Part 61

¶ But now 4500 [certes] sheweþ it wel how fer fro þe soþe {and} how vp so dou{n} is þis þing þat we seyn þat þe bytidinge of temp{or}el þinges is þe cause of þe eterne p{re}science. ¶ But forto wenen þat god p{ur}ueiþ þinges to comen. 4504 for þei ben to comen. what oþer þing is it but forto wene þat þilke þinges þat bitiden som tyme ben causes of þilke souereyne p{ur}ueaunce þat is i{n} god.

¶ And her-to I adde ȝitte þis þing þat ryȝt as whan þat I woot 4508 þat o þing is it byhoueþ by necessite þat þilke self þing be.

{and} eke þat whan I haue knowe þat any þi{n}ge shal bitiden so byhoueþ it by necessite þ{a}t þilk same þing bytide.

so folweþ it þan þat þe bytydynge of þe 4512 þinge Iwist by-forn ne may nat ben eschewed.

¶ And at þe last yif þat any wyȝt wene a þing to ben oþer weyes þan it is. it nys nat oonly vnscience. but it is deceiuable oppiniou{n} ful diuerse {and} fer fro þe soþe of 4516 science.

¶ wher-fore yif any þing be so to comen so þat þe bytydynge of it ne be nat certeyne ne necessarie. ¶ who may weten [byforn] þ{a}t þilke þing is to come.

¶ For ryȝt as science ne may nat be medelyd wiþ falsnesse. 4520 as who seiþ þat yif I woot a þing. it ne may nat be fals þat I ne woot it. ¶ Ryȝt so þilk þing þat is conceyued by science ne may ben noon oþ{er} weyes þan it is conceiued.

For þat is þe cause 4524 whi þat science wa{n}tiþ lesynge. as who seiþ. whi þat witynge ne receyueþ nat lesynge of þat it woot. ¶ For it byhoueþ by necessite þat euery þi{n}ge ryȝt as science co{m}p{re}hendiþ it to be.

what shal I þan sein. ¶ In 4528 whiche man{er}e knoweþ god byforn þe þinges to comen. ¶ yif þei ne be nat certeyne. [[pg 157]]

¶ For yif þat he deme þat þei ben to comen vneschewably.

{and} so may be þat it is possible þat þei ne shulle{n} *nat comen. god is 4532 desseiued. but nat only to trowen þat god is desseiued. but for to speke it wiþ mouþe it is a felonous sy{n}ne.

¶ But yif þat god woot þat ryȝt so as þinges ben to comen. so shulle þei comen. so þat he wit egaly. as 4536 who seiþ indifferently þat þinges mowen ben don or ellys nat don. what is þilke p{re}science þat ne comp{re}hendiþ no certeyne þinge ne stable.

or ellys what difference is þer bytwixe þe p{re}science. {and} þilke iape-worþi 4540 dyuynynge of Tiresie þe diuino{ur} þat seide. ¶ Al þat I seie q{uo}d he eyþer it shal be. or ellys it ne shal nat be. Or ellis how moche is worþe þe diuyne p{re}science more þan þe oppiniou{n} of mankynde yif so be þat it 4544 demeþ þe þinges vncerteyne as me{n} don. of þe whiche domes of men þe bytydynge nis nat certeyne.

¶ But yif so be þ{a}t noon vncerteyne þinge may ben in hym þat is ryȝt certeyne welle of alle þinges. þa{n} is þe 4548 bytydynge certeyne of þilke þinges whiche he haþ wist byforn fermely to come{n}.

For whiche it folweþ þat þe fredom of þe co{n}seils {and} of þe werkes of mankynde nis non syn þat þe þouȝt of god seeþ alle þinges w{i}t{h} outen 4552 erro{ur} of falsnesse byndeþ {and} co{n}streiniþ hem to a bitidynge by necessite. and yif þi{n}g be on-is grau{n}tid {and} receyued. þat is to seyn. þat þer nis no fre wille. þan sheweþ it wel how gret distrucc{i}ou{n} {and} 4556 how grete damages þer folwen of þinges of mankynde.

¶ For in ydel ben þer þan p{ur}posed and byhyȝt medes of goode folk. {and} peynes to badde folk. syn þat no moeuynge of free corage uoluntarie ne haþ nat deserued 4560 hem. þat is to seyn neiþer mede nor peyne.

¶ And it sholde seme þan þat þilke þinge is alþer worste whiche þat is nowe demed. for alþ{er} moste iuste {and} moste [[pg 158]] ryȝtful. þat is to seyn þat shrewes ben punyssed. or 4564 ellys þ{a}t good folk ben ygerdoned. þe whiche folk syn þat þe p{ro}pre wille sent hem nat to þ{a}t oon ne to þat oþer. þat is to seyn. neþer to good ne to harme. but constreineþ hem certeyne necessite of þinges 4568 to comen.

¶ þanne ne sholle{n} þer neuer ben ne neuer weren vice ne vertue. but it sholde raþer ben co{n}fusiou{n} of alle desertes medlid wiþoute discresiou{n}. ¶ And ȝitte þer folweþ an oþer i{n}co{n}uenient of þe whiche þer 4572 ne may ben þouȝt ne more felonous ne more wikke.

{and} þat is þis þat so as þe ordre of þinges is yledd {and} comeþ of þe purueaunce of god. ne þat no þing nis leueful to þe conseils of mankynde. as who seiþ þat 4576 men han no power to done no þing. ne wilne no þing. þan folweþ it þat oure vices ben refferred to þe make of alle good. as who seiþ þan folweþ it. þat god auȝt han þe blame of oure vices. syn he co{n}streiniþ by 4580 necessite to don vices.

þan nis þer no resou{n} to han hopen in god. ne forto p{re}ien to god.

¶ For what sholde any wyȝt hopen to god. or whi sholde he p{re}ien to god. syn þat þe ordenaunce of destine whiche þat ne 4584 may nat ben enclined. knytteþ {and} streiniþ alle þinges þat men may desire{n}.

¶ þan sholde þere be don awey þilke oonly alliaunce bytwixen god {and} men. þat is to seien to hopen {and} to p{re}ien.

but by þe p{re}is of ryȝtfulnesse 4588 {and} of veray mekenesse we deserue þe gerdou{n} of þe deuyne grace whiche þat is inestimable. þat is to sein þat it is so grete þat it ne may nat ben ful yp{re}ised. {and} þis is oonly þe manere. þat is to seyen hope {and} 4592 prayeres. for whiche it semeþ þat mowen speken wiþ god. {and} by resou{n} of supplicac{i}ou{n} ben conioigned [[pg 159]] to þilk clernesse þat nis nat app{ro}ched no raþer or þat men byseken it {and} emp{re}nten it.

And yif men 4596 ne wene þat ne p{re}iers ne han no strengþes. by þe necessite of þinges to comen y-resceiued. what þi{n}g is þer þan by whiche we mowen be co{n}ioygned {and} clyuen to þilke souereyne p{r}ince of þinges.

¶ For 4600 whiche it byhoueþ by necessite þat þe lynage of mankynde as *þou songe a litel here byforne ben dep{ar}ted {and} vnioyned from hys welle {and} faylen of hys bygynnynge. þat is to seien god. 4604

QUE NAM DISCORS

++What discordable cause haþ to-rent {and} vnioigned þe byndyng or þe alliaunce of þinges. þat is to seyne þe coniuncc{i}ou{n} of god {and} of man.

¶ whiche god haþ establissed so grete bataile bitwixe{n} þise two soþefast 4608 or verray þinges. þat is to sein bytwixen þe p{ur}ueaunce of god {and} fre wille. þat þei ben synguler {and} diuided. ne þat þei ne wolen nat ben medeled ne coupled to-gidre. but þer nis no discorde to verray 4612 þinges. but þei cleuen certeyne al wey to hem self.