Halige l['a]reowas raeddon thaet seo geleaffulle geladhung thisne daeg
EALLUM HALGUM to wurthmynte maersige, and arwurdhlice freolsige; fordhan
dhe h['i] ne mihton heora aelcum synderlice freolstide gesettan, ne
n['a]num menn on andweardum life nis heora eallra nama cudh, swa swa
Iohannes se Godspellere on his gastlican gesihdhe awr['a]t, thus cwedhende,
"Ic geseah swa micele menigu, swa n['a]n man geryman ne maeg, of eallum
dheodum and of aelcere maegdhe, standende aetforan Godes thrym-setle, ealle
mid hwitum gyrlum gescrydde, healdende palm-twigu on heora handum, and
sungon mid hluddre stemne, Sy h['ae]lu urum Gode the sitt ofer his
thrym-setle. And ealle englas stodon on ymbhwyrfte his dhrym-setles, and
aluton to Gode, thus cwedhende, Sy urum Gode bletsung and beorhtnys, wisdom
and thancung, wurdhmynt and strengdh, on ealra worulda woruld. Amen."
Godes halgan sind englas and menn. Englas sind gastas butan lichaman. Tha
gesceop se Aelmihtiga Wealdend on micelre faegernysse, him sylfum to lofe,
and to wuldre and wurdhmynte his maegenthrymme on ecnysse. Be tham we
forhtiadh fela to sprecenne, fordhan dhe Gode anum is to gewitenne h['u]
heora ungesewenlice gecynd, butan aelcere besmitennysse oththe wanunge, on
['e]cere hluttornysse thurhwunadh. Theah-hwaedhere we oncn['a]wadh on
halgum gewritum, thaet nigon {540} engla werod sind wunigende on
heofonlicum thrymme, the naefre n['a]ne synne ne gefremedon. Thaet teodhe
werod thurh modignesse losode, and to awyrgedum gastum behwyrfede wurdon,
and ascofene of heofonlicere myrhdhe inn to hellicere susle.
Sodhlice sume dhaera haligra gasta, the mid heora Scyppende thurhwunodon,
to us asende cumadh, and towearde dhing cydhadh. Sume h['i] wyrcadh, be
Godes dihte, t['a]cna and gelomlice wundra on middangearde. Sume h['i] synd
ealdras gesette tham odhrum englum, to gefyllenne tha godcundlican gerynu.
Thurh sume gesett God and toscaet his domas. Sume h['i] sind swa micclum to
Gode gedheodde, thaet n['a]ne odhre him betwynan ne synd, and h['i] dhonne
on swa micclan maran lufe byrnende beodh, swa micclum swa h['i] Godes
beorhtnysse scearplicor sceawiadh. Nu is thes daeg thisum englum
arwurdhlice gehalgod, and eac tham halgum mannum, the thurh miccle
gedhincdha fram frymdhe middangeardes Gode gethugon. Of thisum waeron
['ae]rest heahfaederas, eawfaeste and wuldorfulle weras on heora life,
witegena faederas, thaera gemynd ne bidh forgiten, and heora nama
thurhwunadh on ecnysse; fordhan dhe hi waeron Gode gecweme thurh geleafan,
and rihtwisnysse, and gehyrsumnysse. Thisum fyligdh thaera witegena
gecorennys: h['i] waeron Godes gesprecan, and tham he aeteowde his
digelnysse, and hi onlihte mid gife thaes Halgan Gastes, swa thaet hi
wiston tha towerdan dhing, and mid witigendlicere gyddunge bododon.
Witodlice tha gecorenan witegan mid manegum t['a]cnum and foreb['i]cnungum
on heora life scinende waeron. Hi gehaeldon manna untrumnysse, and deaddra
manna l['i]c to life araerdon. H['i] eac for folces thwyrnysse heofonan
scuras oftugon, and eft miltsigende getithodon. Hi heofodon folces synna,
and heora wrace on him sylfum forscytton. Cristes menniscnysse, and his
dhrowunge, and aerist, and upstige, and dhone micclan d['o]m, thurh dhone
Halgan Gast gelaerede, h['i] witegodon.
On dhaere Nywan Gecydhnysse fordhst['o]p Iohannes se {542} Fulluhtere,
sedhe mid witegunge Cristes to-cyme bodode, and eac mid his fingre hine
geb['i]cnode. "Betwux wifa bearnum ne ar['a]s n['a]n maerra mann thonne is
Iohannes se Fulluhtere." Thisum Godes cempan gethwaerlaecdh thaet
twelffealde getel Cristes apostola, the he sylf geceas him to
leorning-cnihtum, and hi mid rihtum geleafan and sodhre l['a]re geteah, and
eallum dheodum to l['a]reowum gesette, swa thaet se sw['e]g heora bodunge
ferde geond ealle eordhan, and heora word becomon to gemaerum ealles
ymbhwyrftes. To dhisum twelf apostolum cwaedh se Aelmihtiga Haelend, "Ge
sind middangeardes leoht: scine eower leoht swa aetforan mannum, thaet hi
geseon eowre g['o]dan weorc, and wuldrian eowerne Faeder the on heofonum
is. Ge sind mine frynd, and ic cydhe eow swa hwaet swa ic aet minum Faeder
gehyrde." Eornostlice Drihten forgeaf tha mihte his twelf apostolum, thaet
hi dha ylcan wundra worhton the h['e] sylf on middangearde gefremode. And
swa hwaet swa h['i] bindadh ofer eordhan, thaet bidh on heofonum gebunden;
and swa hwaet swa h['i] unbindadh ofer eordhan, thaet bidh unbunden on
heofonum. Eac he him behet mid sodhfaestum beh['a]te, thaet h['i] on dham
micclum dome ofer twelf d['o]m-setl sittende beodh, to d['e]menne eallum
mannum the aefre on lichaman l['i]f underfengon.
Aefter tham apostolican werode we wurdhiadh thone gefaestan heap Godes
cydhera, the dhurh mislice tintrega Cristes dhrowunge werlice
geefenlaehton, and dhurh martyrdom thaet upplice rice geferdon. Sume hi
waeron mid waepnum ofslagene, sume on l['i]ge forswaelede, odhre mid swipum
ofbeatene, othre mid stengum thurhdhyde, sume on h['e]ngene gecwylmede,
sume on widdre s['ae] besencte, odhre cuce behylde, odhre mid ['i]senum
clawum totorene, sume mid st['a]num ofhrorene, sume mid winterlicum cyle
geswencte, sume mid hungre gecwylmede, sume handum and fotum forcorfene,
folce to waefersyne, for geleafan and halgum naman Haelendes Cristes. Thas
sind tha sigefaestan Godes frynd, the dhaera forscyldgodra ealdormanna
haesa forsawon, and nu h['i] sind gewuldor-beagode midsige {544} heora
throwunga on ['e]cere myrhdhe. Hi mihton beon lichamlice acwealde, ac hi ne
mihton fram Gode thurh n['a]ne tintregunga beon geb['i]gede. Heora hiht
waes mid undeadlicnysse afylled, theah dhe h['i] aetforan mannum
getintregode waeron. H['i] waeron sceortlice gedrehte, and langlice
gefrefrode; fordhan dhe God heora af['a]ndode swa swa gold on ['o]fne, and
he afunde hi him wyrdhe, and swa swa halige offrunga, hi underfeng to his
heofonlican rice.
Aefter ablunnenre ehtnysse redhra cynega and ealdormanna, on siblicere
drohtnunge Godes geladhunge, waeron halige sacerdas Gode dhe['o]nde, tha
mid sodhre l['a]re and mid halgum gebysnungum folces menn to Gode symle
geb['i]gdon. Heora m['o]d waes hluttor, and mid claennysse afylled, and hi
mid claenum handum Gode Aelmihtigum aet his weofode dhenodon, maersigende
tha halgan gerynu Cristes lichaman and his blodes. Eac h['i] offrodon h['i]
sylfe Gode l['i]flice onsaegednysse butan womme, oththe gemencgednysse
thwyrlices weorces. Hi befaeston Godes l['a]re heora undertheoddum, to
unateorigendlicum gafele, and heora m['o]d mid threatunge, and bene, and
micelre gymene to lifes wege geb['i]gdon, and for n['a]num woruldlicum ege
Godes riht ne forsuwodon; and dheah dhe h['i] swurdes ecge ne gefreddon,
theah dhurh heora l['i]fes geearnunga h['i] ne beodh martyrdomes bedaelede,
fordhan the martyrdom bidh gefremmed na on blodes gyte anum, ac eac swylce
on synna forhaefednysse, and on b['i]ggenge Godes beboda.
Thysum fyligdh ancersetlena drohtnung, and synderlic ingehyd. Tha on
westenum wunigende, woruldlice ['e]stas and gaelsan mid strecum mode and
stidhum life fortraedon. Hi forflugon woruld-manna gesihdhe and herunge,
and on w['a]clicum screafum odhdhe hulcum lutigende, deorum geferlaehte, to
engelicum spraecum gewunode, on micclum wundrum sc['i]nende waeron. Blindum
h['i] forgeafon gesihdhe, healtum faereld, deafum hlyst, dumbum spraece.
Deoflu h['i] oferswydhdon and afligdon, and dha deadan thurh Godes mihte
araerdon. Seo b['o]c the is geh['a]ten Uitae Patrum sprecdh menigfealdlice
{546} embe thyssera ancersetlena, and eac gemaenelicra muneca drohtnunge,
and cwydh, thaet heora waes fela dhusenda gehwaer on westenum and on
mynstrum wundorlice drohtnigende, ac swa-theah swydhost on Egypta-lande.
Sume h['i] leofodon be ['o]fete and wyrtum, sume be agenum geswince, sumum
dhenodon englas, sumum fugelas, odhthaet englas eft on eadhelicum
fordhsidhe h['i] to Gode feredon.
Eala dhu, eadige Godes cennestre, symle maeden Maria, tempel dhaes Halgan
Gastes, maeden ['ae]r geeacnunge, maeden on geeacnunge, maeden aefter
geeacnunge, micel is dhin maerdh on dhisum freols-daege betwux tham
foresaedum halgum; fordhan dhe dhurh thine claenan cenninge him eallum
becom halignyss and dha heofonlican gedhincdhu. We sprecadh be dhaere
heofonlican cwene endebyrdlice aefter w['i]fh['a]de, theah-hwaedhere eal
seo geleaffulle geladhung getreowfullice be hire singdh, thaet heo is
geuferod and ah['a]fen ofer engla werod to tham wuldorfullan heahsetle. Nis
be nanum odhrum halgan gecweden, thaet heora aenig ofer engla werod
ah['a]fen sy, buton be Marian ['a]nre. Heo aeteowde mid hire gebysnungum
thaet heofonlice l['i]f on eordhan, fordhan the maegdhh['a]d is ealra
maegna cw['e]n and gefera heofonlicra engla. Dhyses maedenes gebysnungum
and f['o]tswadhum fyligde unger['i]m heap maegdhh['a]des manna on
claennysse thurhwunigende, forlaetenum giftum, to dham heofonlicum
brydguman Criste getheodende mid ['a]nraedum mode, and haligre drohtnunge,
and sidefullum gyrlan, to than swidhe, thaet heora for wel menige for
maeigdhh['a]de martyrdom gedhrowodon, and swa mid twyfealdum sige to
heofonlicum eardung-stowum wuldorfulle becomon.
Eallum dhisum foresaedum halgum, thaet is, englum and Godes gecorenum
mannum, is thyses daeges wurdhmynt gemaersod on geleaffulre geladhunge, him
to wurdhmynte and us to fultume, thaet we dhurh heora thingraedene him
geferlaehte beon moton. Thaes ['u]s getidhige se mildheorta Drihten, the
h['i] ealle and ['u]s mid his deorwurdhan blode fram deofles haeftnedum
alysde. We sceolon on dhyssere maerlican freols-tide {548} mid halgum
gebedum and lofsangum us geinnian, swa hwaet swa we on odhrum freols-dagum
ealles geares ymbrynes, thurh mennisce tyddernysse hw['o]nlicor gefyldon,
and carfullice h['o]gian thaet we to dhaere ecan freols-tide becumon.