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reprehendi quam incauta seductione apud inscios laudari. Perlegat queso Benignitas vestra hanc nostram interpretationem, quemadmodum et priorem, et dijudicet si fidelibus

PRÆFATIO.

IC ALFRIC munuc awende pas bóc of Ledenum bōcum to Engliscum gereorde, þam mannum to rædenne pe þæt Leden ne cunnon. Ic hi genám of halgum godspellum, and æfter geðungenra láreowa trahtnungum hi asmeade, pæra lareowa naman ic awrat on dære ærran bec, on dære Ledenan forespræce. Ic gesette on twâm bócum þa gereccednysse de ic awende, forðan de ic dohte pæt hit wære læsse æðryt to gehyrenne, gif man Ya ane boc rat on anes geares ymbryne, and ða oðre on dam æftran geare. On ægðer þæra boca sind feowertig cwyda, buton dære forespræce, ac hî ne sind na ealle of godspellum genumene, ac sind forwel fela of Godes halgena life oððe prowunge gegaderode, þæra ánra þe Angelcynn mid freols-dagum wurðað. Ætforan ælcum cwyde we setton ða swutelunge on Leden, mæg swa-deah se de wile þa capitulas æfter dære forespræce geendebyrdian. Nu bidde ic and halsige, on Godes naman, gif hwa das bóc awritan wylle, þæt hê hî geornlice gerihte be dære bysne, þe-læs de we, purh gymeleasum writerum, geleahtrode beon. Micel yfel de se de leas writ, buton he hit gerihte, swilce he gebringe da soðan láre to leasum gedwylde: fordi sceal gehwa gerihtlæcan þæt þæt he ær to woge gebigde, gif he on Godes dome unscyldig beon wile.

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catholicis habenda est, an abicienda. Nequaquam nos invidorum reprehensio movet, si hoc munus tuæ benigne auctoritati non displicuerit. Vale in Christo jugiter. Amen.

PREFACE.

I ELFRIC the monk have turned this book from Latin books into the English tongue, for those men to read who know not Latin. I have taken it from the holy gospels, and treated it after the expositions of highly venerable doctors, the names of which doctors I wrote down in the former book, in the Latin preface. I have set the matter which I have turned in two books, because I thought that it were less tedious to hear, if the one book were read in the course of one year, and the other in the year following. In each of these books there are forty discourses, without the preface, but they are not all taken from the gospels, but are very many of them gathered from the life or passion of God's saints, of those only whom the English nation honours with feast-days. Before each discourse we have set the argument in Latin, though every one who will, may order the chapters according to the preface. I now pray and implore, in the name of God, if any one will transcribe this book, that he carefully rectify it by the copy, lest, through negligent writers, we be blamed. He does great evil who writes false, unless he rectify it, as though he brought the true doctrine to false heresy; therefore should every one correct that which he had perverted to wrong, if he will be guiltless at God's doom.

AMMONITIO.

Unum adhuc vellem preponere huic libello, non quasi prefationem, sed quasi ammonitionem : scilicet, cavende ebrietatis, sicut Dominus in Levitico ad Aaron his verbis locutus est, "Dixit Dominus ad Aaron, Vinum et omne quod inebriari potest non bibes tu et filii tui, quando intratis tabernaculum testimonii, ne moriamini, quia preceptum est sempiternum in generationes vestras, et ut habeatis scientiam discernendi inter sanctum et prophanum, inter pollutum et mundum." In Novo Testamento quoque Dominus ammonivit discipulos suos, his verbis, dicens, "Adtendite autem

INCIPIT LIBER SERMONUM CATHOLICORUM ANGLICE, IN ANNO SECUNDO.

CATHOLICUS SERMO DE NATALE DOMINI, AD POPULUM EXCERPTUS.

DE TESTIMONIIS PROPHETARUM.

VIII. KL. JANUAR.

NATIVITAS DOMINI.

MINE gebroðra da leofostan, on pisum dæge we wurðiað ures Hælendes acennednysse æfter pære menniscnysse. He was to-dæg acenned of dam halgan mædene Marían mid lichaman and mid sawle, sede wæs æfre mid dam Fæder wunigende on þære Godcundnysse. He is tuwa acenned, and ægðer acennednys is wundorlic and unasecgendlic. He

vobis, ne forte graventur corda vestra in crapula et ebrietate et curis hujus vitæ, et superveniat in vos repentina dies illa." Tantum vitium est ebrietas, ut Paulus apostolus et doctor gentium adtestetur, "Ebriosos regnum Dei possidere non posse." O quam beati sunt qui Deo vivunt, et non seculo, virtutibus, et non vitiis; et quamvis sanctorum patrum jejunia vel abstinentiam non valeamus imitari, nequaquam tamen debemus enerviter succumbere nefandis crapulis et æbrietatibus, Domini nostri et Dei terribilibus commoniti comminationibus, Sufficiunt hæc monita docibilibus, nam indocibilibus et duris corde nulla sufficiunt hortamenta. Iterum rogo et opto ut valeas, venerabilis Archiepiscope Sigerice, jugiter in Christo. Amen.

HERE BEGINS THE BOOK OF CATHOLIC SER-
MONS IN ENGLISH, FOR THE SECOND YEAR.

A CATHOLIC SERMON ON THE LORD'S NATIVITY,
SELECTED FOR THE PEOPLE.

ON THE TESTIMONIES OF THE PROPHETS.

DECEMBER XXV.

THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD.

My dearest brethren, on this day we celebrate our Saviour's birth according to humanity. He was to-day born of the holy maiden Mary, with body and with soul, who was ever existing with the Father in the Godhead. He is twice born, and each birth is wonderful and unspeakable. He was ever

wæs æfre of dam Fæder acenned, forðan de he is pas Fæder Wisdom, purh done he geworhte and gesceop ealle gesceafta. Nu is deos acernednys buton anginne, forðan þe se Fæder wæs æfre God, and his Wisdom, þæt is, his Sunu, was afre of him acerned, buton ælcere meder.

peos acennednys, þe we nu to-dæg wurðiað, wæs of eorðlicère meder, buton ælcum eor licum fæder. Se Fæder ugh hine gesceop ús, and eft, ðaða we forwyrhte wæron, þa asende hê þone ylcan Sunu to disum life to ure alysednysse ; forðan þe Adam, se forma mann, agylte wið God, and his Scyppendes bebod tobræc, and deofles lare gehyrsumode, and weard deofle betæht, he and eal mancynn into helle wíte. pa æfre smeade God fram frymde middaneardes, hú he mihte mancynnes gehelpan, and fram deofles anwealde ahreddan. pa nolde hê asendan to ure alysednysse naðor ne engel, ne heah-engel, ne witegan, ne apostolas; ac sende se Fæder his âncennedan Sunu to prowunge and to cwale for mancynnes. alysednysse. Da geswutelode God hú miccle lufe he hæfde and hæfð to us, þaða he asende his agen Bearn to slege for Hwa dorste pas gewilnian þæt se Ælmihtiga Cyning sceolde besceofan to cwale his ancennedan Æðeling, and swa ahreddan pone deowan? Næs se Sunu na genyd þæt he mann gewurde, and siððan for us drowian sceolde, ac hế wæs gehyrsum his Fæder æfre oð dead. He was ancenned mid his Fæder on heofonum; da nolde he ana beon, ac wolde habban gebroðru, and com to ús, forði þæt he wolde us to his rice gebringan, þær we to gesceapene wæron. pa gif he come on dære Godcundnysse buton menniscnysse, ponne ne mihte ure tyddernys aberan his mihte. Ne seo Godcundnys ne mihte nan ding prowian, forðan þe heo is undrowigendlic. pa genam se Ælmihtiga Godes Sunu da menniscnysse of anum mædene, and weard gesewenlic mann and prowigendlic; and swide gedafenlic hit wæs, dada he mann wolde beon, þæt he ne geceas na him wif to meder, ac geceas clæne mæden and

us.