From Journey to the East, by Hermann Hesse:
The Acquittal of Self-Accuser H

"I had not only lost the ring and had not once missed it, but during all those dreadful years I had also no longer repeated the four basic precepts or thought of them. Immediately, I tried to say them again inwardly. I had an idea what they were, they were still within me, they belonged to me as does a name which one will remember in a moment but at that particular moment cannot be recalled. No it remained silent within me, I could not repeat the rules, I had forgotten the wording. I had forgotten the rules; for many years I had not repeated them, for many years I had not observed them and held them sacred - and yet I had considered myself a loyal League brother.

The Speaker patted my arm kindly when he observed my dismay and deep shame. Then I heard the President speak again:

'Defendant and self-accuser H., you are acquitted, but I have to tell you that it is the duty of a brother who is acquitted in such a case to enter the ranks of the officials and occupy one of their seats as soon as he has passed a test of his faith and obedience. He has the option of choosing the test. Now, brother H., answer my questions!

'Are you prepared to tame a wild dog as a test of your faith?'

'No, I could not do it,' I cried, moving away.

'Are you prepared and willing to burn the League's archives immediately at our command, as our Speaker burns a portion of them now before your eyes?'

The Speaker stepped forward, plunged his hands into the well-arranged filing cabinets, drew out both hands full of papers, many hundreds of papers, and to my horror burnt them over a coal-pan.

'No,' I said, drawing back, 'I could not do that either.'

'Cave, frater,' cried the President. 'Take heed, impetuous brother! I have begun with the easiest tasks which require the smallest amount of faith. Each succeeding task will be increasingly difficult. Answer me: are you prepared and willing to consult our archives about yourself?'

I went cold and held my breath, but I had understood. Each question would become more and more difficult; there was no escape except into what was still worse. Breathing deeply, I stood up and said yes."

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