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V

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DOMINICA IN QUADRAGESSIMA

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4    Men þa leofeste, ic cyðe eow ꝥ ðreo þing beoð ærest on forewearde
5æȝhwilcum men neodbehefe to habbene. An is ileafæ;
6oþer is hiht; þridde is soþ lufe. On þam leafe is þæt he ilefe
7on God Fæder Ælmihtiȝne, & on his Sune, & on þene Halȝan Gaste,
8& on ða untodæledlice Þrynnesse, & on þa þurhwuniȝendæn Annesse.
9Þonne is þe hiht ꝥ he wislice hihte ða ecen mede; þone
10is þeo soðe lufe, ꝥ he beo ifylled mid þare godcunden lufe
11onȝean his nyxtæn - ꝥ is æleælc cristene mon. For þam ðe we beoð
12alle on þam fuluhte Godes bearn ihalȝode, to þam ꝥ we beon gastlice
13ibroðræ on fulfremede soþe lufe æfter Gode; þi we sculen
14symle wuniæn on þare godcundæn lufe & ure nextæ, ꝥ he symle on
15us þurhwunie. For þam, swa swa Iohannes cwæð, God is þeo
16soþe lufe, & þe ðe wunæð on þare soðan lufe, he wuneð on Gode,
17& God wunæð on him. Broðor min, six þing beoð neodbihefe to
18habbene þare halȝan cristenlice eawfestnesse, & alre mest on daȝum
19þisses halȝæ læncȝtenfestenes. An is andetnys; oþer is reowsung;
20þridde is wæcce; feorþe is fæsten; fyfte beoð bedu; sixte is
21ælmesse. Ðeo andetnes is to donne bi alle þam synnum þe man
22æȝhwær þurhtihð, oððe on þohte, oððe on spece, oððe on
23weorce. Witodlice æhtæ beoð heafodlæhtræs, buton þare sume
24ne mæȝ nan mon imetodlice beon. Æræst is ꝥ forme, ȝyfernes,
25ꝥ is þare wombe fræcnes; oþer is derneliȝere; þridde is
26sleacmodnes, & unrotnes; feorþe is ȝytsung; fifte is ydel wuldor;
27sixte is æfest; seofoðe yrre; eahtoðe oferhyd, þeo is cwen alre
28yfelæ, - þurh þa oferhyd of heofenum areas þeo wundorlice anglæ
29ȝescaeft. Broðor mine, þone ȝe to rihte andetnysse to eowre
30schrifte bicumeð, þonne sceal he eow ȝeornlice acsiæn mid hwylce

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31ȝemete oððe mid hwylce intingum þeo synn þurhtoȝen wære, þe
32he ȝeandette ꝥ he ær fremode. & æfter þare ȝemete þare dedæ he
33sceal þa reowsunge deman. He sceal hine eac swa læren, ꝥ he of
34þam þwyrlice ðance andetnysse do, & he sceal hine maniæn þæt he
35of þam eahtæ heafodlæhtrum andetnysse do. & þe sacerd him
36sceal synderlice ælcne heafodlæhtor nemniæn & swa of þam his
37andetnysse onfon , to þam ꝥ he habbe rihtre intinge to forȝyfene.
38For þam þe þeo andetnes þe hælæð, & þeo andetnysse þe rihtwisæð,
39& þeo andetnys sylð forȝyfenesse þam synnum. Æȝhwilc hiht
40forȝifenesse stont on þam andetnysse. Ðeo andetnes is mildheortnysse
41weorc; heo is hæl ðæs untrumen, & heo is læcedom
42ure mæȝnæ mid reowsunge, forþam þe we on oðre wisan ne maȝen
43beon ihælede buton we ure synnæ andettæn ða þe we þurhtuȝon.
44Be þare synne andetnesse, Salomon cwæð, 'Þe þe his scylde
45bihyd, ne bið he na iriht; þe þe heom soþlice andet, & heom
46forlet he hæfð mildheordnesse biȝeten.' Broðor mine, æfter þare
47andetnesse þeo reowsung is to underfonne. Be þare þe Hælend
48on his godspelle cwæð, 'Doð reowsunge, for þam ðe heofene rice
49neahlæcð.' Swa Iohannes ðe fulluhtere cwæð, 'Weorcæð
50medemæ wæstmæs reowsunge.' Þæt is þe medeme wæstm
51reowsunge ꝥ mon þa forðwitenæ synnæn biwepæ & þa ylcæ eft
52ne fremmæ, swa swa ꝥ godcunde writ cwæð, 'Ne ec þu na synnæ
53ofer synnæ.' Ac Drihten þurh Ysaiam þone witegæ cwæð, 'Beoð
54aðwæȝene, & þurhwuniæð clæne.' Soþlice þe bið aþwoȝen &
55þurhwunæð clæne, þe ðe ðare forðwitenæ synnæ
56bewæpð, & he eft þa bewopenæ ne ðurhtihð. Ac þe bið iþweȝen,
57ant ne biþ clæne, þe ðe biwepð þa ðurhtoȝene synne, & þonne
58ȝit ne forlæteþ, ac æfter ðam tearum þa ylcæ þe he biweop he eft
59þurhtihð. Soþlice is to witænne ꝥ ꝥ biþ ðeo soþe reowsung þe
60ðurh wisnesse bið idon. Þeo soðe reowsung ne biþ on þare ȝeare
61ryne iscryfen, ac on þæs modes biternysse, forþan ðe God ne sæcð
62na swa swyðe þare tide lenge, ac he þencð hu mucel þeo lufe beo
63þare syferlicnesse on þare heortæn þæs reowsiȝendæn. Witodlice,

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64þeah hwa synful beo & arleæs, ȝif he to reowsunge cyrræn wyle, ne
65ortrowiȝe he him ðæt he ne maȝe him forȝifenesse biȝitæn þurh
66Godes mildheordnesse. Soþlice ða ðe on ðissere worulde reowsunge
67doþ, þam symle Godes mildheortnesse hælpæð. Þam reowsiȝendum
68witodlice is þeo wæcce to biganne, forþam ðan ðe heo to heofenum
69up ahæfð þæs reowsiendæn wæstmæs. Forþan us dafenæþ ðæt we
70waciæn symle, swa swa Ysayas þe witegæ cwæð, Media nocte
71surgebam . 'To middere nihte ic wæs risende to andetnesse ofer þa
72domæs þinre rihtwisnesse.' Be þare wæccen swylce þe Hælend
73eac þare monnæ mod awæhte þe from deofles anwealde to alysen
74beoð, þus cwæðende, Beatus ille seruus quem cum uenerit dominus .
75'Eadiȝe beoð þa þeowæs þone þe laford forð cymeð, ȝif he heom
76wacende imet. To soþan ic eow sæcge ofer alle his god he heom
77set.' & eft he cwæð, 'Ic lufiȝe þa ðe me lufiȝæþ, & þa ðe ær
78to me waciæð heo imetæþ me; forþy waciæþ on ȝeornesse forþam
79ðe ȝe nyten hwænne Drihten cumende bið on repsunge, oððe to
80middre nihte, oððe on hancrede, oððe on ærne mareȝen; þi læs
81þonne he cyme ꝥ he slepende eow ne imete.' & næs na ꝥ an ꝥ
82hæ þam apostolum sylfum þas lare bead. Þa weccan, he eft cydde,
83þus cwæðende, 'Þeah ic eow þa weccan beode, allum ic heom
84beode to witanne.' Nis ꝥ an ꝥ he wordum lærde ða wæccan, ac
85eac swylce mid his aȝene bisne he ȝetrymede; swa swa ꝥ godspel
86cyþ ꝥ ðe Hælend wære nihterne on bedum wacende. Broðor mine,
87forþi is allum ȝeleaffule monnum to waciȝenne, forþan þe ðeo
88estfulnes þare weccæn is ihiwcyðlicod alle monnum; forþam heo
89witen þæs, - ꝥ nis idellic ær to arisenne & ær lihte to waciȝenne, -
90forþan ðe Drihten behæt þone heofenlice beah þam waciȝendum.
91Æfter ðissum weccæn þa festene beoð hihtlice to lufiȝenne. Be
92þare lofe, Ysidorus cwæð ꝥ festen is swiðe god; hit is heofonlic
93weorc, & heofene rices duræ, & hiwung þare towearden weorulde.
94Þæt festen þe þe rihtlice bigæð, he biþ to Gode iþeod, & he biþ
95þissum middanearde afremdod, & he bið gastlice ifremed. Þurh

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96ðet festen beoð þa læhtræs astræhte & ꝥ flæsc bið ieadmat & þæs
97deofles costnung oferswiþed . Hieronimus cwæð ꝥ ðæt festen
98clænsæð þone lichame & midlæþ þa uncystæ & þa godcundæ mæȝnu
99obȝebringæð. Augustinus cwæð þæt ꝥ festen openæþ þa heofenlice
100rynu, & hit ut ascyfð þa yfele þohtæs, & þa sawle onlihtæþ.
101Witodlice þa festene beoð stronge iscotu onȝean þæs deofles
102costnunge. Swiðe raðe heo beoð oferswiðde þurh þa forhæfdnesse.
103Soþlice is to witenne ꝥ ðæt mycel fremede ꝥ ðet folcc on Niniue
104þare byriȝ fæste ðry daȝæs; þurh ðet heo earnodon ꝥ heo Godes
105mildheortnysse biȝeten & heoræ forȝifenesse. Israele folc fæsten ær
106þaræ easterlicæn tide symbelnesse; þurh ðet heo earnoden þa
107Readan Sæ mid dryȝym fotum þurhfaran, & heoræ feond iseon
108besencte on ðare ylcæn sæ. Moyses feste on ðam westene, þurh
109ðet he earnode iheræn þa heofenlice ȝerynu. Dauid þe kyning
110æfter ðare ðurhtoȝenæn synnæ feste; þurh ðæt he earnode þa ylca
111scylde ȝediȝlian, swa he sylf cwæð, 'Ic ȝeeadmette on festene
112mine sawlæ.' Crist sylf fæste feowertiȝ daȝæ & feowertiȝ nihtæ,
113þurh ðet he ofercom þone wiðerwinnæn, & him sone englæs
114þenoden. Petrus feste, þurh ðet he earnode þone engel iseon þe
115hine of carcere alysde. Johannes þe godspellere feste, þurh ðæt
116he earnode þa godcundan runo ȝeheræn, swa swa him þe engel
117bodode. Paulus feste, þurh ðæt he earnode beon ȝehæled on ðare
118blindnesse, & fulluhtes underfon. Hieronimus cwæð swa longe
119swa Adam hine forhæfde ꝥ he ðæs applæs ne onburiȝde he wunode
120on neorcxnæwonges ifean; sone swa he dæs ofetes onbyriȝde, swa
121wæs he ut idrifen. To witenne is witodlice ꝥ ꝥ festen is mid
122gode weorcum Gode anfencge. For þam ꝥ is ðet fulfremede festen,
123ðeo mid ælmessen & bedum þone heofen þurhfærð, & to þæs
124hyhstæn Godes setle becymð. Æfter þam, broðor mine, beoð þa
125ȝebedu & redincgæ haliȝræ bocæ to biganne, swa swa Ysodorus
126cwæð, 'Mid þam bedum ȝe beoð iclensode, & mid þam redinge ȝe
127beoð itimbrode,itimbrode.' Soþlice is to witenne þæt syngallice ȝebedu
128mycel fremeð mid Gode, swa swa Paulus þe apostel cwæð, 'Þæs

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129rihtwisen bed mycel fremeð ætforen Gode.' Witodlice Moyses
130hine bed, & ahwyrfde Godes yrre fram Israele folce, þa heo to ðam
131deofelȝylde bedæn & God forlæten. Eac swilce Helias hine bed ꝥ
132hit ne reiȝnde ofer eorðan, & he mid his bedum þone heofen bileac
133þreo ȝear & six monæþ. & eft he bæd ꝥ þeo heofen sealde ræiȝnæs
134& ðeo eorðæ hire wæstmæs. Jonas hine bed on þæs hwæles
135innoðe, & he ðonen alysed wæs. Daniel hine bed on ðeræ leonæ
136sceaþe & he eornodeearnode beon ihæled. Ezechiæs þe kyng hine bed on
137his untrumnesse, & him ehte God fiftene ȝear to life. Witodlice
138swa hwa swa wule symle mid Gode beon, he sceal hine ilomlice
139biddan & redan. Forþam þonne we us biddæþ, þonne spece we
140wið Gode; ant þonne we redæþ, þonne specð God to us. Æt þam
141ytemestan, broðor mine, her æfter fyliȝæð þeo mongung be þare
142ælmessæn lofe. Augustinus cwæð, 'Þeo ælmesse is swiðe haliȝ
143weorc. Heo ȝeycð þa andweardan god; & heo sylð synne forȝifenesse;
144& heo moniȝfealdæþ ȝearæ fyrstæs; & heo liht þæs
145monnes mod; & heo ȝeondbrædaþ þa ȝemæru; & heo alle þing
146clænsæð; & heo alyseð þone mon from deaþe & from wite; & heo
147ȝeðeodaþ to þam englum; & deoflæ from ascyfð; & heo is unoferwinnendlic
148weal ymb þa sawlæ.' Swa swa Ieronimus cwæð,
149'Þeo ælmesse ȝeondfæræð þone heofen, & heo cnyseð
150heofene rices duræ, & heo awecð þone engel, onȝean cumende, &
151heo ciȝæð God to fultume.' Witodlice ðreo cyn beoð ælmessenæ;
152an is lichamlic, ꝥ is ðæt mon þam wædliȝendan sylle to gode ꝥ he
153maȝe; oþer is gastlic, ꝥ is ꝥ mon forȝife þam ðe wið hine aȝyltæð;
154þridde is ꝥ mon þam gyltendan styre, & þa wædliȝendan on rihte
155brincge; þas þing us dafenæþ ȝefyllan mid þæs fultume, þe mid
156Fæder & mid Sune & mid þam Halȝe Gaste leofæþ & rixæð þurh
157alræ woruldæ woruld, a on ecnesse, a buton ende. Amen