[6-text p 677] þou hast ben schryuen of þy curate but if it like þe of þin humilite. þis is no departyng of schrifte [1009] ne I ne say not þere as I speke of diuisioun of confes|sioun [folio 283b] þat if þou haue licence to schryue þe to a discret and to an honest prest wher þe likith and eek by þe licence of þy curate þat þou ne maist wel schriue þe to him of alle þyn synnes. [1010] but let no synne be byhinde vntold as fer as þou hast remem|braunce. [1011] and whan þou schalt þe schriue to þi curate; telle him eeke al þy synne þat þou hast doo sith þou were last I-schryue. Þis is no wikkid entent of diuisioun of schrifte
[1012] ¶ Also þy verrey schrifte askith certeyn con|diciouns. First þat þou schriue þe by þy fre wille nouȝt constreyned ne for schame of folk ne for maladye or such þing. for is resoun þat he þat trespassith wiþ his fre wille . . . [no gap in the MS.] confesse his trespas. [1013] noon oþer man schal telle his synne but himself. ne he schal not nayte or denye his synne ne wraþþe him with þe prest for his amonestynge to lete synne [1014] ¶ The secounde condicioun is þat þy schrifte be laweful þat is to sayn þat þou þat schriuest þe and eek þe prest þat herith þy confessioun ben verrayly in þe feith of holy chirche [1015] and þat a man be nought despaired of þe mercy of Ihū crist/ as caym or Iudas. [1016] and eek a man moot accuse himself of his owne trespas and not another; but he schal blame and wite himself and his oughne malice of his synne / and noon other [1017] ¶ But naþeless if þat anoþer man by occasioun or ellis enticer of his synne or þat þe estate of a persone be such þurgh which his synne aggreggith or elles þat he may not playnly schryue hym but he telle þe persone wiþ which he haþ synned þanne may he telle it [1018] so þat his entent be nouȝt to bakbyte þe persone; but oonly to declare his con|fessioun
