The Homilies of the Anglo-Saxon Church, Volume 1

HERE BEGINNETH THE BOOK OF CATHOLIC SERMONS IN ENGLISH, TO BE RECITED IN CHURCH DURING THE YEAR.

SERMON ON THE BEGINNING OF CREATION, TO THE PEOPLE, WHENEVER YOU WILL.

An angin is ealra þinga, þæt is God Ælmihtig. He is ordfruma and ende: he is ordfruma, forði þe he wæs æfre; he is ende butan ælcere geendunge, forðan þe he bið æfre ungeendod. He is ealra cyninga Cyning, and ealra hlaforda Hlaford. He hylt mid his mihte heofonas and eorðan, and ealle gesceafta butan geswince, and he besceawað þa niwelnyssa þe under þyssere eorðan sind. He awecð ealle duna mid anre handa, and ne mæg nan þing his willan wiðstandan. Ne mæg nan gesceaft fulfremedlice smeagan ne understandan ymbe god. Maran cyððe habbað englas to Gode þonne men, and þeah-hweðere hí ne magon fulfremedlice understandan ymbe God. Hé gesceop gesceafta þaða he wolde; þurh his wisdom he geworhte ealle þing, and þurh his willan hé hí ealle geliffæste. Ðeos þrynnys is án God; þæt is se Fæder and his wisdom of him sylfum æfre acenned; and heora begra willa, þæt is se Halga Gast: he nis na acenned, ac he gæð of þam Fæder and of þam Suna gelice. Ðas þry hadas sindon án Ælmihtig God, se geworhte heofenas, and eorðan, and ealle gesceafta. He gesceop tyn engla werod, þæt sind englas and heah-englas, throni, dominationes, principatus, potestates, uirtutes, cherubim, seraphim. Her sindon nigon engla werod: hí nabbað nænne lichaman, ac hí sindon ealle gastas swiðe strange and mihtige and wlitige, on micelre fægernysse gesceapene, to lofe and to wurðmynte heora Scyppende. Ðæt teoðe werod abreað and awende on yfel. God hí gesceop ealle góde, and let hí habban agenne cyre, swa hí heora Scyppend lufedon and filigdon, swa hí hine forleton. Ða wæs þæs teoðan werodes ealdor swiðe fæger and wlitig gesceapen, swa þæt hé wæs geháten Leohtberend. Þa began he to modigenne for þære fægernysse þe he hæfde, and cwæð on his heortan þæt hé wolde and eaðe mihte beon his Scyppende gelic, and sittan on þam norð-dæle heofenan rices, and habban andweald and rice ongean God Ælmihtigne. Þa gefæstnode he þisne ræd wið þæt werod þe hé bewiste, and hí ealle to ðam ræde gebugon. Ðaða hí ealle hæfdon þysne ræd betwux him gefæstnod, þa becom Godes grama ofer hí ealle, and hí ealle wurdon awende of þam fægeran híwe, þe hí on gesceapene wæron, to laðlicum deoflum. And swiðe rihtlice him swa getimode, þaða he wolde mid modignysse beon betera þonne he gesceapen wæs, and cwæð, þæt he mihte beon þam Ælmihtigum Gode gelíc. Þa wearð he and ealle his geferan forcuþran and wyrsan þonne ænig oðer gesceaft; and þa hwile þe he smeade hu he mihte dælan rice wið God, þa hwile gearcode se Ælmihtiga Scyppend him and his geferum helle wíte, and hí ealle adræfde of heofenan rices myrhðe, and let befeallan on þæt ece fyr, þe him gegearcod wæs for heora ofermettum. Þa sona þa nigon werod, þe ðær to lafe wæron, bugon to heora Scyppende mid ealre eaðmodnesse, and betæhton heora rǽd to his willan. Þa getrymde se Ælmihtiga God þa nigon engla werod, and gestaþelfæste swa þæt hí næfre ne mihton ne noldon syððan fram his willan gebugan; ne hí ne magon nu, ne hí nellað nane synne gewyrcan, ac hi æfre beoð ymbe þæt án, hu hi magon Gode gehyrsumian, and him gecweman. Swa mihton eac þa oðre þe ðær feollon dón, gif hi woldon; forþi ðe God hí geworhte to wlitegum engla gecynde, and let hí habban agenne cyre, and hí næfre ne gebigde ne ne nydde mid nanum þingum to þam yfelan ræde; ne næfre se yfela rǽd ne com of Godes geþance, ac com of þæs deofles, swa swa we ǽr cwædon.