[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.]