1B2.3.5

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2

BE BISCOPHADUM

    
3Leofan men, se halga godspellere Lucas geswutelode on his
4godspelle hu ure Drihten, ær he up to heofenum
5ferde, wið his þegenas spæc, & hu he his apostolas to
6biscpum gebletsode & mid his ærendum wide
7hy sende, þæt hi rihtne cristendom þanonforð georne
8bodian sceoldon & heora æftergengan þæt ylce
9bebeodan.
10Nu syndan we bisceopas to þam sylfan gesette, þæt we bodian
11sceolan Godes riht georne & unriht forbeodan,
12gyme se ðe wille.
13And nu þæt is þæt we habbað on Godes naman weorðunge for
14cristendomes fyrðrunge bisceop gebletsodne,
15swa swa ge sylfe swutele gesawon & eac oferhyrdan þa
16bletsunge ealle, understode se ðe cuðe, nu wylle
17we swutelian þam þe hit nystan hu bisceophadas wurdan
18ærest astealde & be Godes dihte mannum gescyfte.
19Moyses

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20hatte, se ðe on geardagum be Godes agenum dihte rihte
21lage scyfte, & he þa gehalgode Aaron to
22bisceope, swa swa God dihte.
23& of þam cynne æfter þære wisan syððan wurdan manege,
24oð þæt Crist eft astealde on oðre wisan hu bisceophad
25sceolde of manegan cynrynan syððan aspringan, swa
26swa he geswutelade eac þa ðe he gebletsode
27of his agenum apostolum bisceopas manege.
28And Petre þæne ealdorscipe he ærest betæhte & hefenware
29cæga eac him befæste & het þæt he heolde &
30rihtlice weolde be manna gewyrhtum hwa þærin moste & hwa na
31ne moste.
32And nu syndan biscopas Petres gespelian, & hi sceolon Godes
33riht geornlice cyðan.
34ðonne lære we georne manna gehwylcne þæt he hyne sylfne
35gelome beþence & inwerdre heortan lufie his
36Drihten & rihtne cristendom geornlice healde & godcundan
37lareowan hyre mid rihte.
38Bisceopas syndon bydelas & Godes lage lareowas, & hy scylon
39georne oft & gelome clypian to Criste &
40for eall cristen folc þingian georne; & hy scylan georne
41Godes riht bodian & æghwylc unriht georne
42forbeodan.
43And se ðe oferhogie þæt he heom hlyste, hæbbe him gemæne
44þæt wið God sylfne.
45And gyf bisceopas forgymað þæt hi synna ne styrað ne
46unriht forbeodað ne Godes riht ne cyðað, ac clumiað
47mid ceaflum þær hy sceoldan clypian, wa him þære
48swigean.
49Be þam spæc se witega & grymlice þus cwæð: Haec dicit
50Dominus:

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51Si non adnuntiaueris iniquo iniquitatem
52suam, sanguinem eius de manu tua requiram .
53Gif þu þam synfullan nelt, cwæð ure Drihten, synna
54gestyran & unriht forbeodan & þam manfullan his
55mandæda cyðan, þu scealt þa sawle bitere forgyldan.
56ðis mæg to heorthoge æghwylcum bisceope, beþence hine
57georne be þam þe he wille.
58And se ðe nele Godes bodan hyran mid rihte ne godcundre lare
59gyman swa he sceolde, he sceal hyran feondan,
60gif he nele freondan.
61Forþam se bið Godes oferhoga þe Godes bodan oferhogað,
62ealswa Crist sylf on his godspelle swutelice
63sæde þa þa he þus cwæð: Qui uos audit me audit, et
64qui uos spernit me spernit .
65Se ðe eow hyreð, he cwæð, me he gehyreð, & se ðe
66forsyhð eow, witod he forsyhð me.
67Et item: Quodcumque ligaueritis super terram, et reliqua .
68And eft ure Drihten on oðre stowe soðlice þus cwæð: Swa
69hwæt swa ge gebindað her ofer eorðan fæstum
70bealubendum for yfelum gewyrhtum, eall hit wyrð on heofenon
71swa swa on eorðan mid Godes yrre gebunden
72swiðe fæste, butan ge liðian & þa bendas alynian.
73Leofan men, warniað eow be swylcan & uton we ealle don swa us
74þearf is, beorgan us georne wið Godes
75yrre.
76Eala, eala, soð is þæt ic eow secge, swær is seo byrðen
77þe Godes bydel

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78beran mot gif he nele georne
79unriht forbeodan, forþam þeh he sylf tæla do & oðer man
80misdo, þæt him sceal gederian gif he nele styran.
81And þeh Godes bydel misdo, ne beseo man na þær to ealles to
82swyðe, ac gyme his lare gif he tæla lære,
83swa swa Crist lærde þæt man don sceolde, þa ða he on
84his godspelle, swutelice þus cwæð: Que autem
85dicunt facite; que autem faciunt facere nolite .
86He cwæð: Filgeað heora larum & na heora synnum.
87Ne sceal ænig man æfre for sacerdes synnan hine sylfne
88forgyman, ac fylge his lare gif he wel lære.
89And la, leofan men, doð swa ic bidde, butan gebelge hlystað
90hwæt ic secge.
91Ic wat swyðe georne me sylfne forwyrhtne wordes & dæda
92ealles to swyðe, ealswa ma manna, ne dear þeah
93for Godes ege forswygian mid ealle fela þæra þinga þe
94dereð þysse þeode.