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)
Mine gebroðra, uton geefenlæcan be sumum dæle swa miccles lareowes
geleafan, and swa mæres cyðeres lufe. Uton lufian ure gebroðra on Godes
gelaðunge mid swilcum mode swa swa ðes cyðere þa lufode his fynd. Beoð
gemyndige hwæt seo sylfe Soðfæstnys on ðam halgan godspelle behét, and
hwilc wedd us gesealde. Se Hælend cwæð, "Gif ge forgyfað þam mannum þe wið
eow agyltað, þonne forgyfð eow eower Fæder eowere synna: gif ge ðonne
nellað forgyfan, nele eac eower Fæder eow forgifan eowere gyltas." Ge
gehyrað nu, mine gebroðra, þæt hit stent þurh Godes gyfe on urum agenum
dihte hu ús bið æt Gode gedémed. He cwæð, "Gif ge forgyfað, eow bið
forgyfen." Ne bepæce nán man hine sylfne: witodlice gif hwa furðon ænne man
hatað on ðisum middangearde, swa hwæt swa he to góde gedéð, eal {54} he hit
forlyst; forðan ðe se apostol Paulus ne bið geligenod, þe cwæð, "Þeah ðe ic
aspende ealle mine æhta on ðearfena bigleofan, and ðeah ðe ic minne agenne
lichaman to cwale gesylle, swa ðæt ic forbyrne on martyrdome; gif ic næbbe
ða soðan lufe, ne fremað hit me nan ðing." Be ðan ylcan cwæð se godspellere
Iohannes, "Seðe his broðor ne lufað, he wunað on deaðe." Eft hé cwæð, "Ælc
ðæra þe his broðor hatað is manslaga." Ealle we sind gebroðra þe on God
gelyfað, and we ealle cweðað, "Pater noster qui es in celis," þæt is, "Ure
Fæder þe eart on heofonum." Ne gedyrstlæce nan man be mægðhade, butan soðre
lufe. Ne truwige nan man be ælmesdædum oððe on gebedum, butan ðære
foresædan lufe; forðan ðe swa lange swa hé hylt ðone sweartan nið on his
heortan, ne mæg he mid nanum ðinge þone mildheortan God gegladian. Ac gif
he wille þæt him God milde sý, þonne hlyste hé gódes rædes, na of minum
muðe, ac of Cristes sylfes: he cwæð, "Gif ðu offrast ðine lác to Godes
weofode, and þu þær gemyndig bist þæt ðin broðor hæfð sum ðing ongean ðe,
forlæt ðærrihte ða lác ætforan ðam weofode, and gang ærest to þinum breðer,
and þe to him gesibsuma; and ðonne ðu eft cymst to ðam weofode, geoffra
ðonne ðine lác." Gif ðu ðonne þinum cristenum breðer deredest, þonne hæfð
he sum ðing ongean ðe, and þu scealt be Godes tæcunge hine gegladian, ær ðu
ðine lác geoffrige. Gif ðonne se cristena mann, þe ðin broðor is, ðe ahwar
geyfelode, þæt ðu scealt miltsigende forgifan. Ure gastlican lác sind ure
gebedu, and lofsang, and husel-halgung, and gehwilce oðre lác ðe we Gode
offriað, þa we sceolon mid gesibsumere heortan and broðerlicere lufe Gode
betæcan. Nu cwyð sum man ongean ðas rædinge, Ne mæg ic minne feond lufian,
ðone ðe ic dæghwonlice wælhreowne togeanes me geseo. Eala ðu mann, þu
sceawast hwæt ðin broðor þe dyde, and þu ne sceawast hwæt ðu Gode gedydest.
Þonne ðu micele swærran synna wið God gefremodest, hwí nelt ðu forgyfan ða
lytlan gyltas anum menn, þæt se Ælmihtiga God þe ða micclan {56} synna
forgyfe? Nu cwyst ðu eft, Micel gedeorf bið me þæt ic minne feond lufige,
and for ðone gebidde þe me hearmes cepð. Ne wiðcweðe we þæt hit micel
gedeorf ne sy; ac gif hit is hefigtyme on ðyssere worulde, hit becymð to
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