Matthew Poole and continuators on James 2:18

18 Yea, a man may say , Thou hast faith , and I have works : shew me thy faith without thy works , and I will shew thee my faith by my works .

Any true Believer.

To any such boasting Hypocrite.

Thou pretendest to have Faith, or admit thou hast Faith; and an Historical Faith he might have, as v. 19.

I do not boast of my Faith, or to say nothing of my Faith, yet Works I do profess to have.

There be two Readings of these Words, but in both the sense agrees with the rest of the Apostles Discourse. If we take the marginal Reading, shew me thy Faith by thy Works, the sense is, Evidence the Faith thou pretendest to, by thy Works, as the Fruits of it; let thy Actions vouch for thy Profession. But if we take the Reading in the Text, without thy Works, it is a kind of Ironical Expression, q. d. make it appear by convincing Arguments, that thou hast true Faith, when yet thou wantest Works, the only Argument of the Truth of it; understand here, but this thou canst not.

I will easily prove my Faith to be true and genuine, by those good Works it brings forth in me. Demonstrate the Cause to me without the Effect, if thou canst; but I will easily demonstrate the Cause by the Effect, and prove the Root of Faith to be in me, by my bringing forth that Fruit which is proper to it. It cannot hence be inferred, that wherever such Works are, as Men count, and call good, there must needs be Faith: The Apostle's meaning only is, That wherever true Faith is, there good Works will certainly be.

Marginal references: Some Copies re[illegible: 1 letter]d, by thy works.