ence in all the worldly accidents that might befal them; to resign
themselves into God's hands, and accept in faith whatever might happen. He
then proceeds:

"If any of you lack wisdom" (prudentia ad dijudicandum quid in singulis
circumstantiis agendum sit--_Grotius_), "let him ask of God" (postulet
ab eo, qui dat, nempe Deo: ut intelligas non aliunde petendum
sapientiam.--_Erasmus_).

Again, in chap. iii. 13., he asks:

"Who is a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you" ([Greek:
epistemon], _i. e._ sciens, sive scientia praeditus, quod recentiores
vocant scientificus.--_Erasmus_).

He bids him prove his wisdom by submission to the truth; for that cunning
craftiness which manifests itself only in generating heresies and
contentions, is--

"Not from above," [Greek: all' epigeios, Psuchike ] (animalis,--ista
sapientia a natura est, non a Deo) [Greek: daimoniodes].--_Vid._ Eph.
ii. 2., and 2 Cor. iv. 4.

These passages would naturally afford ample scope for the exuberant fancy
of ancient commentators; and it is not unreasonable to suppose that Bishop
Taylor may have had the remarks of one of these writers running in his
mind, when he quoted St. James as reprobating, with such minuteness of
detail, the folly of consulting oracles, spirits, sorcerers, and the like.

I have not, at present, access to any of the commentators to whom I allude;
so I am unable to confirm this suggestion.

H. C. K.

---- Rectory, Hereford.

There is no uncanonical epistle attributed to this apostle, although the
one received by the English from the Greek and Latin churches was
pronounced uncanonical by Luther. The passage to which Jeremy Taylor
refers, is iv. 13, 14., which he interpreted as referring to an unlawful
inquiry into the future:

"Go to now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a
city and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: whereas
ye know not what shall be on the morrow: for what is your life? It is
even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth
away."

Hug (Wait's Trans., vol. ii. p. 579.) considers the apostle as reproving
the Jews for attempting to evade the national punishment threatened them,
by removing out of their own country of Judaea. Probably, however, neither
Taylor nor Hug are correct in departing from the more obvious
signification, which refers to the mercantile character of the twelv