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I
ÆLFRIC, monk and mass-priest, although more weakly than
for such orders is fitting, was sent, in king Æthelred's
day, from bishop Ælfeah, Æthelwold's successor,
to a minster which is called Cernel, at the prayer of Æthelmære
the thane, whose birth and goodness are known everywhere.
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Then
it occurred to my mind, I trust through God's grace, that
I would turn this book from the Latin language into the English
tongue; not from confidence of great learning, but because
I have seen and heard of much error in many English books,
which unlearned men, through their simplicity, have esteemed
as great wisdom: and I regretted that they knew not nor had
not the evangelical doctrines among their writings, those
men only excepted who knew Latin, and those books excepted
which king Ælfred wisely turned from Latin into English,
which are to be had. |
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For
this cause I presumed, trusting in God, to undertake this
task, and also because men have need of good instruction,
especially at this time, which is the ending of this world,
and there will be many calamities among mankind before the
end cometh, according to what our Lord in his gospel said
to his disciples, "Then shall be such tribulations as
have never been from the beginning of the world. |
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Many
false Christs shall come in my name, saying, 'I am Christ,'
and shall work many signs and wonders, to deceive mankind;
and also the elect, if it may be. |
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And unless Almighty God shorten those days, all mankind will
perish; but for his elect he will shorten those days." |
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Everyone
may the more easily withstand the future temptation, through
God's support, if he is strengthened by book learning, for
they shall be preserved who continue in faith to the end. |
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Many
tribulations and hardships shall come on this world before
its end, and those are the proclaimers of everlasting perdition
to evil men, who afterwards for their crimes suffer eternally
in the swart hell. |
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Then
Antichrist
shall come, who is human man and true devil, as our Saviour
is truly man and God in one person. |
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And
the visible devil shall then work innumerable miracles, and
say that he himself is God, and will compel mankind to his
heresy; but his time will not be long, for God's anger will
destroy him, and this world will afterwards be ended. |
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Christ
our Lord healed the weak and diseased, and the devil, who
is called Antichrist,
which is interpreted, Opposition-Christ, weakens and enfeebles
the hale, and heals no one from diseases, save those alone
whom he himself had previously injured. |
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He and his disciples injure men's bodies secretly through
the devil's power, and heal them openly in the sight of men:
but he may not heal those whom God himself had before afflicted. |
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He
compels, through wickedness, men to swerve from the faith
of their Creator to his leasings, who is the author of all
leasing and wickedness. |
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Almighty
God permits the impious Antichrist
to work signs, and miracles, and persecution, for three years
and a half; for in that time there will be so much wickedness
and perversity among mankind, that they will be well worthy
of devilish persecution, to the eternal perdition of those
who incline unto him, and to the eternal joy of those who
by faith resist him. |
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God
also permits that his chosen servants be cleansed from all
sins through great persecutions, as gold is tried in fire. |
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The
devil slays those who withstand him, and then, with holy martyrdom,
they go to the kingdom of heaven. |
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Those
who believe in his leasings, those he honours, and they shall
have afterwards eternal torment for reward of their sin. |
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The
impious one will cause fire to come from above, as it were
from heaven, in sight of men, as if he were God Almighty,
who rules over heaven and earth; |
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but
Christians must then be mindful how the devil did, when he
prayed to God that he might tempt Job; |
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he
made fire to come from above, as if from heaven, and burned
all his sheep out in the field, and the shepherds also, save
one who should announce it to him. |
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The
devil sent not fire from heaven, though it came from above;
for he himself was not in heaven, after that he, for his pride,
had been cast out. |
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Nor
also hath the cruel Antichrist
the power to send down heavenly fire, though he, through the
devil's craft, may so pretend. |
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It
will now be wiser that everyone know this, and know this belief,
lest anyone have to await great misery. |
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Our
Lord commanded his disciples that they should instruct and
teach all people the things which he had himself taught to
them; but of those there are too few who will well teach and
well exemplify. |
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The
Lord also cried, through his prophet Ezechiel, "If thou
warnest not the unrighteous, and exhortest him not, so that
he turn from his wickedness and live, then shall the wicked
die in his iniquity, and I will require from thee his blood,"
that is, his perdition. |
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"But
if thou warnest the wicked, and he will not turn from his
wickedness, thou shalt release thy soul with that admonition,
and the wicked shall die in his unrighteousness." |
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Again
the Almighty spake to the prophet Isaiah, "Cry and cease
thou not, raise thy voice as a trumpet, and declare to my
people their crimes, and to the family of Jacob their sins." |
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From
such commands it appeared to me that I should not be guiltless
before God, if I would not declare to other men, by (tongue
or by) writings, the evangelical truth, which he himself spake,
and afterwards to holy teachers revealed. |
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Very
many I know in this country more learned than I am, but God
manifests his wonders through whom he will. |
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As
an almighty worker he works his work through his chosen, not
because he has need of our aid, but that we may earn eternal
life by the performance of his work. |
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Paul
the apostle said,"We are God's assistants," and
yet we do nothing for God without the assistance of God. |
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Now
I desire and beseech, in God's name, if anyone will transcribe
this book, that he carefully correct it by the copy, lest
we be blamed through careless writers. |
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He
does great evil who writes false, unless he correct it; it
is as though he turn true doctrine to false error; therefore
should everyone make that straight which he before bent crooked,
if he will be guiltless at God's doom. |
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Quid
necesse est in hoc codice capitula orinare, cum prediximus
quod xl. Sententias in se contineat? excepto quod Æþelwerdus
dux vellet habere xl. quattuor in suo libro. |
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