About the spectacles

In his treatise “On Spectacles” (30 chapters, 197-202), Tertullian discusses the issue of Christians being prohibited from attending pagan spectacles. The reason for writing was the famous games that were given throughout the empire in 198 on the occasion of the victories won by Septimius Severus over the enemy. Tertullian writes that the origin of spectacles, their staging, names, places, and method of presentation are closely related to idolatry; and since Christians have renounced idolatry, they are not allowed to attend such events. The author comes to the conclusion that they are incompatible with Christian holiness, since they contradict Christian chastity and threaten morality, arousing the lowest passions. The pleasures of Christians are completely different - pure, spiritual. In the final chapter, the author gives a vivid image of the greatest spectacle - the Second Coming of the Lord and the Last Judgment. *The title of the work in Latin is De spectaculis. Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Faithful servants of Jesus Christ! You, the catechumens, who wish to soon unite with Him through baptism, and you, Christians, who have already believed in Him and are participating in His sacraments! Following the rules of faith, the principles of truth and the laws of decorum, understand your duty to distance yourself from all spectacles, as well as from the madness of this age. Learn not to sin either out of ignorance or out of pretense. The power of pleasure is so great that on occasion it attracts the ignorant to itself, and forces others to betray their own conscience: a double misfortune that happens very often! There are people who, tempted by the flattering but false rules of the pagans, reason like this: there is nothing contrary to religion in the pleasure that is given to the eyes and ears, because the soul does not suffer from it at all; God cannot be offended by such amusement, in the midst of which a person retains fear and due reverence for his Lord. A dream, my beloved brothers, a dangerous delusion, very contrary to both the truth of religion and perfect obedience to our God! This is what I have decided to prove to you here indisputably. Others think that a Christian, that is, a person who must always be prepared for death, abstains from pleasure solely out of cowardice. How is this? That's it, they say. As Christians in general are a vile and timid people: they try in every possible way to strengthen themselves against threats of death. In order to be able to despise life, they insensitively destroy the ties that most tie us to it, and therefore find less worries at the end of their days and less effort to leave such a thing that they have already made for themselves, as it were, useless: they thus die with less regret. Hence comes the stoic constancy they show during the torments they endure; but it is more an act of human prudence than true obedience to the commandments of God. It is known that those of them who enjoyed these amusements for a long time almost always expressed extreme difficulty in dying for Jesus Christ. - So be it! At least such foresight was not useless, because it produced that amazing generosity that placed them above all the horrors of death. Here is another empty excuse given by many people. God, they say, created all things in the world and gave them as a gift to man (we also admit this). And since all things are good because the Creator of them is essentially good, then in that number we should also include everything that belongs to spectacles, which are the essence: the circus, lions, bodily powers and pleasant voices. One cannot consider what He Himself created to be contrary to the will of God. Therefore, the servants of God should not run away from what the Lord does not hate them. Thus, it cannot be argued that the Lord condemned amphitheaters, because He created stones and cements and marble and columns. In general, games and shows take place in the sky, which was also created by God. - O human ignorance! How many vain reasons do you invent, especially when it comes to the loss of any pleasure! Indeed, many move away from the Christian religion more out of fear of losing entertainment than out of fear of losing their lives. No matter how crazy someone is, he has enough courage not to be afraid of death, considering it as a tribute to nature; but in relation to pleasures, their charm is so strong that the wisest people are amazed by them just as much as fools, because pleasures constitute the most pleasant charm of life for both. No one denies (because it is impossible not to know what natural light reveals to us), no one, I say, denies that God is not the creator of all things. It is also impossible not to agree that all things in themselves are good, and that they are determined to serve man. But whoever knows God only through natural light, and not through the lamp of faith, whoever looks at Him from afar and not close, does not know Him completely. He does not know to what actual use we should, according to the will of God, turn His creations; and, moreover, he does not know the intentions of that implacable and invisible enemy who encourages us to use the gifts of God in a completely different way than God wants. The reason for this ignorance is that whoever knows God imperfectly cannot distinguish His will from the intentions of His adversary. Why is it necessary not only to know the One who created all things, but also to know the perverse use of them. In this way one can clearly see what and for what use they should be used. There is a great difference between what is pure and what is corrupt: exactly the same difference that exists between the Creator and the destroyer. However, so many bad deeds, strictly prohibited by the pagans themselves, are not carried out through the same creatures that God created? If you want to commit murder, you can choose either the sword, or poison, or sorcery. But the sword, as well as poisonous herbs and evil angels, are not the creations of God? Do you think, however, that God brought these creatures to the other end in order to kill people? Or better yet, was it not He Himself who pronounced the death sentence against murder, saying: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20.13). Likewise, who created gold, silver, copper, ivory, wood and all other things from which idols are made, and who produced metals, if not He who created the earth? But did He give them a being so that people would idolize them instead of Him? Of course not, because idolatry is the greatest insult paid to God. We do not believe that things that offend God were not produced by Him; but the use made of them to insult God is no longer a creation of God. Isn’t man himself, the culprit of all kinds of atrocities, a creation of God, and moreover, not the image of God? For all this, he used both his soul and his body for evil in order to rebel against his Creator. It is known that we did not receive eyes in order to inflame lust, ears not in order to hear evil speeches, a tongue not in order to slander, lips not in order to overeat, a stomach not for intemperance, hands not for theft, feet not for seeking crimes. Likewise, our soul is not connected to the body in order to be an instrument of deceptions and untruths. If it is true that God, who is infinitely good, abhors the use of His creations for evil, then from this it is obvious that everything He condemns He did not create for a bad purpose, and that the things that people use to do evil are bad only because of their bad use. So we, who know God and His enemy, and know how to distinguish the Creator from the destroyer of creatures, we should not be at all surprised that the devil managed to change the human race in such a way. Knowing that this evil spirit had the ability to tear the first man, created in the image of God, out of the state of innocence, we should not doubt that it was from him that man and all that was given to man by God were led astray. He was indignant that man had received power over creatures, and therefore decided to steal this power from his hands in order to use it to make man guilty. Confident, as we should be, in these truths, despite the blindness and false concepts of the pagans, let us now turn to the revelations of our religion. Some of the believers, people either too simple or too difficult, want to be convinced by the authority of Holy Scripture in order to decide to abandon spectacles, doubting whether they should completely abstain from what God has not forbidden them in the exact words of Scripture. It is true that we do not find a literal prohibition not to go to the circus, to the theater, to the lists, to the amphitheater, just as we have a command not to kill, not to worship idols, not to steal, not to commit adultery (Exodus 20.1). But we encounter a sufficient prohibition on this score at the beginning of the first psalm of King David: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the seat of the wicked” (Ps. 1:1). Although the Prophet here, apparently, is actually speaking about the righteous man, who did not take part in the council of the Jews, who were constantly indignant against their Lord; but Holy Scripture contains many meanings, especially when the moral meaning is consistent with the literal one. Thus, these Davidic words can directly refer to the prohibition of attending spectacles. And indeed, if he called the council of the wicked a small gathering of Jews: is not this name more appropriate for the countless gathering of pagans at the spectacles? Are the pagans now less sinners, less enemies of Jesus Christ, than the Jews were before? Other things are also similar. In the amphitheater, “paths” or passages are arranged to look at the spectacles: “paths” are called many steps separating the people from the patricians; and the places where senators lie luxuriously are called “seats.” Therefore, if we can justly say with the Prophet: woe to him who walks in any counsel of the wicked, who stops in the various ways of sinners, and who sits on the seat of destruction: then we must be assured that the words must be understood in a general sense, just as they can be acceptable in a particular sense: for often the speech refers as much to a private person as to the whole assembly. Thus, when God gives commands or prohibitions to the Israelites, there is no doubt that He gives them to all people. An example of this is the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20.1). When God threatens Egypt and Ethiopia with destruction, His threats extend to all criminal nations (Exodus 19.1). By the name of these two kingdoms He means the whole world. Likewise, in relation to spectacles, He gives them the name of the council of the wicked: it is, as it were, a transition from the general to the particular. But lest anyone think that I am amusing myself here with subtle sophisms, let us proceed to the most important rule that prohibits us from spectacles: it is based on the sacrament of baptism. By entering the font of the cross, we confess the Christian faith in the sayings it prescribes. At the same time, we solemnly promise to renounce Satan and all his works. Where else does the devil dominate with his accomplices, if not in idolatry? Is this not the throne of the unclean spirit and the seat of wickedness? I will prove this in more detail elsewhere. Here, if I prove that the entire structure of the spectacles is based on idolatry, then this will be a clear sign that in baptism we really renounce the spectacles, of which idolatry constituted, as it were, a sacrifice to Satan and his angels. We delve into the origin of any spectacle, especially how these games were introduced into the universe. Let us then consider the names of each of them, and finally their structure, accompanied by many superstitions, their various circumstances, to which deity which of them is dedicated, their very ideas, and who exactly were their founders. If any of this did not relate to idols, then we are ready to admit that this does not concern either idolatry or the renunciation we made at baptism. As the origin of the games is quite dark and unknown to most of our brothers, we must look for it only in the history of the pagans. Many of them wrote about this. This is what they say about this. According to the legend of Timaeus, the Lydians, who came out of Asia under the leadership of Tyrrhenus, who was forced to cede the kingdom to his brother Lydius, stopped in Tuscany, and there, among other superstitious ceremonies, they established spectacles under the veil of religion, the Romans, then calling some of these newcomers to themselves, adopted from them the ceremonies of these games and the time of their celebration, so that subsequently these spectacles were given and the Latin name "Ludi", from the Lydians who invented them. Varro indeed derives this word from “ludere” - to play, joke, have fun, just as the games that young people carried out in a humorous manner were formerly called rupercalia; nevertheless, he also attributes the origin of these games and amusements to the establishment of some festival, the dedication of a church, or other similar religious impulse. But why should we stop at searching for a name when the thing itself is downright idolatrous? All games have the name of some pagan deity. Liberias are the names of the holidays established in honor of Liber or Bacchus: the common people dedicate their games to this false god out of gratitude for the discovery of the use of wine. The games dedicated to Neptune, otherwise called Consus, are called consualia; those that Romulus dedicated to Mars are called aequiria. Some writers, however, attribute the consular games to the same Romulus, who wanted to honor Consus as the god of good advice for instilling in him the idea of ​​kidnapping the Sabina women in order to marry his warriors to them. Truly excellent advice! And even now, isn’t this advice considered by the Romans to be just and permissible? Not to mention what he is like in the eyes of God: he should be abhorred for the sole reason that he came from deception, from violence, from cruelty, from the son of Mars. To this day, in the circus, near the first steps, there is an altar dedicated to the god Consus with the inscription: “Consus presides in the council, Mars in war, Lara in the assemblies.” The public priests offer sacrifices there on July 7th, and the great priest of Mount Quirinal with the Vestals on August 27th. Some time after this, Romulus established games in honor of Jupiter of Feretreia on the Tarpeian Mountain; from which they are nicknamed Tarpeian and Capitoline, as Piso relates. Then Numa Pompilius established other holidays dedicated to Mars and Rust; for even rust was erected into a goddess. Similar institutions were established by Tullius Hostilius, Ancus Marcius and other Roman kings. Anyone who wants to know what idols these various games are dedicated to should read Sveton and other former writers. But we have already said enough about the idolatrous origin of these criminal and godless games. To this evidence of antiquity let us add the evidence of later times, which equally clearly reveals the origin of new spectacles from ancient names. These names will show to what idols and to what superstition these various kinds of games are dedicated: of these, the so-called Megalesian, Apollonius, Cererine, Flower-bearing, Latiari, are celebrated publicly every year. Others, less well known, were established on the occasion of the wedding of kings or the prosperity of the republic or superstitious holidays of municipal cities. To these willful games we can also add those that private people celebrate in honor of their deceased relatives, wanting to fulfill, as it were, the duty of their reverence for them: an ancient custom that divides games into sacred and funeral, of which the first are established in honor of local gods, and the others in memory of deceased people. But why do you need to know under what name and for what reason they were installed? As soon as they are dedicated to the same spirits that we renounced at baptism, then that is enough for us. Whether they are celebrated in honor of the gods or in memory of the dead, it is the same idolatry, which we must reject. Since the origin of these different games is the same, and how their names, deriving from a single cause, are also the same: their presentation is inevitably the unfortunate fruit of the idolatry that gave birth to them. It must be admitted that the staging of circus games is truly a magnificent spectacle: proof of this is the immense number of statues, the countless number of paintings, the splendor and splendor of chariots, stretchers, wreaths and all sorts of other decorations. Moreover, how many ceremonies, how many sacrifices precede, accompany and end these games! How many priests, bailiffs, warriors are moving! Witnesses to all this are the inhabitants of this magnificent city, in which demons in great numbers have seemingly established their home forever. Although these spectacles in the provinces are less magnificent due to lack of funds; but no matter how and in what place they are celebrated, one must never forget their origin: this is where all their perniciousness comes from. Likewise, a branch or stream retains the bad qualities contained in the tree or source itself. So these games, whether magnificent or not, in any case offend the Lord. Whatever the splendor of the circus, even if there were few statues in it; but all this is idolatry, even if it had no more than one idol. At least it carried only one chariot; yet this is the chariot of Jupiter. No matter how scarce, no matter how moderate the setting, idolatry is accompanied, it is too clearly revealed by its origin. Let us follow our intended goal. Let's take a look at the places where these spectacles are presented. The circus is especially dedicated to the Sun. A church was erected for him in the middle of it, and his radiant image shines on the top of the church. Marvel at this device. These pious idolaters decided that they should not place under a dark roof the deity that they see shining every day above their heads. Assuring that “Circe was the first to establish spectacles in honor of the powerful father of her Sun,” they dream that she also gave her name to the circus. And this truly famous sorceress provided sufficient services to those whose priestess she was, I want to say, the demons and their servants. Look how much idolatry this one place exhibits: as many decorations in the circus, so many blasphemous churches. Here are oval figures: they are dedicated to Castor and Pollux on the part of those who madly believe that Jupiter, turning into a swan, was the father of these two twins, and that they hatched from an egg. There are dolphins dedicated to Neptune. On the other side, there are huge columns supporting statues: either Sessinian columns, so named after the goddess above the crops, or Messienian columns in the name of the goddess above the harvest, or Tutelia columns from the goddess who cares for the fruits. In front of these columns there are three altars dedicated to three deities, namely: the great, the powerful and the good. The pagans believe that these deities are the same ones who came from Samothrace. The greatest and most glorious obelisk, according to the legend of Hermatelus, is dedicated, or better yet, exposed to shame, to the Sun. The hieroglyphs inscribed on it, like some kind of sacrament, sufficiently indicate that this is nothing more than the superstition of the Egyptians. This collection of demons could have withered away without its forefather; and therefore it presides over a huge pool called Euripa. The Consus, as I have already said, remains hidden underground in the vicinity of the Baths. That's not all: the Murtian borders also received their name from the idol, because the goddess Murtia is revered by the pagans as the goddess of love. Why did these pious people not fail to build a church for her in this place? – Look, faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, how many shameful names the circus is filled with! Let the religion in which all demons preside be far from you. Speaking of these wicked passages, we will do well to try to counter the objections of some famous people. - How, they say, if I go to the circus not during performances, should I really be afraid that my soul will not become infected with some kind of filth? – The places themselves have nothing reprehensible. A servant of God, without any danger, can enter not only those places where spectacles are performed, but also the most pagan temples, when there are compelling reasons for this, without any participation, however, in the administration of services and other accessories of these places. However, where and how else should Christians live? Streets, squares, baths, hotels, our very houses, are surrounded by idols: Satan and his angels have occupied the whole world. But although we live in the world, we must not leave God: leaving Him means clinging to the rules and pleasures of the world. When I enter the Capitol or the church of the Serapis in order to pray there or make sacrifices: then I renounce God. When I go to the circus or the theater precisely to attend the spectacles, then I am betraying my religion. It is not the places themselves that defile our soul, but what happens in these places and what defiles them themselves, as I explained. Damaged and spoiled things spoil us. – I have expanded somewhat on what deities these places are dedicated to, in order to more clearly imagine that the things happening in them belong exclusively to those idols to which these places are dedicated. Let's now talk about how the games are presented in the circus. The use of horses was at first very simple. They were used for travel and transportation, and no one misused them. But when they were needed for the games, then what was the gift of God was counterfeited by the instrument of Satan. For this reason, their new use is attributed to Castor and Pollux, to whom Mercury gives horses for this, as Stesichorus narrates. There are other similar rites dedicated to Neptune, which received a special name from the Greeks, known as “horseman”. These games, performed by harnessed horses, are as inseparable from idolatry as others. Chariots drawn by four horses are dedicated to the sun, and chariots drawn by two, to the moon. However, as the poet says: "Primus Erichthonius currus et quator ausus Jungere equos, rapidisque rotis insistere victor" 1 . that is: Erichton was the first to dare to harness four horses to a chariot and win victory on fast wheels. This Erichthon, the godless fiend of the debauchery of Vulcan and Minerva, was not a serpent, but a diabolical monster or the devil incarnate. The inventor of chariots, Trochilus the Greek, dedicated his first work of this kind to Juno. Finally, if Romulus introduced the use of these chariots among the Romans, then he himself should be counted among the other idols, and especially when he is also Quirinigi. These were the inventors of four-horse chariots. Why be surprised that the participants in these events immediately put on themselves, so to speak, the livery of idolatry? At first, this livery consisted of two colors: white, dedicated to winter due to the whiteness of the snow, and fiery, dedicated to summer due to the brightness of the sun's rays. Subsequently, as pleasures and superstition increased, the purpose of these two colors changed, and two more were added to them. Red is dedicated to Mars, white to zephyrs, green to earth or spring, and blue to sky, sea or autumn. And just as all idolatry is cursed by God, there is no doubt that all similar dedications to the various elements of the world are cursed by it. Let's move on to the theater. Its origin is the same as that of the circus, as noted above when talking about games in general. Theater production is almost no different from circus production. People come to this and that spectacle only after leaving the church, after the abundant use of incense there, and after the altars have been sprinkled with the blood of many victims. They enter at the sound of flutes and trumpets, while two disgraceful persons, directors of funeral and sacred sacrifices, that is, the master of ceremonies and the magician, lead this general procession. But the theater has this peculiarity, and how it differs from the circus: let’s first see how shameful this place is. The theater is actually the church of Venus. Under the guise of honoring the goddess, this godless place is deified in the world. In the old days, when a new theater was erected without being solemnly dedicated, the censors often ordered its destruction in order to avoid the corruption of morals that inevitably resulted from the seductive performances there. Here it is impossible not to notice in passing how the pagans condemn themselves with their own sentences, and how they justify you who pay attention to the observance of decorum. Be that as it may, the great Pompey, whose greatness was not equaled only by the greatness of his theater, decided to erect a magnificent building for shameful all kinds of abominations, and fearing the just reproaches that this monument could bring to his memory, turned this theater into a sacred house. Thus, having invited the whole world to this dedication, he took away the title of theater from this building, and gave it the name of the Church of Venus, in which, he said, we added some rooms for performances. In this way, he covered up a purely secular building with the name of the church, and laughed at the deanery under the vain pretext of religiosity. The theater is dedicated not only to the goddess of love, but also to the god of wine. These two demons of debauchery and drunkenness are so closely connected with each other that it seems they have made a conspiracy against virtue. The palace of Venerin is also the hotel of Bakhusov. In the old days, some theatrical games were called “liberia”, not only because they were dedicated to Bacchus, like the Dionysia of the Greeks, but also because Bacchus was their founder. Both of these godless deities preside both over the actions of the theater and over the theater itself, observing both the vileness of gestures and other depraved body movements, which is what distinguishes actors in comedy the most. These latter, in their pitiful craft, impute to themselves, as if for glory, to sacrifice their conscience to Venus and Bacchus, imagining either terrible debauchery or the crudest voluptuousness. As for poetry, music, flutes, violins: then all this always resonates with Apollos, Muses, Minervas, Mercury. - Disciples of Christ! Do you not abhor objects whose inventors must seem so worthy of disgust to you? – Let’s add a few more words about theatrical performances and the qualities of their founders, the very name of which is disgusting. We know that the names of these dead people are nothing in themselves, just like their idols. We also know that the counterfeiters or borrowers of deities, under borrowed names and under new images, are none other than evil spirits, that is, demons. Consequently, the theatrical actions in question are dedicated precisely to those who covered themselves with the name of their inventors, and therefore constitute idolatry; for their founders are considered gods. But I am mistaken: I should say that the origin of these actions is much more ancient. The demons themselves, foreseeing from the very beginning that the pleasure of spectacles would serve as the most effective means for introducing idolatry, instilled in people a tendency to invent theatrical performances. And in fact, what was supposed to appeal to their glory could not be inspired by anyone else but them, and in order to spread this destructive teaching in the world, they had to use no other people than those in whose idolization they found their fame and special benefit. Following the order we have appointed, let's talk about the games of athletes or wrestlers. Their origin is almost the same as the previous ones, and they are also divided into sacred and funeral, that is, dedicated either to the gods or to deceased people. Therefore, their names are uniformly filled with idolatry. The Olympic Games are dedicated to Jupiter, as are the Capitoline and Pothian Games to Apollo; Nemean to Hercules: Isthmian to Neptune; others, many to people who have died. Should it be surprising that the staging of these games is desecrated by idolatrous signs? Evidence of this is the evil wreaths distributed as a reward to the winners; the presence of priests there; the sending there of judges or ambassadors by the government; finally the blood of the animals sacrificed there. The place where athletes fight is also similar to the place of a circus or theater. Just as in the latter there are many playing flutes, violins and other instruments dedicated to the muses, Apollo and Minerva, so in the games of athletes, marcial crowds dedicated to Mars serve to animate the combatants at the sound of loud trumpets. Thus, the lists are completely similar to a circus, except that the lists can also be considered as a church of the idol in whose honor the athletes solemnly celebrate their games. Finally, it is known that Castor and Pollux Mercury and Hercules are the founders of all kinds of climbing and running. It remains to talk about the most famous and most enjoyable spectacle for the Romans (the Amphitheater). It is first called “debt” or “duty”: the words are unambiguous. The ancients thought that with this kind of spectacle they repaid their debt to the dead, and especially when they began to observe more moderation in their barbarism. Previously, believing that the souls of the deceased were relieved by the shedding of human blood, they simply put to death at their graves either the unfortunate captives or the rebellious slaves whom they had bought specifically for this purpose. But then it was considered most proper to cover such cruel inhumanity with a veil of amusement; and therefore it has been made a rule to accustom these poor people to handle weapons and wield them no matter what, as long as they know how to kill each other. Having thus accustomed them, they began to bring them to the funeral on the appointed day, so that, as if for the amusement of the spectators, they would kill one another at the tombs of the dead. This is the origin of this “duty” or “duty”. This spectacle subsequently became more pleasant the more cruel it was. Not only was the sword used to exterminate people, but to complete the fun, it was considered necessary to expose them to the fury of ferocious beasts. Those killed in this way were considered a sacrifice made in honor of deceased relatives. But such a sacrifice is nothing other than real idolatry, to which the retribution of service to the dead belongs: these funeral honors and idolatry are one and the same. And since the same demons live in coffins and statues: then the only worship of demons is performed here. Having shown the origin of gladiator games, let us consider their special qualities. Although this kind of spectacle passed from the honors of the dead to the honors of the living, such as: quaestors, judges, high priests and priests; but it must be said that if these titles relate to idolatry (and they really do), then everything performed in their name must certainly be desecrated and distorted, because their source is corrupted. We must also say something about the staging or organization of these games. Purple, scarves, sashes, wreaths, speeches, festivities held the day before: all this pomp belongs to the devil. What to say and how to judge such a terrible place, which is even more vile than the very perjuries that are clearly committed there? This place is called an amphitheater, which is dedicated to an even greater number of demons than the Capitol itself, this common church of all demons. There are as many unclean spirits as there are characters and spectators. Mars and Diana preside over the activities of the amphitheater, that is, over battles and hunting. I think I have sufficiently explained the different kinds of idolatry that defile spectacles. I have shown that their origin, their setting, their names, their places, their representations, have no other source than idolatry. From this it follows that since we have renounced idolatry, we are by no means allowed to be present at such deeds, which are inseparable from idolatry, not because idols were anything, as the Apostle says, but because the sacrifices offered to idols are offered to none other than the demons who dwell in these idols, “for although there are so-called gods, either in heaven or on earth, for there are many gods and many lords, but we have one God the Father” (1 Cor 8.5-6). And since there are two kinds of idols: some represent dead people, and others imaginary gods, and both of these kinds are one and the same chimera: then we must equally abstain from both idolatries. Thus, we abhor the churches of these gods no less than the tombs of the dead; We do not approach the altars of some, we do not worship the images of others; We offer neither sacrifices to the first nor gifts to the last; We do not eat meat and sacrifices dedicated to both, because we cannot participate together in the Lord’s Last Supper and in the dishes prepared for Satan. So, when we are ashamed to defile our lips by eating evil meats, then just as we must remove other organs of our senses, even more precious to us, from every spectacle dedicated to the gods or the dead, we must also remove our eyes and ears from them, because everything that enters these organs is resolved or, so to speak, digested not in the stomach, but in the soul; it is known that the purity of our soul is much more pleasing to God than the neatness of our body. Although I have clearly shown so far that idolatry dominates in all kinds of games (which seems to be enough for us to hate them); but we will try to present new arguments on this score, even if only in response to the objections of some people who remain in the opinion that in Holy Scripture there is no positive law prohibiting us from attending spectacles, as if these spectacles were not part of the general prohibition for Christians not to indulge in carnal lust (1 John 2.15-16). Just as there is a lust for riches, for honors, for gluttony, for the satisfaction of the flesh, so there is also a lust for pleasures and amusements. Among other types of pleasure, one cannot but count spectacles. The lusts mentioned before, in a general sense, also include pleasures: in the same way, the pleasures acceptable in a general sense extend to spectacles. However, we have already said that it is not the places where these spectacles take place that defile us, but the things that happen there, because these consequences, being shameful in themselves, convey their shame to the spectators. - Judge for yourself, dear brothers, are you allowed to participate in such entertainment, which everywhere bears signs of idolatry? But since certain minds can hardly accept these truths, they must be convinced by other reasons. God commands you to honor the Holy Spirit “with all humility and meekness and long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4.2–3); on the contrary, he strictly forbids insulting the same Holy Spirit, saying: “Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and crying, and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice” (Eph 4.31). How can you reconcile all this with the sights that disturb and so greatly disturb your spirit? Where there is pleasure, there is passion, without which all pleasure is unpleasant; and where there is passion, there is competition, without which all passion is unpleasant. Competition brings with it disputes, quarrels, anger, rage, grief and all other similar passions that have nothing to do with the duties of your religion. Let us assume that anyone could be present at the spectacle, observing the sedateness and modesty appropriate to his rank, years or happy character; but even here it is very difficult for the soul to remain calm and not feel confusion or some kind of secret excitement. You cannot be at these amusements without having some kind of passion in you, and you cannot have this passion without feeling the effect it has on the soul. On the other hand, if there is no passion, then there is no pleasure, and then a person remains in sad uselessness, being in a place where there is nothing for him to do. In general, any vain and useless act seems indecent for Christians. A person condemns himself by doing the same thing as people whom he does not want to be like, and to whom he declares himself to be an enemy. It is not enough for us not to do evil ourselves: we should not have any communication with those who do it. Let us listen to the reproach the prophet makes to us in this regard: “when you see a thief, you associate with him, and associate with adulterers” (Ps 49.18). God forbid that we should not live in this world with such people at all! But being obliged to this by regrettable necessity, we must at least distance ourselves from them in relation to worldly things. The world is truly God's creation; but worldly things are the creation of the devil. When we are forbidden to indulge in rage, then at the same time all kinds of spectacles are prohibited for us, and especially the circus, where rage reigns supreme. Look at the people, rushing beside themselves to the place where the spectacle will take place, look at them, in what confusion, excitement, stupor they are, waiting impatiently to see who will remain the winner. For some reason the praetor hesitated. Everyone looks closely at the urn. The audience seems to be tied to the lot themselves. They wait in indecision for the announcement of the praetor. Everyone tells their own nonsense. Judge their madness by their stories. They say he has already sent the bandages (for the wedding). Everyone retells to his neighbor what the neighbor himself saw. Here is obvious evidence of their blindness. They see poorly what they think they see well: they think they see a bandage, but this is nothing more than the image of the devil cast from heaven to hell. Then they begin to get excited, rage, quarrel, and do everything that is strictly forbidden to the disciples of the God of Peace. How many curses do they pronounce, how many insults do they give to their neighbors without any truth, how much praise and approval do they give to the unworthy? But what benefit can viewers expect to gain when they are beside themselves? They grieve over the misfortune of others, rejoice over the happiness of others: everything they desire, everything they curse, does not concern them. Their passion is vain, their hatred is unjust. Perhaps it would be more permissible to love without a goal than to hate unjustly. But God forbids you to hate anyone, even not without reason, because he himself commands you to love your enemies (Luke 6.27). He forbids us to curse, even if there is a reason for it, because he orders us to bless those who curse us. - Meanwhile, where is there more rioting and hostility, if not in the circus, in which neither senators nor citizens are spared? If any of the violent actions is permissible for Christians, then it is permissible for them in the circus; if it is prohibited everywhere, then it is prohibited there too. Likewise, we are commanded to renounce all kinds of uncleanness; therefore, the theater must also be closed to us, which constitutes, so to speak, a consistory of shamelessness, where nothing else can be learned except what is universally disapproved. The greatest charm of the theater usually consists in the presentation of all kinds of disgraces. These disgraces are brought onto the stage either by the Tuscan with his obscene body movements, or by the comedian dressed in women's clothing with his pantomimes through vile obscenities to which he has accustomed his body since childhood in order to set an example of outrage to others. Moreover, well-known shameless women who disgrace their bodies in front of the public, aren’t they all the more intolerable at the theater because, while showing their stinginess to some men in other places, here they reveal it to other women, from whom they always try to hide? Here they appear before the whole world, before people of all ages, ranks and dignity. A public shouter proclaims these harlots in the hearing of those who know them too well. Here, he says, is such and such a bed: in order to see it, you have to sacrifice everything, it has such and such qualities... But let us pass in silence all such abominations, which should be buried under impenetrable darkness, so as not to defile the light of day. - O you senators, judges, Roman citizens! Cover yourself with shame and reproach. These pitiful creatures, having lost all modesty, are at least sometimes afraid to show their shameless movements in front of the people, at least they blush at least once a year. - So, if we have in disgust all kinds of uncleanness, then why should we listen to what cannot be said without crime, knowing that God condemns “for every idle word” (Matthew 12.36). Why look at what we are forbidden to do? Why can’t things that defile a person with the tongue defile him with the eyes and ears, while the eyes and ears are, one might say, the threshold of your soul? It is difficult for the heart to be pure when the entrance to it is damaged. Thus, the theater must certainly be prohibited when impurity is subject to condemnation. If you say that theatrical performances were invented to study politeness and the science of living in the world: then I will answer that we should despise this secular science, which is madness before God, and that consequently we should abhor these two shows, that is, comedy and tragedy, in which all the delights of this pernicious science are put on display. Comedy is, so to speak, a school of impurity, and tragedy teaches only cruelty, wickedness and barbarism. Rest assured that the story of a shameful deed is as painful and dangerous as the deed itself. You will object that the Holy Scriptures also mention “disgrace” (1 Cor 9.24). This is true; but it is also true that one cannot look without shame at everything that happens in a disgrace, namely: fist fighting, trampling underfoot, slaps and other riots that disfigure the face of man, created in the image of God. Reverent for religion, you will not approve the crazy running and frantic fights that accompany the game of discus, as well as other body movements, one more extravagant than the other. Respecting justice, you will not praise the exertion of bodily forces, which serves only to the vanity of the one who uses them, and to the humiliation of the one against whom he uses them; Even less can you admire the science invented by the idle Greeks, fake or tint your body in the manner of stuffed animals, as if in order to change the body that God has given you. No! People engaged in such crafts deserve our disgust. In general, struggle is an invention of Satan: he began it since he overthrew our ancestors with his art. The movements of the wrestlers are nothing more than subterfuge, similar to the writhing of a hellish snake. They cling to stop the enemy, bend down to grab him, slide to dodge him. People fight and fight, you say, just to have the pleasure of being worthy of receiving wreaths. But for what purpose can these wreaths be used by Christians? Is it necessary after this to talk about whether the Amphitheater is condemned by Holy Scripture? If we can prove that cruelty, ferocity, barbarism are permissible to us, then there is nothing to talk about: let’s go to the Amphitheater. If we are what they say about us, then we will become satisfied with human blood. You will say, perhaps, that villains should be punished. Who would argue about this, except perhaps the most villainous? I agree to that; but you also agree that a good person cannot admire the execution of an evil person: he should rather grieve that a person like him had the misfortune of falling into a crime that deserves severe punishment. However, can we guarantee that only those directly guilty will be torn to pieces by wild animals and subjected to other executions? Doesn’t it sometimes happen that even innocent people are sentenced to this, either due to the malice of the judge, or due to the negligence of the lawyer, or due to improper legal proceedings? It is much better not to be present at the execution of evil people and at the death of good people, if only these latter can be called good. There is no doubt that among the gladiators there are also innocent people who are sacrificed for the pleasure of the public. Others are cited as guilty. But how? For a simple theft, for example, they learn to be murderers. - However, all the details I described here should serve as an answer to some pagans. God forbid that a Christian needs further information on this matter in order to reject all kinds of spectacles. No one knows better what happens in the amphitheater than those who continue to visit it. As for me, I’d rather not talk about anything than bring something else to mind. So, isn’t it gullible and pathetic the excuse of people who want, under empty pretexts, to assure themselves that such pleasures are not forbidden to them? When, they say, there is no decisive decree in the Holy Scriptures condemning spectacles, then cannot a Christian be present at them? I recently heard a man argue as follows. Not only the sun, but also God Himself from the heights of heaven look at comedy, at gladiator battles and other games, and do not receive any impurity from it. - It’s true, everyone knows that the sun illuminates a puddle with its rays and remains unsullied. If God had not looked at our crimes and shameful deeds, then perhaps we would not have been subjected to the severity of His judgment. But, alas! He sees them, He cannot help but see your robberies, your deceptions, our adulteries, your iniquities, our idolatries, your spectacles; That’s why we shouldn’t be present at these last ones, so that He who sees everything won’t see you. O daring man! Should you compare the guilty with the Judge? One is guilty of having his crime discovered, and the other is the Judge: there is nothing that He cannot reveal. Do you think that it is permissible to indulge in rage outside the circus, to be dissolute outside the theater, to riot outside the disgrace, to be cruel outside the amphitheater, because God sees everything outside the portico and outside the boxes and outside the steps? Do not be deceived: what God condemns is nowhere and never permissible; What God forbids is always against the law. This is the truth and completeness of Christian morality: observance of the fear of God and faithfulness in obedience due to God. One must never violate His strict commands and dream of relaxing His eternal judgments. What is good in itself can never be evil, just as what is evil in itself can never be good. Everything is measured and determined by truth, which never changes. The pagans, who do not have this fullness of truth, because they do not want to know the Author and Teacher of the truth, judge good and evil according to their own whims. What seems good to them today is evil to them tomorrow; What they consider prohibited in one place, they recognize as permitted in another. What happens from this? That's it. Whoever on the street would be ashamed to lift up his robe a little in order to remedy his need, becomes so shameless in the circus that, without any remorse, in front of the whole world he exposes such parts of the body that he should most hide. Whoever would not dare to utter a single indecent word in front of his daughter, he himself takes her to the comedy, so that she hears the most nasty speeches and sees all kinds of indecent distortions. Whoever makes it his duty to decorate violent people approves of athletes when they inflict bloody wounds to disgrace each other. Whoever is horrified by looking at the corpse of a person who died an ordinary death, in the amphitheater finds pleasure in satiating his eyes, looking at the body, whose members, torn into pieces, float in the blood pouring out of it. Whoever, as part of his duty, must be present in the amphitheater to punish a murderer, he himself leads the miserable slave there to slaughter, urging him on with blows of a stick. Whoever wants and demands that every murderer be handed over to be torn to pieces by a ferocious lion, asks for the granting of freedom to the gladiator as a reward if he emerges victorious from the battle; in the event of his death, he expresses sensitive regret and compassion for him, although he himself was the instrument of his death, and at first did not show the slightest love for him. Shall we marvel at the inconstancy of these blind people, who judge good and evil according to their own willfulness? Here is new proof of this. The rulers of the republic, judges and managers of games, deprive circus performers, athletes, comedians, gladiators of any honorary title (that is, those same merrymakers to whom noble Roman ladies sacrifice their hearts, and often their very bodies, entering into shameful relationships with them, although such relationships are publicly condemned); the rulers, I say, are consigning this kind of people to the last destruction, not allowing them to enjoy any morals and dignity, either in courts, or in the Senate, or in the advantages of patricians, or lower in any other positions. Wonderful thing! They declare them dishonest people; and yet they willingly attend their games. They love those they punish; they despise those whom they approve of; the work is praised, but the doer is disgraced. What a strange kind of judgment to dishonor a person for the very thing for which honor is given to him, or better to say, what a silent consciousness of an evil deed, when the one who carries out it, no matter how much pleasure he gives, indulges in dishonor! If human justice condemns these unfortunate people, despite the amusement they bring to their judges, if it excludes them from every honorable title, often imprisoning them in terrible and deserted places: then how much more severe will divine justice once appear against them? Do you think that God can approve of this driver in the circus, disturbing so many souls, arousing so much frenzy, disturbing so many spectators? Do you think that he is very pleasing to the sky when, crowned with flowers like a pagan priest, or dressed in a speckled robe like a haer, he appears standing solemnly on a chariot? Looking at him, wouldn’t you say that the devil is lifting up his Elijah to heaven, just as God once took the true Elijah there? Likewise, do you think that God likes a comedian with such diligence? shaving his beard, and thereby disfiguring the face given to him? Not being pleased with the fact that he has become like Saturn, Bacchus or Isis, he allows himself to be given so many slaps in the face that it is as if the devil himself is teaching him: “But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5.39). This rival of God knows that “which of you, by caring, can add even one cubit to his stature?” (Matthew 6.27); but teaches tragic actors to rise on their heels, as if mocking these words. Do you also believe that wearing masks is approved by God? I ask: if all kinds of idols and likenesses are forbidden to us, will He not punish us even more severely for the fact that we disfigure His image? No! The author of the truth cannot approve of anything false. He considers everything that we change in His creation to be a kind of adultery. Condemning all kinds of pretense, will He have mercy on the comedian who fakes his voice, his age, his sex, who pretends to be a lover or an angry person, who sheds false tears or lets out false sighs? When the Lord commanded in His law: “neither shall a man dress in a woman’s dress, for whoever does this is an abomination to the Lord thy God” (Deuteronomy 22.5): do you think that He will not condemn one who accepts not only the clothes, but the voice, body movements and steps of women? Do you also think that a skilled master in fist fighting will go unpunished? Is this why the Creator gave him strong muscles; so that he subjected them to blows from his flail? Did he receive ears so that he could endure blowing? Are his eyes given for the purpose of bursting with frustration? Not to mention those who push others and force them to come closer to the lion, so as to seem less cruel than the beast that is tormenting them? Is any other evidence needed to convince the true servants of God to abhor everything that belongs to spectacles, since all this is contrary to their divine Teacher? If it is true, as I have already noted, that the spectacles are established in honor of the devil, if their staging is the creation of the hands of the same devil, since everything that is not from God comes from the devil: then from this it is indisputably clear that these are the essence of the works of Satan, which we completely renounced at baptism. Therefore, we should no longer seek for what we then cursed, neither with our deeds, nor with our words, nor with our glances, nor with our wishes. And besides, to break our promise, isn’t it the same as breaking baptism? But for your further conviction, let’s ask the pagans themselves. Let us ask them: are Christians allowed to attend the spectacles? What will they answer? This man, they will say, has undoubtedly become a Christian because he has fallen behind the spectacles and no longer appears at them. From this you can see that whoever does not deprive himself of this distinctive feature is not a Christian. What hope remains for this unfortunate man? A warrior does not run over to the enemies except by abandoning his previous service, abandoning the banners of his Sovereign, breaking allegiance to him, vowing to die with those to whom he is transferred. Is it likely that a Christian fugitive would really think about God at a time and in a place where nothing reminds him of His presence? Is it likely that he maintains peace of mind where he is biased on the side of the gladiator? Is it easy to adhere to the rules of chastity and modesty where eyes are fixed on the shameful movements of the comedian? Is it possible to encounter more temptation than at spectacles in brilliant and extraordinary decorations and in a crowd of men and women sitting in a mixture? The mixture is monstrous, giving both of them a reason for mutual conversations, igniting sparks of carnal lust! Add to this that the first thought upon entering any spectacle is to see others and to show off oneself. However, given the terrible exclamations of the actor, is it convenient to listen to the saving admonitions of the prophet? Is it convenient to combine the singing of psalms with effeminate opera songs? Looking at two athletes bloodying each other with fist blows, is it convenient to remember the prohibition made to you to repay evil for evil? Is it possible to finally learn meekness and love of humanity by enjoying the sight of people being tormented by a bear, or the sight of two gladiators grappling with one another and wiping off the blood pouring out of them? - Merciful God! Deliver Your servants from the desire to participate in such disastrous amusements. O dear brothers! understand what we are doing, moving from the church of God to the church of the devil, from a sacred place to evil places, from the radiance of heaven, so to speak, into the mud of the earth. Our hands, raised to the Lord, after a minute we tire of the approval of the jesters; with lips that pronounced “Amen” during the service, we praise the gladiator in the amphitheater; and besides all this, dare you say to anyone other than Jesus Christ your God: Blessed be you! After this, there is no reason to be surprised that the devil easily takes possession of these unfaithful Christians. God allowed this to happen more than once; proof of this can be seen in the tragic example of one woman who, having gone to a comedy, returned from there, being possessed by a demon. When the unclean spirit was cursed and asked why he entered her, he answered: I did not take possession of her in vain, I found her with me. It is also known that another woman saw a monkey in a dream on the very day when she went to hear one comedian, and that the name of this comedian was often repeated in her mouth with terrible threats: after five days she was no longer alive. There are many other similar examples of people who lost the Lord because they had communication with the devil while attending spectacles; for “no one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6.24). What relationship can exist between light and darkness, between life and death? We must curse these pagan assemblies, both because the name of God is blasphemed in them, and because people there are concerned about handing us over to be torn to pieces by lions, are consulting about undertaking persecution against us, and are choosing spies to find Christians and to torture them. What will you do when you are included in the number of violent participants in these evil councils? There is no need for you to fear persecution from people: no one will consider you a Christian when you are present at spectacles. But think about what the Lord will say about you in heaven; will not many witnesses come from there against you? While you are in the church of the devil, thousands of angels look down on you from heaven; They especially notice the one who utters blasphemy, who listens to it, who betrays his tongue and his ears to Satan in order to resist God. Will you not decide after this to flee from these meetings that are rebelling against Jesus Christ, to leave these crowds full of debauchery, to move away from this air, infected with the voice of a countless number of blatant villains? Let us suppose that sometimes things happen at these spectacles that are actually pleasant, simple, modest and not even dishonest; Remember that poison is usually mixed not with bile and hellebore, but with sweet and flavorful liquids. This is what the devil always does; he hides his deadly poison in the most pleasant and delicious dishes. Consequently, everything that in the spectacle seems to you great, polite, mellifluous, cheerful, refined, harmonious, you should take for honey poisoned with poison. Pay attention not so much to the pleasure of the lips, but to the danger inevitably associated with this pleasure. Leave to the devil's minions the vain pleasure of being satiated with the dishes offered to them by him. They can regularly appear at the places designated for spectacles at the invitation of their patron. The time for celebrations and amusements has not yet come for you. We cannot have fun with the pagans, because they cannot have fun with you. Everyone has their share: they are now in joy, and we are in sadness. Jesus Christ said to His disciples: “The world will rejoice; you will be sad" (Job 16.20). Let us groan while the pagans rejoice, so that you too may rejoice when they begin to sigh. Let us now be careful to rejoice with them, lest we ever weep as they weep. - O disciple of Christ! You are too delicate when you think to find pleasure in this world, or better yet, you are mad when you consider the joy of this world to be true pleasure. Philosophers have assigned the name pleasure or pleasure to peace of mind, and take this peace as the basis of their joys, their amusement and their glory. On the contrary, you sigh about the unrest and anxiety of the circus, theater, amphitheater and other disgraces. Do you dare to think that we cannot live without pleasure, we who must find the greatest pleasure in not living? What better thing can we desire than that, together with the Apostle, “I have the desire to be separated and to be with Christ, for this is incomparably better” (Phil. 1.23)? There should be our pleasure, where our desire strives. But if you think that you cannot live this life without some kind of pleasure, then why are you so ungrateful that you do not want to acknowledge or taste the various pleasures that God has produced and which are too sufficient to satisfy your desires? What is better and happier than to be reconciled with God the Father and with Jesus Christ His Son! What is more profitable than learning the truth, revealing your errors and receiving forgiveness for crimes committed before? What is more pleasant than to move away from pleasant things, to despise this world, to enjoy true freedom, the calm of kind trust in oneself, the holiness of life and the absence of fear of death? What greater pleasure is there than to trample underfoot pagan gods, cast out demons, enjoy the gifts of miraculous healing and heavenly revelations, and finally live and be always with God? These are the direct pleasures of Christians, these are their innocent spectacles that cost them nothing! Compare with these holy spectacles the vanity of the circus games, the rapid passage of all the things of this world, the changeability and rapid passage of time, the limits of our efforts. Better take the side of Christian societies, inspire yourself with a view of the heavenly banner, rise up at the sound of the trumpet voice of an angel, desire to receive the glorious palm of martyrdom. If you are seduced by poetry, then you have plenty of other books besides pagan ones; You have quite beautiful poems, quite excellent teachings, quite hymns, quite musical choirs. These are not crude fables, but sacred truths; not a collection of inflated stanzas, but a treasure of pure and unfeigned sayings of morality. Do you need battles, struggles, victories: Christianity will present you with them in abundance. Look how impurity is overthrown by chastity, deceit is overcome by faith, cruelty is overcome by mercy, violence is overthrown by humility: these are the battles characteristic of Christians, battles that crown us with glory! Do you also want to see blood shed: you have the saving blood of Jesus Christ. But especially, what a spectacle it will be when all the nations of the earth gather together, and, sooner than they generally think, they will see the Lord triumphant on the clouds, full of glory and majesty, recognized by everyone as the true Son of God! What on this day will be the joy of the angels, the glory of the saints, the reward of the righteous and the splendor of the new Jerusalem, in which they will reign forever! It is true that at the same time a completely different spectacle will also present itself, I want to say, the terrible day of judgment, the last day of all days and the first day of eternity; that day which the pagans do not expect and mock; that day when so many magnificent and ancient monuments of human pride will be destroyed, and the whole earth with its inhabitants will be destroyed by streams of fire (2 Pet 3.10). What a vast disgrace, what amazement, or, if you like, what a pretext for joy and pleasure for us, when many famous, unbelieving sovereigns, revered as kings of heaven and earth, will then begin to fill the air with sighs among the dark abysses of hell with their god Jupiter and with all their favorites and followers! What a sudden admiration when we see that so many rulers, so many judges, so many persecutors of the Christian name, are burning with an unquenchable fire, which will be much more unbearable than the fire that devoured the martyrs, while these latter will rejoice and rejoice, looking at their cruel and eternal execution! Add to this that many proud philosophers, famous for the name of the sages, will then be covered with shame and also consigned to fire in the presence of their unfortunate students, whom these crazy mentors tried to convince that there is no providence in the world, that your souls are nothing, that they will never be united again with the body. Finally, add how many poets will tremble with fear and horror, not before some Minos or Rhadamanthus, but before the judgment of Jesus Christ, which they never even wanted to think about! Then the tragic actors, under the burden of their misfortune, will emit screams much more pitiful and louder than they previously resounded in the theater. Then the jesters and gayers will appear in their true form, bending from the flames that burn them. Then the arrogant charioteers of the circus will amaze our eyes more and more, sitting on a fiery chariot, surrounded on all sides by flames. Then we will see many gladiators pierced not by the point of a spear as before in their Academies, but by many fiery arrows raining down from all sides. It is true, however, that I will not then pay my attention so much to these pitiful poor people as to those monsters of inhumanity (the Jews) who previously refined their rage against the Lord Himself. Behold, I will tell them, that Son of the carpenter and the poor mother, that Sabbath destroyer, that Samaritan, that demon-possessed man; This is the one whom the traitor Judas sold to you, who suffered from you blows and blows, whom you disfigured with spitting, whom you gave bile and vinegar to drink; here is the one who was allegedly secretly abducted by His disciples to assure others that He had risen! - To see such a majestic spectacle, to give you such magnificent entertainment: what can any Praetor, Consul, Quaestor or High Priest do? You may object to me that such a spectacle is still far from us. No, my brothers. Faith makes it close to you, and we can imagine it as if it were already happening before our eyes. However, what kind of joys and consolations should there be for you then, “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and what God has prepared for those who love Him has not entered into the heart of man.” (1 Cor 2.9)? Believe that they infinitely surpass all the imaginary pleasures of the Circus, the Theater, the Amphitheater and all other disgraces that vanity has invented for spectacles. Virg. Georg. Liv. III, v. 113 and 114. You might be interested in: