Jas James, chapter Epistle of James, chapter 2
My brethren, haue not the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons. Lev 19:15For if there come into your company a man with a golde ring, and in goodly apparell, and there come in also a poore man in vile raiment, And ye haue a respect to him that weareth the gaie clothing; and say vnto him, Sit thou here in a goodly place, and say vnto the poore, Stand thou there, or sit here vnder my footestoole, Are yee not partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts? Hearken my beloued brethren, hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde, that they should be rich in faith, and heires of the kingdome which he promised to them that loue him? Exo 20:6; Mat 5:3But ye haue despised the poore. Doe not the riche oppresse you by tyrannie, and doe not they drawe you before the iudgement seates? Doe nor they blaspheme the worthie Name after which yee be named? But if yee fulfill the royall Lawe according to the Scripture, which saith, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe, yee doe well. Lev 19:18; Mat 5:43But if yee regarde the persons, yee commit sinne, and are rebuked of the Lawe, as transgressours. Lev 19:15For whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Lawe, and yet faileth in one poynt, hee is guiltie of all. Mat 5:19For he that saide, Thou shalt not commit adulterie, saide also, Thou shalt not kill. Nowe though thou doest none adulterie, yet if thou killest, thou art a transgressour of the Lawe. Exo 20:13; Mat 19:18So speake ye, and so doe, as they that shall be iudged by the Lawe of libertie. For there shalbe condemnation merciles to him that sheweth not mercie, and mercie reioyceth against condemnation. Pro 21:13; Mat 6:15What auaileth it, my brethren, though a man saith he hath faith, when he hath no workes? can that faith saue him? Mat 7:26For if a brother or a sister bee naked and destitute of daily foode, Luk 3:11; 1Jn 3:17And one of you say vnto them, Depart in peace: warme your selues, and fil your bellies, notwithstading ye giue them not those things which are needefull to the body, what helpeth it? Euen so the faith, if it haue no woorkes, is dead in it selfe. But some man might say, Thou hast the faith, and I haue woorkes: shewe me thy faith out of thy woorkes, and I will shewe thee my faith by my woorkes. Thou beleeuest that there is one God: thou doest well: the deuils also beleeue it, and tremble. Mrk 1:24; Mrk 12:29; Act 19:15But wilt thou vnderstand, O thou vaine man, that the faith which is without workes, is dead? Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes, when he offred Isaac his sonne vpon the altar? Gen 22:9; Heb 11:17Seest thou not that the faith wrought with his workes? and through the workes was the faith made perfect. And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth, Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse: and hee was called the friende of God. Gen 15:6; 2Ch 20:7; Isa 41:8; Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6Ye see then howe that of workes a man is iustified, and not of faith onely. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot iustified through workes, when she had receiued ye messengers, and sent them out another way? Jos 2:1; Heb 11:31For as the body without ye spirit is dead, euen so the faith without workes is dead.