The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church: Containing the Sermones Catholici, or Homilies of Ælfric, in the Original Anglo-Saxon, with an English Version. Volume I.Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham
Religion
The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church: Containing the Sermones Catholici, or Homilies of Ælfric, in the Original Anglo-Saxon, with an English Version. Volume I.
Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham
Sermons, English (Old)
Nu smeað sum ungeleafful man, Hu mæg ic gewilnian ðæs gastlican leohtes,
þæt þæt ic geseon ne mæg? Nu cweðe ic to ðam menn, þæt ða ðing þe hé
understynt and undergytan {160} mæg, ne undergyt he ná ða ðing þurh his
lichaman, ac þurh his sawle; þeah-hwæðere ne gesihð nan man his sawle on
ðisum life. Heo is ungesewenlic, ac ðeah-hwæðere heo wissað þone
gesewenlican lichaman. Se lichama, ðe is gesewenlic, hæfð lif of ðære
sawle, þe is ungesewenlic. Gewíte þæt ungesewenlice ut, þonne fylð adune
þæt gesewenlice; forðan þe hit ne stod na ær ðurh hit sylf. Þæs lichoman
lif is seo sawul, and þære sawle lif is God. Gewite seo sawul ut, ne mæg se
muð clypian, þeah ðe hé gynige; ne eage geseon, þeah ðe hit open sy; ne nán
limn ne deð nan ðing, gif se lichama bið sawulleas. Swa eac seo sawul, gif
God hí forlæt for synnum, ne deð heo nan ðing to góde. Ne mæg nan man nan
ðing to góde gedon, butan Godes fultume. Ne bið seo synfulle sawul na mid
ealle to nahte awend, ðeah ðe heo gode adeadod sy; ac heo bið dead ælcere
duguðe and gesælðe, and bið gehealden to ðam ecan deaðe, þær þær heo æfre
bið on pinungum wunigende, and þeah-hwæðere næfre ne ateorað.
Hu mæg þe nú twynian þæs ecan leohtes, ðeah hit ungesewenlic sy, þonne þu
hæfst líf of ungesewenlicre sawle, and þe ne twynað nan ðing þæt þu sawle
hæbbe, ðeah ðu hí geseon ne mage? Se blinda, ðaða hé geseon mihte, þa
fyligde hé ðam Hælende. Se man gesihð and fylið Gode, seðe cann
understandan God, and gód weorc wyrcð. Se man gesihð and nele Gode fylian,
seðe understent God, and nele gód wyrcan. Ac uton understandan God and gód
weorc wyrcean: uton behealdan hwíder Crist gange, and him fylian; þæt is
þæt we sceolon smeagan hwæt hé tæce, and hwæt him licige, and þæt mid
weorcum gefyllan, swa swa hé sylf cwæð, "Se ðe me þenige, fylige hé me;"
þæt is, geefenlæce hé me, and onscunige ælc yfel, and lufige ælc gód, swa
swa ic do. Ne teah Crist him na to on ðisum life land ne welan, swa swa he
be him sylfum cwæð, "Deor habbað hola, and fugelas habbað nest, hwær hí
restað, and ic næbbe hwider ic ahylde min {162} heafod." Swa micel he hæfde
swa he rohte, and leofode be oðra manna æhtum, se ðe ealle ðing áh.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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