Part 27 (1/2)
IIII. K[=L]. SEPT.
DECOLLATIO S[=CI] IOHANNIS BAPTISTae.
Misit Herodes et tenuit Iohannem: et reliqua.
Marcus se G.o.dspellere awrat on Cristes bec be am maeran Fulluhtere Iohanne, aet ”se waelhreowa cyning Herodes hine gehaefte, and on cwearterne sette, for his broor wife Herodiaden:” et reliqua.
es Iohannes waes se maerosta mann, swa swa Crist be him cynysse gecydde. He cwae, ”Betwux wifa bearnum ne {478} aras nan maerra man onne Iohannes se Fulluhtere.” Nu haebbe ge oft gehyred be his maeran drohtnunge and be his enunge, nu wylle we embe ises G.o.dspelles trahtnunge sume swutelunge eow gereccan.
es Herodes, e Iohannem beheafdian het, and on aes Haelendes rowunge Pilate am ealdormenn geafode, and hine to his dome betaehte, waes aes ores Herodes sunu, e on am timan rixode e Crist geboren waes; ac hit waes swa gewunelic on am timan aet rice menn sceopon heora bearnum naman be him sylfum, aet hit waere geuht aes e mare gemynd aes faeder, aa se sunu, his yrfenuma, waes geciged aes faeder naman. Se waelhreowa faeder Herodes laefde fif suna, ry he het acwellan on his feorh-adle, aeran e he gewite. a wear he hreowlice and hraedlice dead aefter am e he a cild acwealde for Cristes acennednysse. a feng Archelaus his sunu to rice. a embe tyn geara fyrst wear he ascofen of his cynesetle, foran e aet Iudeisce folc wrehton his modignysse to am casere, and he a hine on wraecsi asende. a daelde se casere aet Iudeisce rice on feower, and sette aerto feower gebrora: a sind gecwedene aefter Grecisc.u.m gereorde, tetrarche, aet sind, fyerrican.
Fyerrica bi se e haef feoran dael rices. a waes an yssera gebrora Philippus gehaten, se gewifode on aes cyninges dehter Arethe, Arabiscre eode, seo hatte Herodias. a aefter sumum fyrste wurdon hi ungesome, Philippus and Arethe, and he genam a dohtor of his aumme, and forgeaf hi his breer Herode; foran e he waes furor on hlisan and on mihte. Herodes a awearp his riht aewe, and forligerlice manfulles sinscipes breac.
a on am timan bodade Iohannes se Fulluhtere G.o.des rihtwisnysse eallum Iudeisc.u.m folce, and reade one Herodem, for am fulan sinscipe.
Aecclesiastica historia ita narrat: a geseah Herodes aet eal seo Iudeisce meniu arn to Iohannes lare, and his mynegungum geornlice {480} gehyrsumodon, a wear he afyrht, and wende aet hi woldon for Iohannes lare his cynedom forseon, and wolde a forhradian, and gebrohte hine on cwearterne on anre byrig e is gecweden Macherunta. Hwaet a Iohannes asende of am cwearterne twegen leorning-cnihtas to Criste, and hine befran, us cweende, ”Eart u se e toweard is, oe we ores andbidian sceolon?”
Swilce he cwaede, Geswutela me, gyf u sylf wylle nyer-astigan to h.e.l.lwarum for manna alysednysse, swa swa u woldest acenned beon for manna alysednysse; oe gif ic sceole cyan inne to-cyme h.e.l.lwarum, swa swa ic middangearde e toweardne bodade, geswutela. Hwaet a se Haelend on aere ylcan tide, swa swa Lucas se G.o.dspellere awrat, gehaelde manega untruman fram mislic.u.m coum, and wodum mannum gewitt forgeaf, and blindum gesihe; and cwae syan to Iohannes aerendrac.u.m, ”Fara nu to Iohanne, and cya him a ing e ge gesawon and gehyrdon. Efne nu blinde geseo, and a healtan ga, and hreoflige men synd geclaensode, deafe gehyra, and a deadan arisa, and earfan bodia G.o.dspel; and se bi eadig e on me ne bi geaeswicod.” Swylce he cwaede to Iohanne, yllice wundra ic wyrce, ac swa-eah ic wylle deae sweltan for mancynnes alysednysse, and e sweltende aefterfyligan, and se bi gesaelig e mine wundra nu hera, gif he minne dea ne forsih, and for am deae ne geortruwa aet ic G.o.d eom. us onwreah se Haelend Iohanne aet he wolde hine sylfne gemedemian to deae, and syan h.e.l.lwara geneosian.
a betwux isum gelamp aet Herodes, swa we ?r cwaedon, his witan gefeormode on am daege e he geboren waes; foran e hi haefdon on am timan micele blisse on heora gebyrd-tidum. Seo dohtor a, swa swa we ?r saedon, pleG.o.de mid hire maedenum on am gebeorscipe, him eallum to gecwemednysse, and se faeder a mid ae behet, aet he wolde hire forgyfan swa hwaes swa heo gewilnode. reo arleasa scylda we gehyrdon,--ungesaelige maersunge his gebyrd-tide, and a unstaeigan hleapunge aes maedenes, and aes faeder {482} dyrstigan asware. am rim ingum us gedafena aet we wicweon on urum eawum. We ne moton ure gebyrd-tide to nanum freols-daege mid idelum maersungum awendan, ne ure acennednysse on swilc.u.m gemynde habban; ac we sceolon urne endenextan daeg mid behreowsunge and d?dbote forhradian, swa swa hit awriten is, ”On eallum ingum beo u gemyndig ines endenextan daeges, and u ne syngast on ecnysse.” Ne us ne gedafena aet we urne lichaman, e G.o.de is gehalG.o.d on am halwendan fulluhte, mid unaeslic.u.m plegan and higleaste gescyndan; foran e ure lichaman sind G.o.des lima, swa swa Paulus cwae, ”And he bebead, aet we sceolon gearcian ure lichaman liflice onsaegednysse, and halige, and G.o.de andfenge.” Se lichama bi liflic onsaegednys e wi heafod-leahtras bi gescyld, and urh halige maegnu G.o.de bi andfenge and halig. G.o.d sylf forbyt aelcne a cristenum mannum, us cweende, ”Ne swera u urh heofenan, foran e heo is G.o.des rymsetl. Ne swera u urh eoran, foran e heo is G.o.des fotsceamol. Ne swera u urh in agen heafod, foran e u ne miht wyrcan an h?r ines feaxes hwit oe blacc. Ic secge eow, Ne swerige ge urh nan ing, ac beo eower spraec us geendod, Hit is swa ic secge, oe hit nis swa. Swa hwaet swa aer mare bi urh a, aet bi of am yfelan.”
Crist sylf gefaestnode his spraece, aa he spraec to anum Samaritaniscan wife mid isum worde, ”Crede mihi:” aet is, ”Gelyf me.” eah-hwaeere gif we hwaer unwaerlice swerion, and se a us geneadige to wyrsan daede, onne bi us r?dlicor aet we one maran gylt forbugon, and one a wi G.o.d gebetan.
Witodlice Dauid swor urh G.o.d aet he wolde one stuntan wer Nabal ofslean, and ealle his ing adylegian; ac aet aere forman ingunge aes snoteran wifes Abigail, he awende his swurd into aere sceae, and herode aes wifes snoternysse, e him forwyrnde one pleolican mannsliht. Herodes swor urh stuntnysse aet he wolde aere hleapendan dehter forgyfan swa hwaet swa heo baede: a foram e he {484} nolde fram his gebeorum beon gecweden manswara, one beorscipe mid blode gemencgde, and aes maeran witegan dea aere lyran hoppystran hire gliges to mede forgeaf. Micele selre him waere aet he one a tobraece, onne he swylcne witegan acwellan hete.
On eallum ingum we sceolon carfullice hogian, gif we awar, urh deofles syrwunge, on twam frecednyssum samod befealla, aet we symle one maran gylt forfleon urh utfaere aes laessan, swa swa de se e his feondum ofer sumne weall aetfleon wile, onne cep he hwaer se weall unhehst sy, and aer oferscyt. Witodlice Herodes, ae he nolde, urh Iohannes mynegunge, one unclaenan sinscipe awendan, a wear he to manslihte befeallen; and waes seo laesse synn intinga aere maran, aet he for his fulan forligre, e he georne wiste aet G.o.de andsaete waes, aes witegan blod ageat, e he wiste aet G.o.de gecweme waes. is is se cwyde aes G.o.dcundlican domes, be am e is gecweden, ”Se e dera, derige he gyt swyor; and se e on fulnyssum wuna, befyle hine gyt swyor.” es cwyde gelamp am waelhreowan Herode. Nu is oer cwyde be G.o.dum mannum sceortlice gecweden, ”Se e halig is, beo he gyt swyor gehalG.o.d.” is gelamp am Fulluhtere Iohanne, se e waes halig urh menigfealde geearnunga; and he waes gyt swyor gehalG.o.d, aa he urh sofaestnysse bodunge becom to sigefaestum martyrdome.
Herodes hiwode hine sylfne unrotne, a seo dohtor hine aes heafdes baed; ac he blissode on his digelnyssum, foran e heo aes mannes dea baed e he ?r acwellan wolde, gif he intingan haefde. Witodlice gif aet cild b?de aes wifes heafod, mid micclum graman he wolde hire wicwean. Naes Iohannes mid ehtnysse geneadod aet he Criste wisoce, ac eah he sealde his lif for Criste, aa he waes for sofaestnysse gemartyrod. Crist sylf cwae, ”Ic eom sofaestnys.” Iohannes waes Cristes forrynel on his acennednysse and on his bodunge, on fulluhte, on rowunge, and hine to h.e.l.lwarum {486} mid deorwurum deae forestop. aa he beheafdod waes, a comon his leorning-cnihtas, and his halige lic ferodon to anre byrig seo is gecweden Sebaste, and hi aer hine geledon. aet halige heafod wear on Hierusalem bebyrged.
Sume gedwolmenn cwaedon aet aet heafod sceolde ablawan aes cyninges wif Herodiaden, e he fore acweald waes, swa aet heo ferde mid windum geond ealle woruld; ac hi dwelodon mid aere segene, foran e heo leofode hire lif o ende aefter Iohannes slege. Solice Iohannes heafod wear syan geswutelod twam easternum munec.u.m, e mid gebedum a burh geneosodon, and hi anon one deorwuran mam feredon to sumere byrig e is Edissa gehaten; and se aelmihtiga G.o.d urh aet heafod ungerime wundra geswutelode. His ban, aefter langum fyrste, wurdon gebrohte to aere maeran byrig Alexandria, and aer mid micclum wurmynte geloG.o.de.
Nu is to besceawigenne humeta se aelmihtiga G.o.d, be his gecorenan and a gelufedan enas, a e he to am ecan life forestihte, geafa aet hi mid swa micclum witum beon fornumene and tobrytte on isum andweardan life. Ac se apostol Paulus andwyrde be isum, and cwae, aet ”G.o.d rea and beswing aelcne e he underfeh to his rice, and swa he forsewenlicor bi gewitnod for G.o.des naman, swa his wuldor bi mare for G.o.de.” Eft cwae se ylca apostol on ore stowe, ”Ne sind na to wimetenne a rowunga yssere tide am toweardan wuldre e bi on us geswutelod.”
Nu cwy se trahtnere, aet nan wilde deor, ne on fyerfotum ne on creopendum, nis to wimetenne yfelum wife. Hwaet is betwux fyerfotum rere onne leo? oe hwaet is waelhreowre betwux naeddercynne onne draca? Ac se wisa Salomon cwae, aet selre waere to wunigenne mid leon and dracan onne mid yfelan wife and oferspraec.u.m. Witodlice Iohannes on westene wunade betwux eallum deorcynne ungederod, and betwux drac.u.m, and aspidum, and eallum {488} wyrmcynne, and hi hine ondredon. Solice seo awyrigede Herodias mid beheafdunge hine acwealde, and swa m?res mannes dea to gife hire dehter hleapunge underfeng. Danihel se witega laeg seofan niht betwux seofan leonum on anum seae ungewemmed, ac aet awyrigede wif Gezabel beswac one rihtwisan Nabo to his feore, urh lease gewitnysse. Se witega Ionas waes gehealden unformolten on aes hwaeles innoe reo niht, and seo swicole Dalila one strangan Samson mid olaecunge bepaehte, and besceorenum fexe his feondum belaewde. Eornostlice nis nan wyrmcynn ne wilddeora cynn on yfelnysse gelic yfelum wife.
Se wyrdwritere Iosephus awrat, on aere cyrclican gereccednysse, aet se waelhreowa Herodes lytle hwile aefter Iohannes deae rices weolde, ac wear for his mandaedum aerest his here on gefeohte ofslegen, and he sylf sian of his cynerice ascofen, and on wraecsi asend, swie rihtwisum dome, aa he nolde hlystan Iohannes lare to am ecan life, aet he eac hraedlice his hwilwendan cynedom mid hospe forlure. Augustinus se wisa us mana mid isum wordum, and cwy, ”Besceawia, ic bidde eow, mine gebrora, mid gleawnysse hu wraecfull is andwyrde lif is; and eah ge ondraeda eow aet ge hit to hraedlice forlaeton. Ge lufia is lif, on am e ge mid geswince wunia; u hogast embe ine neode; u yrnst, and byst geancsumod; u erast, and saewst, and eft gegaderast; u grinst, and baecst; u wyfst, and waeda tylast, and earfolice wast ealra inra neoda getel, aeger ge on s? ge on lande, and scealt ealle as foresaedan ing, and eac in agen lif mid earfonysse geendian. Leornia nu fori, aet ge cunnon aet ece lif geearnian, on am e ge nan yssera geswinca ne rowia, ac on ecnysse mid G.o.de rixia.”
On isum life we ateoria, gif we us mid bigleofan ne fercia; gif we ne drinca, we beo mid urste fornumene; gif we to lange wacia, we ateoria; gif we lange standa, we beo gewaehte, and onne sitta; eft, gif we to lange {490} sitta, us slapa a lima. Sceawia eac aefter isum, aet nan stede nis ures lichaman: cildhad gewit to cnihthade, and cnihthad to geungenum waestme; se fulfremeda waestm gebyh to ylde, and seo yld bi mid deae geendod. Witodlice ne stent ure yld on nanre staolfaestnysse, ac swa micclum swa se lichama wext swa micclum beo his dagas gewanode. Gehwaer is on urum life ateorung, and werignys, and brosnung aes lichaman, and eah-hwaeere wilna gehwa aet he lange lybbe. Hwaet is lange lybban buton lange swincan? Feawum mannum gelimp on isum dagum, aet he gesundfull lybbe hund-eahtatig geara, and swa hwaet swa he ofer am leofa, hit bi him geswinc and sarnyss, swa swa se witega cwae, ”Yfele sind ure dagas,” and aes e wyrsan e we hi lufia. Swa olaec es middangeard forwel menige, aet hi nella heora wraecfulle lif geendian. So lif and gesaelig aet is, onne we arisa of deae, and mid Criste rixia. On am life beo G.o.de dagas, na swa-eah manega dagas, ac an, se nat naenne upspring ne nane geendunge, am ne fylig merigenlic daeg, foran e him ne forestop se gysternlica; ac se an daeg bi ece aefre ungeendod butan aelcere nihte, butan gedreccednyssum, butan eallum geswinc.u.m, e we hwene ?r on yssere raedinge tealdon. es daeg and is lif is behaten rihtwisum cristenum, to am us gelaede se mildheorta Drihten, see leofa and rixa mid Faeder and mid Halgum Gaste a butan ende.
Amen.
AUGUST XXIX.
THE DECOLLATION OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST.
Misit Herodes et tenuit Johannem: et reliqua.
Mark the Evangelist wrote in the book of Christ concerning the great Baptist John, that ”the cruel king Herod bound him, and set him in prison, for the sake of his brother's wife Herodias,” etc.
This John was the greatest man, as Christ bore witness concerning him. He said, ”Among the children of women {479} there hath not arisen any greater man than John the Baptist.” Now ye have often heard of his great course and of his ministry, now we will relate to you some explanation touching the exposition of this gospel.
This Herod, who commanded John to be beheaded, and agreed with Pilate the ealdorman in the suffering of Jesus, and delivered him to his judgement, was the son of the other Herod, who reigned at the time when Christ was born; for it was usual at that time for rich men to give their children names after themselves, that it might seem the greater remembrance of the father, when the son, his heir, was called by his father's name. The cruel father, Herod, left five sons; three he commanded to be slain in his last illness, ere he departed. Then he died miserably and suddenly after he had slain the children on account of the birth of Christ; when Archelaus his son succeeded to the kingdom. Then after a s.p.a.ce of ten years he was driven from his throne, because the Jewish people complained of his pride to the emperor, and he then sent him into exile. The emperor then divided the Jewish kingdom into four, and placed therein four brothers, who, according to the Greek tongue, are called 'tetrarchs,' that is, _rulers over a fourth_. A tetrarch is he who has a fourth part of a kingdom. One of these brothers was called Philip, who took to wife the daughter of the king Arethe, of an Arabian people, who was called Herodias. Then after some time they, Philip and Arethe, were at variance, and he took his daughter from his son-in-law, and gave her to his brother Herod; because he was greater in fame and in power. Herod then cast off his lawful wife, and adulterously lived in criminal union.