Chapter XXVI: Appendix: To Introduction (12)

[Sidenote: This faculty of comprehending and seeing all things as
present, God does not receive from the issue of futurities, but
from the simplicity of his own nature.]

and þis p{re}sence to co{m}p{re}henden
{and} to sen alle þinges. god ne haþ nat take{n} it of þe
bitydynge of þinges forto come. but of hys p{ro}pre symplicite.

[Linenotes:
5169 _soþenesse_--sothnesse
5170 _chaungen_--chaunge
5173 _syȝt_--syhte
5175 _wille_--wyl
5177 _wol_--wole
5179 _enterchaunge_--MS. enterchau{n}gyng, C. entrechau{n}ge
5181 _hys_--hise
5182 _somme_ (1)--su{m}
_somme_ (2)--som
5183 _syȝt_--syhte
5184 _to-forne_--to-forn
5186 [_so_]--from C.
5187 [_as_]--from C.
5188 _comiþ_--comth
5190 _haþ_--MS. haþe]

[Headnote:
AN ANSWER TO FORMER OBJECTIONS.]

[Sidenote: Here, then, is an answer to your former objection--that
it is folly to think that our future actions and events are the
causes of the prescience of God.]

¶ and her by is assoiled þilke þing þat þou 5192
puttest a litel her byforne. þat is to seyne þat it is vnworþi
þinge to seyn þat oure futures ȝeuen cause of þe
science of god

[Sidenote: For the Divine mind, embracing and comprehending all
things by a present knowledge, plans and directs all things and is
not dependent upon futurity.]

[Sidenote: [* fol. 41 _b_.]]

¶ For c{er}tys *þis strengþe of þe deuyne
science whiche þat enbraceþ alle þinge by his p{re}sentarie 5196
knowynge establisseþ manere to alle þi{n}g{us} {and} it
ne awiþ nat to lattere þinges.

[Sidenote: Since no necessity is imposed upon things by the Divine
prescience, there remains to men an inviolable freedom of will.]

{and} syn þat þise þinges
ben þus. þat is to seyn syn þat necessite nis nat in
þinges by þe deuyne p{re}science. þan is þer fredom of 5200
arbitre. þat dwelleþ hool {and} vnwemmed to mortal men.

[Sidenote: And those laws are just which assign rewards and
punishments to men possessing free-will.]

ne þe lawes ne p{ur}pose nat wikkedly meedes {and} peynes
to þe willynges of men þat ben vnbounde {and} quit of
alle necessite.

[Sidenote: Moreover, God, who sits on high, foreknows all things,
and the eternal presence of his knowledge concurs with the future
quality of our actions, dispensing rewards to good and punishments
to evil men.]

¶ And god byholder {and} forwiter of 5204
alle þinges dwelliþ aboue {and} þe p{re}sent eternite of hys
syȝt renneþ alwey wiþ þe dyuerse qualite of oure dedes
dispe{n}syng {and} ordeynynge medes to good[e] men. {and}
tourmentȝ to wicked men.

[Sidenote: Nor are our hopes and prayers reposed in, and addressed
to God in vain, which when they are sincere cannot be
inefficacious nor unsuccessful.]

ne in ydel ne i{n} veyn ne ben 5208
þer nat put in god hope {and} p{ra}yeres. þat ne mowen
nat ben vnspedful ne wiþ oute effect whan þei ben ryȝtful

[Sidenote: Resist and turn from vice--honour and love virtue,
exalt your mind to God (the truest hope), offer up your prayers
with humility.]

¶ wiþstond þan {and} eschewe þou vices. worshippe
{and} loue þou vertus. areise þi corage to ryȝtful hoopes. 5212
ȝelde þou humble p{re}iers an heyȝe.

[Sidenote: If you are sincere you will feel that you are under an
obligation to lead a good and virtuous life, inasmuch as all your
actions and works are done in the presence of an all-discerning
Judge.]

grete necessite of
prowesse {and} vertue is encharged {and} comaunded to
ȝow yif ȝe nil nat dissimulen. ¶ Syn þat ȝe worchen
{and} doon. þat is to seyn ȝoure dedes {and} ȝoure workes 5216
by-fore þe eyen of þe Iuge þat seeþ {and} demeþ alle [[pg 179]]
þinges. [To whom be goye {and} worshipe bi Infynyt
tymes / AMEN.]

EXPLICIT LIBER QUINTUS. {ET} VLTIM{US}.

[Linenotes:
5193 _seyne_--seyn
5196 _whiche_--which
5198 _awiþ_--oweth
5199 _þat is to----prescience_--omitted
5203 _vnbounde_--vnbownden
_quit_--quite
5206 _syȝt_--sihte
5207 _good[e]_--goode
5211 _wiþstond_--MS. wiþstonde, C. withstond
5213 _an heyȝe_--a heygh
_grete_--Gret
5215 _worchen_--workyn
5216 {and} (2)--or
5217 _by-fore_--by-forn
5218 [_To whom----Amen_]--from C.; MS. reads _et cetera_ after
‘þinges.’ C. ends with the following rubric:

Explicit expliceat luder{e} scriptor eat
Finito libro sit laus {et} gloria {Christ}o
Corpore scribentis sit gr{ati}a cunctipotentis]

[[pg 180]]
[Headnote:
ÆTAS PRIMA.]