Part 42

Thes Herodes, dhe Iohannem beheafdian h['e]t, and on dhaes Haelendes dhrowunge Pilate dham ealdormenn gedhafode, and hine to his dome betaehte, waes dhaes odhres Herodes sunu, dhe on dham timan rixode dhe Crist geboren waes; ac hit waes swa gewunelic on dham timan thaet rice menn sceopon heora bearnum naman be him sylfum, thaet hit waere gedhuht thaes dhe mare gemynd thaes faeder, dhadha se sunu, his yrfenuma, waes geciged thaes faeder naman. Se waelhreowa faeder Herodes laefde fif suna, thry he h['e]t acwellan on his feorh-adle, aerdhan dhe he gewite. Tha weardh he hreowlice and hraedlice dead aefter dham dhe he dha cild acwealde for Cristes acennednysse. Tha feng Archelaus his sunu to rice. Dha embe tyn geara fyrst weardh h['e] ascofen of his cynesetle, fordhan the thaet Iudeisce folc wrehton his modignysse to dham casere, and he dha hine on wraecsidh asende. Tha daelde se casere thaet Iudeisce rice on feower, and sette dhaerto feower gebrodhra: dha sind gecwedene aefter Greciscum gereorde, tetrarche, thaet sind, fydherrican. Fydherrica bidh se dhe haefdh feordhan dael rices. Tha waes ['a]n dhyssera gebrodhra Philippus geh['a]ten, se gewifode on dhaes cyninges dehter Arethe, Arabiscre dheode, seo hatte Herodias. Tha aefter sumum fyrste wurdon h['i] ungesome, Philippus and Arethe, and he genam dha dohtor of his adhumme, and forgeaf h['i] his bredher Herode; fordhan dhe he waes furdhor on hlisan and on mihte. Herodes dha awearp his riht aewe, and forligerlice m['a]nfulles sinscipes breac.

Tha on dham timan bodade Iohannes se Fulluhtere Godes rihtwisnysse eallum Iudeiscum folce, and threade dhone Herodem, for dham fulan sinscipe. Aecclesiastica historia ita narrat: Tha geseah Herodes thaet eal seo Iudeisce meniu arn to Iohannes lare, and his mynegungum geornlice {480} gehyrsumodon, tha weardh h['e] afyrht, and wende thaet h['i] woldon for Iohannes lare his cynedom forseon, and wolde dha forhradian, and gebrohte hine on cwearterne on anre byrig the is gecweden Macherunta. Hwaet dha Iohannes asende of dham cwearterne twegen leorning-cnihtas to Criste, and hine befr['a]n, thus cwedhende, "Eart dhu se dhe toweard is, oththe we odhres andbidian sceolon?" Swilce h['e] cwaede, Geswutela me, gyf dhu sylf wylle nydher-astigan to hellwarum for manna alysednysse, swa swa dhu woldest acenned beon for manna alysednysse; odhdhe gif ic sceole cydhan dhinne to-cyme hellwarum, swa swa ic middangearde the toweardne bodade, geswutela. Hwaet dha se Haelend on dhaere ylcan tide, swa swa Lucas se godspellere awr['a]t, gehaelde manega untruman fram mislicum codhum, and wodum mannum gewitt forgeaf, and blindum gesihdhe; and cwaedh sydhdhan to Iohannes aerendracum, "Faradh nu to Iohanne, and cydhadh him tha dhing the ge gesawon and gehyrdon. Efne nu blinde geseodh, and dha healtan gadh, and hreoflige men synd geclaensode, deafe gehyradh, and dha deadan arisadh, and dhearfan bodiadh godspel; and se bidh eadig the on me ne bidh geaeswicod." Swylce h['e] cwaede to Iohanne, Thyllice wundra ic wyrce, ac swa-dheah ic wylle deadhe sweltan for mancynnes alysednysse, and dhe sweltende aefterfyligan, and se bidh gesaelig the mine wundra nu heradh, gif he minne deadh ne forsihdh, and for dham deadhe ne geortruwadh thaet ic God eom. Thus onwreah se Haelend Iohanne thaet he wolde hine sylfne gemedemian to deadhe, and sydhdhan hellwara geneosian.

Tha betwux dhisum gelamp thaet Herodes, swa we ['ae]r cwaedon, his witan gefeormode on dham daege the he geboren waes; fordhan dhe hi haefdon on dham timan micele blisse on heora gebyrd-tidum. Seo dohtor dha, swa swa we ['ae]r saedon, plegode mid hire maedenum on dham gebeorscipe, him eallum to gecwemednysse, and se faeder dha mid adhe beh['e]t, thaet he wolde hire forgyfan swa hwaes swa heo gewilnode. Threo arleasa scylda we gehyrdon,--ungesaelige maersunge his gebyrd-tide, and dha unstaedhdhigan hleapunge thaes maedenes, and dhaes faeder {482} dyrstigan adhsware. Tham dhrim dhingum us gedafenadh thaet we widhcwedhon on urum dheawum. We ne moton ure gebyrd-tide to nanum freols-daege mid idelum maersungum awendan, ne ure acennednysse on swilcum gemynde habban; ac we sceolon urne endenextan daeg mid behreowsunge and d['ae]dbote forhradian, swa swa hit awriten is, "On eallum dhingum beo dhu gemyndig thines endenextan daeges, and thu ne syngast on ecnysse." Ne ['u]s ne gedafenadh thaet we urne lichaman, dhe Gode is gehalgod on dham halwendan fulluhte, mid unthaeslicum plegan and higleaste gescyndan; fordhan dhe ure lichaman sind Godes lima, swa swa Paulus cwaedh, "And he bebead, thaet we sceolon gearcian ure lichaman l['i]flice onsaegednysse, and halige, and Gode andfenge." Se lichama bidh l['i]flic onsaegednys dhe widh heafod-leahtras bidh gescyld, and dhurh halige maegnu Gode bidh andfenge and halig. God sylf forbyt aelcne adh cristenum mannum, thus cwedhende, "Ne swera dhu thurh heofenan, fordhan dhe heo is Godes thrymsetl. Ne swera dhu thurh eordhan, fordhan dhe heo is Godes fotsceamol. Ne swera thu dhurh dhin agen heafod, fordhan dhe dhu ne miht wyrcan an h['ae]r thines feaxes hw['i]t odhdhe blacc. Ic secge eow, Ne swerige ge thurh nan thing, ac beo eower spraec dhus geendod, Hit is swa ic secge, oththe hit nis swa. Swa hwaet swa dhaer mare bidh thurh adh, thaet bidh of dham yfelan."

Crist sylf gefaestnode his spraece, thadha h['e] spraec to anum Samaritaniscan w['i]fe mid dhisum worde, "Crede mihi:" thaet is, "Gelyf me." Theah-hwaedhere gif we hwaer unwaerlice swerion, and se adh ['u]s geneadige to wyrsan daede, thonne bidh us r['ae]dlicor thaet we dhone maran gylt forbugon, and dhone adh widh God geb['e]tan. Witodlice Dauid swor thurh God thaet he wolde thone stuntan wer Nabal ofslean, and ealle his dhing adylegian; ac aet dhaere forman thingunge thaes snoteran wifes Abigail, h['e] awende his sw['u]rd into dhaere sceadhe, and h['e]rode dhaes wifes snoternysse, dhe him forwyrnde thone pleolican mannsliht. Herodes sw['o]r thurh stuntnysse thaet he wolde dhaere hleapendan dehter forgyfan swa hwaet swa heo baede: tha fordham dhe he {484} nolde fram his gebeorum beon gecweden m['a]nswara, dhone beorscipe mid blode gemencgde, and dhaes maeran witegan deadh thaere lydhran hoppystran hire gl['i]ges to mede forgeaf. Micele selre him waere thaet he dhone adh tobraece, thonne he swylcne witegan acwellan hete.

On eallum dhingum we sceolon carfullice h['o]gian, gif we awar, thurh deofles syrwunge, on twam frecednyssum samod befealladh, thaet we symle dhone maran gylt forfleon thurh ['u]tfaere thaes laessan, swa swa dedh se dhe his feondum ofer sumne weall aetfleon wile, dhonne cepdh h['e] hwaer se weall unhehst sy, and dhaer oferscyt. Witodlice Herodes, dhadhe he nolde, thurh Iohannes mynegunge, thone unclaenan sinscipe awendan, dha weardh h['e] to manslihte befeallen; and waes seo laesse synn intinga thaere maran, thaet he for his fulan forl['i]gre, dhe he georne wiste thaet Gode andsaete waes, dhaes w['i]tegan blod ageat, the he wiste thaet Gode gecweme waes. This is se cwyde thaes godcundlican domes, be dham the is gecweden, "Se dhe deradh, derige he gyt swydhor; and se dhe on fulnyssum wunadh, befyle hine gyt swydhor." Thes cwyde gelamp tham waelhreowan Herode. Nu is odher cwyde be g['o]dum mannum sceortlice gecweden, "Se dhe halig is, beo he gyt swydhor gehalgod." This gelamp tham Fulluhtere Iohanne, se dhe waes halig thurh menigfealde geearnunga; and he waes gyt swydhor gehalgod, dhadha he dhurh sodhfaestnysse bodunge becom to sigefaestum martyrdome.

Herodes h['i]wode hine sylfne unr['o]tne, dha seo dohtor hine thaes heafdes baed; ac h['e] blissode on his digelnyssum, fordhan dhe heo thaes mannes deadh baed dhe h['e] ['ae]r acwellan wolde, gif h['e] intingan haefde. Witodlice gif thaet cild b['ae]de thaes w['i]fes heafod, mid micclum graman h['e] wolde hire widhcwedhan. Naes Iohannes mid ehtnysse geneadod thaet he Criste widhsoce, ac dheah he sealde his l['i]f for Criste, dhadha he waes for sodhfaestnysse gemartyrod. Crist sylf cwaedh, "Ic eom sodhfaestnys." Iohannes waes Cristes forrynel on his acennednysse and on his bodunge, on fulluhte, on dhrowunge, and hine to hellwarum {486} mid deorwurdhum deadhe forest['o]p. Thadha he beheafdod waes, dha comon his leorning-cnihtas, and his halige l['i]c ferodon to anre byrig seo is gecweden Sebaste, and hi dhaer hine gel['e]don. Thaet h['a]lige heafod weardh on Hierusalem bebyrged.

Sume gedwolmenn cwaedon thaet thaet heafod sceolde abl['a]wan dhaes cyninges w['i]f Herodiaden, dhe he fore acweald waes, swa thaet heo ferde mid windum geond ealle woruld; ac h['i] dwelodon mid thaere segene, fordhan dhe heo leofode hire l['i]f odh ende aefter Iohannes slege. Sodhlice Iohannes heafod weardh sydhdhan geswutelod twam easternum munecum, the mid gebedum dha burh geneosodon, and hi dhanon thone deorwurdhan madhm feredon to sumere byrig the is Edissa geh['a]ten; and se Aelmihtiga God thurh thaet heafod ungerime wundra geswutelode. His b['a]n, aefter langum fyrste, wurdon gebrohte to dhaere maeran byrig Alexandria, and thaer mid micclum wurdhmynte gelogode.

Nu is to besceawigenne h['u]meta se Aelmihtiga God, be his gecorenan and dha gelufedan dhenas, tha dhe he to dham ecan life forestihte, gedhafadh thaet h['i] mid swa micclum witum beon fornumene and tobrytte on dhisum andweardan l['i]fe. Ac se apostol Paulus andwyrde be dhisum, and cwaedh, thaet "God threadh and beswingdh aelcne dhe he underfehdh to his rice, and swa h['e] forsewenlicor bidh gewitnod for Godes naman, swa his wuldor bidh mare for Gode." Eft cwaedh se ylca apostol on odhre stowe, "Ne sind na to widhmetenne dha throwunga thyssere tide dham toweardan wuldre the bidh on ['u]s geswutelod."

Nu cwydh se trahtnere, thaet n['a]n wilde deor, ne on fydherfotum ne on creopendum, nis to widhmetenne yfelum wife. Hwaet is betwux fydherfotum redhre thonne leo? odhdhe hwaet is waelhreowre betwux naeddercynne dhonne draca? Ac se wisa Salomon cwaedh, thaet selre waere to wunigenne mid leon and dracan thonne mid yfelan w['i]fe and oferspraecum. Witodlice Iohannes on westene wunade betwux eallum deorcynne ungederod, and betwux dracum, and aspidum, and eallum {488} wyrmcynne, and h['i] hine ondredon. Sodhlice seo awyrigede Herodias mid beheafdunge hine acwealde, and swa m['ae]res mannes deadh to gife hire dehter hleapunge underfeng. Danihel se witega laeg seofan niht betwux seofan leonum on anum seadhe ungewemmed, ac thaet awyrigede w['i]f Gezabel besw['a]c dhone rihtwisan Nabodh to his feore, thurh lease gewitnysse. Se witega Ionas waes gehealden unformolten on dhaes hwaeles innodhe dhreo niht, and seo swicole Dalila thone strangan Samson mid olaecunge bepaehte, and besceorenum fexe his feondum belaewde. Eornostlice nis nan wyrmcynn ne wilddeora cynn on yfelnysse gel['i]c yfelum w['i]fe.

Se wyrdwritere Iosephus awr['a]t, on dhaere cyrclican gereccednysse, thaet se waelhreowa Herodes lytle hwile aefter Iohannes deadhe rices weolde, ac weardh for his m['a]ndaedum aerest his here on gefeohte ofslegen, and he sylf sidhdhan of his cynerice ascofen, and on wraecsidh asend, swidhe rihtwisum dome, dhadha he nolde hlystan Iohannes l['a]re to dham ecan life, thaet h['e] eac hraedlice his hwilwendan cynedom mid hospe forlure. Augustinus se wisa ['u]s manadh mid thisum wordum, and cwydh, "Besceawiadh, ic bidde eow, mine gebrodhra, mid gleawnysse h['u] wraecfull dhis andwyrde l['i]f is; and dheah ge ondraedadh eow thaet ge hit to hraedlice forlaeton. Ge lufiadh this l['i]f, on dham the ge mid geswince wuniadh; dhu h['o]gast embe dhine neode; dhu yrnst, and byst geancsumod; thu erast, and saewst, and eft gegaderast; thu grinst, and baecst; thu wyfst, and waeda tylast, and earfodhlice wast ealra dhinra neoda getel, aegdher ge on s['ae] ge on lande, and scealt ealle thas foresaedan dhing, and eac dhin agen l['i]f mid earfodhnysse geendian. Leorniadh nu fordhi, thaet ge cunnon thaet ece l['i]f geearnian, on dham dhe ge n['a]n dhyssera geswinca ne dhrowiadh, ac on ecnysse mid Gode rixiadh."

On dhisum l['i]fe we ateoriadh, gif we ['u]s mid b['i]gleofan ne ferciadh; gif we ne drincadh, we beodh mid thurste fornumene; gif we to lange waciadh, we ateoriadh; gif we lange standadh, we beodh gewaehte, and thonne sittadh; eft, gif we to lange {490} sittadh, ['u]s slapadh dha lima. Sceawiadh eac aefter dhisum, thaet n['a]n stede nis ures lichaman: cildh['a]d gewit to cnihth['a]de, and cnihth['a]d to gedhungenum waestme; se fulfremeda waestm gebyhdh to ylde, and seo yld bidh mid deadhe geendod. Witodlice ne stent ure yld on nanre statholfaestnysse, ac swa micclum swa se lichama wext swa micclum beodh his dagas gewanode. Gehwaer is on urum l['i]fe ateorung, and werignys, and brosnung dhaes lichaman, and dheah-hwaedhere wilnadh gehw['a] thaet he lange lybbe. Hwaet is lange lybban buton lange swincan? Feawum mannum gelimpdh on dhisum dagum, thaet he gesundfull lybbe hund-eahtatig geara, and swa hwaet swa he ofer dham leofadh, hit bidh him geswinc and s['a]rnyss, swa swa se w['i]tega cwaedh, "Yfele sind ure dagas," and dhaes the wyrsan the we h['i] lufiadh. Swa olaecdh thes middangeard forwel menige, thaet h['i] nelladh heora wraecfulle l['i]f geendian. Sodh l['i]f and gesaelig thaet is, thonne we arisadh of deadhe, and mid Criste rixiadh. On dham life beodh gode dagas, na swa-dheah manega dagas, ac ['a]n, se n['a]t naenne upspring ne nane geendunge, dham ne fyligdh merigenlic daeg, fordhan dhe him ne forest['o]p se gysternlica; ac se ['a]n daeg bidh ece aefre ungeendod butan aelcere nihte, butan gedreccednyssum, butan eallum geswincum, the we hwene ['ae]r on dhyssere raedinge tealdon. Thes daeg and this l['i]f is beh['a]ten rihtwisum cristenum, to dham us gelaede se mildheorta Drihten, sedhe leofadh and rixadh mid Faeder and mid Halgum Gaste ['a] butan ende. Amen.

AUGUST XXIX.

THE DECOLLATION OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.

Misit Herodes et tenuit Johannem: et reliqua.

Mark the Evangelist wrote in the book of Christ concerning the great Baptist John, that "the cruel king Herod bound him, and set him in prison, for the sake of his brother's wife Herodias," etc.

This John was the greatest man, as Christ bore witness concerning him. He said, "Among the children of women {479} there hath not arisen any greater man than John the Baptist." Now ye have often heard of his great course and of his ministry, now we will relate to you some explanation touching the exposition of this gospel.

This Herod, who commanded John to be beheaded, and agreed with Pilate the ealdorman in the suffering of Jesus, and delivered him to his judgement, was the son of the other Herod, who reigned at the time when Christ was born; for it was usual at that time for rich men to give their children names after themselves, that it might seem the greater remembrance of the father, when the son, his heir, was called by his father's name. The cruel father, Herod, left five sons; three he commanded to be slain in his last illness, ere he departed. Then he died miserably and suddenly after he had slain the children on account of the birth of Christ; when Archelaus his son succeeded to the kingdom. Then after a space of ten years he was driven from his throne, because the Jewish people complained of his pride to the emperor, and he then sent him into exile. The emperor then divided the Jewish kingdom into four, and placed therein four brothers, who, according to the Greek tongue, are called 'tetrarchs,' that is, _rulers over a fourth_. A tetrarch is he who has a fourth part of a kingdom. One of these brothers was called Philip, who took to wife the daughter of the king Arethe, of an Arabian people, who was called Herodias. Then after some time they, Philip and Arethe, were at variance, and he took his daughter from his son-in-law, and gave her to his brother Herod; because he was greater in fame and in power. Herod then cast off his lawful wife, and adulterously lived in criminal union.

Then at that time John the Baptist preached God's righteousness to all the Jewish people, and reproved Herod for that foul union. Ecclesiastica Historia ita narrat: When Herod saw that all the Jewish multitude ran to John's teaching, and zealously obeyed his admonitions, he was afraid, {481} and imagined that through John's teaching they would despise his government, and would anticipate them, and brought him into prison in a town which is called Machaeruntia. John sent then two disciples from the prison to Christ, and inquired of him, thus saying, "Art thou he who is to come, or are we to await another?" As though he had said, Manifest to me whether thou thyself wilt descend to the inmates of hell for the redemption of men, as I have preached to the world that thou wast to come,--manifest. Jesus then, at the same time as the evangelist Luke wrote, was healing many sick from divers diseases, and giving reason to insane men, and sight to the blind, and said then to John's messengers, "Go now to John, and make known to him the things which ye have seen and heard. Behold now blind see, and the halt go, and lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, and the dead arise, and poor preach the gospel; and he is happy who shall not be offended in me." As though he had said to John, Such wonders I work, and yet will I perish by death for the redemption of mankind, and follow thee dying, and happy shall he be who now praiseth my wonders, if he despise not my death, and on account of that death doubt not that I am God. Thus Jesus revealed to John that he himself would vouchsafe to die, and afterwards visit the inmates of hell.

Then meanwhile it befell that Herod, as we before said, feasted his councillors on the day on which he was born; for at that time they had great rejoicing on their birth-tides. The daughter then, as we before said, played with her maidens at the feast, to the pleasure of them all, and the father then promised on oath that he would give her whatsoever she desired. Of three impious sins we have heard,--the unholy celebration of his birth-tide, and the giddy dancing of the maiden, and the father's presumptuous oath. These {483} three things it befitteth us to oppose in our conduct. We may not with vain celebrations turn our birth-tide to any holyday, nor have our birth in such remembrance; but we should anticipate our last day with penitence and penance, so as it is written, "In all things be thou mindful of thy last day, and thou wilt sin not to eternity." It is not fitting to us to pollute our body, which is hallowed to God in the salutary baptism, with indecent and foolish play; for our bodies are limbs of God, as St. Paul said, "And he enjoined, that we should prepare our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, and acceptable to God." The body is a living sacrifice which is shielded against deadly sins, and through holy virtues is acceptable to God and holy. God himself forbids every oath to christian men, thus saying, "Swear thou not by heaven, for it is God's throne. Swear thou not by earth, for it is God's footstool. Swear thou not by thine own head, for thou canst not make one hair of thy locks white or black. I say unto you, swear ye not by anything, but be your speech thus ended, It is as I say, or it is not so. Whatsoever there is more by oath, that is of evil."

Christ himself confirmed his speech, when he spake to a Samaritan woman with these words, "Crede mihi," that is, "Believe me." Yet if we anywhere heedlessly swear, and the oath compel us to a worse deed, then will it be more advisable for us to avoid the greater guilt, and atone to God for the oath. David, for example, swore by God that he would slay the foolish man Nabal, and destroy all his things; but at the first intercession of the prudent woman Abigail, he returned his sword into the sheath, and praised the woman's prudence, who forbade him that perilous murder. Herod through folly swore that he would give the dancing daughter whatsoever she might ask: then, because he would {485} not be called a perjurer by his guests, he stained the feast with blood, and gave the death of the great prophet to the lewd dancer in reward of her play. Much better for him had it been to have broken the oath, than to have commanded such a prophet to be slain.

In all things we should carefully consider, if we anywhere, through the devil's machinations, fall at once into two perils, that we always flee from the greater guilt by the outlet of the less, as he does who will flee from his foes over a wall, then observes he where the wall is lowest, and there darts over. But Herod, when he would not, through John's remonstrance, turn from the unclean connexion, fell into murder, and the smaller sin was the cause of the greater, so that he for his foul adultery, which he well knew was hateful to God, shed the prophet's blood, who he knew was acceptable to God. This is the sentence of the divine judgement, by which it is said, "Let him who injureth, injure yet more; and let him who liveth in foulness, defile himself yet more." This sentence befell the cruel Herod. Now there is another sentence shortly said concerning good men, "Let him who is holy be yet more hallowed." This befell the Baptist John, who was holy through manifold deserts; and was yet more hallowed, when he through the preaching of truth came to triumphant martyrdom.

Herod feigned himself sad, when the daughter prayed him for the head; but he rejoiced in secret, because she prayed for the death of that man whom he would before have slain, if he had had a pretext. But if the child had prayed for the woman's head, he would with great anger have refused her. John was not by persecution compelled to deny Christ, but, nevertheless, he gave his life for Christ, when he was martyred for truth. Christ himself said, "I am the truth." John was Christ's forerunner in his birth, and in his preaching, in baptism, in suffering, and in his precious death preceded him {487} to hell. When he was beheaded, his disciples came, and bare his holy body to a city which is called Sebastia, and they laid him there. The holy head was buried at Jerusalem.

Some heretics said that the head blew the king's wife Herodias, for whom he had been slain, so that she went with winds over all the world; but they erred in that saying, for she lived to the end of her life after the slaying of John. But John's head was afterwards manifested to two eastern monks, who with prayers visited that city, and they bare the precious treasure thence to a city which is called Edessa; and the Almighty God, through that head, manifested innumerable miracles. His bones after a long time were brought to the great city of Alexandria, and there with great honour deposited.

Now it is to be considered why the Almighty God allows that his chosen and his beloved servants, whom he has predestined to eternal life, be destroyed with so many pains, and broken in this present life. But the apostle Paul has answered concerning this, and said, that "God correcteth and chastiseth every one whom he receiveth into his kingdom, and the more ignominiously he is tortured for the name of God, so much shall his glory be greater before God." Again, the same apostle said in another place, "The sufferings of this life are not to be compared with the future glory which will be manifested in us."