Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/363

354 for Achabes freondscipe. He was geleahtrod from Gode, ðurh ðone witgan him was to gecweden: Đu fultumodest ðæm arleasum, & ðu gemengdest ðinne freondecipe wið ðone þe hatode God, & mid ðæm ðu geearnode Godes irre, ðær ða godan weorc ær næren on ðe mette; ðæt wæs ðæt ðu adydest ða bearwas of Iudea londe. Be ðæm we magon gehieran ðætte swæ micle swæ we us swiðor geðiedað & gemodsumiað to ðara yfelena monna freondscipe, ðætte we swæ micle fierr bioð ðæm hiehstan ryhte aðiedde. Eac sint to manianne ða gesibsuman ðæt hie him ne ondræden ðæt hie ðas lænan sibbe ongean hie selfe gedrefen mid ðære ðreaunga, ðonne hit tocymð ðæt hie hit sprecan sculon. Ond eft hie sint to manianne ðæt hie ðeah ða sibbe anwealge oninnan him gehealden, ða he bie utane mid ðære ðrafunga gedrefað. Ægðer ðara Dauid sæde ðæt he swiðe wærlice beheolde, ða he cwæð: Ic lufode ða þe sibbe hatedon, & ðonne ic him cidde, ðonne oncuðon hie me butan scylde. Hie oncuðon hiene for ðære cease, & he wæs ðeah hiora freond; ne aðreat hiene no ðæt he ða dysegan ne tælde, & ðeah þe hie hiene tældon, he hie lufode. Be ðys ilcan cwæð eft Paulus: Ic wolde, gif hit swæ bion meahte, ðæt ge wið ælcne monn hæfden sibbe eowres gewealdes. Forðæm he cwæð: Gif hit swæ bion meahte, and eac he cwæð: Eowres gewealdes, forðæm he wisse ðæt hit bið swiðe unieðe ægðer to donne, ge wið ðone to cidanne þe yfel deð, ge eac sibbe wið to habbanne. Ac us is swiðe micel ðearf, ðeah ðeos hwilendlice sib for ure cease gedrefed weorðe on ðara yfelena monna mode, ðæt hie ðeah on ussum eallunga gehealden sie. Forðæm he cwæð be ðære sibbe: Eowres gewealdes,

by God, when it was said to him through the prophet: “Thou helpedst the wicked man, and mingledst thy friendship with him who hated God, and therefore thou hast merited the anger of God, because the good works were not formerly found in thee; that was, that thou didst remove the groves from the land of Judah." From which we can hear, that the more we associate and agree in the friendship of the wicked, the farther we are separated from the highest righteousness. The peaceful are also to be admonished not to fear to disturb this transitory peace with themselves by severity, when they have to speak. And again, those who outwardly trouble them with severity are to be admonished to preserve peace entire within themselves notwithstanding. Both of which David said that he very carefully