Nu wígliað stunte men menigfealde wígelunga on ðisum dæge, mid micclum gedwylde, æfter hæðenum gewunan, ongean heora cristendom, swylce hí magon heora líf gelengan, oþþe heora gesundfulnysse, mid þam ðe hí gremiað þone Ælmihtigan Scyppend. Sind eac manega mid swa micclum gedwylde befangene, þæt hí cepað be ðam monan heora fær, and heora dæda be dagum, and nellað heora ðing wanian on monan-dæg, for anginne ðære wucan; ac se monan-dæg nis na fyrmest daga on þære wucan, ac is se oðer. Se sunnan-dæg is fyrmest on gesceapenysse and on endebyrdnysse, and on wurðmynte. Secgað eac sume gedwæsmenn þæt sum orfcyn sy þe man bletsigan ne sceole, and cweðað þæt hí þurh bletsunge misfarað, and ðurh wyrigunge geðeoð, and brucað þonne Godes gife him on teonan, buton bletsunge, mid deofles awyrigednysse. Ælc bletsung is of Gode, and wyrigung of deofle. God gesceop ealle gesceafta, and deofol nane {102} gesceafta scyppan ne mæg, ac he is yfel tihtend, and leas wyrcend, synna ordfruma, and sawla bepæcend. Þa gesceafta ðe sind þwyrlice geðuhte, hí sind to wrace gesceapene yfel-dædum. Oft halige men wunedon on westene betwux reðum wulfum and leonum, betwux eallum deorcynne and wurmcynne, and him nan ðing derian ne mihte; ac hí totæron þa hyrnedan næddran mid heora nacedum handum, and þa micclan dracan eaðelice acwealdon, buton ælcere dare, þurh Godes mihte. Wa ðam men þe brícð Godes gesceafta, buton his bletsunge, mid deofellicum wíglungum, þonne se ðeoda lareow cwæð, Paulus, "Swa hwæt swa ge doð on worde, oððe on weorce, doð symle on Drihtnes naman, þancigende þam Ælmihtigan Fæder þurh his Bearn." Nis þæs mannes cristendom naht, þe mid deoflicum wíglungum his líf adrihð; he is gehíwod to cristenum men, and is earm hæðengylda; swa swa se ylca apostol be swylcum cwæð, "Ic wene þæt ic swunce on ydel, ðaða ic eow to Gode gebigde: nu ge cepað dagas and monðas mid ydelum wíglungum." Is hwæðere æfter gecynde on gesceapennysse ælc lichamlice gesceaft ðe eorðe acenð fulre and mægenfæstre on fullum monan þonne on gewanedum. Swa eac treowa, gif hí beoð on fullum monan geheawene, hí beoð heardran and langfǽrran to getimbrunge, and swiðost, gif hí beoð unsæpige geworhte. Nis ðis nan wíglung, ac is gecyndelic ðincg þurh gesceapenysse. Hwæt eac seo sǽ wunderlice geþwærlæcð þæs monan ymbrene; symle hí beoð geferan on wæstme and on wanunge. And swa swa se mona dæghwonlice feower pricon lator arist, swa eac seo sǽ symle feower pricum lator fleowð. Uton besettan urne hiht and ure gesælða on þæs Ælmihtigan Scyppendes foresceawunge, seðe ealle gesceafta on ðrim ðingum gesette, þæt is on gemete, and on getele, and on hefe. Sy him wuldor and lof á on ecnysse. Amen. JANUARY I. THE OCTAVES AND CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD.