On the Need to Cast Off Affection for Useless and Dangerous Things.
Games, dances, feasts, finery, comedies are not in themselves bad things, but rather indifferent things, of which one may make good or bad use. Nevertheless, there is always more or less danger in them, and the danger becomes much greater when one takes affection to them. Thus, Philothea, although it is permitted to play, to dance, to adorn oneself, to hear decent comedies, to attend a feast, I say that to set one’s affection upon these things is to do what is contrary to devotion, something most harmful and perilous. It is not wrong to do them, but it is wrong to take affection to them. And truly it is a great pity to sow such frivolous affections in the soil of our heart: for they take the place of the good grain, and prevent our soul from bearing good inclinations.
Games, dances, feasts, finery, comedies are not in themselves bad things, but rather indifferent things, of which one may make good or bad use. Nevertheless, there is always more or less danger in them, and the danger becomes much greater when one takes affection to them. Thus, Philothea, although it is permitted to play, to dance, to adorn oneself, to hear decent comedies, to attend a feast, I say that to set one’s affection upon these things is to do what is contrary to devotion, something most harmful and perilous. It is not wrong to do them, but it is wrong to take affection to them. And truly it is a great pity to sow such frivolous affections in the soil of our heart: for they take the place of the good grain, and prevent our soul from bearing good inclinations.
Thus the ancient Nazarites abstained, not only from all that can intoxicate, but also from grapes and even verjuice. Not that grapes and verjuice intoxicate; but they feared that verjuice might give them a taste for grapes, and grapes a taste for wine. Now, I do not say that we may never use dangerous things, but I say that we can never set our affections upon them without compromising devotion. Stags that are too fat withdraw and hide in the thickets, knowing well that their fat weighs them down, and that thus they could not run if they were attacked; even so, the heart of man, burdened with useless and dangerous affections, cannot run after his God with that promptness, ease, and ardour which are the true mark of solid devotion. That little children attach themselves to butterflies and grow excited in pursuit of them, no one will find amiss, because they are children; but is it not a ridiculous, or rather lamentable, thing to see grown men preoccupied and passionate over trifles as small as those I have named, which, besides being useless, have also the danger of disorderedly consuming and ruining those who pursue them? I am therefore right to say, my dear Philothea, that one must rid oneself of such affections; for although the acts themselves are not always contrary to devotion, nevertheless the affection one sets upon them always does it great harm.