Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/381

 The fruits  of  the  Spirit  are  those  good  dispositions,

that the  man  love  the  living  God,

and have  true  love  ever  in  his  mind,

and spiritual  joy,  and  be  peaceable,

patient and  long-suffering,  and  in  manners  have

goodness, and  gladness,  and  meekness,

faith and  temperance,  and  cleanness  of  mind,

and continence  without  rashness.

There is  no  law  contrary  to  (against)  men  thus  disposed,

but those  that  are  Christ's  crucify  their  flesh,

so that  they  will  not  incline  to  shameful  sins,

nor to  those  evil  desires,  but  will  fight  against  them

until they  depart  victoriously  to  Christ,

and to  the  everlasting  glory  in  exchange  for  the  short  warfare,

and they  shall  rejoice  for  ever  blithely  with  Christ.

Augustine the  wise  bishop  said  likewise  in  a  certain  book,

' My  brethren  most  beloved,  often  I  have  warned  you,

and with  fatherly  carefulness  I  lovingly  exhorted  you

that, as  for  the  odious  witchcraft  which  unwise  men  observe,

ye should  altogether  renounce  [it],  like  faithful  men,

for except  I  warn  you,  and  forbid  you  that  mischief,

I shall  have  to  give  an  account  to  the  righteous  judge

for my  carelessness,  and  shall  be  condemned  with  you.

Now I  deliver  myself  as  regards  God,  and  with  love  forbid  you,

that any  of  you  should  enquire  through  any  witchcraft

concerning anything,  or  concerning  any  sickness,

or seek  enchanters  to  anger  his  Creator;