Fratres mei, nolite in personarum acceptione habere fidem Domini nostri Jesu Christi gloriæ.

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons.

Brethren, you believe that all glory belongs to our Lord Jesus Christ; do not combine this faith of yours with flattery of human greatness.

Etenim si introierit in conventum vestrum vir aureum annulum habens in veste candida, introierit autem et pauper in sordido habitu,

For if there shall come into your assembly a man having a golden ring, in fine apparel, and there shall come in also a poor man in mean attire,

Suppose that a man comes into your place of meeting in fine clothes, wearing a gold ring; suppose that a poor man comes in at the same time, ill clad.

et intendatis in eum qui indutus est veste præclara, et dixeritis ei: Tu sede hic bene: pauperi autem dicatis: Tu sta illic; aut sede sub scabello pedum meorum:

And you have respect to him that is clothed with the fine apparel, and shall say to him: Sit thou here well; but say to the poor man: Stand thou there, or sit under my footstool:

Will you pay attention to the well-dressed man, and bid him take some place of honour; will you tell the poor man, Stand where thou art, or Sit on the ground at my footstool?

nonne judicatis apud vosmetipsos, et facti estis judices cogitationum iniquarum?

Do you not judge within yourselves, and are become judges of unjust thoughts?

If so, are you not introducing divisions into your company? Have you not shewn partiality in your judgement?

Audite, fratres mei dilectissimi: nonne Deus elegit pauperes in hoc mundo, divites in fide, et hæredes regni, quod repromisit Deus diligentibus se?

Hearken, my dearest brethren: hath not God chosen the poor in this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him?

Listen to me, my dear brethren; has not God chosen the men who are poor in the world’s eyes to be rich in faith, to be heirs of that kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?

vos autem exhonorastis pauperem. Nonne divites per potentiam opprimunt vos, et ipsi trahunt vos ad judicia?

But you have dishonoured the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you by might? and do not they draw you before the judgment seats?

And here are you putting the poor man to shame. Is it not the rich who use their power to oppress you? Are not they the very men who drag you into court,

nonne ipsi blasphemant bonum nomen, quod invocatum est super vos?

Do not they blaspheme the good name that is invoked upon you?

the very men who speak evil of that honoured name, by which you are called?

Si tamen legem perficitis regalem secundum Scripturas: Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum: bene facitis:

If then you fulfil the royal law, according to the scriptures, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; you do well.

True, you do well to observe, in their regard, the royal law you find in the words of scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

si autem personas accipitis, peccatum operamini, redarguti a lege quasi transgressores.

But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, being reproved by the law as transgressors.

But if you flatter the great, you incur guilt; the law finds you out in a transgression.

Quicumque autem totam legem servaverit, offendat autem in uno, factus est omnium reus.

And whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all.

And the man who has failed in one point, though he has kept the rest of the law, is liable to all its penalties:

Qui enim dixit: Non mœchaberis, dixit et: Non occides. Quod si non mœchaberis, occides autem, factus es transgressor legis.

For he that said, Thou shalt not commit adultery, said also. Thou shalt not kill. Now if thou do not commit adultery, but shalt kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

he who forbids adultery has forbidden murder as well. The murderer, though he be no adulterer, has yet transgressed the law.

Sic loquimini, et sic facite sicut per legem libertatis incipientes judicari.

So speak ye, and so do, as being to be judged by the law of liberty.

You must speak and act like men already on their trial before a law of freedom.

Judicium enim sine misericordia illi qui non fecit misericordiam: superexaltat autem misericordia judicium.

For judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy. And mercy exalteth itself above judgment.

The merciless will be judged mercilessly; mercy gives its judgement an honourable welcome.

Quid proderit, fratres mei, si fidem quis dicat se habere, opera autem non habeat? numquid poterit fides salvare eum?

What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him?

Of what use is it, my brethren, if a man claims to have faith, and has no deeds to shew for it? Can faith save him then?

Si autem frater et soror nudi sint, et indigeant victu quotidiano,

And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food:

Here is a brother, here is a sister, going naked, left without the means to secure their daily food;

dicat autem aliquis ex vobis illis: Ite in pace, calefacimini et saturamini: non dederitis autem eis quæ necessaria sunt corpori, quid proderit?

And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit?

if one of you says to them, Go in peace, warm yourselves and take your fill, without providing for their bodily needs, of what use is it?

Sic et fides, si non habeat opera, mortua est in semetipsa.

So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself.

Thus faith, if it has no deeds to shew for itself, has lost its own principle of life.

Sed dicet quis: Tu fidem habes, et ego opera habeo: ostende mihi fidem tuam sine operibus: et ego ostendam tibi ex operibus fidem meam.

But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith.

We shall be inclined to say to him, Thou hast faith, but I have deeds to shew. Shew me this faith of thine without any deeds to prove it, and I am prepared, by my deeds, to prove my own faith.

Tu credis quoniam unus est Deus: bene facis: et dæmones credunt, et contremiscunt.

Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble.

Thou believest that there is only one God; that is well enough, but then, so do the devils, and the devils shrink from him in terror.

Vis autem scire, o homo inanis, quoniam fides sine operibus mortua est?

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Rash soul, wouldst thou be assured that faith without deeds to shew has no life in it?

Abraham pater noster nonne ex operibus justificatus est, offerens Isaac filium suum super altare?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar?

Think of our father Abraham; was it not by his deeds that he found approval, when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

Vides quoniam fides cooperabatur operibus illius: et ex operibus fides consummata est?

Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect?

See how his faith conspired with deeds done, and through those deeds his faith was realized.

Et suppleta est Scriptura, dicens: Credidit Abraham Deo, et reputatum est illi ad justitiam, et amicus Dei appellatus est.

And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God.

Thus he confirmed the words of scripture, which tell us, Abraham put his faith in God, and it was reckoned virtue in him, and he earned the title of God’s friend.

Videtis quoniam ex operibus justificatur homo, et non ex fide tantum?

Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only?

You see, then, that it takes deeds as well as faith if a man is to be justified.

Similiter et Rahab meretrix, nonne ex operibus justificata est, suscipiens nuntios, et alia via ejiciens?

And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way?

Or again, how did Rahab, the harlot, win God’s approval? Was it not by her deeds, when she harboured the spies and sent them home by a different way?

Sicut enim corpus sine spiritu mortuum est, ita et fides sine operibus mortua est.

For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.

Body separated from spirit is a dead body, and faith separated from good deeds is a dead faith.