Ælfric

“ Again saith the Almighty God, ' If the wicked man, and the sinful do penance for all his sins, and keep my commandments, and follow after righteousness, he shall live, and shall not die an evil death, and I will not remember any of his sins which he hath committed.' There is no sin so great that a man may not atone for it if he cease from evil, and with true contrition repent of his guilt, according to the teaching of the doctors. ”

“ The man who desires to weep for his sins, and make satisfaction for them with good, then must he diligently beware that he repeat not afterward the evil deeds. The man who after his penance reneweth his evil deeds, he so angereth God, that he is like the dog who spueth, and again eateth that which he before spued up. Nor must any man delay to amend his sins, for God hath promised to every penitent the forgiveness of his sins, but He hath promised to no procrastinator certain life until to-morrow. Let no man be ashamed to make known his sins to a teacher ”

“ I desire even to die, not guilty, nevertheless,
and I will bear forth with me my integrity,
because in nowise he dieth who is slain unto life [eternal] .'
Then wondered the judge at the woman's constancy,
that she would not confess, in such severe tortures,
that which the youth had soon said from cowardice,
and condemned them both to be put to death.
Then ran the people quickly to the spectacle
and forthwith the executioner struck the youth
who had belied himself, so that he lay headless
with one stroke, and he afterward turned
to the constant woman, desiring to slay her. ”