The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church Part 20

Fela witegan mid heora witegunge bodedon Drihten toweardne, sume feorran sume nean, ac Iohannes his to-cyme mid wordum bodade, and eac mid fingre gebicnode, us cweende, "Loca nu! Efne her gae G.o.des Lamb, see aetbret middangeardes synna." Crist is manegum naman genemned. He is Wisdom gehaten, foran e se Faeder ealle gesceafta urh hine geworhte. He is Word gecweden, foran e word is wisdomes geswutelung. Be am Worde ongann se G.o.dspellere Iohannes a G.o.dspellican gesetnysse, us cweende, "On fryme waes Word, and aet Word waes mid G.o.de, and aet Word waes G.o.d." He is Lamb gehaten, for aere unscaeignysse lambes gecyndes; and waes unscyldig, for ure alysednysse, his Faeder liflic onsaegednys, on lambes wisan geoffrod. He is Leo geciged of Iudan maege, Dauides wyrtruma, foran e he, urh his G.o.dcundlican strence, one miclan deofol mid sige his rowunge oferswide.

Se halga Fulluhtere, e we ymbe spreca, astealde stilice drohtnunge, aeger ge on scrude ge on bigwiste, swa swa we hwene aeror rehton; foran e se Wealdenda Haelend us be him cweende waes, "Fram Iohannes dagum G.o.des rice ola neadunge, and a strecan-mod hit gegripa." Cu is gehwilc.u.m snoterum mannum, aet seo ealde ? waes eaelicre onne Cristes Gesetnys sy, foran e on aere naes micel forhaefednys, ne a gastlican drohtnunga e Crist sian gesette, and his apostoli. Oer is seo gesetnys e se cyning bytt urh his ealdormenn oe gerefan, oer bi his agen gebann on his andweardnysse. G.o.des rice is gecweden on isre stowe seo halige gelaung, aet is eal cristen folc, e sceal mid neadunge and strec.u.m mode aet heofonlice rice geearnian. {360} Hu maeg beon butan strece and neadunge, aet gehwa mid claennysse aet gale gecynd urh G.o.des gife gewylde? Oe hwa gestil hatheortnysse his modes mid geylde, butan earfonysse? oe hwa awent modignysse mid sore eadmodnysse? oe hwa druncennysse mid syfernysse? oe hwa gitsunge mid rumgifulnysse, butan strece? Ac se e his eawas mid anmodnysse, urh G.o.des fultum, swa awent, he bi onne to orum menn geworht; oer he bi urh G.o.dnysse, and se ylca urh edwiste, and he gelaec onne urh strece aet heofenlice rice.

Twa forhaefednysse cynn syndon, an lichamlic, oer gastlic. An is, aet gehwa hine sylfne getemprige mid gemete on ?te and on waete, and werlice a oferflowendlican ygene him sylfum aetbrede. Oer forhaefednysse cynn is deorwurre and healicre, eah seo oer G.o.d sy: styran his modes styrunge mid singalre gemetfaestnysse, and campian daeghwamlice wi leahtras, and hine sylfne reagian mid styrnysse aere gastlican steore, swa aet he a rean deor eahta heafod-leahtra swilce mid isenum midlum gewylde. Deorwyre is eos forhaefednys, and wulderfull rowung on G.o.des gesihe, a yfelan geohtas and unl.u.s.tas mid agenre cynegyrde gestyran, and fram derigendlicere spraece, and pleolic.u.m weorce hine sylfne forhabban, swa swa fram cwylmbaerum mettum. Se e as ing gecneordlice begae, he grip untweolice aet behatene rice mid G.o.de and eallum his halgum. Micel strec bi, aet mennisce menn mid eadmodum geearnungum a heofenlican myrhe begytan, e a heofenlican englas urh modignysse forluron.

Us gel.u.s.tfulla gyt furur to sprecenne be an halgan were Iohanne, him to wurmynte and us to beterunge. Be him awrat se witega Isaias, aet he is "stemn clypigendes on westene, Gearcia G.o.des weig, do rihte his paas.

aelc dene bi gefylled, and aelc dun bi geeadmet, and ealle wohnyssa beo gerihte, and scearpnyssa gesmeode." Se witega hine het stemn, foran e he forestop Criste, e is Word {362} gehaten: na swilc word swa menn spreca, ac he is aes Faeder Wisdom, and word bi wisdomes geswutelung. aet Word is aelmihtig G.o.d, Sunu mid his Faeder. On aelc.u.m worde bi stemn gehyred, ?r aet word fullice gecweden sy. Swa swa stemn forestaep worde, swa forestop Iohannes am Haelende on middangearde; foran e G.o.d Faeder hine sende aetforan gesihe his Bearnes, aet he sceolde gearcian and daeftan his weig.

Hwaet a Iohannes to mannum clypode as ylcan word, "Gearcia G.o.des weig."

Se bydel e boda rihtne geleafan and G.o.de weorc, he gearca one weig c.u.mendum G.o.de to aera heorcnigendra heortan.

G.o.des weg bi gegearcod on manna heortan, onne hi aere Sofaestnysse spraece eadmodlice gehyra, and gearuwe beo to Lifes bebodum; be am cwae se Haelend, "Se e me lufa, he hylt min bebod, and min Faeder hine lufa, and wit c.u.ma to him, and mid him wunia." His paas beo gerihte, onne urh G.o.de bodunge aspringa claene geohtas on mode aera hlystendra. Dena getacnia a eadmodan, and duna a modigan. On Drihtnes to-cyme wurdon dena afyllede, and duna geeadmette, swa swa he sylf cwae, "aelc aera e hine onhef bi geeadmet, and se e hine geeadmet bi geuferod." Swa swa waeter scyt of aere dune, and aetstent on dene, swa forflih se Halga Gast modigra manna heortan, and nim wununge on am eadmodan, swa swa se witega cwae, "On hwam gerest G.o.des Gast buton on am eadmodan?" wyrnyssa beo gerihte, onne wyrlicra manna heortan, e beo urh unrihtwisnysse hocas awegde, eft urh regol-sticcan aere soan rihtwisnysse beo geemnode. Scearpnyssa beo awende to smeum wegum, onne a yrsigendan mod, and unlie gecyrra to manwaernysse, urh ongyte aere upplican gife.

Langsumlic bi us to gereccenne, and eow to gehyrenne ealle a deopnyssa aes maeran Fulluhteres bodunge: hu he a heardheortan Iudeiscre eode mid stearcre reale and {364} stire myngunge to lifes wege gebigde, and aefter his rowunge h.e.l.lwarum Cristes to-cyme cydde, swa swa he on life mancynne agene alysednysse mid hludre stemne bealdlice bodade.

Uton nu biddan one Wealdendan Haelend, aet he, urh his aes maeran Forryneles and Fulluhteres ingunge, us gemiltsige on andweardum life, and to am ecan gelaede, am sy wuldor and lof mid Faeder and Halgum Gaste a on ecnysse. Amen.

JUNE XXIV.

THE NATIVITY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.

The evangelist Luke wrote in the book of Christ concerning the birth of John the Baptist, thus saying, "There was a {353} certain pious servant of G.o.d called Zacharias, his wife was called Elizabeth. They were both righteous before G.o.d, walking forth in his commandments and righteousnesses without blame. They had no child in common," etc.

"All his garment was woven of camel's hair, his food was coa.r.s.e; he drank not drink of wine, nor of any mixed or prepared fluid: fruit fed him and wood-honey, and other common things.

"In the fifteenth year of the reign of the emperor Tiberius, the word of G.o.d came upon John, in the waste, and he went into the presence of people, and preached to the Jewish folk baptism for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the prophecy of Isaiah."

The baptism of Christ to come he preached to all believers, in which is forgiveness of sins through the Holy Ghost. John also, by G.o.d's direction, baptized those who came to him of the Jewish nations, but his baptism wrought no forgiveness of sin, for he was G.o.d's messenger, and not G.o.d. He announced to men the advent of Jesus with words, and His holy baptism with his own baptism, with which he baptized the sinless Son of G.o.d, who needed no forgiveness of sin.

Rightly does G.o.d's church honour this day, the birth-tide of the great Baptist, for the many wonders which happened at his birth. G.o.d's archangel Gabriel announced his birth to Zacharias his father, and his high honours, and his ill.u.s.trious life. The child in his mother's womb knew the voice of Mary, the parent of G.o.d; and in the womb yet closed, betokened with prophetic joy the salutary advent of our Redeemer. At his birth he removed from his mother her barrenness, and his name unbound the tongue of his father, who by his own want of belief had been made dumb.

The holy church celebrates the birth-tide of three persons,--of Jesus, who is G.o.d and man, and of John his messenger, and of the blessed Mary his mother. Of other chosen {355} persons, who, through martyrdom, or through other holy merits, have gone to the kingdom of G.o.d, we celebrate as their birth-tide their last day, which, after the fulfilment of all their labours, brought them forth victorious to eternal life; and the day on which they were born to this present life we let pa.s.s unheeded, because they came hither to hards.h.i.+ps, and temptations, and divers perils. The day is memorable to the servants of G.o.d which sends his saints, after victory won, to eternal joy from all afflictions, and which is their true birth; not tearful as the first, but exulting in eternal life. But the birth-tide of Christ is to be celebrated with great care, through which came our redemption.

John is the ending of the old law and the beginning of the new, as Jesus said of him, "The old law and the prophets were till the coming of John."

Afterwards began the gospel-preaching. Now, on account of his great holiness, his birth is honoured, as the archangel promised his father with these words, "Many shall rejoice in his birth-tide." Mary, the parent of G.o.d, is like to none other, for she is maiden and mother, and bare him who created her and all creatures: therefore is she well worthy that her birth should be honourably celebrated.

The relatives bestowed on the child the name of Zacharias, but the mother contradicted them by words, and the dumb father by writing; because the angel who had announced that he was to come, had, by G.o.d's direction, given him the name of JOHN. The dumb father could not have informed his wife how the angel had bestowed a name on his child, but by revelation of the Spirit of G.o.d the name was known to her. Zacharias is interpreted, 'Mindful of G.o.d;' and John, 'G.o.d's grace;' because he preached to men the grace of G.o.d, and that Christ was to come, who directs all the earth with his grace. He was sent before the Lord, as the day-star goes before the sun, as the beadle before the judge, as the Old Testament before the New; for the Old Law was {357} as a shadow, and the New Testament is truth through the grace of Jesus.

They were children of the same year, Christ and John. On this day the barren mother brought forth the great prophet John, who is praised in these words by the mouth of Christ, "Among the children of men there hath not arisen a greater man than is John the Baptist."

On the ma.s.s-day of midwinter the holy maiden Mary brought forth the Heavenly Prince, who is not numbered with the children of men, because he is the Son of G.o.d in his G.o.dhead, and the Son of G.o.d and of a maiden by his human nature. John fled from the presence of people in his youth, and in the waste, with austere life-course, avoided sin. Jesus continued among the sinful pure from every sin. The crier inclined, at that time, a great body of the people of Israel to their Creator by his announcement. The Lord daily inclines souls without number of all nations to his faith, through enlightening of the Holy Ghost.

The holy gospel says of the Baptist, that he preceded Jesus in spirit and in power of the prophet Elias; because he was his forerunner at his first advent, as Elias will be at the second against Antichrist. It is not without signification that the birth of the crier was completed on the day when the worldly day is waning, and that it is waxing on the birth-tide of the Lord. This signification the same John revealed in these words, "It is befitting Christ that he wax, and me that I be waning." John was sooner known to men, through his ill.u.s.trious life-course, than Christ was, for He manifested not his divine power, ere that he had been thirty years in human nature. Then it seemed to the people that he was a prophet, and that John was Christ. But Christ manifested himself by many great miracles, and his fame waxed through all the world, that he was true G.o.d, who before that had seemed a prophet. But John was waning in his fame, for he was {359} acknowledged a prophet, and the proclaimer of the Heavenly Prince, who a little before had by uncertain supposition been accounted Christ. The waning day of his birth-tide betokens this waning, and the increasing day of the birth of Jesus signifies his increasing power according to his human nature.

Many prophets by their prophecy announced the Lord to come, some from afar some near, but John announced his advent by words, and also with his finger signified it, thus saying, "Look now! Behold here goeth the Lamb of G.o.d, who shall take away the sins of the world." Christ is named by many names.

He is called Wisdom, because the Father wrought all things through him. He is called Word, because a word is the manifestation of wisdom. The evangelist John began the evangelical memorial with the Word, thus saying, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d." He is called Lamb, from the innocence of the lamb's nature; and was guiltless, for our redemption, offered a living sacrifice to his Father in the manner of a lamb. He is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, because, through his G.o.dly strength he overcame the great devil by the victory of his pa.s.sion.

The holy Baptist of whom we are speaking, established a rigid life-course, both in raiment and in food, as we have mentioned a little before; for the Mighty Jesus was thus saying of him, "From the days of John the kingdom of G.o.d suffereth compulsion, and the violent seize it." It is known to every intelligent man, that the old law was easier than the Inst.i.tute of Christ is, for in it there was no great continence nor the ghostly courses which Christ and his apostles afterwards established. One thing is the inst.i.tute which the king ordains through his n.o.bles or officials, another is his own edict in his presence. The holy church is in this place called G.o.d's kingdom, that is, all christian people, who shall with force and violence earn the heavenly kingdom. {361} How can it be without violence and compulsion, that any one by chast.i.ty overcomes libidinous nature through G.o.d's grace? Or who shall still the frenzy of his mind with patience, without difficulty? or who shall exchange pride for true humility? or who drunkenness for soberness? or who covetousness for munificence, without violence? But he who, through G.o.d's support, so changes his ways with steadfastness, will then be made another man; another he will be in goodness, and the same in substance, and he will then by violence seize the heavenly kingdom.

There are two kinds of continence, one bodily, the other ghostly. One is, that everyone govern himself with moderation in food and in drink, and manfully remove from himself superfluous aliment. The second kind of continence is more precious and exalted,--though the other is good,--to guide the agitation of his mind with constant moderation, and fight daily against sins, and chastise himself with the sternness of ghostly correction, so that he restrain the fierce beast of the eight capital sins as it were with iron bonds. Precious is this continence and glorious suffering in the sight of G.o.d, to govern evil thoughts and sinful pleasures with our own sceptre, and to abstain from injurious speech and perilous work, as from death-bearing meats. He who sedulously performs these things, seizes undoubtedly the promised kingdom with G.o.d and all his saints. Great violence it is through which human beings with humble merits obtain that heavenly joy, which the heavenly angels lost through pride.

It delights us to speak yet further of the holy man John, for his honour and our bettering. Of him the prophet Isaiah wrote, that he is "the voice of one crying in the waste, Prepare the way of G.o.d, make right his paths.

Every valley shall be filled, and every hill shall be lowered, and all crookednesses shall be straightened, and sharpnesses smoothed." The prophet called himself a voice, because he preceded {363} Christ, who is called the Word: not such a word as men speak, but he is the Wisdom of the Father, and a word is the manifestation of wisdom. The Word is Almighty G.o.d, the Son with his Father. In every word the voice is heard before the word is fully spoken. As the voice precedes the word, so did John precede Jesus on earth; for G.o.d the Father sent him before the sight of his Son, that he might prepare and make ready his way. But John cried these same words to men, "Prepare the way of G.o.d." The crier who announces right belief and good works, prepares the way for the coming G.o.d to the heart of the hearkeners.

The way of G.o.d is prepared in the heart of men, when they humbly hear the speech of Truth, and are ready to the commandments of Life; of whom Jesus said, "He who loveth me holdeth my commandment, and my Father loveth him, and we will come to him, and will dwell with him." His paths shall be straight, when, through good preaching, pure thoughts spring up in the mind of the listeners. Valleys betoken the humble, and hills the proud. At the Lord's advent valleys shall be filled, and hills lowered, as he himself said, "Everyone of them who exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he who humbleth himself shall be exalted." As water rushes from the hill and stands in the valley, so flees the Holy Ghost from the heart of proud men, and takes his dwelling in the humble, as the prophet said, "In whom resteth the Spirit of G.o.d but in the humble?" Crookednesses shall be straight, when the hearts of perverse men, which are agitated by the hooks of unrighteousness, are again made even by the ruling-rods of true righteousness. Sharpnesses shall be turned to smooth ways, when angry and ungentle minds turn to gentleness through infusion of the heavenly grace.

Tedious it would be for us to recount and for you to hear all the depths of the great Baptist's preaching: how with strong reproof and severe admonition he inclined the {365} hard-hearted of the Jewish people to the way of life, and after his suffering announced Christ's advent to the inhabitants of h.e.l.l, as he in life had with loud voice boldly preached their own redemption to mankind.

Let us now pray the Powerful Saviour, that he, through the mediation of the great Forerunner and Baptist, be merciful to us in the present life, and lead us to the life eternal, to whom be glory and praise with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever to eternity. Amen.

III. K[=AL]. I[=UL].

Pa.s.sIO APOSTOLORUM PETRI ET PAULI.

Venit Iesus in partes Caesareae Philippi: et reliqua.

Matheus se G.o.dspellere awrat on aere G.o.dspellican gesetnysse, us cweende, "Drihten com to anre burhscire, e is geciged Cesarea Philippi, and befran his gingran hu menn be him cwyddedon. Hi andwyrdon, Sume menn cwea aet u sy Iohannes se Fulluhtere, sume secga aet u sy Helias, sume Hieremias, oe sum oer witega. Se Haelend a cwae, Hwaet secge ge aet ic sy? Petrus him andwyrde, u eart Crist, aes lifigendan G.o.des Sunu. Drihten him cwae to andsware, Eadig eart u, Simon, culfran bearn, foran e flaesc and blod e ne onwreah isne geleafan, ac min Faeder see on heofonum is. Ic e secge, aet u eart staenen, and ofer ysne stan ic timbrige mine cyrcan, and h.e.l.le gatu naht ne magon ongean hi. Ic betaece e heofonan rices caege; and swa hwaet swa u bintst on eoran, aet bi gebunden on heofonum; and swa hwaet swa u unbintst ofer eoran, aet bi unbunden on heofonum."

Beda se trahtnere us onwrih a deopnysse ysre raedinge, and cwy, aet Philippus se fyerrica a buruh Cesarea getimbrode, and on wurmynte aes caseres Tiberii, e he under {366} rixode, aere byrig naman gesceop, 'Cesaream,' and for his agenum gemynde to am naman geyhte, 'Philippi,' us cweende, 'Cesarea Philippi,' swilce s...o...b..rh him bam to wurmynte swa genemned waere.

aa se Haelend to aere burhscire genealaehte, a befran he, hu woruld-menn be him cwyddedon: na swilce he nyste manna cwyddunga be him, ac he wolde, mid sore andetnysse aes rihtan geleafan, adwaescan one leasan wenan dweligendra manna. His apostoli him andwyrdon, "Sume men cwyddia aet u sy Iohannes se Fulluhtere, sume secga aet u sy Helias, sume Hieremias, oe an aera witegena." Drihten a befran, "Hwaet secge ge aet ic sy?" swylce he swa cwaede, 'Nu woruld-menn us dwollice me oncnawa, ge e G.o.das sind, hu oncnawe ge me?' Se trahtnere cwae 'G.o.das,' foran e se soa G.o.d, see ana is aelmihtig, haef geunnen one wurmynt his gecorenum, aet he hi G.o.das gecig. Him andwyrde se gehyrsuma Petrus, "u eart Crist, aes lifigendan G.o.des Sunu." He cwae 'aes lifigendan G.o.des,' for twaeminge aera leasra G.o.da, a e haeene eoda, mid mislic.u.m gedwylde bepaehte, wurodon.

Sume hi gelyfdon on deade entas, and him deorwurlice anlicnyssa araerdon, and cwaedon aet hi G.o.das waeron, for aere micelan strence e hi haefdon: waes eah heora lif swie manfullic and bysmurfull; be am cwae se witega, "aera haeenra anlicnyssa sind gyldene and sylfrene, manna handgeweorc: hi habba dumne mu and blinde eagan, deafe earan and ungrapigende handa, fet butan fee, bodig butan life." Sume hi gelyfdon on a sunnan, sume on one monan, sume on fyr, and on manega ore gesceafta: cwaedon aet hi for heora faegernysse G.o.das waeron.

Nu todaelde Petrus swutelice one soan geleafan, aa he cwae, "u eart Crist, aes lifigendan G.o.des Sunu." Se is lybbende G.o.d e haef lif and wununge urh hine sylfne, butan anginne, and see ealle gesceafta urh his agen Bearn, aet is, his Wisdom, gesceop, and him eallum lif forgeaf urh {368} one Halgan Gast. On issum rym hadum is an G.o.dcundnys, and an gecynd, and an weorc untodaeledlice.

Drihten cwae to Petre, "Eadig eart u, culfran sunu." Se Halga Gast waes gesewen ofer Criste on culfran anlicnysse. Nu gecigde se Haelend Petrum culfran bearn, foran e he waes afylled mid bilewitnysse and gife aes Halgan Gastes. He cwae, "Ne onwreah e flaesc ne blod isne geleafan, ac min Faeder see on heofenum is." Flaesc and blod is gecweden, his flaesclice maei.

Naefde he aet andgit urh maeglice lare, ac se Heofenlica Faeder, urh one Halgan Gast, isne geleafan on Petres heortan forgeaf.

Drihten cwae to Petre, "u eart staenen." For aere strence his geleafan, and for anraednysse his andetnysse he underfencg one naman, foran e he geeodde hine sylfne mid faestum mode to Criste, see is 'stan' gecweden fram am apostole Paule. "And ic timbrige mine cyrcan uppon isum stane:"

aet is, ofer one geleafan e u andetst. Eal G.o.des gelaung is ofer am stane gebytlod, aet is ofer Criste; foran e he is se grundweall ealra aera getimbrunga his agenre cyrcan. Ealle G.o.des cyrcan sind getealde to anre gelaunge, and seo is mid gecorenum mannum getimbrod, na mid deadum stanum; and eal s...o...b..tlung aera liflicra stana is ofer Criste geloG.o.d; foran e we beo, urh one geleafan, his lima getealde, and he ure ealra heafod. Se e ne bytla of am grundwealle, his weorc hryst to micclum lyre.

Se Haelend cwae, "Ne magon h.e.l.le gatu naht togeanes minre cyrcan." Leahtras and dwollic lar sindon h.e.l.le gatu, foran e hi laeda one synfullan swilce urh geat into h.e.l.le wite. Manega sind a gatu, ac heora nan ne maeg ongean a halgan gelaunge, e is getimbrod uppon am faestan stane, Criste; foran e se gelyfeda, urh Cristes gescyldnysse, aetwint am frecednyssum aera deoflicra costnunga.

He cwae, "Ic e betaece heofonan rices caege." Nis seo caeig gylden, ne sylfren, ne of nanum antimbre gesmiod, ac is se anweald e him Crist forgeaf, aet nan man ne cym {370} into G.o.des rice, buton se halga Petrus him geopenige aet infaer. "And swa hwaet swa u bintst ofer eoran, aet bi gebunden on heofonum; and swa hwaet swa u unbintst ofer eoran, aet bi unbunden on heofenan." isne anweald he forgeaf nu Petre, and eac syan, ?r his upstige, eallum his apostolum, aa he him on-ableow, us cwaeende, "Onfo Haligne Gast: aera manna synna e ge forgyfa, beo forgyfene; and am e ge forgifenysse ofunnon, him bi oftogen seo forgyfenys."

Nella a apostoli naenne rihtwisne mid heora mansumunge gebindan, ne eac one manfullan miltsigende unbindan, butan he mid sore d?dbote gecyrre to lifes wege. one ylcan andweald haef se aelmihtiga getiod biscopum and halgum maesse-preostum, gif hi hit aefter aere G.o.dspellican gesetnysse carfullice healda. Ac fori is seo caeig Petre sinderlice betaeht, aet eal eodscipe gleawlice tocnawe, aet swa hwa swa oscyt fram annysse aes geleafan e Petrus a andette Criste, aet him ne bi getiod naor ne synna forgyfenys ne infaer aes heofenlican rices.

DE Pa.s.sIONE APOSTOLORUM PETRI ET PAULI.

We wylla aefter isum G.o.dspelle eow gereccan aera apostola drohtnunga and geendunge, mid scortre race; foran e heora rowung is gehwaer on Englisc.u.m gereorde fullice geendebyrd.

aefter Drihtnes upstige waes Petrus bodigende geleafan am leodscipum e sind gecwedene Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithinia, Asia, Italia. Syan, ymbe tyn geara fyrst, he gewende to Romebyrig, bodigende G.o.dspel; and on aere byrig he gesette his biscop-setl, and aer gesaet fif and twentig geara, laerende a Romaniscan ceastregewaran G.o.des maera, mid micclum tacnum. His wierwinna waes on eallum his faerelde sum dr, se waes Simon gehaten. es dr waes mid {372} am awyrgedum gaste to am swye afylled, aet he cwae aet he waere Crist, G.o.des Sunu, and mid his drycraefte aes folces geleafan amyrde.

a gelamp hit aet man ferede anre wuduwan suna lic aer Petrus bodigende waes. He a cwae to am folce and to am dr, "Geneal?ca aere baere, and gelyfa aet aes bodung so sy, e one deadan to life araer." Hwaet a Simon wear gebyld urh deofles gast, and cwae, "Swa hrae swa ic one deadan ar?re, acwella minne wierwinnan Petrum." aet folc him andwyrde, "Cucenne we hine forbaerna." Simon a mid deofles craefte dyde aet aes deadan lic styrigende waes. a wende aet folc aet he geedcucod waere. Petrus a ofer eall clypode, "Gif he geedcucod sy, sprece to us, and astande; onbyrige metes, and ham gecyrre." aet folc a hrymde hluddre stemne, "Gif Simon is ne de, he sceal aet wite olian e he e gemynte." Simon to isum wordum hine gebealh and fleonde waes, ac aet folc mid orm?tum edwite hine gehaefte.