Part 60

¶ But I ne ordeyne nat. as who seiþ. I ne graunte nat þat þis lib{er}tee be euene like in alle þinges.

forwhi in þe souereyns deuynes substau{n}ces.

þat is to *seyn in spiritȝ ¶ Iugement is 4404 more clere {and} wil nat be corumped. {and} haþ myȝt [[pg 153]] redy to speden þinges þat ben desired.

¶ But þe soules of men moten nedes ben more free whan þei loken hem in þe speculac{i}ou{n} or lokynge of þe deuyne þouȝt. {and} 4408 lasse free whan þei sliden in to þe bodies. {and} ȝit lasse free whan þei ben gadred to-gidre {and} co{m}p{re}hendid in erþely membris. but þe last seruage is whan þat þei ben ȝeue{n} to vices. {and} han yfalle fro þe possessiou{n} of 4412 hire p{ro}pre resou{n}

¶ For after þat þei han cast aweye hir eyen fro þe lyȝt of þe souereyn soþefastnesse to lowe þinges {and} dirke ¶ Anon þei dirken by þe cloude of ignoraunce {and} ben troubled by felonous talentȝ. to þe 4416 whiche talentȝ whan þei app{ro}chen {and} assenten. þei hepen {and} encresen þe seruage whiche þei han ioigned to hem self. and in þis manere þei ben caitifs fro hire p{ro}pre libertee.

þe whiche þinges naþeles þe lokynge of 4420 þe deuyne purueaunce seeþ þ{a}t alle þinges byholdeþ {and} seeþ fro et{er}ne. and ordeyneþ hem eueryche i{n} her merites. as þei ben p{ro}destinat.

{and} it is seid in grek. þat alle þinges he seeþ {and} alle þinges he hereþ. 4424

PURO CLARU{M} LUMINE.

++HOmer wiþ þe hony mouþe. þat is to seyn. homer wiþ þe swete dites syngeþ þat þe sonne is cleer by pure lyȝt. naþeles ȝit ne may it nat by þe inferme lyȝt of hys bemes breke{n} or p{er}ce{n} þe inwarde entrailes of 4428 þe erþe. or ellys of þe see.

¶ so ne seeþ nat god makere of þe grete worlde to hym þat lokeþ alle þinges from on heye ne wiþstandiþ nat no þinges by heuynesses of erþe. ne þe nyȝt ne wiþstondeþ nat to hy{m} by þe blake 4432 cloudes.

¶ þilke god seeþ i{n} o strook of þouȝt alle þinges þat ben or weren or schullen come.

¶ and þilke god for he lokeþ {and} seeþ alle þinges al oon. þou maist [[pg 154]] seyn þat he is þe verray sonne. 4436

TAMEN EGO EN INQ{UA}M.

++ÞAn seide I now am I co{n}fou{n}ded by a more harde doute þan I was. what doute is þat q{uo}d she. ¶ For certys I coniecte now by whiche þinges þou art troubled.

It semeþ q{uo}d I to repugnen {and} to contrarien 4440 gretly þat god knoweþ byforn alle þinges. {and} þat þer is any fredom of liberte.

for yif so be þat god lokeþ alle þinges byforn. ne god ne may nat ben desseiuid in no manere. þan mot it nedes ben þat alle 4444 þinges bytyden þe whiche þat þe purueaunce of god haþ sein byforn to comen.

¶ For whiche yif þat god knoweþ by-forn nat oonly þe werkes of men. but also hir conseils {and} hir willes. þan ne shal þer be no 4448 liberte of arbitre. ne certys þer ne may ben noon oþer dede ne no wille but þilke whiche þe deuyne purueaunce þat ne may nat ben desseiued haþ feled byforn

¶ For yif þat þei myȝten wryþen awey in oþer manere þan þei 4452 ben purueyed. þan ne sholde þer ben no stedfast p{re}science of þinge to comen but raþer an vncerteyn oppiniou{n}. þe whiche þinge to trowen on god I deme it felonie {and} vnleueful.

¶ Ne I ne proeue nat þilk 4456 same resou{n}. as who seiþ I ne allowe nat. or I ne p{re}ise nat þilke same resou{n} by whiche þat som men wenen þat þei mowen assoilen {and} vnknytten þe knot of þis questiou{n}. ¶ For certys þei seyn þ{a}t þing nis nat to 4460 come for þat þe purueaunce of god haþ seyn it byforn{e}. þat is to comen but raþer þe cont{ra}rie. ¶ And þat is þis þat for þat þe þing is to comen þat þerfore ne may it nat ben hyd fro þe purueaunce of god. 4464

*{and} in þis manere þis necessite slydiþ aȝein in to þe [[pg 155]] contrarie p{ar}tie. ne it ne byhoueþ nedes þat þinges bytiden þat ben ypurueid. [but it by-houeth nedes / þ{a}t thinges þ{a}t ben to comyn ben yporueyid] but as it 4468 were yt{ra}uailed.

as who seiþ. þat þilke answere p{ro}cediþ ryȝt as þouȝ men trauailden or weren bysy to enqueren þe whiche þing is cause of whiche þinges. as wheþer þe p{re}science is cause of þe necessite of þinges to 4472 comen. or ellys þat þe necessite of þi{n}ges to comen is cause of þe purueau{n}ce.

¶ But I ne enforce me nat now to shewe{n} it þat þe bytidyng of þinges y-wist byforn is necessarie. how so or in what manere þat þe ordre of 4476 causes haþ it self. al þouȝ þat it ne seme nat þat þe p{re}science brynge in necessite of bytydynge of þinges to comen.

¶ For certys yif þat any wyȝt sitteþ it byhoueþ by necessite þat þe oppiniou{n} be soþe of hym 4480 þ{a}t coniectiþ þat he sitteþ. and aȝeinward. al so is it of þe contrarie. yif þe oppiniou{n} be soþe of any wyȝt for þat he sitteþ it byhoueþ by necessite þat he sitte

¶ þan is here necessite in þat oon {and} in þ{a}t oþer. for in þat 4484 oon is necessite of sittynge.

{and} certys in þat oþer is necessite of soþe but þerfore ne sitteþ nat a wyȝt for þat þe oppiniou{n} of sittyng is soþe. but þe oppiniou{n} is raþer soþe for þat a wyȝt sitteþ by-forn.

and þus al 4488 þouȝ þ{a}t þe cause of soþe comeþ of [þe] syttyng. and nat of þe trewe oppiniou{n}. Algates ȝitte is þer comune necessite in þat oon {and} in þat oþer.

¶ þus sheweþ it þ{a}t I may make semblable skils of þe p{ur}ueau{n}ce of god 4492 {and} of þinges to come.

¶ For al þouȝ for þat þat þinges ben to comen. þer-fore ben þei p{ur}ueid. nat certys for þei ben p{ur}ueid. þer-fore ne bytide þei nat. ȝit naþeles byhoueþ it by necessite þat eiþer þe þinges to comen 4496 ben yp{ur}ueied of god. or ellys þat þe þinges þat ben p{ur}ueied of god bitiden [.s.] by necessite. ¶ And þis [[pg 156]] þing oonly suffiseþ I-nouȝ to distroien þe fredome of oure arbitre. þat is to seyn of oure fre wille