Opening the library…

Search the Bible

The Shows, or De Spectaculis

Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Lest any one think that we are dealing in mere argumentative

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

subtleties

,

I

shall

turn

to

that

highest

authority

of

our

“

seal

”

itself

.

When

entering

the

water

,

we

make

profession

of

the

Christian

faith

in

the

words

of

its

rule

;

we

bear

public

testimony

that

we

have

renounced

the

devil

,

his

pomp

,

and

his

angels

.

Well

,

is

it

not

in

connection

with

idolatry

,

above

all

,

that

you

have

the

devil

with

his

pomp

and

his

angels

?

from

which

,

to

speak

briefly

—

for

I

do

not

wish

to

dilate

—

you

have

every

unclean

and

wicked

spirit

.

If

,

therefore

,

it

shall

be

made

plain

that

the

entire

apparatus

of

the

shows

is

based

upon

idolatry

,

beyond

all

doubt

that

will

carry

with

it

the

conclusion

that

our

renunciatory

testimony

in

the

laver

of

baptism

has

reference

to

the

shows

,

which

,

through

their

idolatry

,

have

been

given

over

to

the

devil

,

and

his

pomp

,

and

his

angels

.

We

shall

set

forth

,

then

,

their

several

origins

,

in

what

nursing

-

places

they

have

grown

to

manhood

;

titles

of

some

of

them

,

by

what

names

they

are

called

;

then

their

apparatus

,

with

what

superstitions

they

are

observed

;

(

then

their

places

,

to

what

patrons

they

are

dedicated

;

)

then

the

arts

which

minister

to

them

,

to

what

authors

they

are

traced

.

If

any

of

these

shall

be

found

to

have

had

no

connection

with

an

idol

-

god

,

it

will

be

held

as

free

at

once

from

the

taint

of

idolatry

,

and

as

not

coming

within

the

range

of

our

baptismal

abjuration

.

Notes

1
[Neander argues with great force that in referring to Scripture and not at all to the “new Prophecy,” our author shows his orthodoxy. We may add “ that highest authority” to which he appeals in this chapter.]