Disciplinary, Moral, and Ascetical Works

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SPECTACLES Chapter 1 EARN, 0 YOU SERVANTS of God who are just now entering upon His service, and you who have already solemnly sworn allegiance to Him recant what principle of faith, what reason inherent in truth, what rule in our way of life2 forbid, along with the other errors of the world, also the pleasures of the spectacles, lest by ignorance or self-deception anyone fall into sin.3 (2) For so strong is the appeal of pleasure that it can bring about a prolongation of ignorance with a resulting facility for Tertullian addresses not only the general body of the faithful, but also the catechumens. While the catechumens are still going through a special course of preparation in order to learn the real meaning of Christianity and its doctrines, those already initiated in the Christian faith have only to recall their baptismal vows and the obligations they have taken upon themselves. 2 This figure of climax gives at tbe same time a general outline of the contents of the treatise. (1) The spectacles are forbidden not only by the Christian faith in particular, bllt, generally, by every religious faith that acknowledges God as the Creator of the world (Ch. 2). (2) They are also forbidden by a reason that follows from the truth revealed by God and found in holy Scripture (Ch. 3, where Tertullian attempts to prove that the spectacles are condemned by the Bible). (3) They are, finally, forbidden by the Christian way of life, and it is to arguments based on Christian faith and morals that Tertullian devotes almost the entire remaining part of his treatise (Ch. 4·27) . 3 The introductory sentence shows strong rhetorical influence. There are not only balance of phrase and figure of climax, but also antithesis : by going to the spectacles, the catechumens fall mto sins through ignorance, the baptized Christians through self-deception. The same is true of the following sentence, which gives an additional explanation of the preceding thought. 47 48 TERTULLIAN sin, or a perversion of conscience leading to self-deception. (3) In addition, some may perhaps be allured to either error by the opinions of the heathens who commonly use the following arguments against us in this matter: such comforting and merely external pleasures of the eyes and ears are not opposed to religion which is founded in man's mind and conscience; neither is God offended by a man's enjoying himself, nor is taking delight in such enjoyment in its proper time and place a sin as long as the fear of God and God's honor remain unimpaired. (4) But this is precisely what we intend to prove: that these things are not compatible with true religion and true obedience to the true God. (5) There are some who think that the Christians, a sort of people ever ready to die,4 are trained in that stubbornness of theirs that they more easily despise life, once its ties have been cut, as it were, and lose their craving for that which, as far as they themselves are concerned , they have already made empty of everything desirable ; and thus it is considered a rule laid down by human design and forethought rather than by divine command. (6) It would, indeed, be loathsome for people continuing in the enjoyment of such delightful pleasures to die for God.5 On the other hand, if what they say were true, 4 In those days everyone knew that, by embracing the Christian faith, he became a sort of outlaw, exposing' himself to the danger of the heaviest penalties-usually, death. This readiness of the Christians to die for their faith is a commonplace with the Christian apologists; see, for instance, Tertullian, Apology 41.5: 'Nevertheless we in no way suffer harm; in the first place, because nothing is of importance [0 us in the world, except to leave it as quickly as possible ... 5 A cutting remark against the enthusiastic devotees of the spectacles who shun, of course, the lofty ideal of the early Christians, i.e., the steadfast confession of faith and hence martyrdom, because they do not want to part from such alluring pleasures of the world. SPECTACLES 49 stubbornness in a rule of life so strict as ours might well submit to a plan so apt.6 Chapter 2 ( 1) Moreover, there is no one of our adversaries who will not offer this...