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The Shows, or De Spectaculis

Tertullian

Chapter 29

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Even as things are, if your thought is to spend

‹ Chapter 28 Chapter 30 ›

this

period

of

existence

in

enjoyments

,

how

are

you

so

ungrateful

as

to

reckon

insufficient

,

as

not

thankfully

to

recognize

the

many

and

exquisite

pleasures

God

has

bestowed

upon

you

?

For

what

more

delightful

than

to

have

God

the

Father

and

our

Lord

at

peace

with

us

,

than

revelation

of

the

truth

than

confession

of

our

errors

,

than

pardon

of

the

innumerable

sins

of

our

past

life

?

What

greater

pleasure

than

distaste

of

pleasure

itself

,

contempt

of

all

that

the

world

can

give

,

true

liberty

,

a

pure

conscience

,

a

contented

life

,

and

freedom

from

all

fear

of

death

?

What

nobler

than

to

tread

under

foot

the

gods

of

the

nations

—

to

exorcise

evil

spirits

—

to

perform

cures

—

to

seek

divine

revealings

—

to

live

to

God

?

These

are

the

pleasures

,

these

the

spectacles

that

befit

Christian

men

—

holy

,

everlasting

,

free

.

Count

of

these

as

your

circus

games

,

fix

your

eyes

on

the

courses

of

the

world

,

the

gliding

seasons

,

reckon

up

the

periods

of

time

,

long

for

the

goal

of

the

final

consummation

,

defend

the

societies

of

the

churches

,

be

startled

at

God’s

signal

,

be

roused

up

at

the

angel’s

trump

,

glory

in

the

palms

of

martyrdom

.

If

the

literature

of

the

stage

delight

you

,

we

have

literature

in

abundance

of

our

own

—

plenty

of

verses

,

sentences

,

songs

,

proverbs

;

and

these

not

fabulous

,

but

true

;

not

tricks

of

art

,

but

plain

realities

.

Would

you

have

also

fightings

and

wrestlings

?

Well

,

of

these

there

is

no

lacking

,

and

they

are

not

of

slight

account

.

Behold

unchastity

overcome

by

chastity

,

perfidy

slain

by

faithfulness

,

cruelty

stricken

by

compassion

,

impudence

thrown

into

the

shade

by

modesty

:

these

are

the

contests

we

have

among

us

,

and

in

these

we

win

our

crowns

.

Would

you

have

something

of

blood

too

?

You

have

Christ’s

.

Notes

1
[See cap. 26, supra. On this claim to such powers still remaining in the church. See Kaye, p. 89.]