Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/273

264 GREGORY'S PASTORAL. [Cotton MSS. Dryhtnes gast is, ðær is freodom. Gif ðonne hwelc mon forbireð his synna for ðæm ege anum ðæs wites, ðonne nafað ðæs ondrædendan monnes mod nanne gastes freodom, forðæm, gif he hit for ðæs wites ege ne forlæte, butan tweon he fullfremede ða synne. Đonne nat ðæt mod ðæt him bið friodom forgifen, ðonne hit big gebunden mid ðæs ðeowutes ege. Ðeah mon nu god onginne for sumes wites ege, hit mon sceal ðeah geendian for sumes godes lufum. Se þe for ðæm anum god deð ðæt he sumre ðreaunge yfel him ondræt, se wilnað ðætte nan ðing ne sie þe he him ondrædan ðyrfe, ðæt he ðy orsorhlicor dyrre dón unnytlicu ðing & unaliefedu. Đonne bið swiðe sweotol ðætte him ðonne losað beforan Gode his ryhtwisnes, ðonne he ðurh his agene geornfulnesse gesyngað unniedenga, ðonne bið swide sweotol ðæt he ðæt god na ne dyde ðær he hit for ðæm ege dorste forlætan. Ongean ðæt ðonne sint to manianne ða men þe swingellan ne magon forwiernan ne na gelettan hiera unryhtwisnesse. Hie bioð to ðreageanne & to swinganne mid swæ micle maran wite swæ hie ungefredelicor bioð aheardode on hiera unðeawum. Oft eac ða swylcan mon sceal forsion mid eallum forsewenissum, & unweorðian mid ælcre unweorðnesse, forðæm ðætte sio forsewenes him ege & ondrysnu on gebrenge, & eft æfterðon ðæt hiene sio godcunde manung on wege gebrenge, & hiene to hyhte gehwierfe. Đonne sint eac ðæm ilcan monnum swide ðearlice to recceanne ða godcundan cwidas, ðæt hie be ðæm oncnawen, ðonne hie geðence ðone ecean dom, to hwæm hiera agen wise wierð. Eac hie sculon gehieran ðæt on him bið gefylled Salomonnes cwide þe he cwæð, he cwæð: Đeah mon [ðu] portige ðone

the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” If, then, any man refrains from his sins merely from fear of punishment, the mind of him who fears has no spiritual freedom, because, if he had not relinquished it from fear of punishment, he would doubtlessly have carried out the sin. The mind knows not that freedom is granted to it, when it is restrained by servile fear. Although a man has begun good from the fear of some punishment, yet he ought to finish from the love of something good. He who only does good because he fears the evil of some correction, wishes not to have cause to fear anything, that he may the more carelessly dare to do useless and unlawful things. It is very evident that his righteousness before God is lost, when he sins unnecessarily of his own desire, when it is very evident that he