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)
Þa becom se apostol æt sumum sæle to þære byrig Pergamum, þær ða foresædan
cnihtas iú ær eardodon, and gesawon heora ðeowan mid godewebbe
gefreatewode, and on woruldlicum wuldre scinende. Ða wurdon hí mid deofles
flan þurhscotene, and dreorige on mode, þæt hí wædligende on ánum waclicum
wæfelse ferdon, and heora ðeowan on woruldlicum wuldre scinende wæron. Þa
undergeat se apostol ðas deoflican facn, and cwæð, "Ic geseo þæt eower mód
is awend, and eower andwlita, forðan ðe ge eowre speda þearfum dældon, and
mines Drihtnes lare fyligdon: gað nu forði to wuda, and heawað incre
byrðene gyrda, and gebringað to me." Hí dydon be his hæse, and hé on Godes
{64} naman ða grenan gyrda gebletsode, and hí wurdon to readum golde
awende. Eft cwæð se apostol Iohannes, "Gað to ðære sǽ-strande, and feccað
me papolstanas." Hí dydon swa; and Iohannes þa on Godes mægenðrymme hí
gebletsode, and hí wurdon gehwyrfede to deorwurðum gymmum. Þa cwæð se
apostol, "Gað to smiððan, and fandiað þises goldes and ðissera gymstana."
Hí ða eodon, and eft comon, þus cweðende, "Ealle ðas goldsmiðas secgað þæt
hí næfre ær swa clæne gold, ne swa read ne gesawon: eac ðas gym-wyrhtan
secgað þæt hi næfre swa deorwurðe gymstanas ne gemetton." Þa cwæð se
apostol him to, "Nimað þis gold, and ðas gymstanas, and farað, and bicgað
eow land-áre; forðan þe ge forluron ða heofenlican speda. Bicgað eow
pællene cyrtlas, þæt ge to lytelre hwile scinon swa swa róse, þæt ge
hrædlice forweornion. Beoð blowende and welige hwilwendlice, þæt ge ecelice
wædlion. Hwæt la, ne mæg se Ælmihtiga Wealdend þurhteon þæt hé do his
ðeowan rice for worulde, genihtsume on welan, and unwiðmetenlice scinan? Ac
he sette gecámp geleaffullum sawlum, þæt hi gelyfon to geagenne þa ecan
welan, ða ðe for his naman þa hwilwendan speda forhógiað. Ge gehældon
untruman on þæs Hælendes naman, ge afligdon deoflu, ge forgeafon blindum
gesihðe, and gehwilce uncoðe gehældon: efne nu is ðeos gifu eow ætbroden,
and ge sind earmingas gewordene, ge ðe wæron mære and strange. Swa micel
ege stod deoflum fram eow, þæt hí be eowere hæse þa ofsettan deofolseocan
forleton; nu ge ondrædað eow deoflu. Þa heofenlican æhta sind us eallum
gemæne. Nacode we wæron acennede, and nacode we gewitað. Þære sunnan
beorhtnys, and þæs monan leoht, and ealra tungla sind gemæne þam rican and
ðam heanan. Rén-scuras, and cyrcan duru, fulluht, and synna forgyfenys,
huselgang, and Godes neosung, sind eallum gemæne, earmum and eadigum: ac se
ungesæliga gytsere wile mare habban þonne him genihtsumað, þonne he furðon
orsorh ne bricð his genihtsumnysse. Se gytsere hæfð ænne lichaman, and {66}
menigfealde scrúd; he hæfð ane wambe, and þusend manna bigleofan: witodlice
þæt he for gytsunge úncyste nanum oðrum syllan ne mæg, þæt he hordað, and
nat hwam; swa swa se witega cwæð, 'On ídel bið ælc man gedrefed, seðe
hordað, and nat hwam he hit gegaderað.' Witodlice ne bið he þæra æhta
hlaford, þonne he hi dælan ne mæg; ac he bið þæra æhta ðeowa, þonne he him
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