magon gehyran ðæt heofone næs na ær ærðam ðe se ælmihtiga wyrhta hi geworhte on anginne and ealne middaneard on his mycclum cræfte. ac he sylf wæs æfre unbegunnen scyppend. se ðe swa mihtiglice gemacode swylcne cræft.
II. Full dysig bið se mann, and ðurh deofol beswicen. se ðe nele gelyfan, ðæt se lifigenda God æfre wære wunigende ærðam ðe he worhte gesceafta. ac he geswutelode his mihta ðurh ða gesceafta. and wolde ðæt ða gesceafta gesawon his mærða. and hine wurðodon à on wuldre mid him ða ðe andgyt habbað. ðæt syndon englas and men. On anginne gesceop se ælmihtiga fæder thysne middaneard swa swa Moyses awrat. and ðæt angin is ðæs ælmihtigan Godes sunu on gastlicu andgite swa swa ðæt godspell us segð Ego principium qui et loquor vobis[1] Ðis cwæð se hælend on his halgan godspelle. "Ic sylf eom angin ðe eow to sprece."[2] He sylf is soð anginn of ðam soðan anginne. and he is soð[3] wisdom of ðam wisan fæder. and seo mycele miht[4] ðe he mid geworhte ða wundorlican gesceaftu. and he hi ealle geliffæste on ðam life ðe hi habbað ðurh ðone halgan gast. ðe gæð of ðam fæder and of ðam Suna. forðam ðe he soðlice is heora begra lufu him bam gemæne. Ælmihtig God. anes gecyndes and anre mægen-ðrymnysse on anre godcundnysse.
III. Ðis is mycel eow mannum on mode to asmeagenne. and nan man ne mæg on ðysum middan-earde fullfremedlice secgan embe ðone soðan God. Ge sceolon gehyran ðeah sum ðing be him. ðæt ge on geleafleaste eower lif ne adreogan, gif ge nan andgit embe ðæt ne cunnon. and gif ge naht ne gehyrað embe ðone heofonlican God. se ðe on ðrim hadum soðlice æfre rixað on anre godcundnysse, an
- ↑ See St. John's Gospel, viii. 25. Greek; and also "Bedæ Commentaria in Vetus Testamentum," vol. vii. p. 3. (edit. Giles.)
- ↑ Revelations of St. John xxi. 6.
- ↑ See "Ælfric's preface to the Heptateuch," edited by Thwaites, A.D. 1698, and "Alfric's Vorrede zur Genesis," given by Heinrich Leo in his Angelsächsische Sprachproben.
- ↑ Ælfric in a sermon upon our Lord's Nativity, says, "Word bið wisdomes geswutelung, and ðæt word ðæt is se wisdom, is acenned of ðam Ælmihtigum Fæder butan anginne; forðan ðe he wæs æfre God of Gode, wisdom of ðam wisan Fæder. Nis he na geworht, forðan ðe he is God, and na gesceaft, ac se Ælmihtiga Fæder gesceop ðurh ðane (illegible text)sceafta," &c.
