bot stranglinge of þine soule
¶ For certes ihū criste is al goode ; In
him is none imparfeccione ; & þerfore euer he for ȝeueþ parfytlye or elles neuer a dele .
¶ I saye note if þou be assigned to þe penitancere of certeyne sinne þt þou
ert bounden to schew him al þe remenant of þi sinnes of whiche þou hast
bue schreuen att þi Curate ; bot if it like þe of þine humylite ¶ þis is no
deperinge of schreft ;
935
ne .I. saye not þere as .I. speke of diuision of confessione
if þat þou haue lycence for to schriue þe to adiscrete & an honeste perste ; &
where þe likeþe & be þe licence eke of þine curate þt þou nemaiste wel schriue
þe of al þi sinnes
bot late no blot bue by hinde ; lete no sinne vntolde as
fer as þou haste remembrance
¶ And whan þou schalte bu schriuen of þi
Curate . Tel him eke of al þe sinnes þat þou hast done ; seþþe þou were
last y schryuen ; as þis is þe wikked entent of deuysion of schrift
¶ Also
þe verrey schrift axeþ certeyne condiciones . First þt þou schriue þe be-
þi fre wyl nouht constreyned ne for schame of folke ne for malady or suche
þinges ¶ For it is reson þat he þat trespas be his fre wiƚƚ confesse his
trespace ;
None oþere man schatel his sinne bot he him self ; ne schal noȝt
nay it or denye his sinne ; ne wreþþe hime aȝeines þe perste for his amo-
nyscheyinge to lete sinne
940
¶ þe condicion is þat þi schrift be lawful ; þt is
to sey þou þat schryueþ þe ; & eke þe perste þat hereþ þi confession bien ver-
rei in þe fayþe of holy cherche
¶ And þat aman be nouht despeirede of þe
mercie of ihū criste ; as kayme or Iudas
¶ And eke aman most accuse
him of his owen trespas ; & nouht anoþere ; bot he schal blame & wyten hī
self of his owē malice of his sinne & none oþere
Bot naþeles if anoþere
man bue encheson or entyseþ of his sinnes ; Or þat if þe state of a persoū
bu suche þoruhe whiche his sinne is agregede or elles þat he may not
pleynely schriuen him bot he tel þe persoū whiche he haþe sinned wiþ
þen maye he tel it
so þat is entent ne be not to bakbite þe person ; bot
945
¶ þou schalt not eke make no lesinge
in þi confessione ; For humilite peraduentre to seie þt þou hast done sin-
nes of whiche þou were neuer gilte
¶ For seinte seiþe ; If þou be cau-
se of humylite makest lesinge of þi self þouhe þou ne were nouȝt in
sinne a forne ȝit ert þou þan in sinne þoruhe þi lessinges
¶ þou muste
eke schewe þi sinne by þi propre mouþe bot þou be wax dōme ; & nouht
be no letter ; For þou þat hast don sinne þou schalt haue þe same con-
fesse
¶ þou schalt nouȝt eke peynte þi confession be faire & subtile
wordes to keuer þe more þi sinne ; For þan begiles þou þi self & not
þe priste ; þou most tel it platlye be it neuere so foule ne so orrible ;
þou
schalt schriue þe eke to a piste þat is discrete to counseil þe ; & eke þou
schalt nouht schriue þe for veyne glorye ne for ypocrisye nefor no cause
bott onely for þe doute of ihū criste ; & þõ hele of þi soule
950
¶ þou schalt not
eke rinne to þe piste al sodenly to tel hī þine sinne as who so telleþ a
Iape or a tale ; bo avysyly & wiþe grete deuocyon ;
& generaly schriue þe ofte .
if often faƚƚ of arise be confessione ;