The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church Part 16

G.o.d exists in Trinity indivisible, and in unity of one G.o.dhead, for the Father is one, the Son is one, the Holy Ghost is one; and yet of these three there is one G.o.dhead, and like glory, and coeternal majesty. The Father is Almighty G.o.d, the Son is Almighty G.o.d, the Holy Ghost is Almighty G.o.d; but yet there are not three Almighty G.o.ds, but one Almighty G.o.d. They are three in persons and in name, and one in G.o.dhead. Three, because the Father will be ever Father, and the Son will be ever Son, and the Holy Ghost will be ever Holy Ghost; and neither of them will ever change from what he is. Ye have now heard concerning the Holy Trinity; ye shall also hear concerning the true Unity.

{279} Verily the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, have one G.o.dhead, and one nature, and one work. The Father created nothing nor creates, without the Son, or without the Holy Ghost. Nor does one of them anything without the others; but they have all one work, and one counsel, and one will. The Father was ever, and the Son was ever, and the Holy Ghost was ever One Almighty G.o.d. He is the Father, who was neither born of nor created by any other. He is called Father, because he has a Son, whom he begot of himself, without any mother. The Father is G.o.d of no G.o.d. The Son is G.o.d of G.o.d the Father. The Holy Ghost is G.o.d proceeding from the Father and from the Son. These words are shortly said, and it is needful for you that we more plainly expound them.

What is the Father? The Almighty Creator, not created nor born, but he himself begot a Child coeternal with himself. What is the Son? He is the Wisdom of the Father, and his Word, and his Might, through whom the Father created and disposed all things. The Son is neither made nor created, but he is begotten. He is begotten, and yet he is coeval and coeternal with his Father. It is not with his birth as it is with our birth. When a man begets a son, and his child is born, the father is greater and the son less. Why so? Because when the son waxes the father grows old. Thou findest not among men father and son alike. But I will give thee an example, whereby thou mayest the better understand the birth of G.o.d. Fire begets brightness of itself, and the brightness is coeval with the fire. The fire is not of the brightness, but the brightness is of the fire. The fire begets the brightness, and it is never without the brightness. Now thou hearest that the brightness is as old as the fire of which it comes; allow therefore that G.o.d might beget a Child as old and as eternal as he himself is. Let him who can understand that our Saviour Christ is in the G.o.dhead as old as his {281} Father, thank G.o.d therefore and rejoice. He who cannot understand it shall believe it, that he may understand it; for the word of the prophet may not be rendered void, who thus spake, "Unless ye believe it ye cannot understand it." Ye have now heard that the Son is of the Father without any beginning; for he is the Wisdom of the Father, and he was ever with the Father, and ever will be.

Let us now hear concerning the Holy Ghost, what he is. He is the Will and the true Love of the Father and of the Son, through whom all things are quickened and preserved, concerning whom it is thus said, "The Spirit of G.o.d filleth all the circ.u.mference of earth, and he holdeth all things, and he hath knowledge of every speech." He is not made, nor created, nor begotten, but he is proceeding, that is going from, the Father and from the Son, with whom he is equal and coeternal. The Holy Ghost is not a son, for he is not begotten, but he proceeds from the Father and from the Son; for he is the Will and Love of them both. Christ spake of him thus in his gospel, "The Spirit of comfort whom I will send unto you, the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from my Father, will bear testimony concerning me."

That is, He is my witness that I am the Son of G.o.d. And the right faith also teaches us, that we should believe in the Holy Ghost: he is the quickening G.o.d, who proceeds from the Father and from the Son. How proceeds he from him? The Son is the Wisdom of the Father, ever of the Father; and the Holy Ghost is the Will of them both, ever of them both. There is therefore one Father, who is ever Father; and one Son, who is ever Son; and one Holy Ghost, who is ever Holy Ghost.

Ever was the Father, without beginning; and ever was the Son with the Father, for he is the Wisdom of the Father; ever was the Holy Ghost, who is the Will and Love of them both. The Father is of no other, for he was ever.

The Son is begotten of the Father, for he was ever in the bosom of {283} the Father, for he is his Wisdom, and he is of the Father all that he is.

Ever was the Holy Ghost, for he is, as we before said, the Will and true Love of the Father and of the Son; for will and love betoken one thing: that which thou wilt thou lovest; and that which thou wilt not, thou lovest not.

The sun which shines over us is a bodily creature, and has, nevertheless, three properties in itself: one is the bodily substance, that is the sun's...o...b.. the second is the beam or brightness ever of the sun, which illumines all the earth; the third is the heat, which with the beam comes to us. The beam is ever of the sun, and ever with it; and the Son of Almighty G.o.d is ever of the Father begotten, and ever with him existing, of whom the apostle said, that he was the brightness of his Father's glory. The heat of the sun proceeds from it and from its beam; and the Holy Ghost proceeds ever from the Father and from the Son equally; of whom it is thus written, "There is no one who may hide himself from his heat."

Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, may not be named together, but yet they are nowhere separated. The Almighty G.o.d is not threefold, but is Trinity.

The Father is G.o.d, and the Son is G.o.d, and the Holy Ghost is G.o.d: not three G.o.ds, but they all three one Almighty G.o.d. The Father is also Wisdom of no other wisdom. The Son is Wisdom of the wise Father. The Holy Ghost is Wisdom. But yet they are all together one Wisdom. Again, the Father is true Love, and the Son is true Love, and the Holy Ghost is true Love; and they all together one G.o.d and one true Love. In like manner the Father is ghost and holy, and the Son is ghost and holy undoubtedly; nevertheless the Holy Ghost is specially called Holy Ghost, that which they all three are in common.

There is so great likeness in this Holy Trinity, that the Father is no greater than the Son in the G.o.dhead; nor is the {285} Son greater than the Holy Ghost; nor is one of them less than the whole Trinity. Wheresoever one of them is, there they are all three, ever one G.o.d indivisible. No one of them is greater than other, nor one less than other, nor one before other, nor one after other; for whatsoever is less than G.o.d, that is not G.o.d; that which is later has beginning, but G.o.d has no beginning. The Father alone is not Trinity, nor is the Son Trinity, nor the Holy Ghost Trinity, but these three persons are one G.o.d in one G.o.dhead. When thou hearest the Father named, then thou wilt understand that he has a Son. Again, when thou sayest, Son, thou knowest, without doubt, that he has a Father. Again, we believe that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit both of the Father and of the Son.

Let no man deceive himself so as to say or to believe that there are three G.o.ds, or that any person in the Holy Trinity is less mighty than other.

Each of the three is G.o.d, yet they are all one G.o.d; for they all have one nature, and one G.o.dhead, and one substance, and one counsel, and one work, and one majesty, and like glory, and coeternal rule. But the Son alone was incarnate and born to man of the holy maiden Mary. The Father was not invested with human nature, but yet he sent his Son for our redemption, and was ever with him, both in life and in pa.s.sion, and at his resurrection, and at his ascension. Also all the church of G.o.d confesses, according to true faith, that Christ was born of the pure maiden Mary, and of the Holy Ghost. Yet is not the Holy Ghost the Father of Christ; never shall any christian man believe that: but the Holy Ghost is the Will of the Father and of the Son; therefore is it very rightly written in our belief, that Christ's humanity was accomplished by the Holy Ghost.

Behold the sun with attention, in which there is, as we before said, heat and brightness; but the heat dries, and the {287} brightness gives light.

The heat does one thing, and the brightness another; and though they cannot be separated, the heating, nevertheless, belongs to the heat, and the giving light to the brightness. In like manner Christ alone a.s.sumed human nature, and not the Father, nor the Holy Ghost: they were, nevertheless, ever with him in all his works and in all his course.

We speak of G.o.d, mortals of the Immortal, feeble of the Almighty, miserable beings of the Merciful; but who may worthily speak of that which is unspeakable? He is without measure, because he is everywhere. He is without number, for he is ever. He is without weight, for he holds all creatures without toil; and he disposed them all in three things, that is in measure, and in number, and in weight. But know ye that no man can speak fully concerning G.o.d, when we cannot even investigate or reckon the creatures which he has created. Who by words can tell the ornaments of heaven? Or who the fruitfulness of earth? Or who shall adequately praise the circuit of all the seasons? Or who all other things, when we cannot even fully comprehend with our sight the bodily things on which we look? Behold thou seest the man before thee, but at the time thou seest his face, thou seest not his back. So also if thou lookest at a cloth, thou canst not see it all together, but turnest it about, that thou mayest see it all. What wonder is it, if the Almighty G.o.d is unspeakable and incomprehensible, who is everywhere all, and nowhere divided?

Now some shallow-thinking man will inquire, how G.o.d can be everywhere at once, and nowhere divided. Behold this sun, how high he ascends, and how he sends his beams over all the world, and how he enlightens all this earth which mankind inhabit. As soon as he rises up at early morn, he shines on Jerusalem, and on Rome, and on this country, and on all countries at once; and yet he is a creature, and goes {289} by G.o.d's direction. How much ampler then is G.o.d's presence, and his might, and his visitation everywhere! Him nothing withstands, neither stone wall nor broad barrier, as they withstand the sun. To him nothing is hidden or unknown. Thou seest a man's face, but G.o.d seeth his heart. The spirit of G.o.d tries the hearts of all men; and those who believe in him and love him he purifies and gladdens with his visitation, and the hearts of unbelieving men he pa.s.ses by and shuns.

Let everyone also know that every man has three things in himself indivisible and working together, as G.o.d said when he first created man. He said, "Let us make man in our own likeness." And he then made Adam in his own likeness. In which part has man the likeness of G.o.d in him? In the soul, not in the body. The soul of man has in its nature a likeness to the Holy Trinity; for it has in it three things, these are memory, and understanding, and will. By the memory a man thinks on the things which he has heard, or seen, or learned. By the understanding he comprehends all the things which he hears or sees. Of the will come thoughts, and words, and works, both evil and good. There is one soul, and one life, and one substance, which has these three things in it working together inseparably; for where memory is there is understanding and will, and they are ever together. Yet is none of these three the soul, but the soul through the memory reminds, through the understanding comprehends, through the will it wills whatsoever it likes; and it is, nevertheless, one soul and one life.

It has therefore G.o.d's likeness in itself, because it has three things in it inseparably working. Yet is the man one man, and not a trinity: but G.o.d, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, exists in a trinity of persons and in the unity of one G.o.dhead. Man exists not {291} in trinity as G.o.d, but he has, nevertheless, the likeness of G.o.d in his soul, by reason of the three things of which we have before spoken.

There was a heretic called Arius, who disputed with a bishop who was named Alexander, a wise and orthodox man. The heretic said, that Christ the Son of G.o.d could not be equal to his Father, nor so mighty as he; and said, that the Father was before the Son, and took example from men, how every son is younger than his father in this life. Then said the holy bishop Alexander in opposition to him, "G.o.d was ever, and ever was his Wisdom of him begotten, and the Wisdom is his Son, as mighty as his Father." Then the heretic got the emperor's support to his heresy, and proclaimed a synod against the bishop, and would bend all the people to his heresies. Then the bishop watched one night in G.o.d's church, and cried to his Lord, and thus said, "Thou Almighty G.o.d, judge right judgement between me and Arius." On the morrow they came to the synod. The heretic then said to his companions, that he would go forth for his need. When he came to the place and sat, all his entrails came out, while he was sitting, and he sat there dead. Thus G.o.d manifested that he was as void in his inside as he had before been in his belief. He would make Christ less than he is, and diminish the dignity of his G.o.dhead; when a death was given him as ignominious as he was well worthy of.

There was another heretic who was called Sabellius. He said, that the Father was, whenever he would, Father; and again, when he would, he was Son; and again, when he would, was Holy Ghost; and was therefore one G.o.d.

Then this heretic also perished with his heresy.

Now again, the Jewish people who slew Christ, as he himself would and permitted, say that they will believe in the Father, and not in the Son whom their forefathers slew. Their belief is naught, and they will therefore perish. For our redemption Christ permitted them to slay him. All {293} mankind could not have done it, if he himself had not willed it; but the Holy Father created and made mankind through his Son, and he would afterwards through the same redeem us from h.e.l.l-torment, when we were undone. Without any pa.s.sion he might have had us, but that seemed to him unjust. But the devil undid himself, when he instigated the Jewish people to the slaying of Jesus, and we were redeemed by his innocent death from the eternal death.

We have the belief that Christ himself taught to his apostles, and they to all mankind; and that belief G.o.d has confirmed and established by many miracles. First Christ by himself healed dumb and deaf, halt and blind, mad and leprous, and raised the dead to life: after, by his apostles and other holy men, he wrought the same miracles. Now also in our time, everywhere where holy men rest, at their dead bones G.o.d works many miracles, because he will with those miracles confirm people's faith. G.o.d works not these miracles at any Jewish man's sepulchre, nor at any other heretic's, but at the sepulchres of orthodox men, who believed in the Holy Trinity, and in the true Unity of one G.o.dhead.

Let everyone know also, that no man may be twice baptized; but if a man err after his baptism, we believe that he may be saved, if with weeping he repent of his sins, and, according to the teaching of his instructors, atone for them. We are to believe that the soul of every man is created by G.o.d, but yet it is not of G.o.d's own nature. The matter of a man's body is from the father and from the mother, but G.o.d creates the body from the matter, and sends a soul into the body. The soul is nowhere existing previously, but G.o.d creates it forthwith, and sets it in the body, and lets it have its own election, whether it shall sin, whether it shall eschew sins. Nevertheless it ever needs G.o.d's support, that it may eschew sins, and again come to its Creator through good deserts; for no man doeth anything good without G.o.d.

{295} We are also to believe that every body which has received a soul shall arise at doomsday with the same body that he now has, and shall receive the reward of all his deeds: then will the good have eternal life with G.o.d, and he will give a meed to everyone according to his deserts. The sinful will be ever suffering in h.e.l.l-torment, and their torment will also be measured to everyone according to his deserts. Let us therefore merit eternal life with G.o.d through this faith, and through good deserts, who existeth in Trinity One Almighty G.o.d ever to eternity. Amen.

SERMO IN ASCENSIONE DOMINI.

Primum quidem sermonem feci: et reliqua.

Lucas se G.o.dspellere us manode on isre pistol-raedinge, us cweende, "Se Haelend, middangeardes Alysend, aeteowde hine sylfne cucenne his gingrum, aefter his rowunge and his aeriste, on manegum rafungum, geond feowertig daga, and him to spraec ymbe G.o.des rice, samod mid him reordigende: and bebead him aet hi of aere byrig Hierusalem ne gewiton, ac aet hi aer anbidedon his Faeder behates, he cwae, e ge of minum mue gehyrdon. Foran e Iohannes se Fulluhtere gefullode on waetere, and ge beo gefullode on am Halgan Gaste nu aefter feawum dagum. Eornostlice seo gegaderung his leorning-cnihta cwae a anmodlice, Drihten leof, wilt u nu gesettan ende ysre worulde? He him andwyrde, Nis na eow to gewitenne a tid oe a hand-hwile e min Faeder gesette urh his mihte: ac ge underfo aes Halgan Gastes mihte, and ge beo mine gewitan on Iudea lande, and on eallum middangearde, o aet endenexte land. And he laedde hi a ut of aere byrig up to anre dune e is gecweden mons Oliueti, and hi gebletsode up-ahafenum handum. a mid aere bletsunge ferde he to {296} heofonum, him on locigendum; and aet heofonlice wolcn leat wi his, and hine genam fram heora gesihum."

"aa hi up to heofonum starigende stodon, a gesawon hi aer twegen englas on hwitum gerelan, us cweende, Ge Galileisce weras, hwi stande ge us starigende wi heofenas weard? Se Haelend, e is nu genumen of eowrum gesihum to heofonum, swa he cym eft swa swa ge gesawon aet he to heofonum astah. Hi a gecyrdon to aere byrig Hierusalem mid micelre blisse, and astigon upp on ane upfleringe, and aer wunedon o Pentecosten on gebedum and on G.o.des herungum, oaet se Halga Gast him to com, swa swa se aeela Cyning him aer behet."

"On yssere geferraedene waeron Petrus and Iohannes, Iacob and Andreas, Philippus and Thomas, Bartholomeus and Matheus, se oer Iacob and Simon, se oer Iudas and Maria aes Haelendes modor, and gehwilce ore, aeger ge weras ge wif. Eal seo menigu waes an hund manna and twentig, anmodlice on gebedum wunigende."

Se Haelend taehte a halgan lare his leorning-cnihtum aer his rowunge, and aefter his aeriste he waes wunigende betwux him as feowertig daga, fram aere halgan Easter-tide o isne daegerlican daeg, and on manegum wisum rafode and afandode his gingran, and ge-edlaehte aet aet he aer taehte, to fulre lare and rihtum geleafan. He gereordode hine aefter his aeriste, na fori aet he syan eorlices bigleofan behofode, ac to i aet he geswutelode his soan lichaman. He aet urh mihte, na for neode. Swa swa fyr fornim waeteres dropan, swa fornam Cristes G.o.dcundlice miht one geigedan mete. Solice aefter am gemaenelic.u.m aeriste ne behofia ure lichaman nanre strangunge eorlicra metta, ac se Haelend us de ealle ure neoda mid heofenlic.u.m ingum, and we beo mid wuldre gewelG.o.de, and mihtige to gefremmenne swa hwaet swa us lica, and we beo ful swyfte to farenne geond ealle widgylnyssa G.o.des rices.

{298} He behet his gingrum nu and gelome aet he wolde him sendan one Halgan Gast, and us cwae, "onne he cym he eow tiht and gewissa to eallum am ingum e ic eow saede." a com se Halga Gast on fyres hiwe to am halgum hyrede on am endleoftan daege Cristes upstiges, and hi ealle onaelde mid undergendlic.u.m fyre, and hi wurdon afyllede mid aere heofonlican lare, and cuon ealle woruldlice gereord, and bodedon unforhtlice geleafan and fulluht ric.u.m and reum.

Se halga heap befran Crist, hwaeer he wolde on am timan isne middangeard geendian. He a cwae him to andsware, "Nis na eower m? to witenne one timan, e min Faeder urh his mihte gesette." He cwae eac on ore stowe, "Nat nan man one daeg ne one timan ysre worulde geendunge, ne englas, ne nan halga, buton G.o.de anum." eah-hwaeere, be am tacnum e Crist saede, we geseo aet seo geendung is swie gehende, eah e heo us uncu sy.

a apostoli waeron gewitan Cristes weorca, foran e hi bodedon his rowunge, and his aerist, and upstige, aerst Iudeiscre eode, and syan becom heora stemn to aelc.u.m lande, and heora word to gemaerum ealles ymbhwyrftes; foran e hi awriton Cristes wundra, and a bec urhwunia on cristenre eode, aeger ge aer aer a apostoli lichamlice bodedon, ge aer aer hi na ne becomon.

Ealle gesceafta enia heora Scyppende. aa Crist acenned waes, a sende seo heofen niwne steorran, e bodade G.o.des acennednysse. Eft, aa he to heofonum astah, a abeah aet heofonlice wolcn wi his, and hine underfeng: na aet aet wolcn hine ferede, foran e he hylt heofona rymsetl, ac he siode mid am wolcne of manna gesihum. aer waeron a gesewene twegen englas on hwitum gyrelum. Eac swilce on his acennednysse waeron englas gesewene; ac aet halige G.o.dspel ne ascyrde hu hi gefreatwode waeron; foran e G.o.d com to us swie eadmod. On his upstige waeron gesewene englas mid hwitum gyrlum geglengede. Bliss is {300} getacnod on hwitum reafe, foron e Crist ferde heonon mid micelre blisse and mid micclum rymme. On his acennednysse waes geuht swilce seo G.o.dcundnys waere geeadmet, and on his upstige waes seo menniscnys ahafen and gemaersod. Mid his upstige is adyleG.o.d aet cyrographum ure genierunge, and se cwyde ure brosnunge is awend.

aa Adam agylt haefde, a cwae se aelmihtiga Wealdend him to, "u eart eore, and u gewenst to eoran. u eart dust, and u gewenst to duste." Nu to-daeg aet ylce gecynd ferde unbrosnigendlic into heofenan rice. a twegen englas saedon aet Crist cym swa swa he uppferde, foran e he bi gesewen on am micclum dome on mennisc.u.m hiwe, aet his slagan hine magon oncnawan, e hine aer to deae gedydon, and eac a e his lare forsawon, aet hi onne rihtlice onfon aet ece wite mid deofle. aet halige gewrit cwy, "Tollatur impius ne uideat gloriam Dei:" "Sy am arleasan aetbroden seo gesih G.o.des wuldres." Ne geseo a arleasan Cristes wuldor, e hine aer on life forsawon, ac hi geseo onne egefulne one e hi eadmodne forhygedon.

Rec.u.mbentibus undecim discipulis: et reliqua. We habba nu geraed Lucas gesetnysse embe Cristes upstige; nu wende we ure smeagunge to am orum G.o.dspellere Marc.u.m, e cwae on isum daegerlic.u.m G.o.dspelle, aet se Haelend aeteowde hine sylfne his apostolum and cidde him, foran e hi noldon aet fruman gelyfan his aeristes of deae, aa hit him gecydd waes. a cwae se Wealdend to his gingrum, "Fara geond ealne middangeard, and bodia G.o.dspel eallum gesceafte: see gelyf and bi gefullod, se bi gehealden; se e ne gelyf, he bi genyerod. as tacnu fyliga am mannum e gelyfa," etc.

is G.o.dspel is nu anfealdlice ges?d, ac we willa nu, aefter Gregories trahtnunge, a digelnysse eow onwreon.

aera apostola tweonung be Cristes aeriste naes na swa swie heora ungeleaffulnys, ac waes ure trumnys. Laes us {302} fremodon a e hrae gelyfdon, onne a e twynigende waeron; foran e hi sceawedon and grapodon a dolhswau Cristes wunda, and swa adraefdon ealle twynunga fram ure heortan. a reade se Haelend his leorning-cnihta twynunge, aa he lichamlice hi forlaetan wolde, to i aet hi gemyndige waeron aera worda e he on his sie him saede. He cwae a, "Fara geond ealne middangeard, and bodia G.o.dspel eallum gesceafte." G.o.dspel is us to gehyrenne, and earle lufigendlic, aet we moton forbugan h.e.l.le-wite and a hreowlican tintrega urh aes Haelendes menniscnysse, and bec.u.man to engla werode urh his eadmodnysse. He cwae, "Bodia eallum gesceafte:" ac mid am naman is se mann ana getacnod. Stanas sind gesceafta, ac hi nabba nan lif, ne hi ne gefreda. Gaers and treowa lybba butan felnysse; hi ne lybba na urh sawle, ac urh heora grennysse. Nytenu lybba and habba felnysse, butan gesceade: hi nabba nan gescead, foran e hi sind sawullease. Englas lybba, and gefreda, and tosceada. Nu haef se mann ealra gesceafta sum ing. Him is gemaene mid stanum, aet he beo wunigende; him is gemaene mid treowum, aet he lybbe; mid nytenum, aet he gefrede; mid englum, aet he understande. Nu is se mann gecweden 'eall gesceaft,' foran e he haef sum ing gemaene mid eallum gesceafte. aet G.o.dspel bi gebodad eallum gesceafte, onne hit bi am menn anum gebodad, foran e ealle eorlice ing sind gesceapene for am men anum, and hi ealle habba sume gelicnysse to am men, swa swa we aer saedon.

"Se e gelyf, and bi gefullod, he bi gehealden; and se e ne gelyf, he bi genierod." Se geleafa bi so see ne wicwy mid weorum eawum aet aet he gelyf; be am cwae Iohannes se apostol, "Se e cwy aet he G.o.d cunne, and his beboda ne hylt, he is leas." Eft cwy se apostol Iacobus, "Se geleafa e bi butan G.o.dum weorc.u.m, se bi dead." Eft he cwae, "Hwaet frema e aet u haebbe geleafan, gif u naefst a G.o.dan weorc? Ne maeg {304} se geleafa e gehealdan butan am weorc.u.m. Deoflu gelyfa, ac hi forhtia."

a deoflu gesawon Crist on isum life on aere menniscnysse, ac hi feollon to his fotum, and hrymdon, and cwaedon, "u eart G.o.des Sunu, fori u come aet u woldest us fordon." Se man e nele gelyfan on G.o.d, ne naenne G.o.des ege naef, he bi wyrsa onne deofol. Se e gelyf, and haef ege, and nele eah-hwaeere G.o.d wyrcan, se bi onne deoflum gelic.

In quodam tractu, qui estimatur S[=ci] Hilarii fuisse, sic inuenimus scriptum, sicut Anglice hic interpretauimus, et ad testimonium ipsam Latinitatem posuimus: "Demones credunt et contremesc.u.n.t; qui autem non credit, et non contremescit demonibus deterior est: qui autem credit, et contremescit, et ueritatem operibus non agit demonibus similis est." Se e rihtlice gelyf, and rihtlice his lif leofa, and mid G.o.des ege G.o.d weorc begae o ende his lifes, se bi gehealden, and he haef ece lif mid G.o.de, and mid eallum his halgum. Drihten cwae, a e gelyfa, him fyliga as tacnu, "On minum naman hi adraefa deoflu; hi spreca mid niwum gereordum; hi afyrsia naeddran; and eah e hi unlybban drincan, hit him ne dera; hi setta heora handa ofer adlige men, and him bi tela."

as wundra waeron nyd-behefe on anginne cristendomes, foran urh a tacna wear aet haeene folc gebiged to geleafan. Se man e planta treowa oe wyrta, swa lange he hi waetera oaet hi beo cifaeste; syan hi growende beo he geswyc aere waeterunge: swa eac se aelmihtiga G.o.d, swa lange he aeteowde his wundra am haeenum folce, oaet hi geleaffulle waeron: syan se geleafa sprang geond ealne middangeard, sian geswicon a wundra. Ac eah-hwaeere G.o.des gelaung wyrc gyt daeghwamlice a ylcan wundra gastlice e a apostoli a worhton lichamlice. onne se preost cristna aet cild, onne adraef he one deofol of am cilde; foran e aelc haeen man bi deofles, ac urh {306} aet halige fulluht he bi G.o.des, gif he hit gehylt.

Se e forlaet bysmorlice spellunga, and talu, and derigendlice gaffetunga, and gebysega his mu mid G.o.des herungum and gebedum, he sprec onne mid niwum gereordum. Se e ungeradum oe ungeyldigum styr, and a biternysse his heortan gestil, he afyrsa a naeddran, foran e he adwaesc a yfelnyssa his modes. Se e bi forspanen to forligre, and eah-hwaeere ne bi gebiged to aere fremminge, he drinc unlybban, ac hit him ne dera, gif he mid gebedum to G.o.de flih. Gif hwa bi geuntrumod on his anginne, and asolcen fram G.o.dre drohtnunge, gif hine hwa onne mid tihtinge and gebisnungum G.o.dra weorca getrym and araer, onne bi hit swilce he sette his handa ofer untrumne and hine gehaele.

a gastlican wundra sind maran onne a lichamlican waeron, foran e as wundra gehaela aes mannes sawle, e is ece, and a aerran tacna gehaeldon one deadlican lichaman. a aerran wundra worhton aeger ge G.o.de men ge yfele. Yfel waes Iudas, e Crist belaewde, eah he worhte wundra aeror urh G.o.des naman. Be swylc.u.m mannum cwae Crist on ore stowe, "Ic secge eow, manega cwea to me on am micclan daege, Drihten, Drihten, la hu ne witeG.o.de we on inum naman, and we adraefdon deoflo of wodum mannum, and we micele mihta on inum naman gefremedon? onne andette ic him, Ne can ic eow: gewita fram me, ge unrihtwise wyrhtan." Mine gebroru, ne lufige ge a wundra e magon beon gemaene G.o.dum and yfelum, ac lufia a tacna e sind sinderlice G.o.dra manna, aet synd sore lufe and arfaestnysse tacna. Naef se yfela a soan lufe, ne se G.o.da nys hyre bedaeled. as tacna sind digle and unpleolice, and hi habba swa miccle maran edlean aet G.o.de, swa micclum swa heora wuldor is laesse mid mannum. Se Wealdenda Drihten, aefter isum wordum, waes genumen to heofonum, and sitt on a swiran hand his Faeder.

We raeda on aere ealdan ?, aet twegen G.o.des men, {308} Enoh and Helias, waeron ahafene to heofonum butan deae: ac hi elcia ongean one dea, and mid ealle ne forfleo. Hi sind genumene to lyftenre heofenan na to rodorlicere, and drohtnia on sumum diglan earde mid micelre strence lichaman and sawle, oaet hi eft ongean cyrron, on ende isre worulde, togeanes Antecriste, and deaes onfo. Ure aelmihtiga Alysend ne elcode na ongean one dea, ac he hine oferswide mid his aeriste, and geswutulode his wuldor urh his upstige to am yfemystan rymsetle.

We raeda be am witegan Heliam, aet englas hine feredon on heofonlic.u.m craete, foran e seo untrumnys his gecyndes behofode sumes byrres. Ure Alysend Crist naes geferod mid craete ne urh engla fultum; foran se e ealle ing geworhte, he waes geferod mid his agenre mihte ofer ealle gesceafta. Se aerra man Enoh waes geferod to lyftenre heofonan, and Helias waes mid craete up-awegen; ac se aelmihtiga Haelend naes gefered ne awegen, ac he urhferde a roderlican heofonan urh his agene mihte.

Us is to smeagenne hu seo claennys waes eonde geond a geferedan enas, and urh one astigendan Haelend. Enoh waes geferod, see waes mid haemede gestryned, and mid haemede waes strynende. Helias waes on craete geferod, see waes urh haemed gestryned, ac he ne strynde urh haemed, foran e he wunade on his life butan wife. Se Haelend astah to heofonum, see naes mid haemede gestryned, ne he sylf strynende naes; foran e he is ord and anginn ealra claennyssa, and him is seo claennys swie lufigendlic maegen, aet he geswutulode aa he geceas him maeden-mann to meder. And eall se halga heap e him fyligde waes on claennysse wunigende, swa swa he cwae sumum G.o.dspelle, "Se e to me cym, ne maeg he beon min leorning-cniht, buton he his wif hatige."

Se G.o.dspellere Marcus awrat on isum G.o.dspelle, aet ure Drihten, aefter his upstige, saete on his Faeder swiran hand; and se forma martyr Stepha.n.u.s cwae, aet he gesawe {310} heofonas opene, and one Haelend standan on his Faeder swiran. Nu cwy se trahtnere, "aet rihtlice is gecweden, aet he saete aefter his upstige, foran e deman gedafna setl." Crist is se soa dema, e dem and toscaet ealle ing, nu and eac on am endenextan daege. Se martyr hine geseah standan, foran e he waes his gefylsta on aere rowunge his martyrdomes, and urh his gife he waes gebyld ongean a rean ehteras, e hine waelhreowlice staendon.

Se ende is ises G.o.dspelles, aet Cristes apostoli "ferdon and bodedon gehwaer, Drihtne samod wyrcendum, and a spraece getrymmendum mid aefterfyligendum tacnum." a apostoli, aet sind G.o.des bydelas, toferdon geond ealne middangeard. Petrus bodade on Iudea-lande, Paulus on haeenum folce, Andreas on Scithia, Iohannes on Asia, Bartholomeus on India, Matheus on Ethiopia, and swa heora gehwilc on his daele, and G.o.des miht him waes mid, to gefremminge heora bodunga and ungerimra tacna; foran e Crist cwae, "Ne mage ge nan ing don butan me." Eft he cwae, "Ic beo mid eow eallum dagum, o isre worulde geendunge," see lyfa and rixa mid am aelmihtigan Faeder and am Halgum Gaste a on ecnysse. Amen.

SERMON ON THE LORD'S ASCENSION.

Primum quidem sermonem feci: et reliqua.