Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/379

 uncleanness, lasciviousness  or  lust,  idolatry  or  witchcraft,  enmity and strife,  spite  and  anger,  contention   and  sedition,  heresy  and envy, murder  and  drunkenness,  surfeiting  and  other  such  like,  the which I  tell  you  beforehand,  even  as  I  told  you  formerly;  for  they who work  such  works  shall  not  attain  to  God's  kingdom.'     Every one may  cease  from  evil  and  amend;    but  if  he  continueth  in wickedness  and  despiseth  his  Creator's  commands  and  pleaseth  the devils, then  shall  he  against  his  will  suffer  in  eternity,  in  the  unquenchable fire,  amidst  the  worst  serpent-kind  which  shall  never be destroyed,  but  shall  ever  chew  the  bodies  of  the  wicked  in  the fire of  hell. Again, said  the  Apostle  in  another  epistle,  ' Fratres, nolite  errare ;  neque  fornicarii,  neque  idolis  seruientes,  neque  adul- teri,  neque  molles,  neque  fures,  neque  auari,  neque  ebriosi,  neque  maledici,    neque    rapaces,   regnum    dei    non possidebunt. ' — '  My brethren,  be  ye  not  deceived;   neither  fornicators,  nor  those  who serve idols,  nor  those  who  have  other  men's  wives,  nor  the  effeminate  or  weak-minded — these   are  they  who  have  no  sternness against sins — nor  thieves,   nor  covetous,  nor  drinkers — these  are they who  love  drunkenness — nor  revilers,  whose  mouths  are  ever filled with  poisoned  cursing,  nor  robbers,  shall  ever  possess  God's kingdom.'    He  said  yet  again  to  the  people  thus,  'Such  ye  were, but now  are  ye  cleansed,  but  ye  are  sanctified,  but  ye  are  justified in  the  name  of  the  Lord  our  Saviour  Christ,  and  in  the  Spirit  of our  God.'

Idolatry is  that  a  man  forsake  his  Lord  and  his  Christianity, and yield  to  diabolical  heathenism,  dishonouring  his  Creator. There is  another  idolatry,  hurtful  to  the  soul, when the  man  despiseth  his  Creator's  commands, and practiseth  the  shameful  sins  which  the  devil  teacheth  him.