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_.]