HKB
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Often appears with: equity, mercy, and pardon · contracts, oaths, and obligation · sin, guilt, and repentance · satisfaction · religious persecution and toleration · justice as a virtue · crime and punishment · counsel and advisers to rulers · wolf and conscience · value, price, and exchange · the nature and attributes of God · the fear of death
Usually: argument (5) · exhortation (4) · the test or trial (2) · censure (2) · detachment (2) · commentary or gloss (1) · dialogue (1) · narrative (1) · betrayal (1) · crisis of belief (1)
“He must do as doth a ship coming into a haven in the mouth of which lie secret rocks under the water on both sides.” Sir Thomas More, Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation · vivid
After confession, Israel’s hearts are humbled and an atonement is made; God remembers His covenants with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham and promises not to utterly destroy them in enemy lands.
And they shall confess their misdeeds and the misdeeds of their fathers in their trespasses which they have trespassed against me, and for that also that they have walked contrary unto me. Therefore I also will walk contrary unto them, and will bring them into the land of their enemies. And then at the least way their uncircumcised hearts shall be tamed, and then they shall make an atonement for their misdeeds. And I…
Luther attacks papal confession and penance as impossible to enumerate perfectly, reliant on attrition, and dependent on payments and priestly absolution rather than Christ and faith, producing “torture” and idolatry.
the remembrance of a concealed sin should perhaps return], this also must be repented of and confessed etc. Meanwhile they were [the person was] commended to the grace of God. Moreover, since no one could know how great the contrition ought to be in order to be sufficient before God, they gave this consolation: He who could not have contrition, at least ought to have attrition, which I may call half a contrition or …
The Parson defines penitence as grieving sin with a firm intention never to sin again, explains its three actions and three species, and lists three requirements of “very perfect penitence.”
enforces at length; waxing especially eloquent under the third head, and plainly setting forth the sternly realistic notions regarding future punishments that were entertained in the time of Chaucer:-] <3> Certes, all the sorrow that a man might make from the beginning of the world, is but a little thing, at retard of [in comparison with] the sorrow of hell. The cause why that Job calleth hell the land of darkness; …
Anthony and Vincent use the wolf’s and an ass’s post-confession penances to show conscience-driven scruples can restrain wrongdoing, until corrected by better spiritual guidance.
surely this shall be your penance, that you shall all this year never pass the price of sixpence at a meal, as near as your conscience can guess the price." Their shrift have I told you, as Mother Maud told it to us. But now serveth for our matter the conscience of them both in the true performing of their penance. The poor ass after his shrift, when he waxed an-hungered, saw a sow lie with her pigs, well lapped in …
After confession, the wolf refuses to eat scavenged horses because he cannot value prey under his sixpence penance, but he finally eats a cow and calf once he sets prices.
of conscience withdrew him and held him back, because he would not, for breaking of his penance, take any prey for his mealtide that should pass the price of sixpence. It happed him then, as he walked prowling for his gear about, that he came where a man had, a few days before, cast off two old lean and lame horses, so sick that no flesh was there left upon them. And the one, when the wolf came by, could scant stand…
The narrator argues that fear from scrupulous conscience can be better than an overly flexible self-made conscience, and urges consulting a good pilot-like counselor, especially at confession.
fancy--now drawing it narrow, now stretching it in breadth, after the manner of a leather thong--to serve on every side for his own commodity, as did here the wily wolf. But such folk are out of tribulation, and comfort need they none, and therefore are they out of our matter. But he who is in the night's fear of his own scrupulous conscience, let him well beware, as I said, that the devil draw him not, for wearines…
A Christian should see wealth as temporary, weigh divine judgment and hell/heaven, keep humility through confession and solitary prayer, and then use prosperity steadily without dreading temptation’s “arrow.”
methinketh this rich man much more than mad if, for the wealth of a little while--haply less than one week--he reckon himself in earnest any better than the beggar's fellow. And less than thus can no man think, who hath any natural wit and well useth it. But now a Christian man, cousin, who hath the light of faith, he cannot fail to think much further in this thing. For he will think not only upon his bare coming hi…
Aulus and Phaedrus introduce a horse-rental cheating tale: Phaedrus says he is recently from confession and recounts being sold a “strong” gelding that quickly tires, though it looked good.
*Aul.* It may be he would have cheated his Brother. *Ph.* He leads me into the Stable, and bids me chuse which I would out of them all. At last I pitch'd upon one that I lik'd better than the rest. He commends my Judgment, protesting that a great many Persons had had a Mind to that Horse; but he resolved to keep him rather for a singular Friend, than sell him to a Stranger. I agreed with him as to the Price, paid hi…