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a melody of such things, bewitching, and softening the firmness of the mind, and preparing the souls of those sitting there for the plots of harlots, and making them easily captured, by these things separating them from Christ? For if here, where there are psalms, and prayers, and the hearing of divine oracles, and the fear of God, and great reverence, desire has often crept in secretly, like some evil robber; how could those sitting in the theater, seeing and hearing nothing wholesome, but full of much shamefulness, much foolishness, and being besieged on all sides, both through their ears and through their eyes, be able to become superior to that wicked desire? And not being able, how will they be able to be freed from the charges of adultery? And those not freed from the charges of adultery, how will they be able, without repentance, to set foot on these holy portals, and to partake of this goodly assembly? Wherefore I exhort and beseech, that you first wipe away by confession and repentance and all other things the sin from that spectacle, and so listen to the divine oracles. For it is no common sin that has been committed by us; and this one may see clearly from examples. For if some servant, into a chest where his master's costly and golden garments were laid up, should put a servile garment full of filth and many lice, would you bear the insult meekly, tell me? And what if, into a golden vessel accustomed to always hold perfumes, someone poured in dung and mire, would you not also inflict blows on the one who committed this offense? Shall we then take so much care for chests, and vessels, and garments, and perfumes, and consider our soul to be cheaper than all these? and where the spiritual perfume was poured in, shall we cast in diabolical pomps, and satanic hearings, and songs full of fornication? And how will God bear these things, tell me? And yet the difference is not so great between perfume and mire, and between master's and servant's garments, as the difference between spiritual grace and this wicked energy. Do you not fear, O man, seeing with the same eyes both the couch upon the stage, where the abominable dramas of adultery are performed, and this sacred table, where the awful mysteries are celebrated? hearing with the same ears a harlot speaking shamefully, and a Prophet and an Apostle initiating you into the mysteries; with the same heart receiving the poisonous drugs, and the awful sacrifice? Is it not from hence that come the subversions of lives, and corruptions of marriages, and wars, and battles in the homes? For when you are dissolute from that spectacle, and have become more wanton and more licentious and an enemy of all self-control, when you return and see your own wife, you will certainly see her more disagreeably, whatever she may be like. For having been inflamed by the desire in the theaters, and captivated by that foreign, bewitching spectacle, you dishonor, insult, and cover with a thousand reproaches your modest and well-ordered wife and partner of your whole life, having nothing at all to accuse her of, but ashamed to speak of your passion and to show the wound which you brought back from there, you weave other pretexts, seeking irrational grounds for hatred, and while despising everything at home, you gape after that foul and unclean desire from which you received the wound; and having the echo of her voice still sounding in your soul, and her form, and her glance, and her movements, and all the images of prostitution, you see nothing with pleasure of what is in your house. And why do I say your wife and your house? For you will also see the church itself more disagreeably, and you will listen with hatred to the words concerning self-control, concerning decency. For what is said will no longer be teaching for you, but an accusation, and being gradually dragged down into despair, you will completely tear yourself away from this commonly beneficial teaching. For this reason I beseech all of you, both to flee the wicked pastimes in the theaters yourselves, and to drag away from there those who are occupied with these things. For it is not recreation, but destruction, and

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τοιούτων μελῳδία καταγοητεύουσα, καὶ τὸ στεῤῥὸν τῆς διανοίας καταμαλάττουσα, καὶ ταῖς τῶν πορνῶν ἐπιβουλαῖς προευτρεπίζουσα τὰς τῶν καθημένων ψυχὰς, καὶ εὐαλώτους ποιοῦσα, δι' αὐτῶν διαστήσασα τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Εἰ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα, ὅπου ψαλμοὶ, καὶ εὐχαὶ, καὶ θείων λογίων ἀκρόασις, καὶ Θεοῦ φόβος, καὶ εὐλάβεια πολλὴ, πολλάκις, ὥσπερ τις λῃστὴς κακοῦργος, λαθοῦσα ἐπεισῆλθεν ἐπιθυμία· πῶς οἱ ἐν θεάτρῳ καθήμενοι, καὶ μηδὲν μήτε ὁρῶντες, μήτε ἀκούοντες ὑγιὲς, ἀλλὰ πολλῆς γέμοντες αἰσχρότητος, πολλῆς τῆς βλακείας, καὶ διὰ πάντων πολιορκούμενοι, καὶ δι' ὤτων, καὶ δι' ὀφθαλμῶν, δύναιντ' ἂν ἀνώτεροι γενέσθαι τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐκείνης ἐπιθυμίας; μὴ δυνάμενοι δὲ, πῶς δυνήσονται τῶν τῆς μοιχείας ἐγκλημάτων ἀπηλλάχθαι; οἱ δὲ τῶν τῆς μοιχείας ἐγκλημάτων οὐκ ἀπηλλαγμένοι, πῶς δυνήσονται χωρὶς μετανοίας τῶν ἁγίων τούτων ἐπιβῆναι προθύρων, καὶ τοῦ καλοῦ τούτου μετασχεῖν συλλόγου; ∆ιὸ δὴ παραινῶ καὶ δέομαι, πρότερον ἐξομολογήσει καὶ μετανοίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἀποσμηξαμένους τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἐκεῖ θεωρίας ἁμαρτίαν, οὕτω τῶν θείων ἀκροᾶσθαι λογίων. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ τυχὸν ἡμῖν πεπλημμέληται· καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκ παραδειγμάτων ἴδοι τις ἂν σαφῶς. Εἰ γάρ τις οἰκέτης εἰς κιβώτιον, ἔνθα τὰ δεσποτικὰ ἱμάτια ἐναπέκειτο πολυτελῆ καὶ διάχρυσα, ἱμάτιον δουλικὸν ῥύπου γέμον καὶ πολλῶν τῶν φθειρῶν ἐναπέθετο, ἆρα ἂν πράως ἤνεγκας τὴν ὕβριν, εἰπέ μοι; Τί δὲ, εἴ τις εἰς ἀγγεῖον χρυσοῦν μύρα διηνεκῶς ἔχειν εἰωθὸς, κόπρον καὶ βόρβορον ἐνέχεεν, οὐκ ἂν καὶ πληγὰς ἐπέθηκας τῷ πλημμελήσαντι τοῦτο; Εἶτα κιβωτίων μὲν, καὶ σκευῶν, καὶ ἱματίων, καὶ μύρων τοσαύτην ποιησόμεθα πρόνοιαν, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν τὴν ἡμετέραν πάντων τούτων εὐτελεστέραν εἶναι νομιοῦμεν; καὶ ἔνθα τὸ μύρον τὸ πνευματικὸν εἰσεχύθη, διαβολικὰς πομπὰς ἐπεμβαλοῦμεν, καὶ ἀκούσματα σατανικὰ, καὶ ᾄσματα πορνείας γέμοντα; Καὶ πῶς ταῦτα ὁ Θεὸς οἴσει, εἰπέ μοι; Καίτοι οὐ τοσοῦτον τὸ μέσον μύρου καὶ βορβόρου, καὶ ἱματίων δεσποτικῶν καὶ δουλικῶν, ὅσον τὸ μέσον τῆς πνευματικῆς χάριτος καὶ ταύτης τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐνεργείας. Οὐ δέδοικας, ἄνθρωπε, τοῖς αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τὴν κλίνην τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ὀρχήστρας βλέπων, ἔνθα τὰ μυσαρὰ τελεῖται τῆς μοιχείας δράματα, καὶ τὴν τράπεζαν ταύτην τὴν ἱερὰν, ἔνθα τὰ φρικτὰ τελεῖται μυστήρια; ταῖς αὐταῖς ἀκοαῖς πόρνης ἀκούων αἰσχρολογούσης, καὶ Προφήτου καὶ Ἀποστόλου σε μυσταγωγοῦντος· τῇ αὐτῇ καρδίᾳ τὰ δηλητήρια δεχόμενος φάρμακα, καὶ τὴν θυσίαν τὴν φρικτήν; Οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν ἀνατροπαὶ βίων, καὶ διαφθο56.544 ραὶ γάμων, καὶ πόλεμοι, καὶ μάχαι ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις; Ὅταν γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκεῖ θεωρίας διαχυθῇς, καὶ χαυνότερος γενόμενος καὶ ἀσελγέστερος καὶ σωφροσύνης ἁπάσης ἐχθρὸς, ἐπανελθὼν ἴδῃς τὴν γυναῖκα τὴν ἰδίαν, ἀηδέστερον ὄψει πάντως, οἵα ἂν ᾖ. Ὑπὸ γὰρ τῆς ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις ἐμπρησθεὶς ἐπιθυμίας, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ξένης ἐκείνης θεωρίας ἁλοὺς τῆς γεγοητευμένης, τὴν σώφρονα καὶ κοσμίαν καὶ τοῦ βίου παντὸς κοινωνὸν ἀτιμάζεις, ὑβρίζεις, μυρίοις περιβάλλεις ὀνείδεσιν, οὐδὲν ἔχων ὅλως ἐγκαλέσαι, ἀλλ' αἰσχυνόμενος τὸ πάθος εἰπεῖν καὶ τὸ τραῦμα δεῖξαι, ὅπερ ἐκεῖθεν λαβὼν ἐπανῆλθες, ἑτέρας πλέκεις προφάσεις, ἀφορμὰς ζητῶν ἀπεχθείας ἀλόγους, καὶ τῶν μὲν οἴκοι πάντων ὑπερορῶν, πρὸς δὲ τὴν μιαρὰν καὶ ἀκάθαρτον κεχηνὼς ἐκείνην ἐπιθυμίαν, παρ' ἧς τὸ τραῦμα ἐδέξω· καὶ τὴν ἠχὴν τῆς φωνῆς ἔχων ἐγκαθημένην τῇ ψυχῇ ἔναυλον, καὶ τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ τὸ βλέμμα, καὶ τὰ κινήματα, καὶ πάντα τῆς πορνείας τὰ εἴδωλα, οὐδὲν μεθ' ἡδονῆς ὁρᾷς τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκίας. Καὶ τί λέγω τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν; Καὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν γὰρ αὐτὴν ἀηδέστερον ὄψει, καὶ ῥημάτων ἀπεχθῶς ἀκούσῃ τῶν περὶ σωφροσύνης, τῶν περὶ σεμνότητος. Οὐκέτι γὰρ ἔσται σοι διδασκαλία, ἀλλὰ κατηγορία τὰ λεγόμενα, καὶ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν κατὰ μικρὸν ὑποσυρεὶς, τέλεον ἑαυτὸν ἀποῤῥήξεις τῆς κοινωφελοῦς ταύτης διδασκαλίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ πάντας ὑμᾶς, αὐτούς τε φεύγειν τὰς πονηρὰς ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις διατριβὰς, καὶ τοὺς ἐσχολακότας τούτοις ἐκεῖθεν ἀφέλκειν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι ψυχαγωγία, ἀλλ' ὄλεθρος, καὶ