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Father; the Father dwelleth in me: I am in the Father and the Father in me; I and the Father are one "."

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE OF ST.
JAMES THE LESS.

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WE pass on to the history of the other Saint of this day," James the son of Alphæus," as he is called by the Evangelists in the enumeration of the Apostles'; called also James the Less," and "the Lord's brother"," in other passages of Scripture; and by ecclesiastical writers "James the Just:" for from the best evidence of antiquity there is sufficient reason to be satisfied of the identity of the person described under these several appellations.

St. James was "the son of Alphæus" or Cleophas, which seem to be the same name differently written, or different names for the same person and he is thus described in the

m Col. i. 15.

10, 11. x. 10.

15. Acts i. 13.

Heb. i. 3. Col. ii. 9.

John i. 1, 14. xiv. 9, n Matt. x. 3. Mark iii. 18. Luke vi. P Gal. i. 19.

• Mark xv. 40.

Dr. Cave, Dr. Lardner.

Gospels and the Acts, to distinguish him from the other Apostle James, the son of Zebedee.

The cause of his being called "the Lord's brother" is not ascertained. By some it has been supposed, that Joseph and Alphæus were the same person; that our Apostle was the son of Joseph, afterwards espoused to the blessed Virgin, by a former wife; and was thus reputed our Lord's brother in the same sense in which our Lord was reputed Joseph's son'. By others it has been supposed that Cleophas and Joseph were brothers; that the former died without issue and that Joseph raised up seed unto his brother; that accordingly James, being the first-born of Joseph, was called the son of Cleophas; and was also called "the Lord's brother," because the Lord also was called the son of Joseph'. This appears to have been the most ancient opinion. But the opinion most prevalent among later writers is that of Jerome, that St. James is called "the Lord's brother" in that extended sense, usual with the Hebrews and not unknown to the Greeks and Romans, in which the term was applied to cousins and near kinsmen, as in the cases of Abraham and Lot, of Laban and Jacob; that,

T Dr. Cave.

'Dr. Lardner.

as St. Mark informs us, the name of the mother of James the Less was Mary; that, as St. John says, "Mary, the wife of Cleophas," and of course the mother of James, was sister to

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Mary the mother of Jesus ;" and that in consequence James, who is called the brother, was in fact cousin-german to our Lord'.

He is called "James the Less," with reference, as hath been supposed, to the other James the son of Zebedee; as being perhaps younger in age than he, or later called to the apostleship, or less familiarly admitted to our Lord's privacy and confidence, or of less consideration and eminence in the evangelical history: or probably he was so called on account of his stature; a conjecture, which is favoured by the literal sense of the original word in the positive degree," James the little;" after the manner of the Romans, as well as of our own and other modern nations of Europe, with whom it has been customary to give names corresponding with particular accidents of the body".

The appellation of" the Just," which is never coupled with his name in the New Testament, but by which he seems to have been often called even in his lifetime, as well as afterwards,

Dr. Lardner, Bp. Tomline.

" Ibid.

speaks for itself. It was evidently a title of honour, indicative of the eminent holiness and integrity of his life.

Of the place of his birth, or of his way of living before his call to be a disciple and apostle of Christ, or of any particulars in his conduct afterwards during our Lord's continuance upon earth, the sacred history gives us no intimation. After the resurrection he was honoured by a special appearance of our Lord, which, although not noticed by the Evangelists, is recorded by St. Paul to the Corinthians, without however mentioning any particulars concerning it. It took place, as we may judge from St. Paul's allusion, between that to the five hundred brethren on the mountain of Galilee, and that to all the Apostles, after their return to Jerusalem. That James the Less was the person, to whom this appearance was vouchsafed, though not stated by St. Paul, has been the common opinion and tradition of the Church. The cause and some circumstances of the appearance are cited by Jerome from an apocryphal work, intitled "the Gospel according to the Hebrews;" but the cause assigned is improbable, and the circumstances appear to be fabulous; so that the simple fact may be

* Dr. Cave.

* 1 Cor. xv. 8.

considered as standing where the Scripture leaves it.

St. James, together with the rest of the eleven, was a witness of our Lord's ascension, and a partaker in the promised effusion of the Holy Ghost. After which events, but at what distance of time is uncertain, he was chosen Bishop of the Church in Jerusalem: a station of eminence, to which he was elevated in preference even to Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, who had been peculiarly honoured by our Lord on earth. The cause of his elevation has been supposed to be his relationship to our blessed Lord', probably not without regard to the excellent qualities which distinguished his character and conduct. By some of the ancients it has been said, that the dignity was conferred upon him by Christ himself, who constituted him Bishop, on appearing to him after his resurrection. By others, as particularly by Clement of Alexandria, it has been said with more probability, that he was appointed by the Apostles, especially by the three great Apostles, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, with the consent, as it should seem, and the approbation of all; and acting under the influence of divine inspiration, or possibly by

Dr. Cave.

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