§1.
.
DE SPECTACVLIS.
Qui status fidei, quae ratio ueritatis, quod praescriptum disciplinae inter cetera saecularium errorum etiam spectaculorum uoluptates adimat, dei serui, cognoscite, qui cum maxime ad deum acceditis, recognoscite, qui iam accessisse uos testificati et confessi estis, tne aut ignorando, aut dissimulando quis peccet.
ON SPECTACLES. Servants of God, learn what is the status of faith, what the reason of truth, what the precept of discipline, which, among the other errors of the world, deprives us also of the pleasures of the spectacles; and you who are just now approaching God, recall it; and you who have already testified and confessed that you have approached Him, (recall it also), lest anyone should sin either through ignorance or through pretense.
tanta est enim uoluptatium uis, ut et ignorantiam protelet in occasionem et conscientiam corrumpat in dissimulationem.
For so great is the power of pleasures that it both prolongs ignorance into an opportunity and corrupts conscience into pretense.
ad utrumque adhuc forsan alicui opiniones ethnicorum blandiantur, qui in ista causa aduersus nos ita argumentari consuerunt: nihil obstrepere religioni in animo et in conscientia tanta solacia extrinsecus oculorum uel aurium nec uero deum offendi oblectatione hominis, qua saluo erga deum metu et honore suo in tempore et suo in loco frui scelus non sit.
To both of these, perhaps, the opinions of the heathens may still flatter someone, who in this matter are accustomed to argue against us in this way: that such great external consolations of the eyes or ears do not at all conflict with religion in the soul and in the conscience, nor indeed is God offended by the enjoyment of man, which, as long as fear and honor toward God are preserved, it is no sin to enjoy in its own time and in its own place.
atquin hoc cum maxime paramus demonstrare, quemadmodum ista non competant uerae religioni et uero obsequio erga uerum deum.
But this is what we are preparing especially to demonstrate: how these things are not compatible with true religion and true obedience toward the true God.
sunt qui existimant Christianos, expeditum morti genus, ad hanc obstinationem abdicatione uoluptatium erudiri, quo facilius uitam contemnant amputatis quasi retinaculis eius nec desiderent, quam iam superuacuam sibi fecerunt, ut hoc consilio potius et humano prospectu, non diuino praescripto definitum existimetur.
There are some who think that Christians, a race ready for death, are trained to this obstinacy by the renunciation of pleasures, so that they may more easily despise life, its ropes, as it were, having been cut, and not long for that which they have already made superfluous to themselves, so that this may be thought to be determined by this plan and human foresight rather than by divine precept.
pigebat scilicet etiam perseuerantes tantis in uoluptatibus propter dominum mori.
It would, of course, have been tedious even for those who persevere to die for the Lord in the midst of such great pleasures!
quamquam etsi, ita esset tam apto consilio tantum obstinatio disciplinae debebat obsequium.
Although, even if it were so, the obstinacy of our discipline owed so much obedience to so fitting a plan.