Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/25

 Almighty God, ever unbegun and unended. But the man is mad who wishes to have anything before a beginning; because the Holy Trinity is the Beginning and the One Creator of all creatures, and there never was nor now exists anything that the One Worker hath not created. If any heretic or frenzied man seek to enquire further and go beyond the beginning with foolish presumption, he is like unto a man who reareth a high ladder, and climbeth by the steps of the ladder until he be come to the end; and then, desiring to climb yet higher, he climbeth without the steps until that, having no standing-place, he falleth with so much the worse a fall as he further clomb.

There are three things on this earth: one is transitory, which hath both beginning and end; such are beasts and all soulless things which began when God created them, and afterward come to an end and turn to nothing. The second thing is eternal, so that it hath a beginning and hath no end; such are angels and souls of men, which began when God created them, but they never end. The third thing is eternal, so that it hath neither beginning nor end; such is the One Almighty God in Trinity and Unity, who continueth ever unsearchable and unspeakable. The Father is the Beginning, of none other; and the Son is the Beginning, eternally begotten of the Father; and the Holy Ghost is the Beginning, eternally of the Father and of the Son, not begotten, but proceeding; because the Son is the Father's Wisdom, of Him and with Him; and the Holy Ghost is the Will and the Love of Them both, of Them both and with Them both. In this One God we must believe, and honour Him with our works, because all the holy books, both in the Old Law and in the New, speak indeed concerning the Holy Trinity and Very Unity. This One Creator knoweth all things, and seeth both that which hath been, and that which now is, and that which is to come; neither forgetteth He anything, nor may anything escape Him. Neither is He afraid of anything, because He hath none more powerful than Himself, nor even any equal to Him. He is ever bestowing, yet never loseth any part of Himself, neither is anything needful to Him. He is ever Almighty God, because that He ever willeth good and never