Final answer:
The priest likely knows the secret sinful acts of the community members, as he presides over secret and nocturnal rites that unveil these transgressions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The given passage suggests that the priest is aware of the secret deeds and sinful acts of the community members. These secret deeds involve transgressions like speaking wanton words to young maids, giving husbands a deadly drink, youths inheriting wealth hastily, and fair damsels burying their infants in secret.
The passage portrays a situation where the priest, through secret and nocturnal rites, has come to know the hidden sins of his congregants, implying a level of hypocrisy among the seemingly pious community.
The story contrasts the public persona of holiness and the private reality of human frailty and sin.