one portion of Holy Writ, than to those contained in another, is perfectly compatible with the admission of the genuineness of both, and with respect for their inspired authority. St. Paul's epistle to the Romans is more important than that to Philemon. Had Luther contented himself with saying, that St. James' epistle did not appear to him of such consequence as those of St. Peter and St. Paul, we should probably have rather judged the comparison uncalled for, and therefore unsuitable, than denied its correctness, if compelled to make it.-[For the controversy respecting these expressions of Luther, see Bayles' Dict. Art. Luther.] Ours be it to remember, that all scripture is equally "written for our learning," and to endeavour to draw from each part the instruction it is most suited to convey. It arises necessarily from the very variety of tone and manner, of which we have been speaking, that different individuals find different portions of the Word of God most agreeable to their feelings-most accordant to their tastes. But they should remember, that, on this very account, these probably are the parts, on which it is least necessary for them to dwell. The scriptures are "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness &.” But they, who take most pleasure in speculating on the doctrines, may need rather correction and reproof. They on the contrary, who are inclined 72 Tim. iii. 15. 8 2 Tim. iii. 16. to regard the oracles of God mainly as a moral rule to correct and reprove transgressions of the law, take all life, and spirit, and force from the very rules they most admire, unless they recur again and again to those doctrinal truths, which can alone give spiritual efficacy to the moral law, and make obedience effectual unto life. And it is only by uniting both by imbuing the heart with the doctrines of faith, that reproof may be sure, and correction effectual that the man of God can be so instructed in righteousness, as to be "perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works 9." To this end the very variety of the tone of scripture may conduce, from the different features of the Christian character being more prominently brought forward in different parts of Holy Writ. Thus from St. Paul we may learn distinct views of the revelation of grace; and take in its plenitude the doctrine of justification by faith alone. From St. John we may imbibe the overflowing spirit of Christian love: while we are taught to regard the fruit of faith, and the works of love set forth as the only sure test of the presence of either in the writings of St. James. In this way every page of revelation will teach its own lesson, and work its proper end. All will form together one complete system, and combine 92 Tim. iii. 17. K |