[6-text p 674] harneys [975] ¶ The .vij. circumstaunce is in what maner he haþ don his synne or how þat sche haþ suffred þat folk han doon to hire. [976] þe same schal þe man telle pleynly alle þe circumstaunces. and wheþer he haue synned wiþ commune bordeal womman or noon. [977] or doon his synne in holy tyme or noon. in fast|yng tyme or noon. or biforn his schrifte of after his latter schrifte [978] And haþ par aduenture broken his penaunce enioyned þerfore. by whos help or by whos counseil by sorcery or by oþer craft al moste be told [979] ¶ Alle þese þinges after þay be grete or smale engreggen þe consciens of a man and eek þe prest þat is þe iugge may þe better ben auysed of his iugement in ȝiuyng of þy penaunce / and þat is after þy contricioun. [980] For vnderstonde wel þat after þe tyme þat a man haþ defouled his baptisme by synne if he wol come to sauacioun þer is noon oþer wey but penitence and schrifte of mouthe and by satisfaccioun [981] and namely by þo tuo. if þer be a confessour to which he may schryue him. and þe þridde if ȝe haue lif to parforme it.
[982] þanne schal men loke it and considre þat if he [folio 282b] wol make a trewe and a profitable confessioun þer moste be foure condiciouns [983] ¶ First it moste ben in sorweful bitternesse of herte as sayde þe king Eȝechiel to god ¶ I wol remembre me alle þe ȝeres of my lif in bitternes of myn hert. [984] Þis condicioun of bitter|nes haþ fyue signes. The first is þat confessioun moste be schamefast not for to couere ne hyde his synne but for he haþ agultid his god and defoulid his soule [985] ¶ And herof saith seint augustyn. The herte tremblith for schame of his synne. and for he hath gret schamefastnes. he is digne to haue gret mercy of god. [986] Such was þe confessioun of þe publican þat wolde nouȝt heue vp his eyȝen to heuen. For he had offendid god of heuen For which schamefastnes; he had anon þe mercy of god [987] ¶ And þere seith
