the Fourth Week of Advent
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Myles Coverdale Bible
James 2
1 Brethren, haue not the faith of oure LORDE Iesus Christ ye LORDE of glory in respecte of persons.2 Yf ther come in to yor copany a ma wt a golde rynge and in goodly aparell, & ther come in also a poore man in vyle raymet,3 & ye haue a respecte to him yt weareth the gaye clothinge & saye vnto hi: Sit thou here i a good place, & saye vnto ye poore, stonde thou there or sit here vnder my fote stole:4 are ye not parciall in youre selues, and haue iudged after euyll thoughtes?5 Harken my deare beloued brethre. Hath not God chosen the poore of this worlde, which are ryche in faith, and heyres of the kyngdom which he promysed to the that loue him?6 But ye haue despised the poore. Are not the rych they which oppresse you: & they which drawe you before iudges?7 Do not they speake euell of that good name after which ye be named.
8 Yf ye fulfill the royall lawe acordinge to the scripture which saith: Thou shalt loue thyne neghbour as thyselfe, ye do well.9 But yf ye regarde one person more then another, ye comit synne, and are rebuked of the lawe as trsagressours.10 Whosoeuer shal kepe the whole lawe, and yet fayle in one poynt, he is gyltie in all.11 For he that sayde: Thou shalt not commit adulterie, sayed also: thou shalt not kyll. Though thou do none adulterie, yet yf thou kill, thou art a transgresser of the lawe.12 So speake ye, and so do as they that shalbe iudged by the lawe of libertie.13 For ther shalbe iudgement merciles to him that sheweth no mercy, & mercy reioiseth against iudgment.
14 What a vayleth it my brethre, though a man saye he hath faith, when he hath no dedes? Can faith saue him?15 If a brother or a sister be naked or destitute of dayly fode,16 & one of you saye vnto them: Departe in peace, God sende you warmnes and fode: notwithstodinge ye geue them not tho thinges which are nedfull to the body: what helpeth it them?17 Euen so faith, yf it haue no dedes, is deed in it selfe.18 Ye & a man might saye: Thou hast faith, and I haue dedes: Shewe me thy faith by thy dedes: and I wil shewe the my faith by my dedes.19 Beleuest thou yt ther is one God? Thou doest well. The deuils also beleue and tremble.20 Wilt thou vnderstode o thou vayne man that faith with out dedes is deed:21 Was not Abraham oure father iustified thorow workes when he offered Isaac his sonne vpon the aulter?22 Thou seist how yt faith wrought with his dedes, and through ye dedes was the faith made perfect:23 & the scripture was fulfilled which faith: Abraha beleued God and it was reputed vnto him for rightewesnes: and he was called ye frende of God.24 Ye se then how that of dedes a man is iustified, and not of faith only25 Likewise also was not Raab the harlot iustified thorow workes, when she receaued the messengers, and sent them out another waye?26 For as the body, with oute the sprete is deed, euen so faith wt out dedes is deed.