Se Hælend Crist, syððan he to ðisum life cóm, and man wearð geweaxen, þaða hé wæs ðritig wintra eald on þære menniscnysse, þa begánn he wundra to wyrcenne, and geceas ða twelf leorning-cnihtas, þa ðe we apostolas hatað. Þa wæron mid him æfre syððan, and he him tæhte ealne þone wisdom ðe on halgum bocum stent, and þurh hí ealne cristendom astealde. Þa cwædon hi to ðam Hælende, "Léóf, tæce ús hu we magon us gebiddan." Ða andwyrde se Hælend, and þus cwæð, "Gebiddað eow mid þisum wordum to minum Fæder and to eowrum Fæder, Gode Ælmihtigum: Pater noster, þæt is on Englisc, Þu, ure Fæder, þe eart on heofonum, Sy þín nama gehalgod. Cume ðín ríce. Sy ðín wylla on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. Syle ús to-dæg urne dæghwamlican hláf. And forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgyfað ðam þe wið us agyltað. And ne lǽd ðu na us on costnunge. Ac alys us fram yfele. Sy hit swa."
Jesus Christ, after he came to this life, and was grown to manhood, when he was thirty years old in his human nature, began to work miracles, and chose the twelve disciples whom we call apostles. These were afterwards always with him, and he taught them all the wisdom which stands in holy books, and through them established all christianity. Then said they to Jesus, "Sir, teach us how we may pray." Jesus answered, and thus said, "Pray in these words to my Father and your Father, God Almighty: Pater noster, that is in English, Thou, our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Be thy will on earth as in heaven. Give us to-day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them who trespass against us. And lead thou us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil. So be it."
God Fæder Ælmihtig hæfð ænne Sunu gecyndelice and menige gewiscendlice. Crist is Godes Sunu, swa þæt se Fæder hine gestrynde of him sylfum, butan ælcere meder. Næfð se Fæder nænne lichaman, ne he on ða wisan his Bearn ne gestrynde þe menn doð: ac his Wisdom, þe hé mid ealle gesceafta geworhte, se is his Sunu, se is æfre of ðam Fæder, and mid þam Fæder, God of Gode, ealswa mihtig swa se Fæder. We men sind Godes bearn, forðon þe hé usgeworhte; and eft, ðaða we forwyrhte wæron, he sende his agen Bearn us to alysednysse. Nu sind we Godes bearn, and Crist is ure broðer, gif we ðam Fæder onriht gehyrsumiað, and mid eallum mode hine weorðiað. Crist is ure heafod, and we sind his lima: he is mid ure menniscnysse befangen, and he hæfð urne lichaman, þone ðe hé of ðam halgan mædene Marían genam; forði we magon cuðlice to him clypian, swa swa to urum breðer, gif we ða broðerrædene swa healdað swa swa he us tæhte; þæt is, þæt we ne sceolon na geðafian þæt deofol mid ænigum unðeawum us gewéme fram Cristes broðorrædene.
God, the Father Almighty, has one Son naturally, and many adoptively. Christ is the Son of God, seeing that the Father begot him of himself without any mother. The Father has no body, nor begot he his Son in that wise which men do: but his Wisdom, with which he wrought all creatures, is his Son, who is ever of the Father and with the Father, God of God, as mighty as the Father. We men are children of God, because he made us; and afterwards, when we were undone,he sent his own Son for our redemption. Now are we children of God, and Christ is our brother, if we will duly obey the Father, and with all our mind worship him. Christ is our head, and we are his limbs: he is invested with our humanity, and he has our body, which he received of the holy maiden Mary; therefore may we manifestly cry to him, as to our brother, if we so observe our brotherhood as he has taught us; that is, that we should not allow the devil with any evil practices to seduce us from the brotherhood of Christ.
Witodlice se man þe deofle geefenlæcð, se bið deofles bearn, na þurh gecynd oððe þurh gesceapenysse, ac ðurh þa geefenlæcunge and yfele geearnunga. And se man ðe Gode gecwemð, he bið Godes bearn, na gecyndelice, ac þurh gesceapenysse and ðurh gode geearnunga, swa swa Crist cwæð on his godspelle, "Se ðe wyrcð mines Fæder willan seðe is on heofonum, he bið min broðer, and min moder, and min sweoster." Forði nu ealle cristene men, ægðer ge ríce ge heane, ge æðelborene ge unæðelborene, and se hlaford, and se ðeowa, ealle hí sind gebroðra, and ealle hí habbað ænne Fæder on heofonum. Nis se welega na betera on ðisum naman þonne se ðearfa. Eallswa bealdlice mót se ðeowa clypigan God him to Fæder ealswa se cyning. Ealle we sind gelice ætforan Gode, buton hwá oðerne mid godum weorcum forðeo. Ne sceal se ríca for his welan þone earman forseón; forðan oft bið se earma betera ætforan Gode þonne se ríca. God is ure Fæder, þi we sceolon ealle beon gebroðru on Gode, and healdan þone broðerlican bend unforedne; þæt is, ða soðan sibbe, swa þæt ure ælc oðerne lufige swa swa hine sylfne, and nanum ne gebeode þæt þæt he nelle þæt man him gebeode. Se ðe ðis hylt, he bið Godes bearn, and Crist, and ealle halige men ðe Gode geðeoð, beoð his gebroðru and his gesweostru.
Verily the man who imitates the devil is a child of the devil, not by nature nor by creation, but by that imitation and evil deserts. And the man who makes himself acceptable to God is a child of God, not naturally, but by creation and by good deserts, as Christ said in his gospel, "He who doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and my mother, and my sister." Now therefore all christian men, whether high or low, noble or ignoble, and the lord, and the slave, are all brothers, and have all one Father in heaven. The wealthy is not better on that account than the needy. As boldly may the slave call God his Father as the king. We all are alike before God, unless any one excel another in good works. The rich for his wealth is not to despise the poor; for the poor is before God often better than the rich. God is our Father, therefore should we all be brothers in God, and hold the brotherly bond unbroken; that is, true peace, so that each of us love other as himself, and command to no one that which he would not another should command to him. He who observes this is a child of God, and Christ, and all holy persons who thrive to God, are his brothers and his sisters.
We cweðað, "Pater noster qui es in celis," þæt is, "UreFæder ðe eart on heofonum;" forðan þe God Fæder is on heofonum, and he is æghwar, swa swa he sylf cwæð, "Ic gefylle mid me sylfum heofonas and eorðan." And eft þæt halige godspel be him þus cwyð, "Heofon is his þrymsetl, and eorðe is his fot-sceamul." We wendað ús eastweard þonne we us gebiddað, forðan ðe ðanon arist seo heofen: na swilce on east-dæle synderlice sy his wunung, and forlæte west-dæl, oððe oðre dælas, se þe æghwar is andweard, na ðurh rymyt þære stowe, ac þurh his mægenðrymmes andweardnysse. Þonne we wendað ure neb to east-dæle, þær seo heofen arist, seoðe is ealra lichomlicra ðinga oferstigende, þonne sceal ure mód beon mid þam gemyngod, þæt hit beo gewend to ðam hehstan and þam fyrmestan gecynde, þæt is, God. We sceolon eac witan, þæt se synfulla is eorðe geháten, and se rihtwisa is heofen geháten; forðan þe on rihtwisum mannum is Godes wunung, and se goda man bið þæs Halgan Gastes templ. Swa eac ðær-togeanes se fordóna man bið deofles templ, and deofles wunung: forði þonne swa micel is betwux gódum mannum and yfelum, swa micel swa bið betwux heofenan and eorðan.
We say, "Pater noster qui es in cœlis," that is, "OurFather which art in heaven;" for God the Father is in heaven, and he is everywhere, as he himself said, "I fill with myself heaven and earth." And again, the holy gospel says thus concerning him, "Heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool." We turn eastward when we pray, because from thence the heaven rises; not as though his dwelling be particularly in the east part, and that he forsakes the west or other parts, who is everywhere present, not through the space of the place, but by the presence of his majesty. When we turn our face to the east part, where the heaven rises, which rises over all bodily things, then should our mind be thereby admonished that it turn to the highest and first nature, that is, God. We should also know that the sinful is called earth, and the righteous is called heaven; for in righteous men is a dwelling-place of God, and the good man is a temple of the Holy Ghost. So also, on the other hand, the wicked man is a temple of the devil, and an habitation of the devil: therefore there is as great a difference between good and evil men as there is between heaven and earth.
Seofon gebédu sint on þam Pater noster. On þam twam formum wordum ne synd nane gebedu, ac sind herunga: þæt is, "Ure Fæder þe eart on heofonum." Þæt forme gebéd is, "Sanctificetur nomen tuum:" þæt is, "Sy ðin nama gehalgod." Nis þæt na swá to understandenne, swylce Godes nama ne sy genoh halig, seðe æfre wæs halig, and æfre bið, and hé us ealle gebletsað and gehalgað: ac þis word is swá to understandenne, þæt his nama sy on us gehalgod, and he us þæs getiðige, þæt we moton his naman mid urum muðe gebletsian, and he us sylle þæt geðánc, þæt we magon understandan þæt nan ðing nis swa halig swa his nama.
In the Pater noster are seven prayers. In the first two words are no prayers, but praises: that is, "Our Father which art in heaven." The first prayer is, "Sanctificetur nomen tuum:" that is, "Hallowed be thy name." This is not to be so understood as if the name of God were not sufficiently holy, who ever was holy, and ever will be, and who blesses and hallows us all: but these words are thus to be understood, that his name be hallowed in us, and that he grant us that we may bless his name with our mouth, and give us the thought that we may understand that nothing is so holy as his name.
Þæt oðer gebéd is, "Adueniat regnum tuum:" þæt is, on urum gereorde, "Cume ðin ríce." Æfre wæs Godes ríce, and æfre bið: ac hit is swá to understandenne, þæt his ríce beo ofer ús, and he on us rixige, and we him mid ealregehyrsumnysse underþeodde syn, and þæt ure ríce beo us gelǽst and gefylled, swa swa Crist us behét, þæt he wolde ús éce ríce forgyfan, þus cweðende, "Cumað, ge gebletsode mines Fæder, and gehabbað þæt ríce þæt eow gegearcod wæs fram anginne middangeardes." Þis bið ure ríce, gif we hit nu geearniað; and we beoð Godes ríce, þonne Crist ús betæcð his Fæder on domes dæge, swa swa þæt hálige gewrit cwyð, "Cum tradiderit regnum Patri suo:" þæt is, "Þonne hé betæcð ríce his Fæder." Hwæt is þæt ríce þæt hé betæcð his Fæder, buton ða halgan menn, ægðer ge weras ge wíf, þa þe hé alysde fram helle-wíte mid his agenum deaðe? Þa he betæcð his agenum Fæder on ende þisre worulde, and hí beoð þonne Godes ríce, and mid Gode on ecnysse rixiað, ægðer ge mid sawle ge mid lichaman, and beoð þonne gelice englum.
The second prayer is, "Adveniat regnum tuum:" that is, in our tongue, "Thy kingdom come." Ever was God's kingdom, and ever will be: but it is so to be understood, that his kingdom be over us, and he reign in us, and that wewith all obedience be subject to him, and that our kingdom be realized and fulfilled to us, as Christ has promised to us, that he would give us an eternal kingdom, thus saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, and possess the kingdom that was prepared for you from the beginning of the world." This will be our kingdom, if we now will merit it; and we shall be God's kingdom, when Christ delivers us to his Father on doomsday, as the holy writ says, "Cum tradiderit regnum Patri suo:" that is, "When he shall deliver the kingdom to his Father." What is the kingdom that he shall deliver to his Father, but those holy persons, both men and women, which he redeemed from hell-torment by his own death? These he will deliver to his own Father at the end of this world, and they will then be God's kingdom, and will reign with God for ever, both with soul and with body, and will then be like unto angels.
Þæt ðridde gebéd is, "Fiat uoluntas tua sicut in celo et in terra:" þæt is, "Geweorðe þín willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum." Þæt is, Swa swa englas on heofonum þe gehyrsumiað, and mid eallum gemete to ðe geðeodað, swa eac menn þe on eorðan sind, and of eorðan geworhte, beon hí ðinum willan gehyrsume, and to ðe mid ealre geornfulnysse geðeodan. On þam mannum soðlice gewyrð Godes willa, þe to Godes willan gewyrceað. Ure sawul is heofonlic, and ure lichama is eorðlic. Nu bidde we eac mid þisum wordum, þæt Godes willa geweorðe, ægðer ge on ure sawle ge on urum lichaman, þæt ægðer him gehyrsumige, and he ægðer gehealde and gescylde, ge ure sawle ge urne lichaman, fram deofles costnungum.
The third prayer is, "Fiat voluntas tua sicut in cœlo et in terra:" that is, "Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." That is, As the angels in heaven obey thee, and in every way attach themselves to thee, so also may men, who are on earth and formed of earth, be obedient to thy will, and with all fervour attach themselves to thee. In those men verily God's will is done, who work according to God's will. Our soul is heavenly, and our body is earthly. Now, with these words, we also pray that God's will be done both in our soul and in our body, that both may obey him, and that he may preserve and shield both our soul and our body from the temptations of the devil.
Þæt feorðe gebéd is, "Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:" þæt is, on urum gereorde, "Syle us nu to-dæg urne dæghwamlican hláf." Þæt is on ðrim andgitum to understandenne: þæt hé us sylle fodan urum lichaman, and sylle eac ure sawle þone gastlican hláf. Se gastlica hláf is Godes bebod, þæt we sceolon smeagan dæghwamlice, and mid weorcegefyllan; forðan swa swa se lichama leofað be lichamlicum mettum, swa sceal seo sawul lybban be Godes láre, and be gastlicum smeagungum. Hraðe se lichama aswint and forweornað, gif him bið oftogen his bigleofa: swa eac seo sawul forwyrð, gif heo næfð þone gastlican bigleofan, þæt sind Godes beboda, on þam heo sceal geðeon and beon gegódad. Eac se gastlica hláf is þæt halige husel, mid þam we getrymmað urne geleafan; and ðurh ðæs halgan husles þýgene ús beoð ure synna forgyfene, and we beoð gestrangode ongean deofles costnunge. Þi we sceolon gelomlice mid þam gastlican gereorde ure sawle geclænsian and getrymman. Ne sceal þeah se ðe bið mid healicum synnum fordón, gedyrstlæcan þæt he Godes husel þicge, buton he his synna ær gebete: gif he elles deð, hit bið him sylfum to bealowe geðyged. Se hláf getacnað ðreo ðing, swa swa we cwædon. An is þæs lichaman bígleofa; oðer is ðære sawle; ðridde is þæs halgan husles ðygen. Þyssera ðreora ðinga we sceolon dæghwamlice æt urum Drihtne biddan.
The fourth prayer is, "Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie:" that is, in our tongue, "Give us to-day our daily bread." This is to be understood in three senses: that he give us food for our body, and give ghostly bread to our soul. The ghostly bread is the commandment of God, on which we should daily meditate, and with works fulfil; for asthe body lives by bodily meats, so shall the soul live by the precepts of God, and by ghostly meditations. The body quickly wastes away and decays, if its sustenance is withdrawn from it; in like manner the soul perishes, if it has not ghostly sustenance, that is, God's commandments, on which it shall thrive and be cherished. The ghostly bread is also the holy housel, with which we confirm our belief; and through partaking of the holy housel our sins will be forgiven us, and we shall be strengthened against the temptations of the devil. Therefore should we frequently cleanse and confirm our soul with ghostly refection. Yet may not he who is polluted with deadly sins dare to partake of God's housel, unless he first atone for his sins: if he do otherwise, he will partake of it to his own injury. The bread, as we said, betokens three things. One is sustenance of the body; the second, of the soul; the third is the partaking of the holy housel. For these three things we should pray daily to the Lord.
Þæt fifte gebéd is, "Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:" þæt is, "Forgif us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgifað þam mannum þe wið us agyltað." We sceolon dón swa swa we on ðisum wordum behatað; þæt is, þæt we beon mildheorte us betwynan, and, for ðære micclan lufe Godes, forgyfan ðam mannum þe wið us agyltað, þæt God Ælmihtig forgyfe us ure synna. Gif we ðonne nellað forgyfan þa lytlan gyltas ðæra manna þe us gegremedon, þone nele eac God us forgyfan ure synna mycele and manega: swa swa Crist sylf cwæð, "Þonne ge standað on eowrum gebédum, forgyfað swa hwæt swa ge habbað on eowrum mode to ænigum men, and eower Fæder, þe on heofonum is, forgyfð eow eowre synna. Gif ge þonne nellað forgyfan mid inweardre heortan þam ðe eow gremiað, þonne eac eower Fæder, ðe on heofonum is, nele eow forgyfan eowre synna; ac he hæt eow gebindan, and on cwearterne settan, þæt is on helle-wíte; and eow ðær deofol getintregað, oðþæt ge habban ealle eowre gyltas geðrowade, oðþætge cumon to anum feorðlincge." Is hwæðere getæht, æfter Godes gesetnysse, þæt wise men sceolon settan steore dysigum mannum, swa þæt hi þæt dysig and ða unðeawas alecgan, and þeah ðone man lufigan swa swa agenne broðor.
The fifth prayer is, "Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:" that is, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those men who trespass against us." We should do as we promise in these words, that is, we should be merciful to each other, and, for the great love of God, forgive those men who trespass against us, that God Almighty may forgive us our sins. But if we will not forgive the little trespasses of those men who have angered us, then will not God forgive us our great and many sins: as Christ himself said, "When ye stand at your prayers, forgive whatever ye have in your mind against any man, and your Father, which is in heaven, will forgive you your sins. But if ye will not, with inward heart, forgive those who anger you, then your Father, which is in heaven, will not forgive you your sins; but he will command you to be bound and set in prison, that is, in hell-torment; and there the devil will torture you, until ye shall have suffered for all your trespasses, until yecome to one farthing." It is, however, taught, according to the book of God, that wise men should institute correction for foolish men, so that they lay aside their folly and their evil practices, and should, nevertheless, love the man as their own brother.
Þæt sixte gebéd is, "Et ne nos inducas in temptationem:" þæt is, "Ne geðafa, ðu God, þæt we beon gelædde on costnunge." Oðer is costnung, oðer is fandung. God ne costnað nænne mannan; ac hwæðere nán man ne cymð to Godes ríce, buton he sy afandod: forði ne sceole we na biddan þæt God ure ne afandige, ac we sceolon biddan þæt God us gescylde, þæt we ne abreoðon on ðære fandunge. Deofol mót ælces mannes afandigan, hwæðer he aht sy, oððe naht; hwæðer he God mid inweardlicre heortan lufige, oððe he mid híwunge fáre. Swa swa man afandað gold on fyre, swa afandað God þæs mannes mod on mislicum fandungum, hwæðer hé ánræde sy. Genoh wel wát God hu hit getimað on þære fandunge; ac hwæðere se man næfð na mycele geðincðe, buton he afandod sy. Þurh ða fandunge he sceal geðeon, gif he þam costnungum wiðstent. Gif he fealle, he eft astande: þæt is, gif he agylte, he hit georne gebete, and syððan geswíce; forði ne bið nán bót naht, buton þær beo geswicenes. Se man þe gelomlice wile syngian, and gelomlice betan, he gremað God; and swa he swiðor syngað swa he deofle gewyldra bið, and hine þonne God forlæt, and he færð swa him deofol wissað, swa swa tobrocen scíp on sǽ, þe swa færð swa hit se wind drifð. Se goda man swa he swiðor afandod bið swa he rotra bið, and near Gode, oðþæt hé mid fulre geðincðe færð of ðisum life to ðam ecan life. And se yfela swa he oftor on ðære fandunge abryð, swa he forcuðra bið, and deofle near, oðþæt he færð of ðisum life to ðam ecan wite, gif he ær geswican nolde, þaþa he mihte and moste. Forði anbidað God oft þæs yfelan mannes, and læt him fyrst, þæt he his mándæda geswice, and his mód to Gode gecyrre ær his ende, gif he wile. Gif he þonne nele, þæthe beo butan ælcere ladunge swiðe rihtlice to deofles handa asceofen. Forði is nu selre cristenum mannum, þæt hi mid earfoðnyssum and mid geswince geearnian þæt éce ríce and ða écan blisse mid Gode and mid eallum his halgum, ðonne hi mid softnysse and mid yfelum lustum geearnian þa ecan tintrega mid eallum deoflum on helle-wíte.
The sixth prayer is, "Et ne nos inducas in tentationem:" that is, "Permit not, thou, O God, that we be led into temptation." One thing is temptation, another thing is trial. God tempts no man, but, nevertheless, no man comes to the kingdom of God, unless he has been tried: therefore we should not pray that God try us not, but we should pray to God to shield us, so that we sink not under trial. The devil may try every man, whether he be aught or naught; whether he love God with inward heart, or act with hypocrisy. As a man tries gold in the fire, so God tries the mind of man in divers trials, whether he be steadfast. God knows full well, how it befalls in trial; but yet a man will have no great honour, unless he have been tried. By trial he shall flourish, if he withstand temptations. If he fall, let him rise again: that is, if he sin, let him earnestly atone for it, and cease therefrom afterwards; for no atonement will avail, if there be not cessation. The man who frequently sins and frequently atones, angers God; and the more he sins the more he will be subject to the devil, and God will then forsake him, and he will go as the devil shall direct him, as a shattered ship at sea, which goes as the wind drives it. The good man the more he is tried the more cheerful he will be, and the nearer to God, until with full honour he shall go from this life to the life eternal. And the evil man, the oftener he sinks under trial, the more wicked he will be, and the nearer to the devil, until he goes from this life to eternal torment, if he would not cease previously, when he could and might. God therefore often awaits the evil man, and leaves him time, that he may cease from his wicked deeds, and before his end turn his mind to God, if he will. But if he will not, that he be,without any exculpation, very justly be thrust into the hand of the devil. Therefore is it now better for christian men, that with hardships and toil they earn the everlasting kingdom and eternal bliss with God and with all his saints, than that they by softness and evil lusts earn eternal tortures with all the devils in hell-torment.
Þæt seofoðe gebéd is, "Set libera nos a malo:" þæt is, "Ac alys us fram yfele:" alys us fram deofle and fram eallum his syrwungum. God lufað us, and deofol us hatað. God us fett and gefrefrað, and deofol us wile ofslean, gif he mót; ac him bið forwyrned þurh Godes gescyldnysse, gif we us sylfe nellað fordón mid unðeawum. Forði we sceolon forbugan and forseon þone lyðran deoful mid eallum his lotwrencum, forðan ðe him ne gebyrað naht to ús, and we sceolon lufian and filigan urum Drihtne, seðe us lǽt to ðam ecan life.
The seventh prayer is, "Sed libera nos a malo:" that is, "But deliver us from evil:" deliver us from the devil and from all his wiles. God loves us, and the devil hates us. God feeds and comforts us, and the devil will slay us if he may; but he will be prevented through the protection of God, if we will not fordo ourselves with evil practices. Therefore should we eschew and despise the vicious devil with all his devices, for there behoves him nothing for us, and we should love and follow our Lord, who will lead us to everlasting life.
Seofon gebédu, swa swa we ær sædon, beoð on ðam Pater noster. Þa ðreo forman gebédu beoð us ongunnene on ðysre worulde, ac hí beoð á ungeendode on þære toweardan worulde. Seo halgung þæs mæran naman Godes ongann ús mannum þaþa Crist wearð geflæschamod mid ure menniscnysse; ac seo ylce halgung wunað on ecnysse, forðan ðe we on ðam ecan life bletsiað and herigað æfre Godes naman. And God rixað nu, and his ríce stent æfre butan ende, and Godes willa bið gefremod on ðisum life ðurh góde menn: se ylca willa wunað á on ecnysse. Þa oðre feower gebédu belimpað to ðisum life, and mid þisum life geendiað.
In the Pater noster there are, as we before said, seven prayers. The first three prayers are begun by us in this world, but they will ever be unended in the world to come. The hallowing of the great name of God began with us men when Christ became incarnate with our humanity; but the same hallowing will continue to eternity, because in the life eternal we shall ever bless and praise the name of God. And God reigns now, and his kingdom stands for ever, without end, and the will of God will be fulfilled in this life by good men: the same will will continue to all eternity. The other four prayers belong to this life, and with this life end.
On ðisum lífe we behófiað hláfes, and láre, and husel-ganges. On þam toweardan lífe we ne behófiað nanes eorðlices bigleofan, forðan ðe we þonne mid þam heofonlicum mettum beoð gereordode. Her we behófiað láre and wisdomes. On ðam heofonlican life beoð ealle ful wíse, and on gastlicre lare full geráde, þa ðe nu, þurh wísra manna láre, beoð Godes bebodum underþeodde. And her we behófiað ðæs halgan huslesðygene for ure beterunge, soðlice on ðære heofonlican wununge we habbað mid us Cristes lichaman, mid þam he rixað on ecnysse.
In this life we require bread, and instruction, and partaking of the housel. In the life to come we require no earthly food, for we shall then be nourished with heavenly meats. Here we require instruction and wisdom. In the heavenly life all will be full wise, and in ghostly lore full skilled, those who now, through the precepts of wise men, are obedient to the commandments of God. And here we require to partake of theholy housel for our amendment, for in the heavenly dwelling we shall have the body of Christ with us, with which he reigns to eternity.
On þyssere worulde we biddað ure synna forgyfenysse, and na on þære toweardan. Se man ðe nele his synna behreowsian on his life, ne begyt he nane forgyfenysse on ðam toweardan. And on ðisum life we biddað þæt God us gescylde wið deofles costnunga, and us alyse fram yfele. On ðam ecan life ne bið nán costnung ne nán yfel; forði ðær ne cymð nán deofol ne nán yfel mann, ðe us mæge dreccan oððe derian. Þær beoð geþwære sawul and lichama, þe nu on ðisum life him betweonan winnað. Ðær ne bið nán untrumnys, ne geswinc, ne wana nanre gódnysse, ac Crist bið mid ús eallum, and ús ealle ðing deð, butan edwite, mid ealre blisse.
In this world we pray for forgiveness of our sins, and not in that to come. The man who will not repent of his sins in this life, will obtain no forgiveness in that to come. And in this life we pray God to shield us against the temptations of the devil, and to deliver us from evil. In the life eternal there will be no temptation and no evil; for there will come no devil nor evil man who may trouble or hurt us. There will be in concord soul and body, which now in this life strive with each other. There will be no sickness, no toil, no lack of any goodness, but Christ will be with us all, and will do all things for us, without reproach, with all alacrity.
Crist gesette þis gebéd, and swa beleac mid feawum wordum, þæt ealle ure neoda, ægðer ge gastlice ge lichamlice, ðæron sind belocene; and þis gebéd he gesette eallum cristenum mannum gemænelice. Ne cwyð na on ðam gebéde, 'Min Fæder, þu ðe eart on heofonum,' ac cwyð, "Ure Fæder;" and swa forð ealle ða word ðe þær-æfter fyligað sprecað gemænelice be eallum cristenum mannum. On ðam is geswutelod hu swiðe God lufað ánnysse and geþwærnysse on his folce. Æfter Godes gesetnysse ealle cristene men sceoldon beon swa geðwære swilce hit án man wære: forði wa ðam men þe ða annysse tobrycð. Swa swa we habbað on anum lichaman manega lima, and hi ealle ánum heafde gehyrsumiað, swa eac we sceolon manega cristene men Criste on ánnysse gehyrsumian; forðon þe he is ure heafod, and we synd his lima. We magon geseon on urum agenum lichaman hú ælc lim oðrum þenað. Þa fét berað ealne ðone lichaman, and ða eagan lædað ða fét, and þa handa gearciað ðone bigleofan. Hraðe lið þæt heafod adúne, gif þa fét hit ne feriað; and hraðe ealle ða lima togædere forweorðað, gif þa handa ne doð þone bigleofan þam muðe. Swa eac se ríca man, þe sitt on his heahsetle, hraðe geswicð he hisgebeorscipes, gif ða ðeowan geswicað ðæra teolunga. Beo se ríca gemyndig þæt he sceal ealra ðæra góda þe him God alænde agyldangescead hu heða atuge.
Christ instituted this prayer, and so confined it within a few words, that all our needs, both ghostly and bodily, are therein included; and this prayer he instituted for all christian men in common. He says not in that prayer, 'My Father, which art in heaven,' but says, "Our Father;" and so forth all the words which follow speak universally of all christian men. Herein is manifested how much God loves unity and concord among his people. According to the book of God all christian men should be so united as though they were one man: wo therefore to the man who breaks that unity asunder. So as we have in one body many limbs, and they all obey one head, so also we many christian men should obey Christ in unity; for he is our head, and we are his limbs. We may see in our own bodies how each limb serves another. The feet bear the whole body, and the eyes lead the feet, and the hands prepare the sustenance. Soon will the head lie down, if the feet bear it not; and soon will all the limbs perish together, if the hands put not the sustenance to the mouth. In like manner the rich man, who sits on his high seat, will soon discontinue his feasting, if the servantsdiscontinue their toils. Let the rich be mindful that of all the good things which God has lent him, he shall render an account how he employed them.
Se bið ðin hand oððe ðin fót, seðe þe ðine neoda deð. Se bið þin eage, seðe þe wisdom tæcð, and on rihtne weg þe gebrincð. Se ðe þe múndað swa swa fæder, he bið swylce hé ðin heafod sy. Ealswa wel behófað þæt heafod þæra oðera lima, swa swa ða lima behófiað þæs heafdes. Gif án lim bið untrum, ealle ða oðre þrowiað mid þam anum. Swa we sceolon eac, gif bið an ure geferena on sumre earfoðnysse, ealle we sceolon his yfel besárgian, and hógian embe ða bote, gif we hit gebetan magon. And on eallum ðingum we sceolon healdan sibbe and annysse, gif we willað habban þa micclan geðincðe þæt we beon Godes bearn, seðe on heofonum is, on ðære he rixað mid eallum his halgum on ealra worulda woruld on ecnysse. Amen.
He is thy hand or thy foot, who supplieth thy wants. He is thine eye who teacheth thee wisdom, and bringeth thee into the right way. He who protecteth thee as a father is, as it were, thy head. As the head requireth the other members, so these members require the head. If one limb be diseased, all the others suffer with that one. So also should we, if one of our fellows be in any distress, all lament his evil, and meditate concerning its reparation, if we can repair it. And in all things we should hold peace and unity, if we will have the great distinction of being children of God, who is in heaven, in which he ruleth with all his saints, through all ages, to eternity. Amen.
Ælc cristen man sceal æfter rihte cunnan ægðer ge his Pater noster ge his Credan. Mid þam Pater nostre he sceal hine gebiddan, mid ðam Credan he sceal his geleafan getrymman. We habbað gesæd embe þæt Pater noster, nu we wyllað secgan eow þone geleafan þe on ðam Credan stent, swa swa se wísa Augustinus be ðære Halgan Þrynnysse trahtnode.
Every christian man should by right know both his Pater noster and his Creed. With the Pater noster he should pray, with the Creed he should confirm his faith. We have spoken concerning the Pater noster, we will now declare to you the faith which stands in the Creed, according to the wise Augustine's exposition of the Holy Trinity.
An Scyppend is ealra ðinga, gesewenlicra and ungesewenlicra; and we sceolon on hine gelyfan, forðon ðe hé is soð God and ána Ælmihtig, seðe næfre ne ongann ne anginn næfde; ac he sylf is anginn, and he eallum gesceaftum anginn and ordfruman forgeaf, þæt hí beon mihton, and þæt hí hæfdon agen gecynd, swa swa hit þære godcundlican fadungegelicode. Englas he worhte, þa sind gastas, and nabbað nænne lichaman. Menn he gesceop mid gaste and mid lichaman. Nytenu and deor, fixas and fugelas he gesceop on flæsce butan sáwle. Mannum he gesealde uprihtne gang; ða nytenu he lét gán alotene. Mannum he forgeaf hláf to bigleofan, and þam nytenum gærs.
There is one Creator of all things, visible and invisible; and we should all believe in him, for he is true and God alone Almighty, who never either began or had beginning; but he is himself beginning, and he to all creatures gave beginning and origin, that they might be, and that they might have their own nature, so as it seemed good to the divine dispensation.Angels he created, which are spirits, and have no body. Men he created with spirit and with body. Cattle and other beasts, fishes and birds he created in flesh without soul. To men he gave an upright gait; the cattle he let go bending downwards. To men he gave bread for sustenance, and to the cattle grass.
Nu mage ge, gebroðru, understandan, gif ge wyllað, þæt twa ðing syndon: án is Scyppend, oðer is gesceaft. He is Scyppend seðe gesceop and geworhte ealle ðing of nahte. Þæt is gesceaft þæt se soða Scyppend gesceop. Þæt sind ærest heofonas, and englas þe on heofonum wuniað, and syððan þeos eorðe mid eallum ðam ðe hire on eardiað, and sǽ mid eallum ðam þe hyre on swymmað. Nu ealle ðas ðing synd mid anum naman genemnode, gesceaft. Hi næron æfre wunigende, ac God hi gesceop. Þa gesceafta sind fela. An is se Scyppend þe hi ealle gesceop, se ana is Ælmihtig God. He wæs æfre, and æfre he bið þurhwunigende on him sylfum and ðurh hine sylfne. Gif he ongunne and anginn hæfde, butan tweon ne mihte he beon Ælmihtig God; soðlice þæt gesceaft ðe ongann and gesceapen is, næfð nane godcundnysse; forði ælc edwist þætte God nys, þæt is gesceaft; and þæt þe gesceaft nis, þæt is God.
Now, brethren, ye may understand, if ye will, that there are two things: one is the Creator, the other is the creature. He is the Creator who created and made all things of naught. That is a creature which the true Creator created. These are, first, heaven, and the angels which dwell in heaven; and then this earth with all those which inhabit it, and sea with all those that swim in it. Now all these things are named by one name, creature. They were not always existing, but God created them. The creatures are many. The Creator, who created them all, is one, who alone is Almighty God. He was ever, and ever he will continue in himself and through himself. If he had begun and had origin, without doubt he could not be Almighty God; for the creature that began and is created, has no divinity; therefore every substance that is not God is a creature; and that which is not a creature is God.
Se God wunað on Ðrynnysse úntodæledlic, and on ánnysse ánre Godcundnysse, soðlice oðer is se Fæder, oðer is se Sunu, oðer is se Halga Gast; ac þeah-hwæðere ðæra ðreora is án Godcundnys, and gelíc wuldor, and efen-ece mægenðrymnys. Ælmihtig God is se Fæder, Ælmihtig God is se Sunu, Ælmihtig God is se Halga Gast; ac þeah-hwæðere ne sind ðry Ælmihtige Godas, ac án Ælmihtig God. Ðry hí sind on hadum and on naman, and án on Godcundnysse. Þry, forði þe se Fæder bið æfre Fæder, and se Sunu bið æfre Sunu, and se Halga Gast bið æfre Halig Gast; and hyra nán ne awent næfre of ðam ðe he is. Nu habbað ge gehyred þa Halgan Þrynnysse; ge sceolon eac gehyran ða soðan Annysse.
God exists in Trinity indivisible, and in unity of one Godhead, for the Father is one, the Son is one, the Holy Ghost is one; and yet of these three there is one Godhead, and like glory, and coeternal majesty. The Father is Almighty God, the Son is Almighty God, the Holy Ghost is Almighty God; but yet there are not three Almighty Gods, but one Almighty God. They are three in persons and in name, and one in Godhead. 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.
Soðlice se Fæder, and se Sunu, and se Halga Gast, habbað áne Godcundnysse, and án gecynd, and án weorc. Ne worhte se Fæder nán ðing ne ne wyrcð, butan ðam Suna, oððe butan þam Halgan Gaste. Ne heora nán ne wyrcð nán ðing butan oðrum; ac him eallum is án weorc, and án rǽd, and án willa. Æfre wæs se Fæder, and æfre wæs se Sunu, and æfre wæs se Halga Gast án Ælmihtig God. Se is Fæder, seðe nis naðer ne geboren ne gesceapen fram nanum oðrum. Se is Fæder geháten, forðan ðe he hæfð Sunu, ðone ðe he of him sylfum gestrynde, butan ælcre meder. Se Fæder is God of nanum Gode. Se Sunu is God of ðam Fæder Gode. Se Halga Gast is God forðstæppende of ðam Fæder and of ðam Suna. Þas word sind sceortlice gesæde, and eow is neod þæt we hi swutelicor eow onwreon.
Verily the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, have one Godhead, 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 God. 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 God of no God. The Son is God of God the Father. The Holy Ghost is God 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.
Hwæt is se Fæder? Ælmihtig Scyppend, na geworht ne acenned, ac hé sylf gestrynde Bearn him sylfum efen-ece. Hwæt is se Sunu? He is ðæs Fæder Wisdom, and his Word, and his Miht, þurh ðone se Fæder gesceop ealle ðing and gefadode. Nis se Sunu na geworht ne gesceapen, ac he is acenned. Acenned he is, and þeah-hwæþere he is efen-eald and efen-ece his Fæder. Nis na swa on his acennednysse swa swa bið on ure acennednysse. Þonne se mann sunu gestrynð, and his cild acenned bið, þonne bið se fæder mara, and se sunu læssa. Hwí swa? Forði þonne se sunu wyxð, þonne ealdað se fæder. Ne fintst þu na gelice on mannum fæder and sunu. Ac ic ðe sylle bysne, hu ðu Godes acennednysse þy bet understandan miht. Fyr acenð of him beorhtnysse, and seo beorhtnys is efen-eald þam fyre. Nis na þæt fyr of ðære beorhtnysse, ac seo beorhtnys is of ðam fyre. Þæt fyr acenð þa beorhtnysse, ac hit ne bið næfre butan ðære beorhtnysse. Nu ðu gehyrst þæt seo beorhtnys is ealswa eald swa þæt fyr þe heo of cymð; geðafa nu forði þæt God mihte gestrynan ealswa eald Bearn, and ealswa ece swa he sylf is. Se ðe mæg understandan þæt ure Hælend Crist is on ðære Godcundnysse ealswa eald swa his Fæder,hé ðancige þæs Gode, and blissige. Seðe understandan ne mæg, he hit sceal gelyfan, þæt he hit understandan mæge; forðan þæs witegan word ne mæg beon aídlod, ðe þus cwæð, "Buton ge hit gelyfan, ne mage ge hit understandan." Nu habbað ge gehyred þæt se Sunu is of ðam Fæder butan ælcum anginne; forðan ðe he is þæs Fæder Wisdom, and he wæs æfre mid þam Fæder, and æfre bið.
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 God. 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 God 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 Godhead as old as hisFather, thank God 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.
Uton nu gehyran be ðan Halgan Gaste, hwæt he sý. He is se Willa and seo soðe Lufu þæs Fæder and þæs Suna, ðurh ðone sind ealle ðing gelíffæste and gehealdene, be ðam is þus gecweden, "Godes Gast gefylð ealne ymbhwyrft middangeardes, and he hylt ealle ðing, and he hæfð ingehýd ælces gereordes." Nis hé geworht, ne gesceapen, ne acenned, ac hé is forðstæppende, þæt is ofgangende, of ðam Fæder and of ðam Suna, þam hé is gelic and efen-ece. Nis se Halga Gast na Sunu, forðan ðe hé nis na acenned, ac hé gæð of ðam Fæder and of ðam Suna gelice; forðan ðe hé is heora beigra Willa and Lufu. Crist cwæð þus be him on his godspelle, "Se Frofor-gást, þe ic eow asendan wille, Gast ðære soðfæstnysse, ðe of minum Fæder gæð, he cyð gecyðnysse be me." Þæt is, He is min gewita þæt ic eom Godes Sunu. And eac se rihta geleafa us tæcð, þæt we sceolon gelyfan on ðone Halgan Gast: he is se liffæstenda God, se gæð of ðam Fæder and of ðam Suna. Hu gæð hé of him? Se Sunu is þæs Fæder Wisdom, æfre of ðam Fæder; and se Halga Gast is heora beigra Willa, æfre of him bám. Is forði þonne án Fæder, seðe æfre is Fæder, and án Sunu, seðe æfre bið Sunu, and án Halig Gast, seðe æfre is Halig Gast.
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 God filleth all the circumference 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 God. And the right faith also teaches us, that we should believe in the Holy Ghost: he is the quickening God, 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.
Æfre wæs se Fæder, butan anginne; and æfre wæs se Sunu mid þam Fæder, forðan ðe he is þæs Fæder Wisdom; æfre wæs se Halga Gast, seðe is heora beigra Willa and Lufu. Nis se Fæder of nanum oðrum, ac he wæs æfre. Se Sunu is acenned of ðam Fæder, ac he wæs æfre on ðæs Fæderbosme, forðan ðe he is his Wisdom, and he is of ðam Fæder eal þæt he is. Æfre wæs se Halga Gast, forðan ðe he is, swa we ǽr cwædon, Willa and soð Lufu þæs Fæder and ðæs Suna; soðlice willa and lufu getacniað an ðing: þæt þæt þu wylt, þæt ðu lufast; and þæt þæt ðu nelt, þæt ðu ne lufast.
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 ofthe 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.
Seo sunne ðe ofer us scinð is lichamlic gesceaft, and hæfð swa-ðeah ðreo agennyssa on hire: an is seo lichamlice edwist, þæt is ðære sunnan trendel; oðer is se leoma oððe beorhtnys æfre of ðære sunnan, seoðe onliht ealne middangeard; þridde is seo hætu, þe mid þam leoman cymð to ús. Se leoma is æfre of ðære sunnan, and æfre mid hire; and ðæs Ælmihtigan Godes Sunu is æfre of ðam Fæder acenned, and æfre mid him wunigende; be ðam cwæð se apostol, þæt he wære his Fæder wuldres beorhtnys. Ðære sunnan hætu gæð of hire and of hire leoman; and se Halga Gast gæð æfre of ðam Fæder and of þam Suna gelice; be ðam is þus awriten, "Nis nán þe hine behydan mæge fram his hætan."
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 orb; 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 God 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."
Fæder, and Sunu, and Halig Gast ne magon beon togædere genamode, ac hí ne beoð swa-þeah nahwár totwæmede. Nis se Ælmihtiga God na ðryfeald, ac is Ðrynnys. God is se Fæder, and se Sunu is God, and se Halga Gast is God: na ðry Godas, ac hí ealle ðry án Ælmihtig God. Se Fæder is eac wisdom of nanum oðrum wisdome. Se Sunu is wisdom of ðam wisan Fæder. Se Halga Gast is wisdom. Ac ðeah-hwæðere hí sind ealle ætgædere án wisdom. Eft se Fæder is soð lufu, and se Sunu is soð lufu, and se Halga Gast is soð lufu; and hí ealle ætgædere án God and án soð lufu. Eac swilce is se Fæder gast and halig, and se Sunu is gast and halig untwylice; þeah-hwæðere se Halga Gast is synderlice geháten Halig Gast, þæt þæt hí ealle ðry sind gemænelice.
Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, may not be named together, but yet they are nowhere separated. The Almighty God is not threefold, but is Trinity. The Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God: not three Gods, but they all three one Almighty God. 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 God 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.
Swa micel gelicnys is on ðyssere Halgan Ðrynnysse, þæt se Fæder nis na mare þonne se Sunu on ðære Godcundnysse;ne se Sunu nis na mare þonne se Halgan Gast; ne nan heora án nis na læsse þonne eall seo Ðrynnys. Swa hwær swa heora án bið, þær hí beoð ealle ðry, æfre án God untodæledlic. Nis heora nán máre þonne oðer, ne nán læssa ðonne oðer; ne nán beforan oðrum, ne nán bæftan oðrum; forðan swa hwæt swa læsse bið þonne God, þæt ne bið na God; þæt þæt lator bið, þæt hæfð anginn, ac God næfð nán anginn. Nis na se Fæder ana Ðrynnys, oððe se Sunu Ðrynnys, oððe se Halga Gast Ðrynnys, ac þas ðry hadas sindon án God on anre Godcundnysse. Þonne ðu gehyrst nemnan þone Fæder, þonne understenst ðu þæt he hæfð Sunu. Eft, þonne þu cwyst Sunu, þu wast, butan tweon, þæt he hæfð Fæder. Eft, we gelyfað þæt se Halga Gast is ægðer ge ðæs Fæder ge ðæs Suna Gast.
There is so great likeness in this Holy Trinity, that the Father is no greater than the Son in the Godhead; nor is theSon 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 God 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 God, that is not God; that which is later has beginning, but God 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 God in one Godhead. 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.
Ne bepæce nán man hine sylfne, swa þæt he secge oððe gelyfe þæt ðry Godas syndon; oððe ænig hád on þære Halgan Þrynnysse sy unmihtigra þonne oðer. Ælc ðæra þreora is God, þeah-hwæðere hí ealle án God; forðan ðe hí ealle habbað án gecynd, and áne godcundnysse, and áne edwiste, and án geðeaht, and án weorc, and áne mægenðrymnysse, and gelíc wuldor, and efen-ece ríce. Is hwæðere se Sunu ana geflæschamod and geboren to men, of ðam halgan mædene Marian. Ne wearð se Fæder mid menniscnysse befangen, ac hwæðere hé asende his Sunu to ure alysednysse, and him æfre mid wæs, ægðer ge on life ge on ðrowunge, and on his æriste, and on his upstige. Eac eal Godes gelaðung andet, on ðam rihtum geleafan, þæt Crist is acenned of ðam clænan mædene Marian, and of ðam Halgan Gaste. Nis se Halga Gast þeah-hwæðere Cristes Fæder; ne nán cristen man þæt næfre ne sceal gelyfan: ac se Halga Gast is Willa þæs Fæder and ðæs Suna; forði þonne swiðe rihtlice is awriten on urum geleafan, þæt Cristes menniscnys wearð gefremmed þurh ðone Halgan Willan.
Let no man deceive himself so as to say or to believe that there are three Gods, or that any person in the Holy Trinity is less mighty than other. Each of the three is God, yet they are all one God; for they all have one nature, and one Godhead, 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 passion, and at his resurrection, and at his ascension. Also all the church of God 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.
Beheald þas sunnan mid gleawnysse, on ðære is, swa we ær cwædon, hætu and beorhtnys; ac seo hætu drygð, andseo beorhtnys onlyht. Oðer ðing deð seo hætu, and oðer seo beorhtnys; and ðeah ðe hí ne magon beon totwæmde: belimpð, hwæðere ðeah, seo hæðung to ðære hætan, and seo onlihting belimpð to ðære beorhtnysse. Swa eac Crist ana underfeng ða menniscnysse, and na se Fæder, ne se Halga Gast: þeah-hwæðere hí wæron æfre mid him on eallum his weorcum and on ealre his fare.
Behold the sun with attention, in which there is, as we before said, heat and brightness; but the heat dries, and thebrightness 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 assumed 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 sprecað ymbe God, deaðlice be Undeaðlicum, tyddre be Ælmihtigum, earmingas be Mildheortum; ac hwá mæg weorðfullice sprecan be ðam ðe is únasecgendlic? He is butan gemete, forðy ðe he is æghwær. He is butan getele, forðon ðe he is æfre. He is butan héfe, forðon þe he hylt ealle gesceafta butan geswince; and he hí ealle gelogode on þam ðrim ðingum, þæt is on gemete, and on getele, and on héfe. Ac wite ge þæt nán man ne mæg fullice embe God sprecan, þonne we furðon þa gesceafta þe he gesceop ne magon asmeagan, ne areccan. Hwá mæg mid wordum ðære heofenan freatewunge asecgan? Oððe hwá ðære eorðan wæstmbærnysse? Oððe hwá herað genihtsumlice ealra tida ymbhwyrft? Oððe hwá ealle oðre ðing, þonne we furðon þa lichomlican ðing, þe we onlociað, ne magon fullice befón mid ure gesihðe? Efne ðu gesihst ðone mannan beforan ðe, ac on ðære tide þe ðu his neb gesihst, þu ne gesihst na his hricg. Ealswa, gif ðu sumne clað sceawast, ne miht ðu hine ealne togædere geseon, ac wenst abutan, þæt ðu ealne hine geseo. Hwylc wundor is, gif se Ælmihtiga God is unasecgendlic and unbefangenlic, seðe æghwær is eall, and nahwar todæled?
We speak of God, 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 God, 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 God is unspeakable and incomprehensible, who is everywhere all, and nowhere divided?
Nu smeað sum undeopðancol man, hu God mæge beón æghwær ætgædere, and nahwar todæled. Beheald þas sunnan, hu heage heo astihð, and hu heo asent hyre leoman geond ealne middangeard, and hu heo onliht ealle ðas eorðan þe mancynn on-eardað. Swa hraðe swa heo up-asprincð on ærne merigen, heo scinð on Hierusalem, and on Romebyrig, and on ðisum earde, and on eallum eardum ætgædere; andhwæðere heo is gesceaft, and gæð be Godes dihte. Hwæt wenst ðu hu miccle swiðor is Godes andweardnys, and his miht, and his neosung æghwær. Him ne wiðstent nan ðing, naðer ne stænen weall ne bryden wáh, swa swa hi wiðstandað þære sunnan. Him is nan ðing digle ne uncuð. Þu gesceawast ðæs mannes neb, and God sceawað his heortan. Godes gast afandað ealra manna heortan; and ða ðe on hine gelyfað and hine lufiað, þa he clænsað and gegladað mid his neosunge, and ðæra ungeleaffulra manna heortan he forbyhð and onscunað.
Now some shallow-thinking man will inquire, how God 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 goesby God's direction. How much ampler then is God'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 God seeth his heart. The spirit of God 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 passes by and shuns.
Wite eac gehwá, þæt ælc man hæfð þreo ðing on him sylfum untodæledlice and togædere wyrcende, swa swa God cwæð, þaþa hé ærest mann gesceop. He cwæð, "Uton gewyrcean mannan to ure gelicnysse." And hé worhte ða Adám to his anlicnysse. On hwilcum dæle hæfð se man Godes anlicnysse on him? On þære sawle, na on ðam lichaman. Þæs mannes sawl hæfð on hire gecynde þære Halgan Þrynnysse anlicnysse; forðan þe heo hæfð on hire ðreo ðing, þæt is gemynd, and andgit, and willa. Þurh þæt gemynd se man geðencð þa ðing ðe he gehyrde, oþþe geseah, oþþe geleornode. Þurh þæt andgit he understént ealle ða ðing ðe he gehyrð oððe gesihð. Of ðam willan cumað geðohtas, and word, and weorc, ægðer ge yfele ge gode. An sawul is, and an líf, and an edwist, seoðe hæfð þas ðreo ðing on hire togædere wyrcende untodæledlice; forði þær þæt gemynd bið þær bið þæt andgit and se willa, and æfre hí beoð togædere. Þeah-hwæðere nis nan ðæra ðreora seo sawul, ac seo sawul þurh þæt gemynd gemanð, þurh þæt andgit heo understent, þurh ðone willan heo wile swa hwæt swa hire licað; and heo is hwæðere án sawl and án líf. Nu hæfð heo forði Godes anlicnysse on hire, forðan ðe heo hæfð þreo ðing on hire untodæledlice wyrcende. Is hwæðere se man án man, and na ðrynnys: God soðlice, Fæder and Sunu and Hálig Gast, þurhwunað on ðrynnysse hada, and on annysse anre godcundnysse. Nis na se man on ðrynnyssewunigende, swa swa God, ac he hæfð hwæðere Godes anlicnysse on his sawle þurh ða ðreo ðing þe we ær cwædon.
Let everyone also know that every man has three things in himself indivisible and working together, as God 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 God 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 God's likeness in itself, because it has three things in it inseparably working. Yet is the man one man, and not a trinity: but God, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, exists in a trinity of persons and in the unity of one Godhead. Man exists notin trinity as God, but he has, nevertheless, the likeness of God in his soul, by reason of the three things of which we have before spoken.
Arrius hatte an gedwolman, se flát wið ænne bisceop þe wæs genemned Alexander, wís and riht-gelyfed. Þa cwæð se gedwolman þæt Crist, Godes Sunu, ne mihte na beon his Fæder gelic, ne swa mihtig swa he; and cwæð, þæt se Fæder wære ær se Sunu, and nam bysne be mannum, hu ælc sunu bið gingra þonne se fæder on ðisum life. Þa cwæð se halga bisceop Alexander him togeanes, "God wæs æfre, and æfre wæs his Wisdom of him acenned, and se Wisdom is his Sunu, ealswa mihtig swa se Fæder." Þa begeat se gedwola þæs caseres fultum to his gedwylde, and cwæð gemót ongean ðone bisceop, and wolde gebigan eal þæt folc to his gedwyldum. Þa wacode se bisceop ane niht on Godes cyrcan, and clypode to his Drihtne, and ðus cwæð, "Ðu Ælmihtiga God, dém rihtne dóm betwux me and Arrium." Hi comon ða þæs on mergen to ðam gemote. Þa cwæð se gedwola to his geferum, þæt he wolde gán embe his neode forð. Þaða he to gange cóm and he gesǽt, þa gewand him út eall his innewearde æt his setle, and he sæt þær dead. Þa geswutulode God þæt he wæs swa geæmtogod on his innoðe swa swa he wæs ǽr on his geleafan. He wolde dón Crist læssan þonne he is, and his godcundnysse wurðmynt wanian; þa wearð him swa bysmorlic deað geseald swa swa he wel wyrðe wæs.
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 God 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, "God 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 God's church, and cried to his Lord, and thus said, "Thou Almighty God, 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 God 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 Godhead; when a death was given him as ignominious as he was well worthy of.
Oðer gedwolman wæs se hatte Sabellius. He cwæð, þæt se Fæder wære, þaþa he wolde, Fæder; and eft, ðaða he wolde, he wære Sunu; and eft, ðaða he wolde, wære Hálig Gast; and wære forði án God. Þa forwearð eac þes gedwola mid his gedwylde.
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 God. Then this heretic also perished with his heresy.
Nu eft þæt Iudeisce folc ðe Crist ofslogon, swa swa hé sylf wolde and geðafode, secgað þæt hí willað gelyfan on þone Fæder, and na on ðone Sunu ðe hyra magas ofslogon. Heora geleafa is naht, and hi forði losiað. For ure alysednysse Crist geðafode þæt hí hine ofslogon. Hit ne mihteeal mancynn gedón, gif he sylf nolde; ac se Halga Fæder gesceop and geworhte mancyn þurh his Sunu, and he wolde eft þurh ðone ylcan us alysan fram helle-wíte, ðaða we forwyrhte wæron. Buton ælcere ðrowunge he mihte us habban, ac him ðuhte þæt unrihtlic. Ac se deofol forwyrhte hine sylfne, ðaða hé tihte þæt Iudeisce folc to ðæs Hælendes slege, and we wurdon alysede, þurh his unscyldigan deað, fram ðam ecan deaðe.
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. Allmankind 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 hell-torment, when we were undone. Without any passion 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 habbað þone geleafan ðe Crist sylf tæhte his apostolum, and hi eallum mancynne; and ðone geleafan God hæfð mid manegum wundrum getrymmed and gefæstnod. Ærest Crist ðurh hine sylfne dumbe and deafe, healte and blinde, wode and hreoflige gehælde, and ða deadan to lífe arærde: syððan, þurh his apostolas and oðre halige men, þas ylcan wundra geworhte. Nu eac on urum timan, gehwær þær halige men hí restað, æt heora deadum banum God wyrcð fela wundra, to ði þæt he wile folces geleafan mid þam wundrum getrymman. Ne wyrcð God na þas wundra æt nanes Iudeisces mannes byrgene, ne æt nanes oðres gedwolan, ac æt riht-gelyfedra manna byrgenum, ða ðe gelyfdon on ða Halgan Ðrynnysse, and on soð Annysse anre Godcundnysse.
We have the belief that Christ himself taught to his apostles, and they to all mankind; and that belief God 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 God works many miracles, because he will with those miracles confirm people's faith. God 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 Godhead.
Wite gehwá eac, þæt nan man ne mot beon tuwa gefullod; ac gif se man æfter his fulluhte aslide, we gelyfað þæt he mæge beon gehealden, gif he his synna mid wope behreowsiað, and be lareowa tæcunge hí gebet. We sceolon gelyfan þæt ælces mannes sawul bið þurh God gesceapen, ac hwæðere heo ne bið na of Godes agenum gecynde. Þæs mannes lichaman antimber bið of ðam fæder and of ðære meder, ac God gescypð þone lichaman of ðam antimbre, and asent on þone lichaman sawle. Ne bið seo sawl nahwar wunigende ǽror, ac God hí gescypð þærrihte, and beset on ðone lichaman, and læt hí habban agenne cyre, swa heo syngige swa heo synna forbuge. Þeah-hwæðere heo behófað æfre Godes fultumes, þæt heo mæge synna forbugan, and eft to hyre Scyppende gecuman þurh gode geearnunga; forðon ðe nan man ne deð butan Gode nan ðing to góde.
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 God, but yet it is not of God's own nature. The matter of a man's body is from the father and from the mother, but God creates the body from the matter, and sends a soul into the body. The soul is nowhere existing previously, but God 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 God's support, that it may eschew sins, and again come to its Creator through good deserts; for no man doeth anything good without God.
Eac we sceolon gelyfan þæt ælc lichama ðe sawle underfeng sceal arisan on domes dæge mid þam ylcum lichaman þe he nu hæfð, and sceal onfón edlean ealra his dæda: þonne habbað ða gódan ece líf mid Gode, and he sylð þa méde ælcum be his geearnungum. Þa synfullan beoð on helle-wite á ðrowigende, and heora wite bið eac gemetegod ælcum be his ge-earnungum. Uton forði geearnian þæt ece líf mid Gode þurh ðisne geleafan, and ðurh gode geearnunga, seðe þurhwunað on Ðrynnysse án Ælmihtig God áá on ecnysse. Amen.
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 God, and he will give a meed to everyone according to his deserts. The sinful will be ever suffering in hell-torment, and their torment will also be measured to everyone according to his deserts. Let us therefore merit eternal life with God through this faith, and through good deserts, who existeth in Trinity One Almighty God ever to eternity. Amen.
Primum quidem sermonem feci: et reliqua.
Primum quidem sermonem feci: et reliqua.
Primum quidem sermonem feci: et reliqua.
Primum quidem sermonem feci: et reliqua.
Lucas se Godspellere ús manode on ðisre pistol-rædinge, þus cweðende, "Se Hælend, middangeardes Alysend, æteowde hine sylfne cucenne his gingrum, æfter his þrowunge and his æriste, on manegum ðrafungum, geond feowertig daga, and him to spræc ymbe Godes rice, samod mid him reordigende: and bebead him þæt hi of ðære byrig Hierusalem ne gewiton, ac þæt hi ðær anbidedon his Fæder behátes, he cwæð, þe ge of minum muðe gehyrdon. Forðan ðe Iohannes se Fulluhtere gefullode on wætere, and ge beoð gefullode on ðam Halgan Gaste nu æfter feawum dagum. Eornostlice seo gegaderung his leorning-cnihta cwæð ða ánmodlice, Drihten leof, wilt ðu nu gesettan ende þysre worulde? He him andwyrde, Nis na eow to gewitenne ða tíd oððe ða hand-hwile þe min Fæder gesette þurh his mihte: ac ge underfoð þæs Halgan Gastes mihte, and ge beoð mine gewitan on Iudea lande, and on eallum middangearde, oð þæt endenexte land. And hé lædde hí ða út of ðære byrig up to anre dune ðe is gecweden mons Oliueti, and hi gebletsode up-ahafenum handum. Þa mid þære bletsunge ferde hé toheofonum, him on locigendum; and þæt heofonlice wolcn leat wið his, and hine genam fram heora gesihðum."
Luke the Evangelist has informed us in this epistolary reading, thus saying, "Jesus, the Redeemer of the world, showed himself living to his disciples, after his passion and his resurrection, by many reproofs, for forty days, and spake to them concerning the kingdom of God, eating and drinking together with them: and commanded them that they should not depart from the city of Jerusalem, but that they should await there the promise of his Father which (he said) ye have heard from my mouth. For John the Baptist baptized with water, and ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost now after a few days. The assembly of his disciples therefore said unanimously, Beloved Lord, wilt thou now put an end to this world? He answered them, It is not for you to know the time or the moment which my Father hath appointed through his might: but ye shall receive the might of the Holy Ghost, and ye shall be my witnesses in Judea, and in all the world, unto the uttermost land. And he led them then out of the city up to a hill which is called the mount of Olives, and blessed them with uplifted hands. Then afterthat blessing he went to heaven, they looking on; and a heavenly cloud descended towards him, and took him from their sight."
"Ðaða hi up to heofonum starigende stodon, ða gesawon hi ðær twegen englas on hwitum gerelan, þus cweðende, Ge Galileisce weras, hwi stande ge ðus starigende wið heofenas weard? Se Hælend, þe is nu genumen of eowrum gesihðum to heofonum, swa he cymð eft swa swa ge gesawon þæt he to heofonum astáh. Hi ða gecyrdon to ðære byrig Hierusalem mid micelre blisse, and astigon upp on ane upfleringe, and þær wunedon oð Pentecosten on gebedum and on Godes herungum, oðþæt se Halga Gast him to com, swa swa se æðela Cyning him ær behét."
"While they stood gazing up to heaven, they saw there two angels in white garments, thus saying, Ye Galilean men, why stand ye thus gazing towards heaven? Jesus, who is now taken from your sight to heaven, shall so come again as ye have seen that he ascended to heaven. They then returned to the city of Jerusalem with great joy, and went up on an upper flooring, and there stayed till Pentecost in prayers and in praises of God, until the Holy Ghost came to them, as the noble King had before promised them."
"On ðyssere geferrædene wæron Petrus and Iohannes, Iacob and Andreas, Philippus and Thomas, Bartholomeus and Matheus, se oðer Iacob and Simon, se oðer Iudas and Maria þæs Hælendes modor, and gehwilce oðre, ægðer ge weras ge wíf. Eal seo menigu wæs an hund manna and twentig, anmodlice on gebedum wunigende."
"In this fellowship were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, the other James and Simon, the other Judas and Mary the mother of Jesus, and several others, both men and women. The whole multitude was an hundred and twenty persons, unanimously continuing in prayers."
Se Hælend tæhte ða halgan lare his leorning-cnihtum ær his ðrowunge, and æfter his æriste he wæs wunigende betwux him þas feowertig daga, fram ðære halgan Easter-tide oð þisne dægðerlican dæg, and on manegum wisum ðrafode and afandode his gingran, and ge-edlæhte þæt þæt he ær tæhte, to fulre lare and rihtum geleafan. He gereordode hine æfter his æriste, na forði þæt he syððan eorðlices bigleofan behófode, ac to ði þæt he geswutelode his soðan lichaman. He æt þurh mihte, na for neode. Swa swa fyr fornimð wæteres dropan, swa fornam Cristes godcundlice miht ðone geðigedan mete. Soðlice æfter ðam gemænelicum æriste ne behófiað ure lichaman nanre strangunge eorðlicra metta, ac se Hælend us deð ealle ure neoda mid heofenlicum ðingum, and we beoð mid wuldre gewelgode, and mihtige to gefremmenne swa hwæt swa us licað, and we beoð ful swyfte to farenne geond ealle wídgylnyssa Godes rices.
Jesus taught the holy lore to his disciples before his passion, and after his resurrection he was continuing among them these forty days, from the holy Easter-tide until this present day, and in many ways reproved and tried his disciples, and repeated that which he had before taught, for the perfection of doctrine and right faith. He ate and drank after his resurrection, not because he then had need of earthly food, but because he would manifest his true body. He ate through power, not for need. As fire consumes drops of water, so did the divine power of Christ consume the received meat. Verily after the universal resurrection our bodies will require no strengthening of earthly meats, for Jesus will supply all our needs with heavenly things, and we shall be enriched with glory, and mighty to execute whatsoever is pleasing to us, and we shall be full swift to go through all the immensities of the kingdom of God.
He behét his gingrum nu and gelome þæt he wolde him sendan þone Halgan Gast, and þus cwæð, "Þonne he cymð he eow tiht and gewissað to eallum ðam ðingum ðe ic eow sæde." Þa com se Halga Gast on fyres hiwe to ðam halgum hyrede on þam endleoftan dæge Cristes upstiges, and hi ealle onælde mid úndergendlicum fyre, and hí wurdon afyllede mid þære heofonlican láre, and cuðon ealle woruldlice gereord, and bodedon unforhtlice geleafan and fulluht ricum and reðum.
He promised to his disciples then and frequently that he would send to them the Holy Ghost, and thus said, "When he comes he will stimulate and direct you to all the things which I have said unto you." Then came the Holy Ghost in semblance of fire to the holy company on the eleventh day after Christ's ascension, and inflamed them all with innoxious fire, and they were filled with heavenly lore, and knew all worldly tongues, and fearlessly preached faith and baptism to the powerful and cruel.
Se halga heap befrán Crist, hwæðer he wolde on ðam timan þisne middangeard geendian. He ða cwæð him to andsware, "Nis na eower mǽð to witenne þone timan, þe min Fæder þurh his mihte gesette." He cwæð eac on oðre stowe, "Nát nán man ðone dæg ne ðone timan ðysre worulde geendunge, ne englas, ne nan halga, buton Gode anum." Þeah-hwæðere, be ðam tacnum þe Crist sæde, we geseoð þæt seo geendung is swiðe gehende, þeah ðe heo us uncuð sy.
The holy company asked Christ, whether he would at that time put an end to this world. He said to them in answer, "It is not for you to know the time which my Father hath through his power appointed." He said also in another place, "No man knoweth the day or the time of the ending of this world, nor the angels, nor any saint, save God only." Yet by the tokens which Christ mentioned, we see that the ending is very near at hand, though it be unknown to us.
Þa apostoli wæron gewitan Cristes weorca, forðan ðe hí bodedon his ðrowunge, and his ærist, and upstige, ærst Iudeiscre ðeode, and syððan becom heora stemn to ælcum lande, and heora word to gemærum ealles ymbhwyrftes; forðan ðe hí awriton Cristes wundra, and ða bec þurhwuniað on cristenre ðeode, ægðer ge ðær þær ða apostoli lichamlice bodedon, ge þær ðær hí na ne becomon.
The apostles were witnesses of Christ's works, for they preached his passion, and his resurrection, and ascension, first to the Jewish people, and afterwards their voice came to every land, and their words to the boundaries of the whole globe; for they recorded the miracles of Christ, and the books exist among christian people, both where the apostles bodily preached, and where they did not come.
Ealle gesceafta ðeniað heora Scyppende. Þaþa Crist acenned wæs, þa sende seo heofen niwne steorran, ðe bodade Godesacennednysse. Eft, ðaða he to heofonum astah, þa abeah þæt heofonlice wolcn wið his, and hine underfeng: na þæt þæt wolcn hine ferede, forðan ðe he hylt heofona ðrymsetl, ac he siðode mid þam wolcne of manna gesihðum. Þær wæron ða gesewene twegen englas on hwitum gyrelum. Eac swilce on his acennednysse wæron englas gesewene; ac þæt halige godspel ne ascyrde hu hi gefreatwode wæron; forðan ðe God com to us swiðe eadmod. On his upstige wæron gesewene englas mid hwitum gyrlum geglengede. Bliss isgetacnod on hwitum reafe, forðon ðe Crist ferde heonon mid micelre blisse and mid micclum ðrymme. On his acennednysse wæs geðuht swilce seo Godcundnys wære geeadmet, and on his upstige wæs seo menniscnys ahafen and gemærsod. Mid his upstige is adylegod þæt cyrographum ure geniðerunge, and se cwyde ure brosnunge is awend.
All creatures serve their Creator. When Christ was born, heaven sent forth a new star, which announced the birth of God. Again, when he ascended to heaven, the heavenly cloud bowed down towards him, and received him: not that the cloud bare him, for he holds the throne of heaven, but he passed with the cloud from the sight of men. There were seen two angels in white garments. In like manner at his birth angels were seen; but the holy gospel has not explained how they were adorned; for God came to us very humble. At his ascension were seen angels adorned with white garments. Joy is betokened by white garments, forChrist departed hence with great joy and with great majesty. At his birth it seemed as though the Godhead were humbled, and at his ascension humanity was exalted and magnified. With his ascension is annulled the writ of our condemnation, and the sentence of our destruction is abrogated.
Þaða Adam agylt hæfde, þa cwæð se Ælmihtiga Wealdend him to, "Þu eart eorðe, and þu gewenst to eorðan. Ðu eart dust, and þu gewenst to duste." Nu to-dæg þæt ylce gecynd ferde unbrosnigendlic into heofenan rice. Þa twegen englas sædon þæt Crist cymð swa swa he uppferde, forðan ðe he bið gesewen on ðam micclum dome on menniscum hiwe, þæt his slagan hine magon oncnawan, þe hine ær to deaðe gedydon, and eac ða ðe his lare forsawon, þæt hi ðonne rihtlice onfón þæt ece wite mid deofle. Þæt halige gewrit cwyð, "Tollatur impius ne uideat gloriam Dei:" "Sy ðam arleasan ætbroden seo gesihð Godes wuldres." Ne geseoð þa arleasan Cristes wuldor, ðe hine ær on life forsawon, ac hi geseoð þonne egefulne þone ðe hi eadmodne forhygedon.
When Adam had sinned, the Almighty Ruler said to him, "Thou art earth, and thou shalt to earth return. Thou art dust, and thou shalt return to dust." Now to-day that same nature went incorruptible into the kingdom of heaven. The two angels said that Christ would come as he ascended, because at the great doom he will be seen in human form, that his slayers may recognize him whom they formerly put to death, and also that those who despised his precepts may then justly receive eternal punishment with the devil. Holy writ says, "Tollatur impius ne videat gloriam Dei:" "Be the sight of God's glory taken away from the impious." The impious will not see the glory of Christ, whom they had before despised in life, but they will then see him awful whom humble they had contemned.
Recumbentibus undecim discipulis: et reliqua. We habbað nu geræd Lucas gesetnysse embe Cristes upstige; nu wende we ure smeagunge to ðam oðrum godspellere Marcum, þe cwæð on ðisum dægðerlicum godspelle, þæt se Hælend æteowde hine sylfne his apostolum and cidde him, forðan ðe hi noldon æt fruman gelyfan his æristes of deaðe, ðaða hit him gecydd wæs. Þa cwæð se Wealdend to his gingrum, "Farað geond ealne middangeard, and bodiað godspel eallum gesceafte: seðe gelyfð and bið gefullod, se bið gehealden; se ðe ne gelyfð, he bið genyðerod. Ðas tacnu fyligað þam mannum þe gelyfað," etc. Þis godspel is nu anfealdlice gesǽd, ac we willað nu, æfter Gregories trahtnunge, þa digelnysse eow onwreón.
Recumbentibus undecim discipulis: et reliqua. We have now read the narrative of Luke concerning Christ's ascension; we will now turn our consideration to the other evangelist Mark, who said in the present day's gospel, that Jesus appeared to his apostles, and chid them, because they would not at first believe his resurrection from death, when it was announced to them. Then said the Lord to his disciples, "Go over all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature: he who believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he who believeth not shall be damned. These signs shall follow those men who believe," etc. This gospel is here now simply said, but we will now unfold its mysteries to you, according to the exposition of Gregory.
Ðæra apostola tweonung be Cristes æriste næs na swa swiðe heora ungeleaffulnys, ac wæs ure trumnys. Læs usfremodon þa ðe hraðe gelyfdon, ðonne ða þe twynigende wæron; forðan ðe hi sceawedon and grapodon ða dolhswaðu Cristes wunda, and swa adræfdon ealle twynunga fram ure heortan. Þa ðreade se Hælend his leorning-cnihta twynunge, ðaða hé lichamlice hí forlætan wolde, to ði þæt hí gemyndige wæron ðæra worda þe hé on his siðe him sæde. He cwæð þa, "Farað geond ealne middangeard, and bodiað godspel eallum gesceafte." Godspel is us to gehyrenne, and ðearle lufigendlic, þæt we moton forbugan helle-wite and ða hreowlican tintrega þurh ðæs Hælendes menniscnysse, and becuman to engla werode þurh his eadmodnysse. He cwæð, "Bodiað eallum gesceafte:" ac mid þam naman is se mann ána getacnod. Stanas sind gesceafta, ac hí nabbað nan líf, ne hí ne gefredað. Gærs and treowa lybbað butan felnysse; hí ne lybbað na ðurh sawle, ac ðurh heora grennysse. Nytenu lybbað and habbað felnysse, butan gesceade: hí nabbað nan gescead, forðan ðe hí sind sawullease. Englas lybbað, and gefredað, and tosceadað. Nu hæfð se mann ealra gesceafta sum ðing. Him is gemæne mid stanum, þæt he beo wunigende; him is gemæne mid treowum, þæt he lybbe; mid nytenum, þæt he gefrede; mid englum, þæt he understande. Nu is se mann gecweden 'eall gesceaft,' forðan ðe he hæfð sum ðing gemæne mid eallum gesceafte. Þæt godspel bið gebodad eallum gesceafte, þonne hit bið ðam menn anum gebodad, forðan ðe ealle eorðlice þing sind gesceapene for ðam men anum, and hí ealle habbað sume gelicnysse to ðam men, swa swa we ær sædon.
The apostles' doubt as to the resurrection of Christ was not so much their lack of faith, but was our confirmation. Lesshave benefited us those who quickly believed than those who were doubting; for they beheld and touched the scars of Christ's wounds, and so drove out all doubts from our hearts. Jesus then reproved his disciples for their doubt, when he would bodily leave them, that they might be mindful of the words which he said to them on his way. He said, "Go over all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." The gospel is for us to hear and exceedingly loving, that we may avoid hell-torment and cruel tortures through the incarnation of Jesus, and come to the host of angels through his humility. He said, "Preach to every creature:" but by that name is man alone betokened. Stones are creatures, but they have no life, nor have they sense. Grass and trees live without feeling; they live not by a soul, but by their greenness. Beasts live and have feeling without reason; they have no reason, because they are soulless. Angels live, and have sense, and use reason. Now man has something of all creatures. He has in common with the stones, that he is existing; he has in common with the trees, that he lives; with the beasts, that he has sense; with angels, that he understands. Man is therefore called 'every creature,' because he has something in common with every creature. The gospel is preached to every creature, when it is preached to man alone; for all earthly things are created for man alone, and they all have some likeness to man, as we before said.
"Se ðe gelyfð, and bið gefullod, he bið gehealden; and se ðe ne gelyfð, he bið geniðerod." Se geleafa bið soð seðe ne wiðcwyð mid þweorum ðeawum þæt þæt he gelyfð; be ðam cwæð Iohannes se apostol, "Se ðe cwyð þæt he God cunne, and his beboda ne hylt, he is leas." Eft cwyð se apostol Iacobus, "Se geleafa ðe bið butan godum weorcum, se bið dead." Eft he cwæð, "Hwæt fremað þe þæt ðu hæbbe geleafan, gif ðu næfst ða godan weorc? Ne mægse geleafa ðe gehealdan butan ðam weorcum. Deoflu gelyfað, ac hí forhtiað." Þa deoflu gesawon Crist on ðisum life on ðære menniscnysse, ac hi feollon to his fotum, and hrymdon, and cwædon, "Þu eart Godes Sunu, forði ðu come þæt ðu woldest us fordón." Se man ðe nele gelyfan on God, ne nænne Godes ege næfð, he bið wyrsa þonne deofol. Se ðe gelyfð, and hæfð ege, and nele ðeah-hwæðere gód wyrcan, se bið þonne deoflum gelic.
"He who believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; and he who believeth not shall be damned." That faith is true which gainsays not by wicked practices that which it believes; of which spake John the apostle; "He who saith that he knoweth God, and holdeth not his commandments, is a liar." Again, the apostle James says, "The faith which is without good works is dead." Again, he said, "What profiteth it thee that thou have faith, if thou hast not good works? Faithcannot save thee without works. The devils believe, but they tremble." The devils saw Christ in this life, in his human state, but they fell at his feet, and cried, and said, "Thou art the Son of God, therefore thou art come that thou mightest fordo us." The man who will not believe in God, nor has any awe of God, is worse than a devil. He who believes, and has awe, and, nevertheless, will not do good, is like unto a devil.
In quodam tractu, qui estimatur SciHilarii fuisse, sic inuenimus scriptum, sicut Anglice hic interpretauimus, et ad testimonium ipsam Latinitatem posuimus: "Demones credunt et contremescunt; qui autem non credit, et non contremescit demonibus deterior est: qui autem credit, et contremescit, et ueritatem operibus non agit demonibus similis est." Se ðe rihtlice gelyfð, and rihtlice his lif leofað, and mid Godes ege gód weorc begæð oð ende his lifes, se bið gehealden, and he hæfð ece líf mid Gode, and mid eallum his halgum. Drihten cwæð, þa ðe gelyfað, him fyligað þas tacnu, "On minum naman hí adræfað deoflu; hí sprecað mid niwum gereordum; hí afyrsiað næddran; and ðeah ðe hí unlybban drincan, hit him ne derað; hí settað heora handa ofer adlige men, and him bið tela."
In quodam tractu, qui æstimatur Sancti Hilarii fuisse, sic invenimus scriptum, sicut Anglice hic interpretavimus, et ad testimonium ipsam Latinitatem posuimus: "Dæmones credunt et contremescunt; qui autem non credit, et non contremescit dæmonibus deterior est: qui autem credit, et contremescit, et veritatem operibus non agit, dæmonibus similis est." He who rightly believes, and rightly lives his life, and with awe of God practises good works to the end of his life, shall be saved, and shall have everlasting life with God, and with all his saints. The Lord said, these signs shall follow those who believe in him, "In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall drive away serpents; and though they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall set their hands over sick men, and it shall be well with them."
Þas wundra wæron nyd-behefe on anginne cristendomes, forðan ðurh ða tacna wearð þæt hæðene folc gebiged to geleafan. Se man ðe plantað treowa oððe wyrta, swa lange he hí wæterað oðþæt hí beoð ciðfæste; syððan hí growende beoð he geswycð þære wæterunge: swa eac se Ælmihtiga God, swa lange he æteowde his wundra ðam hæðenum folce, oðþæt hí geleaffulle wæron: syððan se geleafa sprang geond ealne middangeard, siððan geswicon ða wundra. Ac ðeah-hwæðere Godes gelaðung wyrcð gyt dæghwamlice þa ylcan wundra gastlice þe ða apostoli ða worhton lichamlice. Þonne se preost cristnað þæt cild, þonne adræfð he ðone deofol of ðam cilde; forðan ðe ælc hæðen man bið deofles, ac þurhþæt halige fulluht he bið Godes, gif he hit gehylt. Se ðe forlæt bysmorlice spellunga, and talu, and derigendlice gaffetunga, and gebysegað his muð mid Godes herungum and gebedum, he sprecð þonne mid niwum gereordum. Se ðe ungeradum oððe ungeðyldigum styrð, and þa biternysse his heortan gestilð, he afyrsað þa næddran, forðan ðe he adwæscð þa yfelnyssa his modes. Se ðe bið forspanen to forligre, and ðeah-hwæðere ne bið gebiged to ðære fremminge, he drincð unlybban, ac hit him ne derað, gif he mid gebédum to Gode flihð. Gif hwa bið geuntrumod on his anginne, and asolcen fram godre drohtnunge, gif hine hwa ðonne mid tihtinge and gebisnungum godra weorca getrymð and arærð, þonne bið hit swilce he sette his handa ofer untrumne and hine gehæle.
These wonders were needful at the beginning of christianity, for by these signs was the heathen folk inclined to faith. The man who plants trees or herbs, waters them so long until they have taken root; when they are growing he ceases from watering: so also the Almighty God so long showed his miracles to the heathen folk, until they were believing: when faith had sprung up over all the world, then miracles ceased. But, nevertheless, God's church still works daily the same miracles spiritually which the apostles then wrought bodily. When the priest christens the child, then casts he out the devil from that child; for every heathen man is the devil's, but through the holy baptism he is God's,if he observe it. He who forsakes opprobrious speeches and calumnies, and injurious scoffings, and busies his mouth with the praises of God and with prayers, speaks then in new tongues. He who corrects thoughtlessness or impatience, and stills the bitterness of his heart, drives away serpents, for he extinguishes the evilnesses of his mind. He who is allured to fornication, but yet is not induced to its accomplishment, drinks a deadly drink, but it shall not hurt him, if with prayers he flees to God. If any-one be weakened in his purpose, and slothful for good living, then if any-one, with exhortation and examples of good works, strengthen and raise him up, it will be as though he set his hand over the sick and heal him.
Þa gastlican wundra sind maran þonne þa lichamlican wæron, forðan ðe ðas wundra gehælað þæs mannes sawle, ðe is ece, and ða ærran tacna gehældon þone deadlican lichaman. Þa ærran wundra worhton ægðer ge góde men ge yfele. Yfel wæs Iudas, ðe Crist belæwde, þeah he worhte wundra æror ðurh Godes naman. Be swylcum mannum cwæð Crist on oðre stowe, "Ic secge eow, manega cweðað to me on ðam micclan dæge, Drihten, Drihten, la hú ne witegode we on ðinum naman, and we adræfdon deoflo of wodum mannum, and we micele mihta on þinum naman gefremedon? Þonne andette ic him, Ne can ic eow: gewitað fram me, ge unrihtwise wyrhtan." Mine gebroðru, ne lufige ge ða wundra þe magon beon gemæne godum and yfelum, ac lufiað þa tacna þe sind sinderlice godra manna, þæt synd soðre lufe and arfæstnysse tacna. Næfð se yfela ða soðan lufe, ne se góda nys hyre bedæled. Þas tacna sind digle and unpleolice, and hí habbað swa miccle maran edlean æt Gode, swa micclum swa heora wuldor is læsse mid mannum. Se Wealdenda Drihten, æfter ðisum wordum, wæs genumen to heofonum, and sitt on ða swiðran hand his Fæder.
The spiritual miracles are greater than the bodily ones were, for these miracles heal a man's soul, which is eternal, but the former signs healed the mortal body. The former miracles were wrought both by good men and by evil. Judas, who betrayed Christ, was evil, though he had previously wrought miracles in the name of God. Of such men Christ in another place said, "I say unto you, many will say to me on that great day, Lord, Lord, lo! have we not prophesied in thy name, and have driven devils out of mad men, and have performed great miracles in thy name? Then will I profess to them, I know you not: depart from me, ye unrighteous doers." My brothers, love not those miracles which may be common to the good and to the evil, but love those signs which are exclusively good men's, which are the signs of true love and of piety. The evil has not true love, nor is the good devoid of it. These signs are mysterious and not perilous, and they have so much the greater reward with God as their glory is less with men. The Omnipotent Lord, after these words, was taken to heaven, and sits on the right hand of his Father.
We rædað on ðære ealdan ǽ, þæt twegen Godes men,Enoh and Helias, wæron ahafene to heofonum butan deaðe: ac hí elciað ongean ðone deað, and mid ealle ne forfleoð. Hí sind genumene to lyftenre heofenan na to rodorlicere, and drohtniað on sumum diglan earde mid micelre strencðe lichaman and sawle, oðþæt hi eft ongean cyrron, on ende þisre worulde, togeanes Antecriste, and deaðes onfoð. Ure Ælmihtiga Alysend ne elcode na ongean þone deað, ac he hine oferswiðde mid his æriste, and geswutulode his wuldor þurh his upstige to ðam yfemystan þrymsetle.
We read in the old law, that two men of God, Enoch andElijah, were lifted up to heaven without death: but they await death, and will by no means escape from it. They are taken to the aërial heaven, not to the ethereal, and continue in some secret dwelling-place with great strength of body and soul, until they shall return again, at the end of this world, against Antichrist, and shall receive death. Our Almighty Redeemer waited not for death, but he overcame it with his resurrection, and manifested his glory by his ascension to the highest throne.
We rædað be ðam witegan Heliam, þæt englas hine feredon on heofonlicum cræte, forðan ðe seo untrumnys his gecyndes behofode sumes byrðres. Ure Alysend Crist næs geferod mid cræte ne ðurh engla fultum; forðan se ðe ealle ðing geworhte, he wæs geferod mid his agenre mihte ofer ealle gesceafta. Se ærra man Enoh wæs geferod to lyftenre heofonan, and Helias wæs mid cræte up-awegen; ac se Ælmihtiga Hælend næs gefered ne awegen, ac he ðurhferde ða roderlican heofonan þurh his agene mihte.
We read of the prophet Elijah, that angels conveyed him in a heavenly chariot, because the infirmity of his nature required some supporter. Our Redeemer Christ was not conveyed in a chariot nor by angels' help; for he who wrought all things was borne by his own might over all creatures. The first-mentioned man, Enoch, was conveyed to the aërial heaven, and Elijah was borne up in a chariot; but the Almighty Saviour was not conveyed nor borne, but he passed through the ethereal heaven by his own might.
Us is to smeagenne hu seo clænnys wæs ðeonde geond þa geferedan ðenas, and þurh ðone astigendan Hælend. Enoh wæs geferod, seðe wæs mid hæmede gestryned, and mid hæmede wæs strynende. Helias wæs on cræte geferod, seðe wæs þurh hæmed gestryned, ac he ne strynde þurh hæmed, forðan ðe he wunade on his life butan wife. Se Hælend astah to heofonum, seðe næs mid hæmede gestryned, ne he sylf strynende næs; forðan ðe he is ord and anginn ealra clænnyssa, and him is seo clænnys swiðe lufigendlic mægen, þæt he geswutulode ðaða he geceas him mæden-mann to meder. And eall se halga heap ðe him fyligde wæs on clænnysse wunigende, swa swa he cwæð sumum godspelle, "Se ðe to me cymð, ne mæg he beon min leorning-cniht, buton he his wif hatige."
We have to consider how chastity was cherished by the ministers who were thus conveyed, and by the ascending Jesus. Enoch was conveyed, who was begotten by coition, and who begot by coition. Elijah was conveyed in a chariot, who was begotten by coition, but he begot not by coition, for he continued during his life without a wife. Jesus ascended to heaven, who was not begotten by coition, nor did he himself beget; for he is the origin and beginning of all chastities, and to him chastity is a very amiable virtue, which he manifested when he chose him a maiden for mother. And all the holy company which followed him was living in chastity, as he says in one of his gospels, "He who comes to me, may not be my disciple, unless he hate his wife."
Se godspellere Marcus awrát on ðisum godspelle, þæt ure Drihten, æfter his upstige, sæte on his Fæder swiðran hand; and se forma martyr Stephanus cwæð, þæt he gesaweheofonas opene, and ðone Hælend standan on his Fæder swiðran. Nu cwyð se trahtnere, "Þæt rihtlice is gecweden, þæt he sæte æfter his upstige, forðan ðe deman gedafnað setl." Crist is se soða dema, þe demð and toscæt ealle ðing, nu and eac on ðam endenextan dæge. Se martyr hine geseah standan, forðan ðe hé wæs his gefylsta on ðære ðrowunge his martyrdomes, and ðurh his gife he wæs gebyld ongean ða reðan ehteras, ðe hine wælhreowlice stændon.
The evangelist Mark wrote in this gospel, that our Lord, after his ascension, sat on the right hand of his Father; and the first martyr, Stephen, said that he saw the heavens open,and Jesus standing on his Father's right. Now says the expounder, "That is rightly said, that he sat after his ascension, because a seat is befitting a judge." Christ is the true Judge, who will judge and decide all things, now, and also on the last day. The martyr saw him standing, for he was his supporter in the suffering of his martyrdom, and through his grace he was rendered bold against the fierce persecutors, who cruelly stoned him.
Se ende is ðises godspelles, Þæt Cristes apostoli "ferdon and bodedon gehwær, Drihtne samod wyrcendum, and ða spræce getrymmendum mid æfterfyligendum tacnum." Þa apostoli, þæt sind Godes bydelas, toferdon geond ealne middangeard. Petrus bodade on Iudea-lande, Paulus on hæðenum folce, Andreas on Scithia, Iohannes on Asia, Bartholomeus on India, Matheus on Ethiopia, and swa heora gehwilc on his dæle, and Godes miht him wæs mid, to gefremminge heora bodunga and ungerimra tacna; forðan ðe Crist cwæð, "Ne mage ge nán ðing dón butan me." Eft he cwæð, "Ic beo mid eow eallum dagum, oð þisre worulde geendunge," seðe lyfað and rixað mid þam Ælmihtigan Fæder and ðam Halgum Gaste á on ecnysse. Amen.
The end of this gospel is, that Christ's apostles "went and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following." The apostles, that is, God's preachers, went over all the world. Peter preached in Judea, Paul among the heathen folk, Andrew in Scythia, John in Asia, Bartholomew in India, Matthew in Ethiopia, and so each of them in his part, and the might of God was with them, for the efficacy of their preaching and of numberless signs; for Christ said, "Ye can do nothing without me." Again he said, "I will be with you on all days, until the ending of this world," who liveth and reigneth with the Almighty Father and the Holy Ghost ever to eternity. Amen.