224 TREATISES ATTRIBUTED TO CYPRIAN. For veryoften,in mattersof precept,some thingsareadvan tageouslysaid nothingabout; they oftenremind when they are expresslyforbidden. So alsothereis an impliedsilence even in the writingsof the Scripture; and severityspeaks in the placeof precepts; and reasonteacheswhere Scripture has held itspeace. Let everyman only take counselwith himself,and lethim speak consistentlywith the characterof hisprofession,1and then he willneverdo any of thesethings.1 For that consciencewillhave more weight wlxichshallbe indebtedto none otherthan itself. 4. What has Scriptureinterdicted? Certainlyit has forbidden gazing upon what it forbidsto be done. It condemned, I say, allthose kinds of exhibitionswhen it abrogatedidolatry— the mother of allpublic amusements,5 whence these prodigiesof vanityand lightnesscame. For what publicexhibitioniswithout an idol? what amusement withouta sacrifice? what contestis not consecratedtosome dead person? And what doesa faithfulChristiando inthe midst of such things as these? If he avoidsidolatry,why doeshe * who is now sacred take pleasurein thingswhich are worthy of reproach? Why doeshe approve of supersti tionswhich are opposed to God, and which he loveswhile he gazes upon them ? Besides,lethim be aware thatall thesethingsare the inventionsof demons, not of God. He is shamelesswho in the church exorcisesdemons whilehe praisestheirdelightsin publicshows ; and although,oncefor allrenouncinghim, he has put away everythingin baptism, when he goes to the devil'sexhibitionafter [receiving] Christ,he renounces Christ as much as [he had done]the devil. Idolatry,as I have alreadysaid,is the mother of all the public amusements; and this,in order that faithful Christiansmay come under itsinfluence,enticesthem by the 1 " Cum personaprofessionssuseloquatur." 2Baluziusreadswithlessprobability" indecorum,"" anythingun becoming."Thereadingadoptedinthetextis,accordingtoFell,"inde eorum." 3 Vid.Ovid'sFasti,lib.v. 4TheOxfordtextherehas the reading,"Why doeshespeakofit? why doeshe,"etc.