Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/85

76 ða oðre wiers besmite gif hio hiere onhrinð. Forðæm wæs ðurh ðone witgan gecweden : Doð eow clæne, ge þe berað Godes fatu. Đa ðvonne berað Godes fatu, ða þe oðerra monna saula underfooð to lædonne on ða triowa hiera agenra geearnunga to ðæm innemestan halignessum. Geðencen hie ðonne betweoh him selfum hu swiðe hie sculon beon geclænsode ða þe berað on hiera greadum ða á libbendan fatu to ðæm ecean temple on hiera agenre [ægenne] borg. Forðy wæs ðurh þa halgan stemne beboden ðætte on Arones breostum sceolde beon awriten sio racu ðæs domes on ðæm hrægle be mon hæt rationale, & mid nostlum gebunden, forðæm ðætte sio oferflownes ðara geðohta ne meahte ofsittan þæs sacerdes heortan, ac hio sceolde beon gebunden mid ðære ilcan race, ðætte he ne ðohte naht ungesceadwislices ne unnytlices. Forðæm he bið gesett to bisene oðrum monnum, simle he sceal ætiewan on his lifes gestæððignesse hu micle gesceadwisnesse he bere on his breostum. On ðæm selfan hrægle, þe he on his breostum wæg, wæs eac awriten ða naman ðara twelf heahfædra. Đonne bið se sacerd swiðe untællice awriten ðara fædra naman on his breostum, ðonne he singallice geðencð hiora lifes bisene. Đonne stæpð se sacerd swiðe tælleaslice on ðone weg, ðonne he þa bisene ðara forðgefarenra fædra geornlice & unablinnendlice sceawað, & on ðæt swæð ðara haligra singallice winnað to spyrianne, & unalifede geðohtas ofðrycð, ðylæs he ofer ðone ðerscold his endebyrdnesse stæppe. Swiðe ryhte is ðæt hrægl gehaten, ðæt se sacerd beran sceolde ðæs domes racu, forðon se sacerd sceolde & gitt sceal simle smealice geðencean ðæt he cunne god & yfel tosceadan, & siððan geornlice geðence hu he gehwelcne læran scile & hwonne, & hwæt him gecopust sie, & nowuht him selfum

other worse if it touches it. Hence it was said through the prophet: "Purify yourselves, ye who bear God's vessels." They bear God's vessels who undertake the guidance of other men's souls in the faith of their own merits to the inmost sanctuary. Let those consider among themselves how pure they ought to be who carry in their breasts the ever-living vessels to the eternal temple on their own responsibility. Therefore it was commanded by the holy voice that an account of judgment was to be inscribed on Aaron's breast on the robe called rationale and bound with fillets, that the flood of thoughts might not overwhelm the priest's heart, but it was to be bound by that same account not to entertain foolish or useless thoughts. Since