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 JAMES

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JAMES

three Apostles alone were admitted to be present at the miracle of the raising of Jairus's daughter (Mark, y, 37; Luke, viii, 51), at the Transfiguration (Mark, ix, 1; Matt., xvii, 1; Luke, ix, 28), and the Agony in Gethsemani (Matt., xxvi, 37; Mark, xiv, 33). The fact that the name of James occurs always (except in Luke, viii, 51; ix, 2S; Acts, i, 13— Gr. Text) before that of his brother seems to imply that James was the elder of the two. It is worthy of notice that James is never mentioned in the Gospel of St. John; this author observes a humble reserve not only with regard to himself, but also about the members of his family (cf. t'amerlynck, "De quarti Evangelii auctore", II, Bruges, 1900, p. 317).

Several incidents scattered through the Synoptics suggest that James and John had that particular character indicated by the name "Boanerges", sons of thunder, given to them by the Lord (Mark, iii, 17) ; they were burning and impetuous in their evangelical zeal and severe in temper. The two brothers showed their fiery temperament against "a certain man casting out devils" in the name of the Christ; John, answering, said: "We [James is probably meant] forbade him, because he followeth not with us" (Luke, ix, 49). When the Samaritans refused to receive Christ, James and John said: "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?" (Luke, ix, .54; cf. v. 49). On the last journey to Jerusalem, their mother Salome came to the Lord and said to Him: "Say that these ray two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom" (Matt., XX, 21). And the two brothers, still ignorant of the spiritual nature of the Messianic Kingdom, joined with their mother in this eager ambition (Mark, x, 37). And, on their assertion that they are willing to drink the chalice that He drinks of, and to be baptized with the baptism of His suffer- ings, Jesus assured them that they will share His sufferings (ibid., v. 38-39). James won the crown of martyrdom fourteen years after tliis prophecy, A. D. 44. Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, reigned at that time as "king" over a wider dominion than that of his grandfather. His great object was to please the Jews in every way, and he showed great regard for the Mosaic Law and Jewish customs. In pursuance of this policy, on the occasion of the Passover of A. D. 44, he perpetrated cruelties upon the Church, whose rapid growth incensed the Jews. The zealous temper of James and his leading part in the Jewish Christian communities probably led .4grippa to choose him as the first victim. "He killed James, the brother of John, with the sword " (Acts, xii, 1-2). According to a tradition, which, as we learn from Euse- bius(Hist.Eccl., II, ix, 2, 3), was received from Clement of .Alexandria (in the seventh book of his lost "Hypo- typoses "), the accuser who led the Apostle to j udgment, moved by his confession, became himself a Christian, and they were beheaded together. As Clement testifies expressly that the account was given him "by those who were before him", this tradition has a better foundation than many other traditions and legends respecting the Apostolic labours and death of St. James, which are related in the Latin "Passio Jacobi Majoris", the Ethiopic "Acts of James", etc. (cf. Lipsius, "Apocryphen Apostelgeschichten und Apo.stellegenden", Brunswick, II, 1SS4, 201 sqq.). The tradition asserting that .James the Greater preached the Go.spel in Spain, and that his body was translated to Compostela, claims more serious consideration.

According to tliis tradition St. James the Greater, having preached (Christianity in Spain, returned to Judea and was put to death l)y order of Herod; his body was miraculously translated to Iria Flavia in the north-west of Spain, and later to Com-

postela, which town, especially during the Middle Ages, became one of the most famous places of pilgrimage in the world. The vow of making a pil- grimage to Compostela to honour the sepulchre of St. James is still reserved to the pope, who alone of his own or ordinary right can dispense from it (see Vow). In the twelfth century was founded the Order of Knights of St. James of Compostela (see Saint James of Compostela, Order of).

With regard to the preaching of the Gospel in Spain by St. James the Greater, several difficulties have been raised: (1) St. James suffered martyrdom A. D. 44 (Acts, xii, 2), and, according to the tradition of the early Church, he had not yet left Jerusalem at this time (cf. Clement of Alexandria, "Strom.", VI; ApoUonius, quoted by Euseb., "Hist. Eccl.", VI, xviii). (2) St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (a. d. 58) expressed the intention to visit Spain (Rom., xv, 24) just after he had mentioned (xv, 20) that he did not "build upon another man's foundation". (3) The argument ex silentio: although the tradition that James founded an Apostolic see in Spain was current in the year 700, no certain mention of such tradition is to be found in the genuine writings of early writers nor in the early councils; the first certain mention we find in the ninth century, in Notker, a monk of St. Gall (Martyrol., 25 July), Walaf ried Strabo (Poema de XII Apo.st.),and others. (4) The tradi- tion was not unanimously admitted afterwards (see Hefele in "Kirchenlexicon", s. v. "Compostela"), while scholars like Baronius, Alexander Natalis, Estius, and Tillemont reject it. The Bollandists however defended it (see Acta Sanctorum, July, VI and VII, where other sources are given).

The authenticity of the sacred relic of Compostela has been questioned and is still doubted (see Ermoni in Vigouroux, "Dictionnaire de la Bible", s. v. "Jacques (Saint) le Majeur"). Even if St. James the Greater did not preach the Christian religion in Spain, his body may have been brought to Com- postela, and this was already the opinion of Notker. According to another tradition, the relics of the Apostle are kept in the church of St-Saturnin at Toulouse (France), but it is not improbable that such sacred relics should have been divided between two churches. A strong argument in favour of the authenticity of the sacred relics of Compostela is the Bull of Leo XIII, " Omnipotens Deus", of 1 No- vember, 1884. (See ( 'o.mpostela; James, Epistle of Saint; James the Le.ss, Saint.)

A. Cameblynck.

James the Less, Saint. — I. — The name "James" in the New Testament is borne by several : — (1) James, the son of Zebedee, Apostle, brother of John, Aposile (see Ja.mes the Greater, Saint). (2) James, the son of .\lpheus. Apostle: Matt., x, 3; Mark, iii, IS; Luke, vi, 15; Acts, i, 13. (3) James, the brother of the Lord: Matt., xiii, 55; Mark, vi, 3; Gal., i, 19. Without a shallow of doubt, he must be identified with the James of Gal., ii, 2, 9; Acts, xii, 17; xv, 13 sqq.; x.xi, 18; I Cor., XV, 7. (4) James, the son of Mary, brother of Joseph (or Joses): Mark, xv, 40 (where he is called 6 fuKpoi "the little", not the "less", as in the D. V., nor t he " lesser " ) ; Matt. , xx vii, 56 ; probably the son of Cleophas or Clopas: John, xi.x, 25, where "Maria C!eoph;e" is generally translated "Mary the wife of Cleophas", as married women are commonly distin- guished by the addition of their husband's name. (5) James, the brother of Jude: Jude, i, 1. Most Cath- olic commentators identify Jude with the "Judas Ja- cobi", the "brother of James" (Luke, vi, 16; Acts, i, 13), called thus liecausi' his limllu'r James was better known than himself in the primitive Church (see Jude, Epistle of Saint). The identity of the Apostle James (2), the .son of ."Mpheus an<l James (3), the brother of the Lord and Bishop of the Church of Jeru-