too little of a murderer when he puts to death that very same man on the arena.
CHAP. XXIV.
In how many other ways shall we yet further ^Deut, xxii.
show that nothing which is peculiar to the shows has God's approval, or without that ap- proval 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 pkasing in His eyes, belongs to His wicked •jval), 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 baptis- mal pledge, when we cease to bear its testi- mony? 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 dis- tinctive badge, he is plainly guilty of denying it. What hope can you possibly retain in re- gard 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.
CHAP. XXV.
Seated where there is nothing of God, will one be thinking of his Maker? Will there be peace in his soul when there is eager strife there for a charioteer? Wrought up into a frenzied excitement, will he learn to be modest? Nay, in the whole thing he will meet with no greater temptation than that gay attiring of the men and women. The very intermingling of emotions, the very agree- ments and disagreements with each other in the bestowment of their favours, where you have such close communion, blow up the sparks of passion. And then there is scarce any other object in going to the show, but to see and to be seen. When a tragic actor is declaiming, will one be giving thought to pro- phetic appeals? Amid the measures of the effeminate player, will he call up to himself a psalm? And when the athletes are hard at struggle, will he be ready to proclaim that there must be no striking again? And with his eye fixed on the bites of bears, and the sponge-nets of the net-fighters, can he be moved by compassion? May God avert from His people any such passionate eagerness after a cruel enjoyment! For how monstrous it is to go from God's church to the devil's — from 90 THE SHOWS, OR DE SPECTacULIS.
[chap, xxix the sky to the stye,' as they say; to raise your hands to God, and then to weary them in the applause of an actor; out of the mouth, from which you uttered Amen over the Holy Thing, to give witness in a gladiator's favour; to cry "forever" to any one else but God and Christ!
CHAP. XXVI.
Why may not those who go into the temp- tations of the show become accessible also to evil spirits? We have the case of the woman — the Lord Himself is witness — who went to the theatre, and came back possessed. In the outcasting,^ accordingly, when the unclean creature was upbraided with having dared to attack a believer, he firmly replied, ^ " And in truth I did it most righteously, for I found her in my domain." Another case, too, is well known, in which a woman had been hear- ing a tragedian, and on the very night she saw in her sleep a linen cloth — the actor's name being mentioned at the same time with strong disapproval — and five days after that woman was no more. How many other undoubted proofs we have had in the case of persons who. by keeping company with the devil in the shows, have fallen from the Lord! For no one can serve two masters.* What fellow- ship has light with darkness, life with death?5 CHAP. XXVII.
CHAP. XXVII.
We ought to detest these heathen meetings and assemblies, if on no other account than that there God's name is blasphemed — that there the cry " To the lions! " is daily raised against us* — that from thence persecuting decrees are wont to emanate, and temptations are sent forth. What will you do if you are caught in that heaving tide of impious judg- ments? Not that there any harm is likely to come to you from men: nobody knows that you are a Christian; but think how it fares with you in heaven. For at the very time the devil is working havoc in the church, do you doubt that the angels are looking down from above, and marking every man, who speaks and who listens to the blaspheming word, who lends his tongue and who lends his ears to the service of Satan against God? Shall you not then shun those tiers where the enemies ' [De Caelo in Cxnum: (sic) Oekler.']
» [The exorcism. For the exorcism in Baptism, see Hansen, Hippol. iii. 19.]
3 [See Neander's explanation in Kaye, p. xxiii. But, let us ob- serve the entire simplicity with which our author narrates a sort of incident known to the apostles. Acts, xvi. 16.]
* [Observe — " daily raised." On this precarious condition of the Christians, in their daily life, see the calm statement of Kaye, of Christ assemble, that seat of all that is pestilential, and the very superincumbent at- mosphere all impure with wicked cries? Grant that you have there things that are pleasant, things both agreeable and innocent in them- selves; even some things that are excellent. Nobody dilutes poison with gall and hellebore: the accursed thing is put into condiments well seasoned and of sweetest taste. So, too, the devil puts into the deadly draught which he prepares, things of God most pleasant and most acceptable. Everything there, then, that is either brave, noble, loud-sounding, melo- dious, or exquisite in taste, hold it but as the honey drop of a poisoned cake; nor make so much of your taste for its pleasures, as of the danger you run from its attractions.
CHAP. XXVIIl.
With such dainties as these let the devil's guests be feasted. 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 h^ve you answer me this question: Can we not (ive 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.
CHAP. XXIX.
Even as things are, if your thought is to spend this period of existence in enjoyments, how are you so ungrateful as to reckon in- sufficient, as not thankfully to recognize the many and exquisite pleasures God has be- stowed upon you? For what more delightful CHAP. XXX.]
THE SHOWS, OR DE SPECTACULIS.
91 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 per- form 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 abun- dance 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 faith- fulness, cruelty stricken by compassion, im- pudence 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, CHAP. XXX.
But what a spectacle is that fast-approaching advent^ of our Lord, now owned by all, now highly exalted, now a triumphant One! What that exultation of the angelic hosts! What the glory of the rising saints! What the kingdom of the just thereafter! What the city New Jerusalem! ^ Yes, and there are other sights: that last day of judgment, with its everlasting issues; that day unlocked for by the nations, the theme of their derision, when the world hoary with age, and all its many products, shall be consumed in one great flame! How vast a spectacle then bursts upon the eye! What there excites my ad- miration? what my derision? Which sight ' [See cap. 26 supra. On this claim to such powers still re- ■laining iti the church. See Kaye, p. 89.]
» [Kaye, p. 20. He doubtless looked for a speedy appearance of the Lord: and note the apparent expectation of a New Jerusa- lem, on earth, before the Consummation and Judgment.]
3 [This New Jerusalem gives Bp. Kaye (p. 55) "decisive proof" of Montanism,especiall)[ as compared with the Third Book against Marcion. I cannot see it, here.]
gives me joy? which rouses me to exultation.'' — as I see so many illustrious monarchs, whose reception into the heavens was publicly an- nounced, groaning now in the lowest darkness with great Jove himself, and those, too, who bore witness of their exultation; governors of provinces, too, who persecuted the Christian name, in fires more fierce than those with which in the days of their pride they raged against the followers of Christ. What world's wise men besides, the very philosophers, in fact, who taught their followers that God had no concern in ought that is sublunary, and were wont to assure them that either they had no souls, or that they would never return to the bodies which at death they had left, now cov- ered with shame before the poor deluded ones, as one fire consumes them! Poets also, trem- bling not before the judgment-seat of Rhada- manthus or Minos, but of the unexpected Christ! I shall have a better opportunity then of hearing the tragedians, louder-voiced in their own calamity; of viewing the play-actors, much more "dissolute" in tlje dissolving flame; of looking upon the charioteer, all glowing in his chariot of fire; of beholding the wrestlers, not in their gymnasia, but toss- ing in the fiery billows; unless even then I shall not care to attend to such ministers of sin, in my eager wish rather to fix a gaze in- satiable on those whose fury vented itself against the Lord. "This," I shall say, " this is that carpenter's or hireling's son, that Sabbath-breaker, that Samaritan and devil- possessed! This is He whom you purchased from Judas! This is He whom you struck with reed and fist, whom you contemptuously spat upon, to whom you gave gall and vinegar to drink! This is He whom His disciples se- cretly stole away, that it might be said He had risen again, or the gardener abstracted, that his lettuces might come to no harm from the crowds of visitants! " What quaestor or priest in his munificence will bestow on you the favour of seeing and exulting in such things as these? And yet even now we in a measure have them by faith in the picturings of imagi- nation. But what are the things which eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and which have not so much as dimly dawned upon the human heart? Whatever they are, they are nobler, I believe, than circus, and both theatres,"* and every race-course.
4 Viz., the theatre and amphitheatre. [This concluding chapter, which Gibbon delights to censure, because its fervid rhetoric so fearfully depicts the punishments of Christ's enemies, " appears to Dr. Neander to contain a beautiful specimen of lively faith and Christian confidence." See Kaye, p. xxixJ] IV.
THE CHAPLET, OR DE CORONA.'
CHAP. I.
Very lately it happened thus: while the bounty of our most excellent emperors - was dispensed in the camp, the soldiers, laurel- crowned, were approaching. One of them, more a soldier of God, more stedfast than the rest of his brethren, who had imagined that they could serve two masters, his head alone uncovered, the useless crown in his hand — already even by that peculiarity known to every one as a Christian — was nobly conspicu- ous. Accordingly, all began to mark him out, jeering him at a distance, gnashing on him near at hand. The murmur is wafted to the tribune, when the person had just left the ranks. The tribune at once puts the question to him, Why are you so different in your attire? He declared that he had no liberty to wear the crown with the rest. Being urgently asked for his reasons, he answered, I am a Christian. O soldier! boasting thy- self in God. Then the case was considered and voted on; the matter was remitted to a higher tribunal; the offender was conducted to the prefects. At once he put away the heavy cloak, his disburdening commenced; he loosed from his foot the military shoe, be- ginning to stand upon holy ground; 3 he gave up the sword, which was not necessary either for the protection of our Lord; from his hand likewise dropped the laurel crown; and now, purple-clad with the hope of his own blood, shod with the preparation of the gospel, girt with the sharper word of God, completely equipped in the apostles' armour, and crowned more worthily with the white ' IKaye, apparently accepting the judgment of Dr. Neander, assigns this treatise to a.d. 204. The bounty here spoken of, then, must be that dispensed in honour of the victories over the Parthians, under SeverusJ • ^'' E^PC"'^-" The Emperor Severus associated his two sons with him m the possession of the imperial power; Caracalla in the year iq8, Geta in 208.— Tr.
3 [A touch of our author's genius, inspired by the Phrygian en- thusiam for martyrdom. The ground on which a martyr treads begins to be holy, even before the sacrifice, and in loosing his shoe the victim consecrates the spot and at the same time pays it hom- «ge.]
crown of martyrdom, he awaits in prison the largess of Christ. Thereafter adverse judgments began to be passed upon his conduct — whether on the part of Christians I do not know, for those of the heathen are not different — as if he were headstrong and rash, and too eager to die, because, in being taken to task about a mere matter of dress, he brought trouble on the bearers of the Name," — he, forsooth, alone brave among so many soldier-brethren, he alone a Christian. It is plain that as they have rejected the proph- ecies of the Holy Spirit,^ they are also pur- posing the refusal of martyrdom. So they murmur that a peace so good and long is endangered for them. Nor do I doubt that some are already turning their back on the Scriptures, are making ready their luggage, are equipped for flight from city to city; for that is all of the gospel they care to remember. I know, too, their pastors are lions in peace, deer in the fight. As to the questions asked for extorting confessions from us, we shall teach elsewhere. Now, as they put forth also the objection — But where are we forbidden to be crowned?— I shall take this point up, as more suitable to be treated of here, being the essence, in fact, of the present contention.
So that, on the one hand, the inquirers who are ignorant, but anxious, may be instructed; and on the other, those may be refuted who try to vindicate the sin, especially the laurel- crowned Christians themselves, to whom it is merely a question of debate, as if it might be regarded as either no trespass at all, or at least a doubtful one, because it may be made the subject of investigation. That it is neither sinless nor doubtful, I shall now, however, show.
4 [The name of Christ: and the Antiochian name of Christians.]
5 [Gibbon will have it thai the De Corona was written while Tertullian was orthodox, but this reference to the Montanist notion of " New Prophecy " seems to justify the decision of critics against Gibbon, who, as Kaye suggests (p. 53) was anxious to make Chris- tianity itself responsible for military insubordination and for of- fences against Imperial Law.]
94 THE CHAPLET, OR DE CORONA.
[chap. III.
CHAP, II, I affirm that not one of the Faithful has ever a crown upon his head, except at a time of trial. That is the case with all, from cate- chumens to confessors and martyrs,' or (as the case may be) deniers. Consider, then, whence the custom about which we are now chiefly inquiring got its authority. But when the question is raised why it is observed, it is meanwhile evident that it is observed. There- Jore that can neither be regarded as no offence, or an uncertain one, which is perpetrated against a practice which is capable of defence, on the ground even of its repute, and is suffi- ciently ratified by the support of general ac- ceptance. It is undoubted, so that we ought to inquire into the reason of the thing; but without prejudice to the practice, not for the purpose of overthrowing it, but rather of build- ing it up, that you may all the more carefully observe it, when you are also satisfied as to its reason. But what sort of procedure is it, for one to be bringing into debate a practice, when he has fallen from it, and to be seeking the explanation of his having ever had it, when he has left it off? Since, although he may wish to seem on this account desirous to investigate it, that he may show that he has not done wrong in giving it up, it is evident that he nevertheless transgressed previously in its presumptuous observance. If he has done no wrong to-day in accepting the crown, he offended before in refusing it. This treat- ise, therefore, will not be for those who are not in a proper condition for inquiry, but for those who, with the real desire of getting in- struction, bring forward, not a question for debate, but a request for advice. For it is from this desire that a true inquiry always proceeds; and I praise the faith which has believed in the duty of complying with the rule, before it has learned the reason of it. An easy thing it is at once to demand where it is written that we should not be crowned. But is it written that we should be crowned? Indeed, in urgently demanding the warrant of Scripture in a different side from their own, men prejudge that the support of Scripture ought no less to appear on their part. For if it shall be said that it is lawful to be crowned on this ground, that Scripture does not forbid it, it will as validly be retorted that just on this ground is the crown unlawful, because the Scripture does not enjoin it. What shall discipline do? Shall it accept both things, as if neither were forbidden? Or shall it refuse both, as if neither were enjoined? But " the ' [Kaye (p. 231) notes this as a rare instance of classing Cate- chinnetis among "the Faithful."]
thing which is not forbidden is freely per- mitted," I should rather say- that what has not been freely allowed is forbidden.
CHAP. Ill, And how long shall we draw the saw to and fro through this line, when we have an ancient practice, which by anticipation has made for us the state, i.e., of the question? If no passage of Scripture has prescribed it, assuredly cus- tom, which without doubt flowed from tradi- tion, has confirmed it. For how can anything come into use, if it has not first been handed down? Even in pleading tradition, written authority, you say, must be demanded. Let us inquire, therefore, whether tradition, un- less it be written, should not be admitted. Certainly we shall say that it ought not to be admitted, if no cases of other practices which, without any written instrument, we maintain on the ground of tradition alone, and the countenance thereafter of custom, affords us any precedent. To deal with this matter briefly, I shall begin with baptism. ^ When we are going to enter the water, but a little before, in the presence of the congregation and under the hand of the president, we sol- emnly profess that we disown the devil, and his pomp, and his angels. Hereupon we are thrice immersed, making a somewhat ampler pledge than the Lord has appointed in the Gospel. Then, when we are taken up (as new-born children), "» we taste first of all a mixture of milk and honey, and from that day we refrain from the daily bath for a whole week. We take also, in congregations before daybreak, and from the hand of none but the presidents, the sacrament of the Eucharist, which the Lord both commanded to be eaten at meal-times, and enjoined to be taken by all alike. ^ As often as the anniver- sary comes round, we make offerings for the dead as birthday honours. We count fasting or kneeling in worship on the Lord's day to be unlawful. We rejoice in the same privilege also from Easter to Whitsunday. We feel pained should any wine or bread, even though our own, be cast upon the ground. At every forward step and movement, at every going in and out, when we put on our clothes and shoes, when we bathe, when we sit at table, when we light the lamps, on couch, on