Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/245

 and how  the  Holy  Ghost  came  upon  the  heathen,  and  said,

"If God  gave  them  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost

as unto  us  at  the  beginning  in  fiery  tongues,

what manner  of  man  am  I,  that  I  could  forbid  God?

Then the  Jews  were  silent  after  they  had  heard  this,

and glorified  God,  in  that  He  willed  to  grant

to the  heathen  repentance  unto  the  heavenly  life.

There was  a  great  servant  of  God  hight  Marcellus,

who followed  Simon  the  shameful  sorcerer,

until the  blessed  Peter  drove  away  the  impious  man.

Then Marcellus  left  the  wicked  sorcerer,

and followed  Peter,  and  submitted  to  baptism.

Now this  Marcellus  hath  recorded  how  St.  Peter's  daughter,

named Petronilla,  departed  from  the  world  to  Christ.

(Peter had  a  wife  before  he  was  converted

to the  family  of  Christ,  but  he  afterwards  renounced

worldly desires,  and  conjugal  intercourse,

because Christ  ordained  chastity  in  the  world,

and all  his  followers  walked  in  chastity,

even as  Peter  indeed  said  to  him,

Ecce nos  reliquimus  omniay  et  secuti  sumus  te;    quid  ergo  erit nobis?

'Behold, we  have  left  all  things  in  the  world

and now  follow  Thee,  what  wilt  thou  provide  for  us?

In the  beginning  of  the  world  said  Almighty  God,

'Be ye  multiplied,  and  replenish  the  earth;'

and Christ  desired  at  His  coming  to  establish  chastity,

and preserved  His  holy  household  in  chastity.

Men had  in  the  beginning  their  kindred  to  wife,

and well  they  might,  for  the  lack  of  women;

and whosoever  doth  so  now,  will  not  have  God's  blessing.

Under Moses'  law,  the  bishop  was  to  have