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The Shows, or De Spectaculis

Tertullian

Chapter 28

About this work

Author: Tertullian

With such dainties as these let the devil’s guests be feasted

‹ Chapter 27 Chapter 29 ›

.

The

places

and

the

times

,

the

inviter

too

,

are

theirs

.

Our

banquets

,

our

nuptial

joys

,

are

yet

to

come

.

We

cannot

sit

down

in

fellowship

with

them

,

as

neither

can

they

with

us

.

Things

in

this

matter

go

by

their

turns

.

Now

they

have

gladness

and

we

are

troubled

.

“

The

world

,

”

says

Jesus

,

“

shall

rejoice

;

ye

shall

be

sorrowful

.

”

Let

us

mourn

,

then

,

while

the

heathen

are

merry

,

that

in

the

day

of

their

sorrow

we

may

rejoice

;

lest

,

sharing

now

in

their

gladness

,

we

share

then

also

in

their

grief

.

Thou

art

too

dainty

,

Christian

,

if

thou

wouldst

have

pleasure

in

this

life

as

well

as

in

the

next

;

nay

,

a

fool

thou

art

,

if

thou

thinkest

this

life’s

pleasures

to

be

really

pleasures

.

The

philosophers

,

for

instance

,

give

the

name

of

pleasure

to

quietness

and

repose

;

in

that

they

have

their

bliss

;

in

that

they

find

entertainment

:

they

even

glory

in

it

.

You

long

for

the

goal

,

and

the

stage

,

and

the

dust

,

and

the

place

of

combat

!

I

would

have

you

answer

me

this

question

:

Can

we

not

live

without

pleasure

,

who

cannot

but

with

pleasure

die

?

For

what

is

our

wish

but

the

apostle’s

,

to

leave

the

world

,

and

be

taken

up

into

the

fellowship

of

our

Lord

?

You

have

your

joys

where

you

have

your

longings

.

Notes

1
John xvi. 20.
2
Phil. i. 23.