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)
Hit gelamp æt sumum sæle þæt þa deofolgyldan þe þa gýt ungeleaffulle wǽron,
gecwædon þæt hi woldon þone apostol to heora hæðenscipe geneadian. Þa cwæð
se apostol to ðam hæðengyldum, "Gað ealle endemes to Godes cyrcan, and
clypiað ealle to eowerum godum, þæt seo cyrce afealle ðurh heora mihte;
ðonne buge ic to eowerum hæðenscipe. Gif ðonne eower godes miht þa halgan
cyrcan towurpan ne mæg, ic towurpe eower tempel þurh ðæs Ælmihtigan Godes
mihte, and ic tocwyse eower deofolgyld; and bið þonne rihtlic geðuht þæt ge
geswycon eoweres gedwyldes, and gelyfon on ðone soðan God, seðe ana is
Ælmihtig." Þa hæðengyldan ðisum cwyde geðwærlæhton, and Iohannes mid
geswæsum wordum þæt folc tihte, þæt hí ufor eodon fram þam deofles {72}
temple; and mid beorhtre stemne ætforan him eallum clypode, "On Godes naman
ahreose þis tempel, mid eallum þam deofolgyldum þe him on eardiað, þæt þeos
menigu tocnawe þæt ðis hæðengyld deofles biggeng is." Hwæt ða færlice
ahreas þæt tempel grundlunga, mid eallum his anlicnyssum to duste awende.
On ðam ylcan dæge wurdon gebigede twelf ðusend hæðenra manna to Cristes
geleafan, and mid fulluhte gehalgode.
Þa sceorede ða gyt se yldesta hæðengylda mid mycelre þwyrnysse, and cwæð
þæt he nolde gelyfan buton Iohannes attor drunce, and þurh Godes mihte ðone
cwelmbæran drenc oferswiðde. Þa cwæð se apostol, "Þeah þu me attor sylle,
þurh Godes naman hit me ne derað." Ða cwæð se hæðengylda Aristodemus, "Þu
scealt ærest oðerne geseon drincan, and ðærrihte cwelan, þæt huru ðin
heorte swa forhtige for ðam deadbærum drence." Iohannes him andwyrde, "Gif
ðu on God gelyfan wylt, ic unforhtmod ðæs drences onfó." Þa getengde se
Aristodemus to ðam heahgerefan, and genám on his cwearterne twegen ðeofas,
and sealde him ðone unlybban ætforan eallum ðam folce, on Iohannes gesihðe;
and hi ðærrihte æfter þam drence gewiton. Syððan se hæðengylda eac sealde
ðone attorbæran drenc þam apostole, and hé mid rodetacne his muð, and ealne
his lichaman gewǽpnode, and ðone unlybban on Godes naman halsode, and
siððan mid gebildum mode hine ealne gedranc. Aristodemus ða and þæt folc
beheoldon þone apostol ðreo tída dæges, and gesawon hine habban glædne
andwlitan, buton blácunge and forhtunge; and hi ealle clypodon, "An soð God
is, seðe Iohannes wurðað." Þa cwæð se hæðengylda to ðam apostole, "Gyt me
tweonað; ac gif ðu ðas deadan sceaðan, on ðines Godes naman arærst, þonne
bið min heorte geclænsod fram ælcere twynunge." Ða cwæð Iohannes,
"Aristodeme, nim mine tunecan, and lege bufon ðæra deadra manna lic, and
cweð, 'Þæs Hælendes Cristes apostol me asende to eow, þæt ge on his naman
of deaðe arison, and ælc man oncnáwe þæt {74} deað and líf ðeowiað minum
Hælende.'" He ða be ðæs apostoles hæse bær his tunecan, and alede uppon ðam
twám deadum; and hí ðærrihte ansunde arison. Þaða se hæðengylda þæt geseah,
ða astrehte he hine to Iohannes fotum, and syððan ferde to ðam heahgerefan,
and him ða wundra mid hluddre stemne cydde. Hí ða begen þone apostol
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