Part 3

Dha deadan fell getacnodon thaet h['i] waeron dha deadlice the mihton beon undeadlice, gif hi heoldon thaet eadhelice Godes bebod. Ne thorfte Adam ne eal mancynn the him sidhdhan ofacom naefre deadhes onbyrian, gif thaet treow moste standan ungehrepod, and his nan man ne onbyrigde; ac sceolde Adam and his ofspring tyman on asettum tyman, swa swa nu dodh claene nytenu, and sidhdhan ealle buton deadhe faran to dhan ecan life. Naes him gesceapen fram Gode, ne h['e] naes genedd thaet h['e] sceolde Godes bebod tobrecan; ac God hine l['e]t frigne, and sealde him agenne cyre, swa h['e] waere gehyrsum, swa h['e] waere ungehyrsum. H['e] weardh tha deofle gehyrsum, and Gode ungehyrsum, and weardh betaeht, h['e] and eal mancynn, aefter dhisum l['i]fe, into helle-w['i]te, mid tham deofle dhe hine forlaerde. Tha wiste God hwaedhere thaet h['e] waes forlaered, and smeade hu he mihte his and ealles mancynnes eft gemiltsian.

{20} On twam thingum haefde God thaes mannes sawle gegodod; thaet is mid undeadlicnysse, and mid gesaeldhe. Tha thurh deofles swicdom and Adames gylt we forluron tha gesaeldhe ure sawle, ac we ne forluron n['a] tha undeadlicnysse; heo is ['e]ce, and naefre ne geendadh, theah se lichama geendige, the sceal eft thurh Godes mihte arisan to ecere wununge. Adam tha waes wunigende on thisum life mid geswince, and h['e] and his w['i]f dha bearn gestryndon, aegdher ge suna ge dohtra; and he leofode nigon hund geara and thrittig geara, and sidhdhan swealt, swa swa him aer behaten waes, for than gylte; and his sawul gewende to helle.

Nu smeagiadh sume men hwanon him come sawul? hwaether dhe of tham faeder, the of thaere meder? We cwedhadh of heora nadhrum; ac se ylca God the gesceop Adam mid his handum, he gescypdh aelces mannes lichaman on his modor innodhe; and se ylca sedhe able['o]w on Ad['a]mes lichaman, and him forgeaf sawle, se ylca forgyfdh cildum sawle and l['i]f on heora modor innodhe, thonne h['i] gesceapene beodh; and he laett h['i] habban agenne cyre, thonne h['i] geweaxene beodh, swa swa Ad['a]m haefde.

Tha weardh tha hraedlice micel mennisc geweaxen, and waeron swidhe manega on yfel awende, and gegremodon God mid mislicum leahtrum, and swidhost mid forligere. Dha weardh God to than swidhe gegremod thurh manna m['a]ndaeda thaet he cwaedh thaet him ofthuhte thaet h['e] aefre mancynn gesceop. Dha waes hwaethere ['a]n man rihtwis aetforan Gode, se waes N['o]e geh['a]ten. Tha cwaedh God to him, "Ic wylle ford['o]n eal mancynn mid waetere, for heora synnum, ac ic wylle gehealdan the aenne, and thin w['i]f, and thine thry suna, Sem, and Cham, and Iafeth, and heora threo w['i]f; fordhan the dhu eart rihtwis, and me gecweme. Wyrc the n['u] aenne arc, threo hund faedhma lang, and fiftig faedhma w['i]d, and thritig faedhma heah: gehref hit eall, and gecl['ae]m ealle tha seamas mid tyrwan, and g['a] inn sydhdhan mid thinum h['i]wum. Ic gegaderige in to the of deorcynne, and of fugelcynne symble gemacan, thaet h['i] eft to fostre beon. Ic wille sendan flod ofer ealne middangeard." {22} He dyde tha swa him God bebead, and God beleac h['i] bynnan tham arce, and asende r['e]n of heofonum feowertig daga togaedere, and geopenode thaer togeanes ealle wyll-springas and waeter-theotan of thaere micclan niwelnysse. Dhaet flod weox dha and ab['ae]r up thone arc, and hit oferstah ealle d['u]na. Weardh tha aelc thing cuces adrenct, buton tham dhe binnon tham arce waeron; of tham weardh eft ge-edstadhelod eall middangeard. Dha beh['e]t God thaet h['e] nolde naefre eft eal mancynn mid waetere acwellan, and cwaedh to Noe and to his sunum, "Ic wylle settan m['i]n wedd betwux me and eow to thisum beh['a]te; thaet is, thonne ic oferteo heofenas mid w['o]lcnum, thonne bidh aeteowod min r['e]nboga betwux tham wolcnum, thonne beo ic gemyndig mines weddes, thaet ic nelle heonon-fordh mancynn mid waetere adrencan." Noe leofode on eallum his life, aer tham flode and aefter tham flode, nigon hund geara and fiftig geara, and he tha fordhferde.

Dha waes tha sume hw['i]le Godes ege on mancynne aefter tham flode, and waes ['a]n gereord on him eallum. Dha cwaedon hi betwux him thaet hi woldon wyrcan ane burh, and aenne stypel binnon thaere byrig, swa heahne thaet his hrof astige up to heofenum: and begunnon tha to wyrcenne. Dha com God thaerto, thadha h['i] swidhost worhton, and sealde aelcum men the dhaer waes synderlice spraece. Tha waeron thaer swa fela gereord swa dhaer manna waeron; and heora n['a]n nyste hwaet odher cwaedh. And h['i] dha geswicon thaere getimbrunge, and toferdon geond ealne middangeard.

Dha sidhdhan weardh mancynn thurh deofol beswicen, and gebiged fram Godes geleafan, swa thaet h['i] worhton him anlicnyssa, sume of golde, sume of seolfre, sume eac of stanum, sume of treowe, and sceopon him naman; thaera manna naman the waeron entas and yfel-daede. Eft dhonne h['i] deade waeron, thonne cwaedon tha cucan thaet h['i] waeron godas, and wurdhodon h['i], and him l['a]c offrodon; and comon tha deoflu to heora anlicnyssum, and thaeron wunodon, and to mannum spraecon swilce h['i] godas waeron; and thaet beswicene mennisc feoll on {24} cneowum to tham anlicnyssum, and cwaedon, "Ge sind ure godas and we besettadh urne geleafan and urne hiht on eow." Dha asprang this gedwyld geond ealne middangeard, and waes se sodha Scyppend, sedhe ['a]na is God, forsewen, and geunwurthod. Dha waes hwaedhere an maegdh the naefre ne abeah to nanum deofolgylde, ac aefre wurdhode thone sodhan God. Seo maegdh aspr['a]ng of N['o]es eltstan suna, se waes gehaten Sem: he leofode six hund geara, and his sunu hatte Arfaxadh, se leofode threo hund geara and threo and thrittig, and his sunu hatte Sal['e], se leofode feower hund geara and XXXIII.; tha gestrynde he sunu se waes geh['a]ten Eb['e]r, of tham aspr['a]ng thaet Ebreisce folc, the God lufode: and of tham cynne comon ealle heahfaederas and witegan, tha dhe cydhdon Cristes to-cyme to thisum life; thaet h['e] wolde man beon, fornean on ende thyssere worulde, for ure alysednesse, sedhe aefre waes God mid tham healican Faeder. And thyssere maegdhe God sealde and gesette ['ae], and h['e] h['i] laedde ofer s['ae] mid drium fotum, and h['e] h['i] afedde feowertig wintra mid heofenlicum hlafe, and fela wundra on tham folce geworhte; forthan dhe he wolde of thyssere maegdhe him modor geceosan.

Dha aet nextan, tha se tima com the God foresceawode, tha asende he his engel Gabrihel to anum maedene of tham cynne, seo waes Mar['i]a gehaten. Tha com se engel to hire, and h['i] gegrette mid Godes wordum, and cydde h['i]re, thaet Godes Sunu sceolde beon acenned of hire, buton weres gemanan. And heo tha gelyfde his wordum, and weardh mid cilde. Dhadha hire t['i]ma com heo acende, and thurhwunode maeden. Dhaet cild is tuwa acenned: he is acenned of tham Faeder on heofonum, buton aelcere meder, and eft thadha h['e] man geweardh, tha waes h['e] acenned of tham claenan maedene Mar['i]an, buton aelcum eordhlicum faeder. God Faeder geworhte mancynn and ealle gesceafta thurh dhone Sunu, and eft, dhadha we forwyrhte waeron, tha asende h['e] dhone ylcan Sunu to ['u]re alysednesse. Seo halige moder Mar['i]a tha afedde thaet cild mid micelre arwurdhnesse, and hit weox swa swa odhre cild dodh, buton synne anum.

{26} He waes buton synnum acenned, and his l['i]f waes eal buton synnum. Ne worhte he theah n['a]ne w['u]ndra openlice ['ae]rdhan dhe h['e] waes thritig wintre on thaere menniscnysse: tha sidhthan geceas he him leorning-cnihtas; aerest twelf, tha we h['a]tadh apostolas, thaet sind aerendracan. Siththan h['e] geceas tw['a] and hund-seofontig, tha sind genemnede discipuli, thaet sind leorning-cnihtas. Dha worhte h['e] fela wundra, thaet men mihton gelyfan thaet he waes Godes Bearn. H['e] awende waeter to wine, and eode ofer s['ae] mid drium fotum, and he gestilde windas mid his haese, and h['e] forgeaf blindum mannum gesihdhe, and healtum and lamum rihtne g['a]ng, and hreoflium smedhnysse, and haelu heora lichaman; dumbum h['e] forgeaf getingnysse, and deafum heorcnunge; deofolseocum and wodum h['e] sealde gewitt, and tha deoflu todraefde, and aelce untrumnysse he gehaelde; deade men h['e] araerde of heora byrgenum to l['i]fe; and laerde thaet folc the h['e] to com mid micclum wisdome; and cwaedh thaet n['a]n man ne maeg beon gehealden, buton he rihtlice on God gelyfe, and he beo gefullod, and his geleafan mid godum weorcum geglenge; he onscunode aelc unriht and ealle leasunga, and taehte rihtwisnysse and sodhfaestnysse.

Tha nam thaet Iudeisce folc micelne ['a]ndan ongean his l['a]re, and smeadon h['u] h['i] mihton h['i]ne to deadhe ged['o]n. Tha weardh ['a]n dhaera twelfa Cristes geferena, se waes Iudas gehaten, thurh deofles tihtinge beswicen, and h['e] eode to tham Iudeiscum folce, and smeade widh h['i], hu he Crist him bel['ae]wan mihte. Theah dhe eal mennisc w['ae]re gegaderod, ne mihton h['i] ealle hine acwellan, gif he sylf nolde; fordhi he c['o]m to us thaet h['e] wolde for ['u]s deadh throwian, and swa eal mancynn tha dhe gelyfadh mid his agenum deadhe alysan fram helle-wite. H['e] nolde geniman ['u]s neadunge of deofles anwealde, buton he hit forwyrhte; tha h['e] hit forwyrhte gen['o]h swidhe, thadha h['e] gehwette and tihte dhaera Iudeiscra manna heortan to Cristes slege. Crist dha gedhafode thaet dha waelhreowan hine gen['a]mon and gebundon, and on r['o]de hengene acwealdon. Hwaet dha twegen gelyfede men hine arwurdhlice bebyrigdon, and Crist on dhaere hwile to {28} helle gewende, and thone deofol gewylde, and him of-an['a]m Ad['a]m and Euan, and heora ofspring, thone d['ae]l dhe him ['ae]r gecwemde, and gelaedde h['i] to heora lichaman, and ar['a]s of deadhe mid tham micclum werede on tham thriddan daege his throwunge. C['o]m tha to his apostolum, and h['i] gefrefrode, and geond feowertigra daga fyrst him mid wunode; and dha ylcan lare the h['e] him ['ae]r taehte eft ge-edlaehte, and het h['i] faran geond ealne middangeard, bodigende fulluht and sodhne geleafan. Drihten dha on dham feowerteogodhan daege his aeristes astah to heofenum, aetforan heora ealra gesihdhe, mid tham ylcan lichaman the h['e] on throwode, and sitt on dha swidhran his Faeder, and ealra gesceafta gewylt. H['e] haefdh gerymed rihtwisum mannum infaer to his rice, and dha dhe his beboda eallunga forseodh beodh on helle besencte. Witodlice h['e] cymdh on ende thyssere worulde mid micclum maegenthrymme on wolcnum, and ealle dha dhe aefre sawle underfengon arisadh of deadhe him togeanes; and h['e] dhonne dha m['a]nfullan deofle betaecdh into dham ecan fyre helle susle; tha rihtwisan he laet mid him into heofonan rice, on tham h['i] rixiadh ['a] on ecnysse.

Men dha leofestan, smeagadh thysne cwyde, and mid micelre gymene forbugadh unrihtwysnysse, and geearniadh mid godum weorcum thaet ['e]ce l['i]f mid Gode sedhe ['a]na on ecnysse rixadh. Amen.

HERE BEGINNETH THE BOOK OF CATHOLIC SERMONS IN ENGLISH, TO BE RECITED IN CHURCH DURING THE YEAR.

SERMON ON THE BEGINNING OF CREATION, TO THE PEOPLE, WHENEVER YOU WILL.

There is one origin of all things, that is God Almighty. He is beginning and end: he is beginning, because he was ever; he is end without any ending, because he is ever unended. He is King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. He holdeth with his might heavens, and earth, and all creatures, without toil, and he beholdeth the depths which are under this earth. He weigheth all hills with one hand, and no thing {11} may withstand his will. No creature may perfectly search out nor understand concerning God: greater affinity have angels to God than men, and yet they may not perfectly understand concerning God. He created those creatures that he would; through his wisdom he wrought all things, and through his will he endued them all with life. This Trinity is one God, that is, the Father, and his Wisdom, of himself ever produced; and the Will of them both, that is, the Holy Ghost: he is not born, but he goeth alike from the Father and from the Son. These three persons are one Almighty God, who wrought the heavens, and the earth, and all creatures. He created ten hosts of angels, that is angels and archangels, throni, dominationes, principatus, potestates, virtutes, cherubim, seraphim. Here are nine hosts of angels: they have no body, but they are all spirits, very strong, and mighty, and beautiful, formed with great fairness, to the praise and glory of their Creator. The tenth host rebelled and turned to evil. God created them all good, and let them have their own discretion, whether they would love and follow their Creator, or would forsake him. Now the prince of the tenth host was formed very fair and beauteous, so that he was called 'Light-bearing' (Lucifer). Then he began to wax proud by reason of the comeliness that he had, and said in his heart that he would and easily might be equal to his Creator, and sit in the north part of heaven's kingdom, and have power and sway against God Almighty. Then he confirmed this resolve with the host over which he ruled, and they all bowed to that resolve. When they all had confirmed this resolve among themselves, God's anger came over them all, and they were all changed from the fair form in which they were created to loathly devils. And very rightly it so befell him, when he would in pride be better than he was created, and said that he might be equal to Almighty God. Then became he and all his associates more wicked and worse than any other creatures; and while he meditated how he might share power {13} with God, the Almighty Creator prepared hell-torment for him and his associates, and drove them all from the joy of heaven's kingdom, and caused them to fall into the eternal fire that was prepared for them for their pride. Then forthwith the nine hosts that were left bowed to their Creator with all humbleness, and resigned their purpose to his will. Then the Almighty God confirmed and established the nine hosts of angels, so that they never might or would afterwards swerve from his will; nor can they now perpetrate any sin, but they are ever meditating only how they may obey God and be acceptable to him. So might also the others who fell have done if they had been willing; seeing that God had made them of the beauteous nature of angels, and let them have their own will, and would never have inclined nor forced them in any way to that evil counsel; for the evil counsel never came from God's conception, but came from the devil's, as we before said.

Now many a man will think and inquire, whence the devil came? be it, therefore, known to him that God created as a great angel him who is now the devil: but God did not create him as the devil: but when he was wholly fordone and guilty towards God, through his great haughtiness and enmity, then became he changed to the devil, who before was created a great angel. Then would God supply and make good the loss that had been suffered in the heavenly host, and said that he would make man of earth, so that the earthly man should prosper, and merit with meekness those dwellings in the kingdom of heaven which the devil through his pride had forfeited. And God then wrought a man of clay, and blew spirit into him, and animated him, and he became a man formed with soul and body; and God bestowed on him the name of Adam, and he was for some time standing alone. God then brought him into Paradise, and established him there, and said unto him, "Of all the things which are in Paradise thou mayest eat, and they shall all be committed to {15} thee, save one tree which stands in the middle of Paradise: touch thou not the fruit of this tree; for thou shalt be mortal if thou eatest the fruit of this tree." Why would God forbid him so little a thing, when he had committed to him other things so great? But how could Adam know what he was, unless he were obedient in some thing to his Lord? as if God had said to him, "Thou knowest not that I am thy Lord, and that thou art my servant, unless thou dost that which I command, and forgoest that which I forbid thee. But what may it be that thou shalt forgo? I say unto thee, forgo thou the fruit of one tree, and with that easy obedience thou shalt merit the joys of heaven, and the place from which the devil fell through disobedience. But if thou breakest this little commandment, thou shalt perish by death." And then was Adam so wise that God led to him the cattle, and brute race, and bird race, when he had created them; and Adam made names for them all; and so as he named them are they yet called. Then said God, "It is not fitting that this man be alone, and have no help; now let us make him a mate for help and comfort." And God then caused Adam to sleep, and as he slept, he took a rib from his side, and of that rib wrought a woman, and asked Adam how she should be called. Then said Adam, "She is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; be her name Virago, that is _female_; because she is taken from her husband." Then Adam afterwards bestowed on her another name, Eva, that is _life_; because she is the mother of all living.

All creatures, heavens and angels, sun and moon, stars and earth, all beasts and birds, the sea and all fishes, and all creatures, God created and wrought in six days; and on the seventh day he ended his work, and ceased, and hallowed the seventh day, because on that day he ended his work. And he beheld then all his works that he had wrought, and they were all exceedingly good. All things he wrought without any matter. He said, "Let there be light," and instantly {17} there was light. He said again, "Let there be heaven," and instantly heaven was made, as he with his wisdom and his will had appointed it. He said again, and bade the earth bring forth all living cattle, and he then created of earth all the race of cattle, and the brute race, all those which go on four feet; in like manner of water he created fishes and birds, and gave the power of swimming to the fishes, and flight to the birds; but he gave no soul to any beast, nor to any fish; but their blood is their life, and as soon as they are dead they are totally ended. When he had made the man Adam, he did not say, "Let man be made," but he said, "Let us make man in our likeness," and he then made man with his hands, and blew into him a soul; therefore is man better, if he grow up in good, than all the beasts are; because they will all come to naught, and man is in one part eternal, that is in the soul; that will never end. The body is mortal through Adam's sin, but, nevertheless, God will raise again the body to eternity on doomsday. Now the heretics say that the devil created some creatures, but they lie; he can create no creatures, for he is not a creator, but is a loathsome fiend, and with leasing he will deceive and fordo the unwary; but he may not compel any man to any crime, unless the man voluntarily incline to his teaching. Whatsoever among things created seems pernicious and is injurious to men, is all for our sins and evil deserts.

When the devil understood that Adam and Eve were created, that they might with meekness and obedience merit the dwelling in the kingdom of heaven from which he had fallen for his haughtiness, then he felt great anger and envy towards those persons, and meditated how he might fordo them. He came then in a serpent's form to the two persons, first to the woman, and said to her, "Why has God forbidden you the fruit of this tree, which stands in the middle of Paradise?" Then said the woman, "God forbade us the fruit of the tree {19} and said, that we should perish by death, if we tasted its fruit." Then said the devil, "It is not as thou sayest, but God knows full well, if ye eat of that tree that your eyes will then be opened, and ye can see and know both good and evil, and ye will be like to angels." They were not created blind, but God created them so simple-minded that they knew nothing evil, neither by sight, nor by speech, nor by deed. But the woman was seduced by the devil's counsel, and took of the fruit of the tree, and ate, and gave to her consort, and he ate. Then they both became mortal, and knew both good and evil; and they were naked, and thereat they were ashamed. Then came God and asked why he had broken his commandment? and drove them both from Paradise, and said, "Because thou wast obedient to the words of thy wife, and despisedst my commandment, thou shalt get thee food with hardships, and the earth, which is accursed through thy deed, shall give thee thorns and brambles. Thou art taken from earth, and thou shalt to earth return. Thou art dust, and thou shalt turn to dust." God then wrought for them garments of skins, and they were clothed with the skins.

The dead skins betokened that they were then mortal who might have been immortal, if they had held that easy command of God. Neither Adam nor all mankind that have since come from him needed ever to have tasted of death, if that tree could have stood untouched, and no one had tasted of it; but Adam and his offspring would have propagated at set times, as the clean beasts now do, and afterwards, without death, have gone to eternal life. It was not ordained him from God, nor was he compelled to break God's commandment; for God left him free, and gave him his own choice, whether he would be obedient, or whether he would be disobedient. Then was he to the devil obedient, and to God disobedient, and was delivered, he and all mankind, after this life, to hell-torment, with the devil who seduced him. But God knew, however, that he had been seduced, and meditated how he might again be merciful to him and all mankind.

{21} With two things had God endowed this man's soul; that is immortality and with happiness. Then through the devil's treachery and Adam's guilt we lost the happiness of our soul, but we lost not the immortality: that is eternal and never ends, though the body ends, which shall again, through God's might, arise to everlasting duration. Adam then was continuing in this life with toil, and he and his wife begat children, both sons and daughters; and he lived nine hundred and thirty years, and then died, as had been promised him for that sin; and his soul went to hell.

Now some men will inquire, whence came his soul? whether from the father or from the mother? We say, from neither of them; but the same God who created Adam with his hands, createth every man's body in his mother's womb: and the same who blew into Adam's body, and gave him a soul, that same giveth a soul and life to children in their mother's womb, when they are created; and he letteth them have their own will, when they are grown up, as Adam had.