1. Cyprian to the congregation who stand fast in the Gospel, sends greeting. As it greatly saddens me, and deeply afflicts my soul, when no opportunit

 2. Believers, and men who claim for themselves the authority of the Christian name, are not ashamed—are not, I repeat, ashamed to find a defence in th

 3. These are therefore an argument to stimulate virtue, not a permission or a liberty to look upon heathen error, that by this consideration the mind

 4. What has Scripture interdicted?  Certainly it has forbidden gazing upon what it forbids to be done. It condemned, I say, all those kinds of exhibit

 5. What is the need of prosecuting the subject further, or of describing the unnatural kinds of sacrifices in the public shows, among which sometimes

 6. But now to pass from this to the shameless corruption of the stage. I am ashamed to tell what things are said I am even ashamed to denounce the th

 7. It is not sufficient for lust to make use of its present means of mischief, unless by the exhibition it makes its own that in which a former age ha

 8. Now that other folly of others is an obvious source of advantage to idle men and the first victory is for the belly to be able to crave food beyon

 9. The Christian has nobler exhibitions, if he wishes for them. He has true and profitable pleasures, if he will recollect himself. And to say nothing

 10. Let the faithful Christian, I say, devote himself to the sacred Scriptures, and there he shall find worthy exhibitions for his faith. He will see

1. Cyprian to the congregation who stand fast in the Gospel, sends greeting. As it greatly saddens me, and deeply afflicts my soul, when no opportunity of writing to you is presented to me, for it is my loss not to hold converse with you; so nothing restores to me such joyfulness and hilarity, as when that opportunity is once more afforded me. I think that I am with you when I am speaking to you by letter. Although, therefore, I know that you are satisfied that what I tell you is even as I say, and that you have no doubt of the truth of my words, nevertheless an actual proof will also attest the reality of the matter. For my affection (for you) is proved, when absolutely no opportunity (of writing) is passed over. However certain I may be, then, that you are no less respectable in the conduct of your life than faithful in respect of your sacramental vow;2    “In sacramento.” still, since there are not wanting smooth-tongued advocates of vice, and indulgent patrons who afford authority to vices, and, what is worse, convert the rebuke of the heavenly Scriptures into an advocacy of crimes; as if the pleasure derived from the public exhibitions might be sought after as being innocent, by way of a mental relaxation;—for thereby the vigour of ecclesiastical discipline is so relaxed, and is so deteriorated by all the languor of vice that it is no longer apology, but authority, that is given for wickedness,—it seemed good in a few words not now to instruct you, but to admonish you who are instructed, lest, because the wounds are badly bound up, they should break through the cicatrix of their closed soundness. For no mischief is put an end to with so much difficulty but that its recurrence is easy, so long as it is both maintained by the consent, and caressed by the excuses3    Elucidation I. of the multitude.

I. CYPRIANUS plebi in Evangelio stanti salutem. Ut me satis contristat et animum meum graviter affligit cum nulla mihi scribendi ad vos porrigitur occasio, 0781B detrimentum est enim meum vobiscum non colloqui, ita nihil mihi tantam laetitiam hilaritatemque restituit quam cum adest rursus occasio. Vobiscum me esse arbitror cum vobis per litteras loquor. Quamquam igitur ita se haec habere quae dico certos vos esse sciam nec quicquam de verborum meorum veritate dubitare, tamen etiam argumentum sinceritatem rei asserit. Nam, cum nulla prorsus praeteritur occasio, probatur affectio. Quamvis ergo certus sim vos non minus esse in vitae actu graves quam in sacramento fideles, tamen, quoniam non desunt vitiorum assertores blandi et indulgentes patroni qui praestant vitiis auctoritatem et, quod est deterius, censuram Scripturarum coelestium in advocationem criminum convertunt, quasi sicut innocens spectaculorum ad remissionem 0781C animi appetatur voluptas: nam et eo usque enervatus est ecclesiasticae disciplinae vigor et ita omni languore vitiorum praecipitatur in pejus, ut jam non vitiis excusatio sed auctoritas detur, placuit paucis vos nunc non instruere, sed instructos admonere, ne, quia male sunt vincta vulnera, sanitatis obductae perrumpant cicatricem. Nullum enim malum difficilius extinguitur quam quod faciles reditus habet, dum et multitudinis consensu asseritur, et excusatione blanditur.