¶ Certys resou{n} sheweþ þat god is so goode þat it p{ro}ueþ by verray force þat p{er}fit 2488 goode is in hym. [Sidenote: If it were not so He could not be the Ruler of all things, for there would be some other being excelling him who possesses the supreme good and who must have existed before Him.] ¶ For yif god ne is swiche. he ne may nat ben p{r}ince of alle þinges. for certis som þing possessyng in hy{m} self p{er}fit goode sholde ben more þan god. {and} [it] sholde seme þat þilke þing were first 2492 {and} elder þan god. [Sidenote: And we have already shown that the perfect precedes the imperfect;] ¶ For we han shewed ap{er}tly þat alle þinges þat ben p{er}fit. ben first or þinges þat ben inperfit. [Linenotes: 2453 _whiche_--which 2454-55-56-58-59 _goode_--good 2454 _whiche_--whych 2457 _set_--MS. sette, C. set 2460 _seine_--seyn _souereyne goode_--souereyn good _be founden_--ben fownde 2461 _veyne_--veyn 2463 _þis is to seyne_--C. omits 2464 _denoyed_--MS. deuoyded, C. denoyed _goode_--good 2465 _of_--MS. of of 2466 _al þing_--alle thing 2468 _her of comeþ_--ther of comht 2470 _somme_--som 2471 _don_--MS. done, C. don 2473 _token_--took 2475 _hool_--hoole 2476 _doune_--down 2477 _wiþ oute fruyt_--w{i}t{h} owten frut 2480 _stedfast_--stydefast 2481 _fermely_--MS. fennely, C. fermely _soþefastly_--sothfastly 2486 [_he þat_]--from C. _is bettre_--nis bettr{e} 2488-89-91 _goode_--good 2489 _swiche_--swych 2492 [_it_]--from C. _seme_--semen 2493 _elder_--elder{e}] [Headnote: GOD THE SOURCE OF TRUE FELICITY.] [Sidenote: wherefore, that our reasonings may not run on with infinity, we must confess that the Supreme God is full of perfect and consummate good.] ¶ And for þi for as moche as [that] my resou{n} or my p{ro}ces ne go nat awey wiþoute an ende. we 2496 ouȝt[e] to graunten þat þe souereyne god is ryȝt ful of souereyne p{er}fit goode. [[pg 90]] [Sidenote: And as we have seen that the perfect good is true happiness, it follows that the true felicity resides in the Supreme Divinity.] and we han establissed þat þe souereyne goode is verrey blisfulnesse. þan mot it nedes ben [þ{a}t verray blysfulnesse is] yset i{n} souereyne god. 2500 _B._ þis take I wel q{uo}d .I. ne þis ne may nat be wiþseid in no manere. [Sidenote: But let us see how we can firmly and irrefragably prove that the Supreme God contains in his own nature a plenitude of perfect and consummate good.]