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The Shows, or De Spectaculis

Tertullian

Chapter 24

About this work

Author: Tertullian

In how many other ways shall we yet further show that

‹ Chapter 23 Chapter 25 ›

nothing

which

is

peculiar

to

the

shows

has

God’s

approval

,

or

without

that

approval

is

becoming

in

God’s

servants

?

If

we

have

succeeded

in

making

it

plain

that

they

were

instituted

entirely

for

the

devil’s

sake

,

and

have

been

got

up

entirely

with

the

devil’s

things

(

for

all

that

is

not

God’s

,

or

is

not

pleasing

in

His

eyes

,

belongs

to

His

wicked

rival

)

,

this

simply

means

that

in

them

you

have

that

pomp

of

the

devil

which

in

the

“

seal

”

of

our

faith

we

abjure

.

We

should

have

no

connection

with

the

things

which

we

abjure

,

whether

in

deed

or

word

,

whether

by

looking

on

them

or

looking

forward

to

them

;

but

do

we

not

abjure

and

rescind

that

baptismal

pledge

,

when

we

cease

to

bear

its

testimony

?

Does

it

then

remain

for

us

to

apply

to

the

heathen

themselves

.

Let

them

tell

us

,

then

,

whether

it

is

right

in

Christians

to

frequent

the

show

.

Why

,

the

rejection

of

these

amusements

is

the

chief

sign

to

them

that

a

man

has

adopted

the

Christian

faith

.

If

any

one

,

then

,

puts

away

the

faith’s

distinctive

badge

,

he

is

plainly

guilty

of

denying

it

.

What

hope

can

you

possibly

retain

in

regard

to

a

man

who

does

that

?

When

you

go

over

to

the

enemy’s

camp

,

you

throw

down

your

arms

,

desert

the

standards

and

the

oath

of

allegiance

to

your

chief

:

you

cast

in

your

lot

for

life

or

death

with

your

new

friends

.