Confession And The Devil

Non enim ante ad confessionem venitur, nisi prius fuerit diabalo renuntiatum. Sicut nec aurilegus ante aurum mittit in sacculum, nisi prius terram vel limum laverit universum. Ideo oportet prius repudium dicere diabolicae vanitati, et amara ejus studia abrenuntiando projicere. Abrenuntiare autem oportet non nudo sermone neque solis labiis, sed fide fortissima, et indubitata scientia, id est ut Christo se homo tota animi virtute committat, confidens, quia Christi factus desinat timere diabolum. Deinde abrenuntiat et operibus ejus malignis, id est culturis et idolis, sortibus et auguriis, pompis et theatris, furtis et fraudibus, homicidiis et fornicationibus, superbiae et jactantiae, irae et avaritiae, commessationibus et ebriositatibus, choris atque mendaciis, et his similibus malis. Quid dicimus de his, qui superfluo carnis ornatu jactare se volunt, et videri mirabiles? Taceo de exquisitis inutiliter vestimentorum subtilitatibus. Oro vos, quid faciunt in viris capilli acu crispati, comae retro quidem cervicem cooperientes, ante autem frontem penitus abscondentes, ita ut nec signo Christi locus liber relinquatur in fronte; et unde se putant habere aliquam gloriam vel decorem, inde turpitudinem et ignominiam contrahant? Similiter et mulieres caput ligantes ut scutum, ut frons tamquam vallis inter duos subsidat colles; ut de auribus pondera lapillorum auro ligata dependeant, ut brachia onerentur auro, ut cervicem premant catenae vel lapides, et pedibus sanguineae calceamentis flammulae rutilent. Quis usus in his, quae utilitas invenitur, nisi sola inanis pompa, et mens desiderio infantili corrupta? Nicetas Episcopus Aquileiensis, Fragmenta Sex, III Source: Migne PL 52.873d-875a

No one shall come to confession, unless first he shall have renounced the devil. Just like a gold prospector does not place gold in his sack, unless first he has washed off all the earth or mud from it. Therefore it necessary that one should declare that one repudiates the vanity of the devil, and cast it from one in denunciation of his bitter desires. And this renunciation should not only be in speech, not only with the lips, but with strong faith, and certain knowledge, that is, so that the man commits himself with all the virtue of his soul to Christ, confident that in Christ he does not fear the devil. Finally let him renounce his wicked works, that is his cults and idols, with fortune telling and auguries, with pomp and theatre, with thefts and deceits, with murder and fornication, with pride and boasting, with anger and avarice, with gluttony and drunkenness, with dances and delusions, and other similar evils. What then do we say of those who are pleased to vaunt themselves in the superfluous ornamentation of the flesh and be seen as wonders? I am silent regarding exquisite and intricate and useless garments. But I pray you, why do they style men's hair in tight curls, and comb it fiercely over the head so as to leave no sight of the brow at all, so that there is no place free there for the sign of Christ? And why do they think they have any glory or beauty when they are the cause of depravity and disgrace? Likewise even women bind their heads like shields, so that the brow is like a valley sunk between two hills, and from their ears hang a weight of gems bound with gold, and the arms are loaded with gold, and the neck is bound with chains and stones, and the feet are ablaze with the red flames of slippers. What use in these things, what benefit do we find in them, but empty pomp, and minds corrupted by infantile desires? Nicetas of Aquileia, Fragment 1 Titus 3.8 2 Jn 14.27 3 Rom 11.20