Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/393

 even as  it  was  determined  for  them  and  ordained  from  the  beginning,

and that  they  cannot  avoid  acting  amiss.

Now say  we  of  a  truth,  if  it  is  to  be  so,

[that it  is  a  useless  command]  which  God  commanded   through

David, Declina  a  malo  et  fac  honum :

Turn from  evil  and  do  good:'  and  again  the  Apostle  saith,

' How  much  the  more  a  man  laboureth  for  God,  so  much  better reward  shall  he  have : '

if each  man's  life  can  ever  take  such  a  course

that he  cannot  turn  aside  from  shameful  deeds,

then it  is  unjust  for  the  unrighteous  to  receive

any punishment  for  their  wickedness.

Likewise the  good  are  unjustly  honoured,

if it  can  be  true  that  it  was  so  determined  for  them ;

and we  labour  in  vain  in   our  service,

either in  alms,  or  in  other  deeds,

if we  have  no  more  reward  from  our  Lord  for  it,

than those  reckless  men  who  live  without  consideration,

and go  in  all  things  by  their  own  will,

and spend  their  lives  in  their  own  pleasures.

God Almighty  formed  many  creatures,

and gave  to  none  of  them  their  own  freedom

or reason,  save  to  the  shining  angels

and to  men,  of  the  creatures  whom  He  formed  by  His  hands.

These two  creations  possess  reason,

and every  man  hath  his  own  freedom,

so that  he  knoweth  what  he  willeth,  and  knoweth  what  he  nilleth,

but nevertheless  God  compelleth  us  not  to  do  good,

neither doth  He  debar  us  from  working  evil,