Chapter XII

[Sidenote: Repentance must be sought by prayer with sorrow and
affliction. The guilty may be saved by contrition.]
Grace i{n}-nogh þe mon may haue,
Þat sy{n}neȝ þe{n}ne new, ȝif hy{m} repente,
Bot w{i}t{h} sorȝ & syt he mot hit craue,
& byde þe payne þer-to is bent, 664
Bot resou{n} of ryȝt þat con not raue,
Saueȝ eu{er} more þe i{n}nosse{n}t;
Hit is a dom þ{a}t neu{er} god gaue,
Þat eu{er} þe gyltleȝ schulde be schente. 668
Þe gyltyf may contryssyou{n} hente
& be þurȝ mercy to grace þryȝt;
Bot he to gyle þat neu{er} glente,
At i{n}-oscente is saf & ryȝte. 672

[Headnote: INNOCENTS ARE SAVED BY RIGHT.]

[Sidenote: Two sorts of people are saved, the _righteous_ and
the _innocent_. The words of David. The innocent is saved by
right.]
Ryȝt þ{us}[26] I knaw wel i{n} þis cas,
Two men to saue is god by skylle;
Þe ryȝt-wys man schal se hys face,[27]
Þe harmleȝ haþel schal com hym tylle, 676
Þe saut{er} hyt satȝ þ{us} i{n} a pace:
“Lorde quo schal klymbe þy hyȝ hylleȝ
Oþ{er} rest w{i}t{h}-i{n}ne þy holy place?”
Hymself to on-sware he is not dylle; 680
“Hondely{n}geȝ harme þat dyt not ille,
Þat is of hert boþe clene & lyȝt,
Þer schal hys step stable stylle,”
Þe i{n}nosent is ay saf by ryȝt. 684

[Sidenote 26: MS. þ{us} þ{us}.]
[Sidenote 27: MS. _fate_.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 48b.]]
[Sidenote: The words of Solomon.]
The ryȝtwys man also sertayn
Aproche he schal þ{a}t proper pyle,
Þat takeȝ not her lyf in vayne
Ne glauereȝ her nieȝbor wyth no gyle; 688
Of þys ryȝt-wys saȝ[28] salamon playn,
How kyntly oure con aquyle
By wayeȝ ful streȝt he con hym strayn,
& scheued hy{m} þe rengne of god a whyle, 692
As quo says “lo ȝon louely yle,
Þ{o}u may hit wy{n}ne if þ{o}u be wyȝte,”
Bot hardyly w{i}t{h}-oute peryle,
Þe i{n}nosent is ay saue by ryȝte! 696

[Sidenote 28: _satȝ_ (?).]

[Sidenote: David says no man living is justified.
Pray to be saved by innocence and not by right.]
An-ende ryȝtwys men, ȝet saytȝ a gome
Dauid in sauter, if eu{er} ȝe seȝ hit,
“Lorde þy seruau{n}t draȝ neuer to dome,
For[29] non lyuyunde to þe is Iustyfyet.” 700
For-þy to corte quen þ{o}u schal com,
Þer alle oure causeȝ schal be tryed,
Alegge þe ryȝt þ{o}u may be i{n}-nome,
By þys ilke spech I haue asspyed; 704
Bot he on rode þat blody dyed,
Delfully þurȝ hondeȝ þryȝt
Gyue þe to passe when þ{o}u arte tryed
By in{n}ocens & not by ryȝte. 708

[Sidenote 29: MS. _sor._]

[Headnote: CHRIST BLESSED LITTLE CHILDREN.]

[Sidenote: When Jesus was on earth, little children were brought
unto him. The disciples rebuked the parents. Christ said,
“Suffer little children to come unto me,” etc.]
Ryȝt-wysly quo con rede,
He loke on bok & be awayed
How Ih{esu}c hy{m} welke in are þede,
& burneȝ her barneȝ vnto hy{m} brayde, 712
For happe & hele þat fro hy{m} ȝede,
To touch[30] her chylder þay fayr hym prayed.
His dessypeleȝ w{i}t{h} blame let be hy{m} bede,
& wyth her resou{n}eȝ ful fele restayed; 716
Ih{esu}c þe{n}ne hem swetely sayde,
“Do way, let chylder vnto me tyȝt.
To suche is heuen-ryche arayed,”
Þe i{n}nocent is ay saf by ryȝt. 720

[Sidenote 30: MS. _touth_.]