10
of man for þe gult þat he haþt doon . and no more to do ony
þing for which him oughte to pleigne
¶ And som doctour
saith . penitence is waymentynge of man þat sorweþ for his
synne and peyneþ himself for he haþ mysdoon
¶ Penitēce
wiþ certeyn cicumstaūces ; is verray repentaunce of man þat
holt himself in sorwe and in . woo for his giltes
¶ÊÊAnd for
he schal be verray penitent ; he schal first bywaile þe synnes
þat he haþ do and stedfastly prposen in his hert to hauen
schrifte of mouth . and to doon satisfaccioū
and neuer to do
þing for which him oughte more to bywayle or to cōplay-
ne . and to continue in goode werkes or elles his repentāuce
may nouȝt auayle
15
¶ For as saith seint Isidr ¶ he is a iapere
and a gabber and no verray repentaūt þat eft soone doþ
þing for which him oughte to repente ;
wepynge . and nouȝt
for to stynte to doon synne may nouȝt auayle
¶ But naþe-
les men schal hope þat at euery tyme þat men fallith . be
it neuer so ofte ; þat he may arise þorugħ penitence if he
haue gace ¶ But certeyn it is a gret doute .
For as saith
seint Gregory . Vnnethe arist he out of his synne þat is
charged wiþ þe charge of yuel vsage
¶ And þerfore repen-
taunt folk þat stinte for to synne and forlete synne er þat
synne forlete hem . holy chirche holt hem siker of her saua-
cioun .
20
And he þat synneth and verraily repentith him in
his last ende ; holy chirche ȝit hopeþ his sauacōn by þe gre-
te mercy of oure lord ihū cist / for his repentaūce . but take .
þe siker way
¶ And now siþ þat I haue declared ȝow what
þing is penitence . now schul ȝe vnderstonde þat þer ben þre
accioūs of penitence
¶ The first is þat if a man be bap-
tized after þat he haþ synned .
Seint augustyn saith . but if
he be penitent for his olde synful lif ; he may not bygȳ-
ne þe newe clene lif
¶ For certes if he be baptized wiþ-
oute penitence of his olde gilt . he receyueþ þe mark of
baptisme ; but nouȝt þe grace ne þe remissioū of his sȳnes
til he haue repentaūce verray
25
¶ Anoþer defaute is þis þt
men doon deedly synne after þat þay haue receyued bap-
tisme
¶ þe þridde defaute is þat men fallen in veni-
al synne after here baptisme fro day to day .
þer of saiþ
seint austyn ¶ That penitence of goode mē and of humble
Folk