intimates that
some did not acknowledge its apostolic authority. But he
elsewhere cites it as that of "James the Lord's brother," "the
apostle James," "the apostle," and simply "James." See in
Kirchhofer Quellensamlung, pp. 263, 264. Eusebius reckons the
epistle among the books that were "disputed, but known
nevertheless to many." Hist. Eccl., 3, 25. Elsewhere he says:
"It is regarded as spurious; at least not many of the ancients
have made mention of it." Hist. Eccl., 2. 23. But these words
cannot be regarded as expressing Eusebius' own opinion; for he
himself quotes him as "the holy apostle," and his words as
"Scripture." See in Davidson's Introduction to the New
Testament, vol. 3, p. 336; Kirchhofer Quellensamlung, p. 264.

In the course of the fourth century the canonical authority of this
epistle was gradually more and more acknowledged, and in the fifth its
reception in the churches of both the East and the West became
universal.

"This is just what we might expect: a writing little known at
first, obtains a more general circulation, and the knowledge of
the writing and its reception go almost together. The contents
entirely befit the antiquity which the writing claims; no
_evidence_ could be given for rejecting it; it differs in its
whole nature from the foolish and spurious writings put forth in
the name of this James; and thus its gradual reception is to be
accounted for from its having, from early times, been known by
some to be genuine (as shown by the Syraic version), and this
knowledge being afterwards spread more widely." Tregelles in
Horne, vol. 4, chap. 25. Davidson suggests that differences of
opinion and perplexities respecting the number of the persons
called James in the apostolic period, and the relation they bore
to one another, and also the fact that the epistle was addressed
solely to Jewish Christians, may have made its early circulation
comparatively limited. Perhaps we may also add, as he does, its
apparent contrariety to the Pauline doctrine of justification by
faith, but this is by no means certain.

6. This epistle is eminently practical. If any part of it can be called
argumentative, it is that in which the apostle shows that "faith without
works is dead." Chap. 2:14-26. The sins which he rebukes with such
graphic vividness and power were all preeminently the sins of