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Pseudo-Cyprian

Section 3

About this work

Author: Pseudo-Cyprian

3. These are therefore an argument to stimulate virtue, not

‹ Section 2 Section 4 ›

a

permission

or

a

liberty

to

look

upon

heathen

error

,

that

by

this

consideration

the

mind

may

be

more

inflamed

to

Gospel

virtue

for

the

sake

of

the

divine

rewards

,

since

through

the

suffering

of

all

these

labours

and

pains

it

is

granted

to

attain

to

eternal

benefits

.

For

that

Elias

is

the

charioteer

of

Israel

is

no

defence

for

gazing

upon

the

public

games

;

for

he

ran

his

race

in

no

circus

.

And

that

David

in

the

presence

of

God

led

the

dances

,

is

no

sanction

for

faithful

Christians

to

occupy

seats

in

the

public

theatre

;

for

David

did

not

twist

his

limbs

about

in

obscene

movements

,

to

represent

in

his

dancing

the

story

of

Grecian

lust

.

Psalteries

,

horns

,

pipes

,

drums

,

harps

,

were

used

in

the

service

of

the

Lord

,

and

not

of

idols

.

Let

it

not

on

this

account

be

objected

that

unlawful

things

may

be

gazed

upon

;

for

by

the

artifice

of

the

devil

these

are

changed

from

things

holy

to

things

unlawful

.

Then

let

shame

demur

to

these

things

,

even

if

the

Holy

Scriptures

cannot

.

For

there

are

certain

things

wherein

the

Scripture

is

more

careful

in

giving

instruction

.

Acquiescing

in

the

claim

of

modesty

,

it

has

forbidden

more

where

it

has

been

silent

.

The

truth

,

if

it

descended

low

enough

to

deal

with

such

things

,

would

think

very

badly

of

its

faithful

votaries

.

For

very

often

,

in

matters

of

precept

,

some

things

are

advantageously

said

nothing

about

;

they

often

remind

when

they

are

expressly

forbidden

.

So

also

there

is

an

implied

silence

even

in

the

writings

of

the

Scripture

;

and

severity

speaks

in

the

place

of

precepts

;

and

reason

teaches

where

Scripture

has

held

its

peace

.

Let

every

man

only

take

counsel

with

himself

,

and

let

him

speak

consistently

with

the

character

of

his

profession

,

and

then

he

will

never

do

any

of

these

things

.

For

that

conscience

will

have

more

weight

which

shall

be

indebted

to

none

other

than

itself

.

Notes

8
“Cum persona professionis suæ loquatur.”
9
Baluzius reads with less probability “indecorum,” “anything unbecoming.” The reading adopted in the text is, according to Fell, “inde eorum.”