Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/391

 and thereupon  the  Lord  granted  it  to  the  devils.

Then they  [entered]  into  the  swine,  and  they  all  became  mad,

and ran  to  the  sea,  and  forthwith  were  drowned.

The devil  cannot  hurt  men  without  God's  permission,

nor mar  their  property,  since  he  could  not  go

even into  the  swine,  unless  the  Saviour  permitted  him.

If the  devil  vexeth  us  or  destroyeth  our  property,

then it  so  betideth  us  for  [one  of]  two  reasons;

either God  so  punisheth  our  perverse  deeds,

or He  proveth  us  through  the  peril,

and the  fiend  shall  vanish  away  from  us,

if we  be  steadfast  in  our  faith,

and Christ  shall  drive  him  away  that  he  shall  not  harm  us,

if we  humbly  endure  the  persecution,

and ever  thank  God  without  murmuring.

Nevertheless it  will  all  happen  to  us  for  good,

if we  be  patient  and  thank  our  Lord,

and in  the  trial  pray  for  His  assistance,

who can  always  easily  deliver  us

from all  perils  of  fiendish  temptations.

Medicine is  granted  for  bodily  infirmity,

and holy  prayers,  with  God's  blessing;

and all  other  aids  are  hateful  to  God,

even as  Paul  wrote,  saying  these  words,

'Ye cannot  drink  both  our  Lord's  chalice

and the  devil's  cup  to  the  death  of  your  souls;'

and our  Lord  said,  that  '  a  man  cannot  please

two masters  at  once,  lest  be  should  despise  one;'

neither can  we  please  both  Christ  and  the  devil.

Now some  men  say  that  it  must  happen  to  them