§ 15. The laste thing that man shal understonde in contricion is this;
wher-of avayleth contricion. I seye, that som tyme contricion delivereth a
man fro sinne; / of which that David seith: ‘I seye,’ quod David, that is
to seyn, ‘I purposed fermely to shryve me; and thow, Lord, relesedest my
sinne.’ / And right so as contricion availleth noght, with-outen sad purpos
of shrifte, if man have oportunitee, right so litel worth is shrifte or
satisfaccion with-outen contricion. /310 And more-over, contricion
destroyeth the prison of helle, and maketh wayk and feble alle the
strengthes of the develes, and restoreth the yiftes of the holy goost and
of alle gode vertues; / and it clenseth the soule of sinne, and delivereth
the soule fro the peyne of helle, and fro the companye of the devel, and
fro the servage of sinne, and restoreth it to alle godes espirituels, and
to the companye and communion of holy chirche. / And forther-over, it
maketh him that whylom was sone of ire to be sone of grace; and alle thise
thinges been preved by holy writ. / And therfore, he that wolde sette his
entente to thise thinges, he were ful wys; for soothly, he ne sholde nat
thanne in al his lyf have corage to sinne, but yeven his body and al his
herte to the service of Iesu Crist, and ther-of doon him hommage. / For
soothly, oure swete lord Iesu Crist hath spared [586] us so debonairly in
our folies, that if he ne hadde pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we
mighten alle singe. /315
308. E. Ln. a man fro; _rest om._ a. 311. E. fieble. 313. Hl. Pt.
Ln. thinges he prouith by. 314. Hl. herte (_for_ entente).
=Explicit prima pars penitentie; et sequitur secunda pars eiusdem.=
§ 16. The seconde partie of Penitence is Confession, that is signe of
contricion. / Now shul ye understonde what is Confession, and whether it
oghte nedes be doon or noon, and whiche thinges been covenable to verray
Confession. /