1B1.1.1

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2

PRAEFATIO.

3    Ic ælfric munuc and mæssepreost swa ðeah
4waccre þonne swilcum hadum gebyrige. wearð asend on
5æþelredes dæge cyninges fram ælfeage
6biscope aðelwoldes æftergengan to sumum mynstre
7ðe is cernel gehaten þurh æðelmæres bene ðæs
8þegenes. his gebyrd and goodnys sind gehwær cuðe;
9Þa bearn me on mode ic truwige ðurh godes gife. þæt ic
10ðas boc of ledenum gereorde to engliscre spræce awende.
11na þurh gebylde micelre lare. ac for ðan ðe ic geseah
12and gehyrde mycel gedwyld on manegum engliscum bocum.
13ðe ungelærede menn ðurh heora bilewitnysse to micclum
14wisdome tealdon. and me ofhreow þæt hi ne cuðon ne
15næfdon ða godspellican lare on heora gewritum. buton ðam
16mannum anum ðe þæt leden cuðon. and buton þam bocum ðe
17ælfred cyning snoterlice awende of ledene on englisc.
18ða synd to hæbbenne;
19For ðisum antimbre ic gedyrstlæhte on gode truwiende þæt
20ic ðas gesetnysse undergann. and eac for ðam ðe menn
21behofiað godre lare swiðost on þisum timan þe
22is geendung þyssere worulde. and beoð fela
23frecednyssa on mancynne ær ðan þe se ende becume. swa swa
24ure drihten on his godspelle cwæð to his leorningcnihtum;
25Þonne beoð swilce

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26gedreccednyssa swilce næron næfre ær fram frymðe
27middangeardes;
28Manega lease cristas cumað on minum naman cweðende ic eom
29crist. and wyrcað fela tacna and wundra to bepæcenne
30mancynn. and eac swylce ða gecorenan men gif hit
31gewurðan mæg;
32And butan se ælmihtiga god ða dagas gescyrte. eall mennisc
33forwurde ac for his gecorenum he gescyrte ða dagas;
34Gehwa mæg þe eaðelicor þa toweardan costnunge acuman ðurh
35godes fultum. gif he bið þurh boclice lare getrymmed. for
36ðan ðe ða beoð gehealdene þe oð ende on geleafan
37þurhwuniað;
38Fela gedreccednyssa and earfoðnyssa becumað on ðissere
39worulde ær hire geendunge. and þa sind ða bydelas þæs
40ecan forwyrdes on yfelum mannum þe for heora mandædum
41siððan ecelice ðrowiað on ðære sweartan helle;
42Þonne cymð se antecrist se bið mennisc mann and soð deofol
43swa swa ure hælend is soðlice mann. and god on anum hade;
44And se gesewenlica deofol þonne wyrcð ungerima wundra. and
45cwyð þæt he sylf god beo. and wile neadian mancynn to his
46gedwylde. ac his tima ne bið na langsum. for ðan ðe godes
47grama hine fordeð. and ðeos weoruld bið siððan geendod;
48Crist ure drihten gehælde untrume and adlige. and þes deofol
49þe is gehaten antecrist. þæt is gereht ðwyrlic crist.
50aleuað and geuntrumað þa halan. and nænne ne gehælð
51fram untrumnyssum. buton þam anum þe he sylf ær awyrde;
52He and his gingran awyrdað manna lichaman digellice ðurh
53deofles cræft. and gehælað hi openlice on manna gesihðe.
54ac he ne mæg nænne gehælan. þe god sylf ær geuntrumode;
55He neadað þurh yfelnysse þæt men sceolon bugan fram heora
56scyppendes geleafan to his leasungum. se ðe is ord ælcere
57leasunge and yfelnysse;
58Se ælmihtiga god geðafað þam arleasan antecriste. to
59wyrcenne tacna and wundra. and ehtnysse to feorðan healfan
60geare. for ðan ðe on ðam timan bið swa micel yfelnyss and
61þwyrnys betwux mancynne. þæt hi wel wyrðe beoð þære
62deoflican ehtnysse to ecum forwyrde þam ðe him onbugað.
63and to ecere myrhðe þam þe him þurh geleafan wiðcweðað;
64God

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65geðafað eac þæt his gecorenan ðegenas beon aclænsade
66fram eallum synnum. ðurh ða ormætan ehtnyssa. swa swa gold
67bið on fyre afandod;
68Þa ofslihð se deofol ðe him wiðstandað. and hi ðonne
69farað mid halgum martyrdome to heofenan rice;
70Þa ðe his leasungum gelyfað þam he arað. and hi habbað
71syððan þa ecan susle to edleane heora gedwyldes;
72Se arleasa deð þæt fyr cymð ufan swilce of heofonum on
73manna gesihðe. swilce he god ælmihtig sy. ðe ah geweald
74heofenas and eorðan. ac þa cristenan sceolon beon þonne
75gemyndige. hu se deofol dyde. ða ða he bæd æt gode þæt
76he moste fandian IOBES;
77He gemacode ða þæt fyr com ufan swilce of heofenum. and
78forbærnde ealle his scep ut on felda. and þa hyrdas samod.
79buton anum þe hit him cyðan sceolde;
80Ne sende se deofol ða fyr of heofenum. þeah ðe hit ufan
81come. for ðan ðe he sylf næs on heofonum. syððan he
82for his modignysse of aworpen wæs;
83Ne eac se wælhreowa antecrist næfð þa mihte þæt he
84heofenlic fyr asendan mæge. ðeah ðe he þurh deofles cræft
85hit swa gehiwige;
86Bið nu wislicor þæt gehwa ðis wite and cunne his geleafan.
87weald hwa ða micclan yrmðe gebidan sceole;
88Ure drihten bebead his discipulum þæt hi sceoldon læran.
89and tæcan eallum þeodum ða ðing þe he sylf him tæhte.
90ac ðæra is nu to lyt. ðe wile wel tæcan. and wel bysnian;
91Se ylca drihten clypode þurh his witegan ezechiel;
92Gif ðu ne gestentst þone unrihtwisan and hine ne manast
93þæt he fram his arleasnysse gecyrre. and lybbe. þonne
94swelt se arleasa on his unrihtwisnysse. and ic
95wylle ofgan æt ðe his blod þæt is his lyre;
96Gif ðu ðonne þone arleasan gewarnast. and he nele fram his
97arleasnysse gecyrran. þu alysdest þine sawla mid þære
98mynegunge. and se arleasa swylt on his unrihtwisnysse;
99Eft cwæð se ælmihtiga to þam witegan ISIAM;
100Clypa and ne geswic ðu. ahefe ðine stemne swa swa byme. and
101cyð minum folce heora leahtras. and Iacobes hirede heora
102synna;
103For swylcum bebodum wearð me geðuht þæt ic nære unscyldig
104wið god. gif ic nolde oðrum mannum cyðan oþþe þurh

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105gewritu ða godspellican soðfæstnysse þe he sylf gecwæð.
106and eft halgum lareowum onwreah;
107Forwel fela ic wat on ðisum earde. gelæredran þonne ic sy.
108ac god geswutelað his wundra ðurh ðone ðe he wile.
109swa swa ælmihtig wyrhta;
110He wyrcð his weorc þurh his gecorenan. na swylce he behofige
111ures fultumes. ac þæt we geearnion þæt ece lif þurh his
112weorces fremminge;
113Paulus se apostol cwæð;
114We sind godes gefylstan. and swa ðeah ne do we nan ðing to
115gode. buton godes fultume;
116Nu bydde ic and halsige on godes naman gif hwa þas boc
117awritan wylle þæt he hi geornlice gerihte be
118ðære bysene. þy læs ðe we ðurh gymelease writeras
119geleahtrode beon;
120Mycel yfel deð se ðe leas writ. buton he hit gerihte. swylce
121he gebringe þa soðan lare to leasum gedwylde. for ði sceal
122gehwa gerihtlæcan þæt þæt he ær to woge gebigde gif he
123on godes dome unscyldig beon wile;