Part 25

Verily the man who imitates the devil is a child of the devil, not by nature nor by creation, but by that imitation and evil deserts. And the man who makes himself acceptable to God is a child of God, not naturally, but by creation and by good deserts, as Christ said in his gospel, "He who doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and my mother, and my sister." Now therefore all christian men, whether high or low, noble or ignoble, and the lord, and the slave, are all brothers, and have all one Father in heaven. The wealthy is not better on that account than the needy. As boldly may the slave call God his Father as the king. We all are alike before God, unless any one excel another in good works. The rich for his wealth is not to despise the poor; for the poor is before God often better than the rich. God is our Father, therefore should we all be brothers in God, and hold the brotherly bond unbroken; that is, true peace, so that each of us love other as himself, and command to no one that which he would not another should command to him. He who observes this is a child of God, and Christ, and all holy persons who thrive to God, are his brothers and his sisters.

We say, "Pater noster qui es in coelis," that is, "Our {263} Father which art in heaven;" for God the Father is in heaven, and he is everywhere, as he himself said, "I fill with myself heaven and earth." And again, the holy gospel says thus concerning him, "Heaven is his throne, and earth is his footstool." We turn eastward when we pray, because from thence the heaven rises; not as though his dwelling be particularly in the east part, and that he forsakes the west or other parts, who is everywhere present, not through the space of the place, but by the presence of his majesty. When we turn our face to the east part, where the heaven rises, which rises over all bodily things, then should our mind be thereby admonished that it turn to the highest and first nature, that is, God. We should also know that the sinful is called earth, and the righteous is called heaven; for in righteous men is a dwelling-place of God, and the good man is a temple of the Holy Ghost. So also, on the other hand, the wicked man is a temple of the devil, and an habitation of the devil: therefore there is as great a difference between good and evil men as there is between heaven and earth.

In the Pater noster are seven prayers. In the first two words are no prayers, but praises: that is, "Our Father which art in heaven." The first prayer is, "Sanctificetur nomen tuum:" that is, "Hallowed be thy name." This is not to be so understood as if the name of God were not sufficiently holy, who ever was holy, and ever will be, and who blesses and hallows us all: but these words are thus to be understood, that his name be hallowed in us, and that he grant us that we may bless his name with our mouth, and give us the thought that we may understand that nothing is so holy as his name.

The second prayer is, "Adveniat regnum tuum:" that is, in our tongue, "Thy kingdom come." Ever was God's kingdom, and ever will be: but it is so to be understood, that his kingdom be over us, and he reign in us, and that we {265} with all obedience be subject to him, and that our kingdom be realized and fulfilled to us, as Christ has promised to us, that he would give us an eternal kingdom, thus saying, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, and possess the kingdom that was prepared for you from the beginning of the world." This will be our kingdom, if we now will merit it; and we shall be God's kingdom, when Christ delivers us to his Father on doomsday, as the holy writ says, "Cum tradiderit regnum Patri suo:" that is, "When he shall deliver the kingdom to his Father." What is the kingdom that he shall deliver to his Father, but those holy persons, both men and women, which he redeemed from hell-torment by his own death? These he will deliver to his own Father at the end of this world, and they will then be God's kingdom, and will reign with God for ever, both with soul and with body, and will then be like unto angels.

The third prayer is, "Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra:" that is, "Thy will be done on earth as in heaven." That is, As the angels in heaven obey thee, and in every way attach themselves to thee, so also may men, who are on earth and formed of earth, be obedient to thy will, and with all fervour attach themselves to thee. In those men verily God's will is done, who work according to God's will. Our soul is heavenly, and our body is earthly. Now, with these words, we also pray that God's will be done both in our soul and in our body, that both may obey him, and that he may preserve and shield both our soul and our body from the temptations of the devil.

The fourth prayer is, "Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie:" that is, in our tongue, "Give us to-day our daily bread." This is to be understood in three senses: that he give us food for our body, and give ghostly bread to our soul. The ghostly bread is the commandment of God, on which we should daily meditate, and with works fulfil; for as {267} the body lives by bodily meats, so shall the soul live by the precepts of God, and by ghostly meditations. The body quickly wastes away and decays, if its sustenance is withdrawn from it; in like manner the soul perishes, if it has not ghostly sustenance, that is, God's commandments, on which it shall thrive and be cherished. The ghostly bread is also the holy housel, with which we confirm our belief; and through partaking of the holy housel our sins will be forgiven us, and we shall be strengthened against the temptations of the devil. Therefore should we frequently cleanse and confirm our soul with ghostly refection. Yet may not he who is polluted with deadly sins dare to partake of God's housel, unless he first atone for his sins: if he do otherwise, he will partake of it to his own injury. The bread, as we said, betokens three things. One is sustenance of the body; the second, of the soul; the third is the partaking of the holy housel. For these three things we should pray daily to the Lord.

The fifth prayer is, "Et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:" that is, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those men who trespass against us." We should do as we promise in these words, that is, we should be merciful to each other, and, for the great love of God, forgive those men who trespass against us, that God Almighty may forgive us our sins. But if we will not forgive the little trespasses of those men who have angered us, then will not God forgive us our great and many sins: as Christ himself said, "When ye stand at your prayers, forgive whatever ye have in your mind against any man, and your Father, which is in heaven, will forgive you your sins. But if ye will not, with inward heart, forgive those who anger you, then your Father, which is in heaven, will not forgive you your sins; but he will command you to be bound and set in prison, that is, in hell-torment; and there the devil will torture you, until ye shall have suffered for all your trespasses, until ye {269} come to one farthing." It is, however, taught, according to the book of God, that wise men should institute correction for foolish men, so that they lay aside their folly and their evil practices, and should, nevertheless, love the man as their own brother.

The sixth prayer is, "Et ne nos inducas in tentationem:" that is, "Permit not, thou, O God, that we be led into temptation." One thing is temptation, another thing is trial. God tempts no man, but, nevertheless, no man comes to the kingdom of God, unless he has been tried: therefore we should not pray that God try us not, but we should pray to God to shield us, so that we sink not under trial. The devil may try every man, whether he be aught or naught; whether he love God with inward heart, or act with hypocrisy. As a man tries gold in the fire, so God tries the mind of man in divers trials, whether he be steadfast. God knows full well, how it befalls in trial; but yet a man will have no great honour, unless he have been tried. By trial he shall flourish, if he withstand temptations. If he fall, let him rise again: that is, if he sin, let him earnestly atone for it, and cease therefrom afterwards; for no atonement will avail, if there be not cessation. The man who frequently sins and frequently atones, angers God; and the more he sins the more he will be subject to the devil, and God will then forsake him, and he will go as the devil shall direct him, as a shattered ship at sea, which goes as the wind drives it. The good man the more he is tried the more cheerful he will be, and the nearer to God, until with full honour he shall go from this life to the life eternal. And the evil man, the oftener he sinks under trial, the more wicked he will be, and the nearer to the devil, until he goes from this life to eternal torment, if he would not cease previously, when he could and might. God therefore often awaits the evil man, and leaves him time, that he may cease from his wicked deeds, and before his end turn his mind to God, if he will. But if he will not, that he be, {271} without any exculpation, very justly be thrust into the hand of the devil. Therefore is it now better for christian men, that with hardships and toil they earn the everlasting kingdom and eternal bliss with God and with all his saints, than that they by softness and evil lusts earn eternal tortures with all the devils in hell-torment.

The seventh prayer is, "Sed libera nos a malo:" that is, "But deliver us from evil:" deliver us from the devil and from all his wiles. God loves us, and the devil hates us. God feeds and comforts us, and the devil will slay us if he may; but he will be prevented through the protection of God, if we will not fordo ourselves with evil practices. Therefore should we eschew and despise the vicious devil with all his devices, for there behoves him nothing for us, and we should love and follow our Lord, who will lead us to everlasting life.

In the Pater noster there are, as we before said, seven prayers. The first three prayers are begun by us in this world, but they will ever be unended in the world to come. The hallowing of the great name of God began with us men when Christ became incarnate with our humanity; but the same hallowing will continue to eternity, because in the life eternal we shall ever bless and praise the name of God. And God reigns now, and his kingdom stands for ever, without end, and the will of God will be fulfilled in this life by good men: the same will will continue to all eternity. The other four prayers belong to this life, and with this life end.

In this life we require bread, and instruction, and partaking of the housel. In the life to come we require no earthly food, for we shall then be nourished with heavenly meats. Here we require instruction and wisdom. In the heavenly life all will be full wise, and in ghostly lore full skilled, those who now, through the precepts of wise men, are obedient to the commandments of God. And here we require to partake of the {273} holy housel for our amendment, for in the heavenly dwelling we shall have the body of Christ with us, with which he reigns to eternity.

In this world we pray for forgiveness of our sins, and not in that to come. The man who will not repent of his sins in this life, will obtain no forgiveness in that to come. And in this life we pray God to shield us against the temptations of the devil, and to deliver us from evil. In the life eternal there will be no temptation and no evil; for there will come no devil nor evil man who may trouble or hurt us. There will be in concord soul and body, which now in this life strive with each other. There will be no sickness, no toil, no lack of any goodness, but Christ will be with us all, and will do all things for us, without reproach, with all alacrity.

Christ instituted this prayer, and so confined it within a few words, that all our needs, both ghostly and bodily, are therein included; and this prayer he instituted for all christian men in common. He says not in that prayer, 'My Father, which art in heaven,' but says, "Our Father;" and so forth all the words which follow speak universally of all christian men. Herein is manifested how much God loves unity and concord among his people. According to the book of God all christian men should be so united as though they were one man: wo therefore to the man who breaks that unity asunder. So as we have in one body many limbs, and they all obey one head, so also we many christian men should obey Christ in unity; for he is our head, and we are his limbs. We may see in our own bodies how each limb serves another. The feet bear the whole body, and the eyes lead the feet, and the hands prepare the sustenance. Soon will the head lie down, if the feet bear it not; and soon will all the limbs perish together, if the hands put not the sustenance to the mouth. In like manner the rich man, who sits on his high seat, will soon discontinue his feasting, if the servants {275} discontinue their toils. Let the rich be mindful that of all the good things which God has lent him, he shall render an account how he employed them.

He is thy hand or thy foot, who supplieth thy wants. He is thine eye who teacheth thee wisdom, and bringeth thee into the right way. He who protecteth thee as a father is, as it were, thy head. As the head requireth the other members, so these members require the head. If one limb be diseased, all the others suffer with that one. So also should we, if one of our fellows be in any distress, all lament his evil, and meditate concerning its reparation, if we can repair it. And in all things we should hold peace and unity, if we will have the great distinction of being children of God, who is in heaven, in which he ruleth with all his saints, through all ages, to eternity. Amen.

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FERIA IIII.

DE FIDE CATHOLICA.

Aelc cristen man sceal aefter rihte cunnan aegdher ge his Pater noster ge his Credan. Mid tham Pater nostre he sceal hine gebiddan, mid dham Credan he sceal his geleafan getrymman. We habbadh gesaed embe thaet Pater noster, nu we wylladh secgan eow thone geleafan the on dham Credan stent, swa swa se w['i]sa Augustinus be dhaere Halgan Thrynnysse trahtnode.

An Scyppend is ealra dhinga, gesewenlicra and ungesewenlicra; and we sceolon on hine gelyfan, fordhon dhe h['e] is sodh God and ['a]na Aelmihtig, sedhe naefre ne ongann ne anginn naefde; ac he sylf is anginn, and he eallum gesceaftum anginn and ordfruman forgeaf, thaet h['i] beon mihton, and thaet h['i] haefdon agen gecynd, swa swa hit thaere godcundlican fadunge {276} gelicode. Englas he worhte, tha sind gastas, and nabbadh naenne lichaman. Menn he gesceop mid gaste and mid lichaman. Nytenu and deor, fixas and fugelas he gesceop on flaesce butan s['a]wle. Mannum he gesealde uprihtne gang; dha nytenu he l['e]t g['a]n alotene. Mannum he forgeaf hl['a]f to bigleofan, and tham nytenum gaers.

Nu mage ge, gebrodhru, understandan, gif ge wylladh, thaet twa dhing syndon: ['a]n is Scyppend, odher is gesceaft. He is Scyppend sedhe gesceop and geworhte ealle dhing of nahte. Thaet is gesceaft thaet se sodha Scyppend gesceop. Thaet sind aerest heofonas, and englas the on heofonum wuniadh, and sydhdhan theos eordhe mid eallum dham dhe hire on eardiadh, and s['ae] mid eallum dham the hyre on swymmadh. Nu ealle dhas dhing synd mid anum naman genemnode, gesceaft. Hi naeron aefre wunigende, ac God hi gesceop. Tha gesceafta sind fela. An is se Scyppend the hi ealle gesceop, se ana is Aelmihtig God. He waes aefre, and aefre he bidh thurhwunigende on him sylfum and dhurh hine sylfne. Gif he ongunne and anginn haefde, butan tweon ne mihte he beon Aelmihtig God; sodhlice thaet gesceaft dhe ongann and gesceapen is, naefdh nane godcundnysse; fordhi aelc edwist thaette God nys, thaet is gesceaft; and thaet the gesceaft nis, thaet is God.

Se God wunadh on Dhrynnysse ['u]ntodaeledlic, and on ['a]nnysse ['a]nre Godcundnysse, sodhlice odher is se Faeder, odher is se Sunu, odher is se Halga Gast; ac theah-hwaedhere dhaera dhreora is ['a]n Godcundnys, and gel['i]c wuldor, and efen-ece maegendhrymnys. Aelmihtig God is se Faeder, Aelmihtig God is se Sunu, Aelmihtig God is se Halga Gast; ac theah-hwaedhere ne sind dhry Aelmihtige Godas, ac ['a]n Aelmihtig God. Dhry h['i] sind on hadum and on naman, and ['a]n on Godcundnysse. Thry, fordhi the se Faeder bidh aefre Faeder, and se Sunu bidh aefre Sunu, and se Halga Gast bidh aefre Halig Gast; and hyra n['a]n ne awent naefre of dham dhe he is. Nu habbadh ge gehyred tha Halgan Thrynnysse; ge sceolon eac gehyran dha sodhan Annysse.

{278} Sodhlice se Faeder, and se Sunu, and se Halga Gast, habbadh ['a]ne Godcundnysse, and ['a]n gecynd, and ['a]n weorc. Ne worhte se Faeder n['a]n dhing ne ne wyrcdh, butan dham Suna, odhdhe butan tham Halgan Gaste. Ne heora n['a]n ne wyrcdh n['a]n dhing butan odhrum; ac him eallum is ['a]n weorc, and ['a]n r['ae]d, and ['a]n willa. Aefre waes se Faeder, and aefre waes se Sunu, and aefre waes se Halga Gast ['a]n Aelmihtig God. Se is Faeder, sedhe nis nadher ne geboren ne gesceapen fram nanum odhrum. Se is Faeder geh['a]ten, fordhan dhe he haefdh Sunu, dhone dhe he of him sylfum gestrynde, butan aelcre meder. Se Faeder is God of nanum Gode. Se Sunu is God of dham Faeder Gode. Se Halga Gast is God fordhstaeppende of dham Faeder and of dham Suna. Thas word sind sceortlice gesaede, and eow is neod thaet we hi swutelicor eow onwreon.

Hwaet is se Faeder? Aelmihtig Scyppend, na geworht ne acenned, ac h['e] sylf gestrynde Bearn him sylfum efen-ece. Hwaet is se Sunu? He is dhaes Faeder Wisdom, and his Word, and his Miht, thurh dhone se Faeder gesceop ealle dhing and gefadode. Nis se Sunu na geworht ne gesceapen, ac he is acenned. Acenned he is, and theah-hwaethere he is efen-eald and efen-ece his Faeder. Nis na swa on his acennednysse swa swa bidh on ure acennednysse. Thonne se mann sunu gestryndh, and his cild acenned bidh, thonne bidh se faeder mara, and se sunu laessa. Hw['i] swa? Fordhi thonne se sunu wyxdh, thonne ealdadh se faeder. Ne fintst thu na gelice on mannum faeder and sunu. Ac ic dhe sylle bysne, hu dhu Godes acennednysse thy bet understandan miht. Fyr acendh of him beorhtnysse, and seo beorhtnys is efen-eald tham fyre. Nis na thaet fyr of dhaere beorhtnysse, ac seo beorhtnys is of dham fyre. Thaet fyr acendh tha beorhtnysse, ac hit ne bidh naefre butan dhaere beorhtnysse. Nu dhu gehyrst thaet seo beorhtnys is ealswa eald swa thaet fyr the heo of cymdh; gedhafa nu fordhi thaet God mihte gestrynan ealswa eald Bearn, and ealswa ece swa he sylf is. Se dhe maeg understandan thaet ure Haelend Crist is on dhaere Godcundnysse ealswa eald swa his Faeder, {280} h['e] dhancige thaes Gode, and blissige. Sedhe understandan ne maeg, he hit sceal gelyfan, thaet he hit understandan maege; fordhan thaes witegan word ne maeg beon a['i]dlod, dhe thus cwaedh, "Buton ge hit gelyfan, ne mage ge hit understandan." Nu habbadh ge gehyred thaet se Sunu is of dham Faeder butan aelcum anginne; fordhan dhe he is thaes Faeder Wisdom, and he waes aefre mid tham Faeder, and aefre bidh.

Uton nu gehyran be dhan Halgan Gaste, hwaet he s['y]. He is se Willa and seo sodhe Lufu thaes Faeder and thaes Suna, dhurh dhone sind ealle dhing gel['i]ffaeste and gehealdene, be dham is thus gecweden, "Godes Gast gefyldh ealne ymbhwyrft middangeardes, and he hylt ealle dhing, and he haefdh ingeh['y]d aelces gereordes." Nis h['e] geworht, ne gesceapen, ne acenned, ac h['e] is fordhstaeppende, thaet is ofgangende, of dham Faeder and of dham Suna, tham h['e] is gelic and efen-ece. Nis se Halga Gast na Sunu, fordhan dhe h['e] nis na acenned, ac h['e] gaedh of dham Faeder and of dham Suna gelice; fordhan dhe h['e] is heora beigra Willa and Lufu. Crist cwaedh thus be him on his godspelle, "Se Frofor-g['a]st, the ic eow asendan wille, Gast dhaere sodhfaestnysse, dhe of minum Faeder gaedh, he cydh gecydhnysse be me." Thaet is, He is min gewita thaet ic eom Godes Sunu. And eac se rihta geleafa us taecdh, thaet we sceolon gelyfan on dhone Halgan Gast: he is se liffaestenda God, se gaedh of dham Faeder and of dham Suna. Hu gaedh h['e] of him? Se Sunu is thaes Faeder Wisdom, aefre of dham Faeder; and se Halga Gast is heora beigra Willa, aefre of him b['a]m. Is fordhi thonne ['a]n Faeder, sedhe aefre is Faeder, and ['a]n Sunu, sedhe aefre bidh Sunu, and ['a]n Halig Gast, sedhe aefre is Halig Gast.

Aefre waes se Faeder, butan anginne; and aefre waes se Sunu mid tham Faeder, fordhan dhe he is thaes Faeder Wisdom; aefre waes se Halga Gast, sedhe is heora beigra Willa and Lufu. Nis se Faeder of nanum odhrum, ac he waes aefre. Se Sunu is acenned of dham Faeder, ac he waes aefre on dhaes Faeder {282} bosme, fordhan dhe he is his Wisdom, and he is of dham Faeder eal thaet he is. Aefre waes se Halga Gast, fordhan dhe he is, swa we ['ae]r cwaedon, Willa and sodh Lufu thaes Faeder and dhaes Suna; sodhlice willa and lufu getacniadh an dhing: thaet thaet thu wylt, thaet dhu lufast; and thaet thaet dhu nelt, thaet dhu ne lufast.