Sicine exprimitur publicum gaudium per dedecus publicum? Haecine solemnes dies principum decent, quae alios dies non decent? Qui observant disciplinam de Caesaris respectu, hi eam propter Caesarem deserunt, et malorum morum licentia pietas erit, occasio luxuriae religio deputabitur? O nos merito damnandos! Cur enim vota et gaudia Caesarum casti et sobrii et probi expungimus? cur die laeto non laureis postes obumbramus nec lucernis diem infringimus? Honesta res est solemnitate publica exigente induere domui tuae habitum alicuius novi lupanaris.
Is it thus that a peoples joy is expressed in public shame? Does such conduct befit the festal days of princes, when it ill befits other days? Men who maintain order out of regard for Caesar, are they to abandon it for Caesars sake? Shall their good feeling for him be their licence to follow bad ways? shall religion be reckoned as an occasion for indulgence? Oh it is we deserve to be condemned! For why do we perform our vows and celebrate our joys for the Caesars, chaste, sober and decent? Why on the glad day do we not hang our doors with laurels and intrude upon the daylight with lamps?b It is the honest mans duty, when a great public occasion calls, to rig your house up like some new brothel!
final_alignments\Tertullian_Apology.json