1B2.2.5

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SERMO DE BAPTISMATE

    
3Leofan men, eallum cristenum mannum is mycel þearf þæt hy
4heora fulluhtes gescead witan; and gehadedum
5mannum gebyreð swyðe rihte þæt hi geornlice
6understandan huru þæt manna gehwylc, gyf he þære ylde
7& ðæs andgytes hæfð þæt he hit understandan mæg
8hwæt him man to ðearfe segð, þonne mot he beon
9ærost ðinga gemynegad & gewisod þæt he cunne hu he of
10hæþendome mæge to cristendome ðurh rihtne geleafan
11& ðurh fulluht cuman.
12þonne is ærost se fruma þæt man gedo þurh gode wissunge
13þæt he his Drihten ongyte rihtlice & þæt he
14eac wiðsace anrædlice deofles gemanan; þæt is, þæt he
15forsace & forbuge his unlara, þæs ðe he æfre
16mæge, & ðæt he geswutelige eac þæt he hæbbe & æfre
17habban wille anræde geðanc & anrædne

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18geleafan on ænne soðne & ealmihtigne Godd.
19And leornige þæt he cunne þæt ælc cristen man huru cunnan
20sceal, pater noster & credan.
21Mid þam pater nostre man sceal to Gode gebiddan & mid þam
22credan geswutelian rihtne geleafan.
23And syððan se man þæt can & rihtne geleafan hæfð ariht
24understanden, þonne bið he wyrðe þæt he fulluht
25underfo, gif he þis huru ærest, ealswa ic cwæð
26beforan, gedeð; þæt is, þæt he deofol & his gemanan
27ealne forsæcð & him mid ealle fram byhð & Crist gecyst
28& him to gebyhð & on hine anrædlice gelyfð.
29Se gelyfð anrædlice & rihtlice on hine se ðe hine rihtlice
30lufað, & se hine lufað rihtlice ðe his beboda & his
31laga gehealdeð.
32Elles ne byð seo lufu naht, & elles ne fremeð eac þæt
33fulluht na swyðe, butan man Godes beboda gyme
34þe geornor & man his lara & laga þe rihtlicor healde.
35Leofan men, on ðære cristnunge ðe man deð ær ðam fulluhte
36is mycel getacnung.
37þonne se sacerd cristnað, þonne orðaþ he on þone man,
38þonne hit swa gebyrað, in modum crucis , & ðonne

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39wyrð þurh Godes mihte sona deofol swyðe geyrged, & mid
40þæs sacerdes halsunge se deofol wyrð aflymed
41fram þare menniscan gesceafte þe ær ðurh Adam
42forworht wæs, & ðam halgum gaste byð sona eardungstow
43on þam menn gerymed.
44Twa ðing syndon þurh Godes mihte swa myccle & swa mære
45þæt æfre ænig man ne mæg ðæron ænig ðing awyrdan
46ne gewanian, fulluht & huslhalgung.
47Nis se mæssepreost on worulde swa synful ne swa fracod on his
48dædan, gyf he ðæra þenunga aþere deð
49swa swa ðærto gebyreð, þeah he sylf ælc unriht dreoge on
50his life, ne byð seo þenung þæs na þe wyrse.
51Ne eft nis ænig swa mære ne swa haliges lifes þæt aðor
52ðæra þenunga gegodian oððon gemycclian mæge.
53Do swa hwylc swa hit do, Godes sylfes miht byð on þære
54dæde þurh halig geryne.
55Ac se earma synfulla man hearmað þeah him sylfum egeslice
56swyðe se þe geþristlæcð to mæssianne oððon
57husl to ðicganne & wat hine sylfne on synnum to fulne &
58swyðe

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59forwyrhtne & nele ær hit geandettan
60& betan ær he to ðam geþristlæce.
61His dyrstignes witodlice dereð him sylfum, ac þæt ne dereð
62elles þam na þe swyðor þe þa ðenunga underfoð
63mid rihtum geleafan.
64Forðam ne mæg ænig man Godes mihta ne his mærða geminsian
65ne ænig ðing awyrdan.
66þæt sealt þæt se sacerd þam men on muð deð þonne he
67cristnað, þæt getacnað godcundne wisdom, & ealswa
68se lichama þonne gefelð þæs sealtes scearpnesse, swa
69sceal seo sawul ongytan wisdomes snotornesse.
70And ðonne se sacerd him ætforan singð, Credo in Deum ,
71þonne trymeð he his geleafan & mid ðam geleafan
72gefrætewað & gewædað his hus; þæt is, þæt he
73gegearwað his heortan Gode on to wunianne.
74And ðonne se sacerd æthrinð mid his spatle þæs mannes
75nose & earan, þonne tacnað he mid þam þæt he
76sceal ægðer ge þurh stenc ge ðurh hlyst underfon godcunde
77halignesse & gesceadwisnesse.
78And ðonne se sacerd smyreð mid þam halgan crisman breost &
79sculdru, þonne befehð he þæne man mid Godes
80scylde on

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81ægðre healfe, þæt deofol ne mæg ænig his
82ættrenra wæpna him on afæstnian, naðor ne beforan
83ne wiðæftan, gif he þanonforð þurhwunað anrædlice
84on rihtan geleafan & Godes lagum folgað.
85And ðonne þis gedon bið eal fullice wel swa to ðære
86cristnunge gebyreð, þonne is æfter eallum þisum
87mid rihtum geleafan to efstanne wið fontbæðes georne.
88And ðurh þa fonthalgunge þær gewyrð sona Godes
89ælmihtiges midwist.
90And ðurh ða orðunge þe se sacerd on þæt wæter orðað
91þonne he font halgað wyrð deofol þanon afyrsad.
92And ðonne se sacerd gehalgodne tapor in þæt wæter deð,
93þonne wyrð þæt wæter mid þam halgan gaste ðurhgoten.
94And, hrædest to secganne, eal þæt se sacerd deð þurh ða
95halgan þenunge gesawenlice, eal hit fulfremeð
96se halga gast gerynelice.
97þa ðreo dyfinga on fontbæðe getacniað þæt we beoð
98geedcennede þonne to ecan life ðurh þa halgan þrynnesse,
99patris et filii et spiritus sancti , þæt is eal
100an soð Godd.
101And þæt hwite hrægel ðe man mid þæne mann befehð þonne
102he gefullod bið, þæt getacnað þæne gastlican
103wlite þe se man ðurh Godes

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104gife habban sceal; þæt syn þa
105godan & ða clænan dæda þe he on cristendome
106þanonforð began sceal.
107And mid þam crismale þe man him onufan þæt heafod deð man
108tacnað þæne cristenan cynehelm þe he on heofonum
109ah gyf he þanonforð his cristendom mid rihte
110gehealdeð & on rihtan geleafan rihtlice þurhwunað.
111Forðam gyf he þæt gehealdeð, he bið Criste to bearne
112geteald, & he bið cynehelmes swyðe wel wyrðe,
113gif he mid rihte gehyrð his fæder, þæt is heofonlicum
114cyninge.
115He is ure ealra fæder, & þæt we swuteliað þonne we
116singað, Pater noster qui es in celis sanctificetur
117nomen tuum, et reliqua .
118Be ðysum we magon gecnawan þæt we syn þurh cristendom
119ealle gebroðra þonne we ealle to anum heofonlicum
120fæder swa oft clypiað swa we pater noster singað.
121þonne eac æfter ðysum he bið wel husles wyrðe, & him
122gebyreð þæt swyðe rihte þæt he þonne þicge Cristes
123lichaman & his blod, forðan he bið þonne Cristes lima
124an.
125Leofan men, understandað þæt Crist is cristenra heafod, &
126ealle cristene men syndon to Cristes limum getealde.
127ðonne is mycel ðearf þæt cristenra manna gehwylc þæt
128understande & þæt he his cristendom mid rihte
129gehealde.
130Se gehealt his cristendom rihtlice se ðe Criste mid rihte
131gehyrð, þæt byð se ðe his bebodu gehealdeð,
132& deofles unlarum eornostlice wiðstandeð, ealswa man
133behet þæt man don wolde þa man

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134fulluhtes gyrnde.
135Understandað Godes beboda georne.
136Godes agen þæt forme bebod is þæt man lufige Godd sylfne
137ærest eallum mode & eallum mægene, & oðer
138bebod is þæt man lufige his nyhstan swa swa hine sylfne.
139ælc cristen man is oðres nyhsta, forðam we synd þurh
140cristendom ealle gebroðra, & we syndon Cristes
141agene bearn gyf we sylfe willað.
142And ðy hit is rihtlic dom þæt ænig cristen man oðrum ne
143beode butan þæt he wille þæt man him beode,
144& se byð swyðe gesælig þe þæne dom rihtlice
145gehealdeð.
146Leofan men, we motan swyðe wærlice on ælce wisan us healdan
147gyf we us sculan wið deofol gescyldan,
148forðam he byð æfre ymbe þæt an, þæt he wyle us beswican
149& gedon, gyf he mæg, þæt we aleogan þæt þæt
150we behetan þa we fulluht underfengon.
151Ac utan understandan hwæt ða twa word mænan, abrenuntio &
152credo , þe man æt fulluhtþenunge on gewunan hæfð.
153Abrenuntio , þæt is on Englisc, ic wiðsace heononforð
154æfre deofles gemanan.
155Credo , þæt is on Englisc, ic gelyfe on God ælmihtigne
156þe ealle ðing gescop & geworhte.
157Nage we nane ðearfe þæt we ðyses weorðan lease; ac utan
158don swa us þearf is, gelæstan hit georne.
159And ðeah þæt cild to ðam geong sy þæt hit specan ne
160mæge, þonne hit man fullað, his

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161freonda forspæc
162forstent him eal þæt sylfe swylce hit sylf spæce.
163& butan hit gelæste, ðonne hit ylde hæfð, eal þæt on his
164geogoðe for hit Gode wæs behaten, hit mot
165forweorðan æt his endedæge, gyf hit Godes lage forgymde,
166syððan hit ða ylde & þæt andgyt hæfde þæt
167hit Godes lage gyman mihte.
168þonne agan þa yldran eac on cristenum folce ðæs
169oferþearfe þæt hi heora gingran Gode gestrynan & hi
170deofle ætwænian,
171forðam eal þæt hi to unrihte geðafiað heora gingran, eal
172hit byð ongean þæt ðe hy Gode behetan þa hy
173him fulluht begeatan, & ealles ðæs hy motan stið wite
174ðolian æfter Godes dome, butan hy hit gebetan
175þæs ðe hy don magan.
176Cristenra manna gehwylc ah swyðe mycle þearfe þæt he
177rihtne geleafan on ænne Godd æfre habbe, & þæt
178he his fulluhtes gescad wite & þæt symle rihtlice healde &
179his gingran georne tihte to ðam ylcan.
180And æfre swa þæt cild raðost ænig ðing specan mæge,
181tæce man him sona ealra þinga ærest pater noster
182& credan; þonne sceal him ðananforð a þe bet gelimpan.
183And eac ic

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184on Godes naman bidde & beode, gyf ænig cristen man
185þe ylde hæbbe swa sy forgymed þæt he
186hit ne cunne, leornige hit georne; & ne sceamige ænigum men
187for his ylde, ac do swa him þearf is, helpe
188his sylfes, forðam he ne bið wel cristen þe þæt
189geleornian nele, ne he nah mid rihte æniges mannes
190æt fulluhte to onfonne, ne æt bisceopes handa se ðe
191þæt ne cann, ær he hit geleornige, ne he rihtlice
192ne bið husles wyrðe ne clænes legeres, se ðe on
193life þæt geleornian nele, huru on Englisc,
194buton he on Læden mæge.
195Ac do manna gehwylc swa swa him ðearf is, leornige his
196þearfe & hine sylfne wærlice beðence & his cristendom
197clænlice healde, & ælcne hæþendom mid ealle aweorpe.
198Leofan men, beorgað eow georne wið deofles lara.
199Ne beon ge naðor ne to swicole ne to ficole, ne lease ne
200luðerfulle ne fule ne fracode, ne on ænige
201wisan to lehterfulle.
202Ne ge ahwar ne beon, þæs ðe ge betan magan, gewitan ne
203gewyrhtan æniges morðres oððon manslihtas, stala
204ne strudunga, ac strynað mid rihte.
205Scyldað eow wið gitsunga & wið gifornessa, & ðæt ge ahwar
206ne beon manswican ne mansworan, wedlogan
207ne wordlogan, ne on leasre gewitnesse ahwar standan.
208And scyldað eow wið galscypas & swyðe georne wið
209æwbrecas, &

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210wið oferfylle beorgað eow georne.
211And ne gyman ge galdra ne idelra hwata, ne wigelunga ne
212wiccecræfta; & ne weorðian ge wyllas ne ænige
213wudutreowu, forðam æghwylce idele syndon deofles
214gedwimeru.
215Ne beon ge ofermode ne to weamode ne to niðfulle ne to
216flitgeorne ne to felawyrde ne ealles to hlagole
217ne eft to asolcene ne to unrote.
218And ne beon ge to rance ne to gylpgeorne ne færinga to
219fægene ne eft to ormode, & ne beon ge to slapole
220ne ealles to sleace, ac scyldað eow georne wið deofles
221dare.
222Ealle unðeawas aweallað of deofle & he þæt unsæd saweð
223to wide.
224Ac utan don swa us ðearf is, helpan ure sylfra, & ðæs huru
225efstan, nu we fyrst habbað þa hwile ðe God
226wile, þe læs ðe we forweorðan þonne we læst wenan.
227And utan ðurh æghwæt Godes willan wyrcan swa we geornost
228magan; þonne geleanað he hit us þær we betst beðurfon.
229Him symle sy lof & wuldor in ealra worulda woruld a butan
230ende, amen.