[6-text p 675] seint Augustyn that swiche shamefaste folke ben nexte foryefnesse & remission // [988] Another signe is humylite of Confession / Of which seith seint Petir: humbleth yow vnder the myght of god / the hond of god is myghty in confession; For therby god foryeueth the synnes For he allone hath the power / [989] And this humylyte shall ben in hert & in signe outwarde / For right as he hath humylyte to god in hert; right so sholde he humble his body outwarde to the preest thatte sitte in goddis place / [990] For whiche in no maner sith that criste ys souereyn & the preest mene & mediatour bi|twixe criste & the synnere / & the synner is the laste by wey of reson / [991] thanne sholde nat the synner sitte as hye as his confessours. but knele byforn hym. or at his feet. but if maladye distorbed it / For he shalle nat take kepe who sitte there. but in whoos place that he sitteth // [992] A man that hath trespased to a lorde / & cometh for to axe mercy & maken his acorde & sette hym doun by the lorde; men wolde holden hym outrageous & nat worthy so sone for to haue remission ne mercy [993] The thridde signe is. that thy shrifte sholde be full of teeris. if men may. & if he may nat wepe with his bodely eyen; late hym wepe in his herte / [994] swiche was the confession of seint Petir / For after that he hadde forsake ihesu criste; he wente oute & weepe bitterly [995] The ferthe signe is / that he ne lette nat for his shame to shewe his confession / [996] Swiche was the confession of the Mawdeleyne that ne spared for no shame of hem that weren atte feste for to goo to oure lorde ihesu criste & byknowe to hym hir synne // [997] The fifte signe is that a man or woman be obeissaunt to receyue the penaunz that hym is enyoyned / For certes Ihesu criste for the giltes of o man [Christ Church MS folio 275b] was obedient to his deeth /
[998] The seconde condicion of verrey confession is that it be hastely don / For certes if a man hadde a dedly wounde. euer the lenger that he tarieth to warisse
