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)
Se engel gehyrte hí mid his wordum, and cwæð hire to, "Efne ðu scealt
geeacnian on ðinum innoðe, and þu acenst sunu." Oncnawað nu, þurh þas word,
soðne mannan acennedne of mædenlicum lichaman. His nama wæs Hiesus, þæt is
Hælend, forðan ðe hé gehælð ealle ða þe on hine rihtlice gelyfað. "Þes bið
mǽre, and he bið gecíged Sunu þæs Hexstan." Gelyfað nu, þurh ðas wórd, þæt
he is soð God of soðum Gode, and efen-ece his Fæder, of ðam he wæs æfre
acenned butan anginne. Crist heold Dauides cynesetl, na lichamlice ac
gastlice; forðan ðe he is ealra cyninga Cyning, and rixað ofer his
gecorenan menn, ægðer ge ofer Israhela folc ge ofer ealle oðre leodscipas,
ða ðe on rihtum geleafan wuniað; and Crist hí ealle gebrincð to his ecan
rice. Israhel is gecweden, 'God geseonde,' and Iacob is gecweden,
'Forscrencend.' Nu ða men ðe God geseoð mid heora mode þurh geleafan, and
þa ðe leahtras forscrencað, hí belimpað to Godes ríce, þe næfre ne ateorað.
Þa cwæð Maria to ðam engle, "Hú mæg þæt beon þæt ic cild hæbbe, forðan ðe
ic nanes weres ne bruce? Ic geteohode min lif on mægðhade to geendigenne:
hu mæg hit ðonne gewurðan þæt ic, butan weres gemanan, cennan scyle?" Þa
andwyrde se engel ðam mædene, "Se Halga Gast cymð ufen on ðe, and miht ðæs
Hyhstan ofersceadewað ðe." Þurh ðæs Halgan Gastes fremminge, swa swa we ær
cwædon, wearð Crist acenned on ðære menniscnysse; and Maria his modor wæs
ofersceadewed ðurh mihte þæs Halgan Gastes. Hu wæs heo ofersceadewod? Heo
wæs swa ofersceadewod þæt heo wæs geclænsod and gescyld wið ealle leahtras,
þurh {200} mihte ðæs Halgan Gastes, and mid heofenlicum gifum gefylled and
gehalgod.
Se engel cwæð, "Þæt Halige, þe of ðe bið acenned, bið geciged Godes Sunu."
Witodlice ealle menn beoð, swa swa se witega cwæð, mid unrihtwisnysse
geeacnode, and mid synnum acennede, ac ure Hælend ana wæs geeacnod butan
unrihtwisnysse, and butan synnum acenned; and he wæs halig þærrihte swa
hraðe swa hé mann wæs, and fulfremed God, þæs Ælmihtigan Godes Sunu, on
anum hade mann and God. Ða cwæð Maria to ðam engle, "Ic eom Godes ðinen;
getimige me æfter ðinum worde." Micel eadmodnys wunode on hyre mode, þaþa
heo ðus cleopode. Ne cwæð heo na, Ic eom Godes modor, oððe, Ic eom cwen
ealles middangeardes, ac cwæð, "Ic eom Godes þinen;" swa swa us mynegað þæt
halige gewrit, þus cweðende, "Þonne ðu mære sy, geeadmed þe sylfne on
eallum ðingum, and ðu gemetst gife and lean mid Gode." Heo cwæð to ðam
engle, "Getimige me æfter ðinum worde:" þæt is, Gewurðe hit swa ðu segst,
þæt ðæs Ælmihtigan Godes Sunu becume on minne innoð, and mennisce edwiste
of me genime, and to alysednysse middangeardes forðstæppe of mé, swa swa
brydguma of his brydbedde.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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