Part 8

Then on a certain time the apostle came to the city of Pergamus, where the before-mentioned youths formerly dwelt, and saw their servants decorated with fine linen, and shining in worldly splendour. Then were they pierced through with the devil's darts, and sad in mind, that they in poverty should go with one miserable cloak, and their servants be shining in worldly splendour. Then perceived the apostle the diabolical wiles, and said, "I see that your mind and your countenance are changed, because ye have distributed your riches to the poor, and followed my Lord's doctrine: go now therefore to the wood, and hew a burthen of rods, and bring them to me." They did as he had commanded, and he {65} in God's name blessed the green rods, and they were turned to red gold. Again the apostle said, "Go now to the sea-strand, and fetch me pebble-stones." They did so, and John by God's majesty blessed them, and they were turned to precious gems. Then said the apostle, "Go to the smithy, and try this gold and these gems." They went, and came again, thus saying, "All the goldsmiths say that they have never before seen such pure and such red gold: also the jewellers say that they have never before met with such precious gems." Then said the apostle to them, "Take this gold and these gems, and go and buy landed property, seeing that ye have lost heavenly riches. Buy yourselves purple kirtles, that ye for a little while may shine as the rose, that ye may speedily fade. Be flourishing and rich for a season, that ye may be poor for ever. What, may not the Almighty Ruler so act that he make his servants powerful before the world, abounding in wealth, and incomparably to shine? But he has placed warfare for the believing souls, that they may believe in order to possess the eternal riches, they who for his name despise temporary possessions. Ye healed the sick in the name of Jesus, ye drove out devils, ye gave sight to the blind, and cured every disease. Behold, now this gift is withdrawn from you, and ye are become poor wretches, ye who were great and strong. The devils stood in so great awe of you, that at your behest they forsook the possessed demoniacs; now ye yourselves dread devils. The heavenly possessions are common to us all. Naked we were born, and naked we depart. The brightness of the sun, and the light of the moon, and of all the stars are common to the high and the low. Rain-showers and the church-door, baptism and forgiveness of sins, partaking of the housel and God's visitation, are common to all, poor and rich: but the unhappy covetous wishes to have more than suffices him, though he enjoys not freedom from care in his abundance. The covetous hath one body and divers garments; he hath one belly and a {67} thousand men's sustenance; but that which he, through the vice of avarice, cannot give to any other, he hoardeth, and knoweth not for whom, as the prophet said, 'Vainly is every man troubled who hoardeth, and knoweth not for whom he gathereth.' Verily he is not lord of those possessions, when he cannot distribute them, but he is the slave of those possessions, when he wholly serveth them; and in addition thereto, diseases of his body increase, so that he may not enjoy food or drink. He cares night and day that his money be preserved; he attends greedily to his gain, his rent, his buildings; he bereaves the indigent, he follows his lusts and his pleasure; then suddenly departs he from this world, naked and charged with crimes, bearing with him his sins alone; therefore shall he suffer punishment everlasting."

Behold, while the apostle was speaking this lecture, a certain widow bare her son to be buried, who had been married thirty days before. The afflicted mother, together with the mourners, wailing prostrated herself at the holy apostle's feet, praying that he would, in God's name, rear up her son, as he did the widow Drusiana. John then, pitying the grief of the mother and the mourners, prostrated his body on the earth, in long prayer, and at length rising up, again with up-raised hands prayed a long time. Having done thus thrice, he bade them unwrap the corpse of the youth, and said, "O thou youth, who through thy flesh's lust hast early lost thy soul; O thou youth, thou knewest not thy Creator; thou knewest not the Saviour of men; thou knewest not the true friend, and hast therefore fallen on the worst enemy. Now I have shed my tears, and earnestly prayed for thy sensuality, that thou mayest from death arise, and to these two brothers, Atticus and Eugenius, declare how great glory they have lost, and what punishment they have earned." On this the youth Stacteus arose, and fell at the feet of John, and began to chide the brothers who had been perverted, thus saying, "I saw the angels who had charge of you sadly {69} weeping, and the accursed fiend rejoicing in your destruction. For you was the kingdom of heaven ready, and shining structures filled with repasts, and with eternal light: these ye have lost through heedlessness, and have got for yourselves dark dwellings filled with serpents, and with crackling flames, full of unspeakable torments and horrible stenches; in which groaning and howling cease not day nor night: pray, therefore, with inward heart, this apostle of God, your teacher, that he raise you from eternal perdition, as he hath raised me from death, and that he your souls, which are now blotted from the living book, lead back to God's grace and mercy."

The youth then, Stacteus, who had risen from death, together with the brothers, prostrated himself in the footsteps of John, and the people with them, all unanimously praying that he would intercede with God for them. The apostle then commanded the two brothers that they for thirty days in penitence should sacrifice to God by penance, and in that space should earnestly pray that the golden rods might be turned again to their former nature, and the gems to their worthlessness. After thirty days' space, when they could not by their prayers restore the gold and the gems to their nature, they came with weeping to the apostle, thus saying, "Ever hast thou taught mercy, and that one should have mercy on another; and if one have mercy on another, how much more will God show mercy to and pity men, his handiwork! The sin which we have committed with covetous eyes, we now with weeping eyes repent." Then answered the apostle, "Bear the rods to the wood, and the stones to the sea-strand: they shall be restored to their nature." When they had done this they again received God's grace, so that they drove out devils, and healed the blind and the sick, and performed many miracles, in the Lord's name, as they before had done.

The apostle then converted to God all the country of Asia, which is accounted the half part of the world; and wrote the {71} fourth book of Christ, which treats most of Christ's divinity. The other three evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, wrote rather of Christ's human state. Then there sprung up heretics in God's church, who said that Christ was not before he was born of Mary. Thereupon all the diocesan bishops besought the holy apostle to compose the fourth book, and extinguish the audacity of the heretics. John then ordered a general fast of three days; and after the fast he was so greatly filled with the spirit of God, that he excelled all God's angels and all creatures with his exalted mind, and began the evangelical memorial with these words, "In principio erat verbum," etc., that is in English, "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God; this was in the beginning with God; all things are made through him, and without him nothing is created." And so forth, in all the evangelical memorial, he made known many things concerning Christ's divinity, how he eternally without beginning was begotten of his Father, and reigneth with him in unity of the Holy Ghost, ever without end. He wrote few things of his human nature, because the three other evangelists had composed their books abundantly concerning that.

It happened at a certain time, that the idolaters, who were yet unbelieving, said that they would force the apostle to their heathenship: whereupon the apostle said to the idolaters, "Go all together to God's church, and call all of you to your gods that, through their might, the church may fall down; then will I turn to your heathenship. But if the power of your god may not cast down the holy church, I will cast down your temple, through the might of the Almighty God, and I will crush your idol; and it shall then seem right that ye cease from your error, and believe in the true God, who alone is Almighty." The idolaters assented to this proposal, and John with kind words exhorted the people to go out from the devil's temple; and with clear voice cried {73} before them all, "In the name of God let this temple fall down with all the idols that dwell within it, that this multitude may know that this idolatry is the worship of the devil." Behold then, the temple fell suddenly to the ground, with all its idols turned to dust. On that same day twelve thousand heathens were turned to belief in Christ, and hallowed with baptism.

But the chief idolater still refused with great perverseness, and said that he would not believe unless John drank poison, and through God's might overcame the deadly drink. Then said the apostle, "Though thou give me poison, through God's name it shall not hurt me." Then said the idolater Aristodemus, "Thou shalt first see another drink it, and instantly die, that so at least thy heart may fear the death-bearing drink." John answered him, "If thou wilt believe in God, I will fearless receive this drink." Then Aristodemus went to the prefect, and took from his prison two thieves, and gave them the poison before all the people, in the presence of John; and they immediately after the drink died. Then the idolater gave the venomous drink also to the apostle, and he having armed his mouth and all his body with the sign of the rood, and exorcised the poison in God's name, with bold heart drank it all. Aristodemus then and the people beheld the apostle three hours of the day, and saw him having a glad countenance, without paleness and fear: and they all cried, "There is one true God, whom John worshippeth." Then said the idolater to the apostle, "Yet I doubt; but if thou, in the name of thy God, wilt raise up these dead thieves, then will my heart be cleansed from every doubt." Then said John, "Aristodemus, take my tunic, and lay it on the corpses of the dead men, and say, 'The apostle of Jesus Christ hath sent me to you, that ye in his name may arise from death, and that every man may know that death and life minister to my Saviour.'" He {75} then, at the apostle's command, bare his tunic, and laid it on the two dead ones, and they forthwith rose up whole. When the idolater saw that, he prostrated himself at the feet of John, and then went to the prefect, and announced to him those miracles with a loud voice. Then they both sought the apostle, praying for his compassion: whereupon the apostle enjoined them a fast of seven days, and afterwards baptized them; and after their baptism they cast down all their idols, and with the aid of their kinsmen, and with all art, raised a great church to God in honour of the apostle.

When the apostle was ninety-nine years old the Lord Christ appeared to him with the other apostles, whom he had taken from this life, and said, "John, come to me; it is time that thou with thy brethren shouldst feast at my banquet." John then arose, and went towards Jesus. But he said to him, "Lo, on Sunday, the day of my resurrection, thou shalt come to me:" and after those words the Lord returned to heaven. The apostle greatly rejoiced in that promise, and at sunrise early rising came to the church, and from cock-crowing until the third hour, taught God's law, and sang mass to them, and said, that the Saviour had called him to heaven on that day. He then ordered his grave to be dug opposite the altar, and the dust to be removed; and he went quick and whole into his grave, and with outstretched hands cried to God, "Lord Christ, I thank thee that thou hast invited me to thy banquet: thou knowest that with all my heart I have desired thee. Oft have I prayed thee that I might go to thee, but thou saidst that I should abide, that I might gain more people to thee. Thou hast preserved my body against every pollution, and thou hast ever illumined my soul, and hast nowhere forsaken me. Thou hast set in my mouth the word of thy truth, and I have written down the lore which I heard from thy mouth, and the wonders which I saw thee work. Now I commit to thee, Lord! thy {77} children, those which thy church, maiden and mother, through water and the Holy Ghost have gained to thee. Receive me to my brothers with whom thou camest and invitedst me. Open towards me the gate of life, that the princes of darkness may not find me. Thou art Christ, Son of the living God, who, at thy Father's behest, hast saved the world, and hast sent us the Holy Ghost. Thee we praise and thank for thy manifold benefits throughout the world eternal. Amen."

After this prayer a heavenly light appeared above the apostle, within the grave, shining for an hour so bright, that no man's sight might look on the rays of light; and with that light he gave up his spirit to the Lord, who had invited him to his kingdom. He departed as joyfully from the pain of death, from this present life, as he was exempt from bodily defilement. Verily his grave was afterwards found filled with manna. Manna the heavenly meat was called which for forty years fed the people of Israel in the wilderness. Now this food was found in the grave of John, and nothing else, and the meat is growing in it to this present day. Many miracles have there been manifested, and sick healed, and released from all calamities through the apostle's intercession. This hath the Lord Christ granted unto him, to whom is glory and honour with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever without end. Amen.

* * * * *

V. K[=L]. JAN.

NATALE INNOCENTIUM INFANTUM.

Nu to-daeg Godes geladhung geond ealne ymbhwyrft maersadh thaera eadigra cildra freols-tide, the se waelhreowa Herodes for Cristes acennednysse mid arleasre ehtnysse acwealde, swa swa us seo godspellice racu swutellice cydh.

{78} Matheus awrat, on thaere forman Cristes bec, dhysum wordum be dhaes Haelendes gebyrd-tide, and cwaedh, "Thadha se Haelend acenned waes on thaere Iudeiscan Bethleem, on Herodes dagum cyninges, efne dha comon fram east-daele middangeardes thry tungel-witegan to dhaere byrig Hierusalem, thus befrinende, Hwaer is Iudeiscra leoda Cyning, sedhe acenned is? We gesawon sodhlice his steorran on east-d['ae]le, and we comon to dhi thaet we ['u]s to him gebiddon. Hwaet dha Herodes cyning this gehyrende weardh micclum astyred, and eal seo burhwaru samod mid him. He dha gesamnode ealle tha ealdor-biscopas, and dhaes folces boceras, and befran hwaer Cristes cenningst['o]w waere. H['i] saedon, on dhaere Iudeiscan Bethleem. Thus sodhlice is awriten thurh dhone witegan Micheam, Eala thu Bethleem, Iudeisc land, ne eart dhu nateshw['o]n wacost burga on Iudeiscum ealdrum: of dhe cymdh se Heretoga sedhe gewylt and gewissadh Israhela folc. Dha clypode Herodes tha dhry tungel-witegan on sunder-spraece, and geornlice h['i] befr['a]n to hwilces timan se steorra him aerst aeteowode, and asende h['i] to Bethleem, dhus cwedhende, Faradh ardlice, and befr['i]nadh be dham cilde, and thonne ge hit gemetadh, cydhadh me, thaet ic m['a]ge me to him gebiddan. Tha tungel-witegan ferdon aefter thaes cyninges spraece, and efne dha se steorra, the h['i] on east-d['ae]le gesawon, glad him beforan, odh thaet he gest['o]d bufon dham gesth['u]se, thaer thaet cild on wunode. Hi ges['a]won dhone steorran, and thearle blissodon. Eodon dha inn, and thaet cild gemetton mid Marian his meder, and nidherfeallende h['i] to him geb['ae]don. Hi geopenodon heora h['o]rdfatu, and him l['a]c geoffrodon, gold, and recels, and myrram. Hwaet dha God on swefne h['i] gewarnode and bebead thaet hi eft ne cyrdon to dhan redhan cyninge Herode, ac thurh odherne weg hine forcyrdon, and swa to heora edhele becomon. Efne dha Godes engel aeteowode Iosepe, dhaes c['i]ldes foster-faeder, on swefnum, cwedhende, 'Ar['i]s, and nim this cild mid thaere meder, and fleoh to Egypta l['a]nde, and beo thaer odh thaet ic the eft secge: sodhlice toweard is thaet Herodes smeadh h['u] h['e] thaet cild ford['o].' Ioseph {80} dha ar['a]s nihtes, and thaet cild mid thaere meder samod to Egypta l['a]nde ferede, and thaer wunode odh thaet Herodes gew['a]t; thaet seo witegung waere gefylled, the be dhaere fare aer dhus cwaedh, Of Egypta l['a]nde ic geclypode minne sunu."

Nu secgadh wyrd-writeras thaet Herodes betwux dhisum weardh gewr['e]ged to tham Romaniscan casere, the ealne middangeard on tham timan geweold. Tha gewende he to Rome, be dhaes caseres haese, thaet he hine betealde, gif he mihte. Tha betealde he hine swidhe geaplice, swa swa he waes snotorwyrde to dhan swidhe, thaet se casere hine mid maran wurdhmynte ongean to Iudeiscum rice asende. Thatha he ham com, tha gemunde he hwaet he aer be dhan cilde gemynte, and geseah thaet he waes bepaeht fram dham tungel-witegum, and weardh tha dhearle gegremod. Sende dha his cwelleras, and ofsloh ealle dha hyse-cild, the w['ae]ron on thaere byrig Bethleem, and on eallum hyre gemaerum, fram twywintrum cilde to anre nihte, be dhaere tide the h['e] geaxode aet dham tungel-witegum. Tha waes gefylled Hieremias w['i]tegung, the dhus witegode, "Stemn is gehyred on heannysse, micel w['o]p and dhoterung: Rachel beweop hire cildru, and nolde beon gefrefrod, fordhan dhe hi ne sind."

On dham twelftan daege Cristes acennednysse comon dha dhry tungel-witegan to Herode, and hine axodon be dham acennedan cilde; and thatha h['i] his cenning-stowe geaxodon, tha gewendon h['i] widh thaes cildes, and noldon dhone redhan cwellere eft gecyrran, swa swa he het. Tha ne mihte he forbugan thaes caseres haese, and waes dha, thurh his langsume faer, thaera cildra slege geuferod swidhor thonne he gemynt haefde; and h['i] wurdon dha on dhysum daegtherlicum daege wuldorfullice gemartyrode; na swa-theah thaes geares the Crist acenned waes, ac aefter twegra geara ymbryne aefter dhaes waelhreowan hamcyme.

Naes h['e] aedhelboren, ne him naht to tham cynecynne ne gebyrode; ac mid syrewungum and swicdome he becom to {82} dhaere cynelican gedhincdhe; swa swa Moyses be dham awr['a]t, Thaet ne sceolde ateorian thaet Iudeisce cynecynn, oththaet Crist sylf come. Dha com Crist on dham timan the seo cynelice maeigdh ateorode, and se aelfremeda Herodes thaes rices geweold. Tha weardh he micclum afyrht and andhracode thaet his rice feallan sceolde, thurh to-cyme thaes sodhan cyninges. Tha clypode h['e] dha tungel-witegan on sunder-spraece, and geornlice h['i] befr['a]n, on hwilcne timan h['i] aerest thone steorran gesawon; fordhan dhe he ondred, swa swa hit gelamp, thaet h['i] eft hine ne gecyrdon. Tha het he fordhy acwellan ealle dha hyse-cild thaere burhscire, fram twywintrum cilde odh anre nihte: dhohte gif he h['i] ealle ofsloge, thaet se ['a]n ne aetburste the he sohte. Ac he waes ungemyndig thaes halgan gewrites, dhe cwydh, "Nis n['a]n wisdom, ne n['a]n raed naht ongean God."

Se swicola Herodes cwaedh to dham tungel-witegum, "Faradh, and geornlice befrinadh be dham cilde, and cydhadh me, thaet ic eac mage me to him gebiddan." Ac he cydde sydhdhan his facenfullan syrewunge, hu he ymbe wolde, gif he hine gemette, dhadha he ealle his efenealdan adylegode for his anes ehtnysse. Thearflaes he syrwde ymbe Crist: ne com he fordhy thaet he wolde his eordhlice rice, oththe aeniges odhres cyninges mid riccetere him to geteon; ac to dhi h['e] com thaet he wolde his heofenlice rice geleaffullum mannum forgyfan. Ne com he to dhy thaet he waere on maerlicum cynesetle ahafen, ac thaet he waere mid hospe on rode hengene genaeglod. He wolde dheah thaes waelhreowan syrewunge mid fleame forbugan, na fordhi thaet he deadh forfluge, sedhe sylfwilles to dhrowienne middangearde genealaehte; ac hit waere to hraedlic, gif he dha on cild-cradole acweald wurde, swilce dhonne his to-cyme mancynne bed['i]glod waere; thi forhradode Godes engel thaes arleasan getheaht, and bebead thaet se foster-faeder thone heofenlican aetheling of dham earde ardlice ferede.

Ne forseah Crist his geongan cempan, dheah dhe he lichamlice on heora slege andwerd naere; ac h['e] asende h['i] fram thisum {84} wraecfullum life to his ecan rice. Gesaelige h['i] wurdon geborene thaet hi moston for his intingan deadh throwian. Eadig is heora yld, seodhe tha gyt ne mihte Crist andettan, and moste for Criste throwian. H['i] waeron thaes Haelendes gewitan, dheah dhe h['i] hine dha gyt ne cudhon. Naeron h['i] ger['i]pode to slege, ac hi gesaeliglice theah swulton to life. Gesaelig waes heora acennednys, fordhan dhe h['i] gemetton thaet ece lif on instaepe thaes andweardan lifes. H['i] wurdon gegripene fram moderlicum breostum, ac hi wurdon betaehte thaerrihte engellicum bosmum. Ne mihte se m['a]nfulla ehtere mid nanre dhenunge tham lytlingum swa micclum fremian, swa micclum swa h['e] him fremode mid dhaere redhan ehtnysse hatunge. H['i] sind geh['a]tene martyra blostman, fordhan dhe h['i] waeron sw['a] sw['a] up-aspringende blostman on middeweardan cyle ungeleaffulnysse, swilce mid sumere ehtnysse forste forsodene. Eadige sind tha innodhas the h['i] gebaeron, and dha breost the swylce gesihton. Witodlice dha moddru on heora cildra martyrdome throwodon; thaet swurd dhe thaera cildra lima thurh-['a]rn bec['o]m to dhaera moddra heortan; and neod is thaet h['i] beon efenhlyttan thaes ecan edleanes, thonne h['i] waeron geferan dhaere dhrowunge. H['i] waeron gehwaede and ungewittige acwealde, ac h['i] arisadh on tham gemaenelicum dome mid fullum waestme, and heofenlicere snoternysse. Ealle we cumadh to anre ylde on tham gemaenelicum aeriste, theah dhe we nu on myslicere ylde of thyssere worulde gewiton.

Thaet godspel cwedh thaet Rachel bewe['o]p hire cildra, and nolde beon gefrefrod, fordhan the h['i] ne sind. Rachel hatte Iacobes wif, dhaes heahfaederes, and heo getacnode Godes geladhunge, the bewypdh hire gastlican cild; ac heo nele swa beon gefrefrod, thaet h['i] eft to woruldlicum gecampe gehwyrfon, tha the aene mid sygefaestum deadhe middangeard oferswidhdon, and his yrmdha aetwundon to wuldorbeagienne mid Criste.