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Previous: From The Parson's Tale, paragraph 87-90: About clean widows, virgins and other ways to chastity |
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© Librarius
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© Librarius All rights reserved. |
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§ 91 Now for as muche as the seconde partie of penitence stant in confessioun of mouth, as I bigan in the firste chapitre, I seye, Seint Augustyn seith: synne is every word and every dede, and al that men coveiten, agayn the lawe of Jhesu Crist; and this is for to synne in herte, in mouth, and in dede, by thy fyve wittes, that been sighte, herynge, smellynge, tastynge or savourynge, and feelynge. Now is it good to understonde the circumstances that agreggen muchel every synne. Thou shalt considere what thow art that doost the synne, wheither thou be male or femele, yong or oold, gentil or thral, free or servant, hool or syk, wedded or sengle, ordred or unordred, wys or fool, clerk or seculeer; if she be of thy kynrede, bodily of goostly, or noon; if any of thy kynrede have synned with hire, or noon; and manye mo thinges. |
§ 91 Now forasmuch as the second part of Penitence consists of confession of mouth, as I began in the first chapter, I say, Saint Augustine says, "Sin is every word and every deed, and all that men covet, against the law of Jesus Christ; and this is to sin in heart, in mouth, and in deed, by thy five wits, that are sight, hearing, smelling, tasting or savoring, and feeling." Now is it good to understand the circumstances that aggravate much every sin. You shall consider what thou art that doest the sin, whether you be male or female, young or old, gentle or serf, free or servant, healthy or sick, married or single, in holy orders or unordered, wise or fool, clerk or secular; if she be of thy kindred, bodily or spiritually, or not; if any of thy kindred have sinned with her, or not; and many more things. |
| § 92 Another circumstaunce is this: wheither it be doon in fornicacioun or in avowtrie or noon; incest or noon; mayden or noon; in manere of homicide or noon; horrible grete synnes or smale; and how longe thou hast continued in synne. The thridde circumstaunce is the place ther thou hast do synne; wheither in oother mennes hous or in thyn owene; in feeld or in chirche or in chirchehawe; in chirche dedicaat or noon. For if the chirche be halwed, and man or womman spille his kynde inwith that place, by wey or synne or by wikked temptacioun, the chirche is entredited til it be reconsiled by the bysshop. And the preest sholde be enterdited that dide swich a vileynye; to terme of al his lif he sholde namoore synge masse, and if he dide, he sholde doon deedly synne at every time that he so songe masse. The fourthe circumstaunce is by whiche mediatours, or by whiche messagers, as for enticement, or for consentement to bere compaignye with felaweshipe; for many a swecche, for to bere compaignye, wol go to the devel of helle. Wherfore they that eggen or consenten to the synne been parteners of the synne, and of the dampnacioun of the synnere. | § 92 Another circumstance is this: whether it be done in fornication or in adultery or not, incest or not, virgin or not, in manner of homicide or not, horrible great sins or small, and how long thou hast continued in sin. The third circumstance is the place where you have done sin, whether in other men's house or in your own, in field or in church or in churchyard, in church consecrated or not. For if the church be sanctified, and man or woman spill his semen within that place by way of sin or by wicked temptation, the church is interdicted until it be reconciled by the bishop. And the priest should be interdicted that did such a villainy; to the end of all his life he should no more sing mass, and if he did, he should do deadly sin at every time that he so sang mass. The fourth circumstance is by which mediators, or by which messengers, as for enticement, or for consenting to bear company with fellowship; for many a wretch, for to bear company, will go to the devil of hell. Wherefore they that incite or consent to the sin are partners of the sin, and of the damnation of the sinner. |
| § 93 The fifthe circumstaunce is how manye tymes that he hath synne, if it be in his mynde, and how ofte that he hath falle. For he that ofte talleth in synne, he despiseth the mercy of God, and encreesseth hys synne, and is unkynde to Crist; and he wexeth the moore fieble to withstonde synne, and synneth the moore lightly, and the latter ariseth, and is the moore eschew for to shryven hym, and namely, to hym that is his confessour. For which that folk, whan they falle agayn in hir olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde confessours ol outrely, or eles they departen hir shrift in diverse places; but soothly, swich departed shrift deserveth no mercy of God of his synnes. The sixte sircumstaunce is why that a man synneth, as by which temptacioun; and if hymself procure thilke temptacioun, or by the excitynge of oother folk; or if he synne with a womman by force, or by hire owene assent; of if the womman, maugree hir heed, hath been afforced, or noon. This shal she telle: for coveitise, or for poverte, and if it was hire procurynge, or noon; and swich manere harneys. The seventhe circumstaunce is in what manere he hath doon his synne, or how that she hath suffred that folk han doon to hire. And the same shal the man telle pleynly with alle circumstaunces; and wheither he hath synned with comune bordel wommen, or noon; or doon his synne in hooly tymes, or noon; in fastyng tymes, or noon; or biforn his shrifte, or after his latter shrifte; and hath peraventure broken therfore his penance enjoyned; by whos help and whos conseil; by sorcerie or craft; al moste be toold. Alle thise thynges, after that they been grete or smale, engreggen the conscience of man. And eek the preest, that is thy juge, may the bettre been avysed of his juggement in yevynge of thy penaunce, and that is after thy contricioun. For understond wel that after tyme that a man hath defouled his baptesme by synne, if he wole come to salvacioun, ther is noon other wey but by penitence and shrifte and satisfaccioun; and namely by the two, if ther be a confessour to which he may shriven hym, and the thridde, if he have lyf to parfournen it. | § 93 The fifth circumstance is how many times that he has sinned, if it be in his mind, and how often that he has fallen. For he that often false in sin, he despises the mercy of God, and increases his sin, and is unnaturally rebellious to Christ; and he grows the more feeble to withstand sin, and sins the more easily, and the latter arises, and is the more reluctant to confess himself, and namely, to him that is his confessor. For which that folk, when they fall again in their old follies, either they abandon their old confessors all utterly or else they divide their confession in diverse places; but truly, such divided confession deserves no mercy of God of his sins. The sixth circumstance is that a man sins, as by which temptation, and if himself procure that temptation, or by the inciting of other folk; or if he sin with a woman by force, or by her own assent; or if the woman, despite her heed, has been forced, or not. This shall she tell: for greed, or for poverty, and if it was her contrivance, or not; and such sorts of circumstances. The seventh circumstance is in what manner he has done his sin, or how she has allowed what folk have done to her. And the same shall the man tell completely in full detail; and whether he has sinned with common prostitutes or not, or done his sin in holy times or not, in fasting times or not, or before his confession, or after his most recent confession, and has perhaps broken therefore his assigned penance, by whose help and whose counsel, by sorcery or craft; all must be told. All these things, according to whether they be great or small, burden the conscience of man. And also the priest, who is thy judge, can the better be advised of his judgment in giving of thy penance, and that is according to thy contrition. For understand well that after the time that a man has befouled his baptism by sin, if he will come to salvation, there is no other way but by penitence and confession and satisfaction, and namely by the two, if there be a confessor to which he may confess himself, and the third, if he have life to perform it. |
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Next: From The Parson's Tale, paragraph 94-98: The conditions to come to a true and sincere confession |
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