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 undeopðancol man, hu God mæge beón æghwær ætgædere, and nahwar
todæled. Beheald þas sunnan, hu heage heo astihð, and hu heo asent hyre
leoman geond ealne middangeard, and hu heo onliht ealle ðas eorðan þe
mancynn on-eardað. Swa hraðe swa heo up-asprincð on ærne merigen, heo scinð
on Hierusalem, and on Romebyrig, and on ðisum earde, and on eallum eardum
ætgædere; and {288} hwæðere heo is gesceaft, and gæð be Godes dihte. Hwæt
wenst ðu hu miccle swiðor is Godes andweardnys, and his miht, and his
neosung æghwær. Him ne wiðstent nan ðing, naðer ne stænen weall ne bryden
wáh, swa swa hi wiðstandað þære sunnan. Him is nan ðing digle ne uncuð. Þu
gesceawast ðæs mannes neb, and God sceawað his heortan. Godes gast afandað
ealra manna heortan; and ða ðe on hine gelyfað and hine lufiað, þa he
clænsað and gegladað mid his neosunge, and ðæra ungeleaffulra manna heortan
he forbyhð and onscunað.
Wite eac gehwá, þæt ælc man hæfð þreo ðing on him sylfum untodæledlice and
togædere wyrcende, swa swa God cwæð, þaþa hé ærest mann gesceop. He cwæð,
"Uton gewyrcean mannan to ure gelicnysse." And hé worhte ða Adám to his
anlicnysse. On hwilcum dæle hæfð se man Godes anlicnysse on him? On þære
sawle, na on ðam lichaman. Þæs mannes sawl hæfð on hire gecynde þære Halgan
Þrynnysse anlicnysse; forðan þe heo hæfð on hire ðreo ðing, þæt is gemynd,
and andgit, and willa. Þurh þæt gemynd se man geðencð þa ðing ðe he
gehyrde, oþþe geseah, oþþe geleornode. Þurh þæt andgit he understént ealle
ða ðing ðe he gehyrð oððe gesihð. Of ðam willan cumað geðohtas, and word,
and weorc, ægðer ge yfele ge gode. An sawul is, and an líf, and an edwist,
seoðe hæfð þas ðreo ðing on hire togædere wyrcende untodæledlice; forði þær
þæt gemynd bið þær bið þæt andgit and se willa, and æfre hí beoð togædere.
Þeah-hwæðere nis nan ðæra ðreora seo sawul, ac seo sawul þurh þæt gemynd
gemanð, þurh þæt andgit heo understent, þurh ðone willan heo wile swa hwæt
swa hire licað; and heo is hwæðere án sawl and án líf. Nu hæfð heo forði
Godes anlicnysse on hire, forðan ðe heo hæfð þreo ðing on hire
untodæledlice wyrcende. Is hwæðere se man án man, and na ðrynnys: God
soðlice, Fæder and Sunu and Hálig Gast, þurhwunað on ðrynnysse hada, and on
annysse anre godcundnysse. Nis na se man on ðrynnysse {290} wunigende, swa
swa God, ac he hæfð hwæðere Godes anlicnysse on his sawle þurh ða ðreo ðing
þe we ær cwædon.
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