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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 37

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXVII.—On the Formation and State of the Embryo. Its Relation with the Subject of This Treatise.

Now the entire process of sowing, forming, and completing

‹ Chapter 36 Chapter 38 ›

the

human

embryo

in

the

womb

is

no

doubt

regulated

by

some

power

,

which

ministers

herein

to

the

will

of

God

,

whatever

may

be

the

method

which

it

is

appointed

to

employ

.

Even

the

superstition

of

Rome

,

by

carefully

attending

to

these

points

,

imagined

the

goddess

Alemona

to

nourish

the

fœtus

in

the

womb

;

as

well

as

(

the

goddesses

)

Nona

and

Decima

,

called

after

the

most

critical

months

of

gestation

;

and

Partula

,

to

manage

and

direct

parturition

;

and

Lucina

,

to

bring

the

child

to

the

birth

and

light

of

day

.

We

,

on

our

part

,

believe

the

angels

to

officiate

herein

for

God

.

The

embryo

therefore

becomes

a

human

being

in

the

womb

from

the

moment

that

its

form

is

completed

.

The

law

of

Moses

,

indeed

,

punishes

with

due

penalties

the

man

who

shall

cause

abortion

,

inasmuch

as

there

exists

already

the

rudiment

of

a

human

being

,

which

has

imputed

to

it

even

now

the

condition

of

life

and

death

,

since

it

is

already

liable

to

the

issues

of

both

,

although

,

by

living

still

in

the

mother

,

it

for

the

most

part

shares

its

own

state

with

the

mother

.

I

must

also

say

something

about

the

period

of

the

soul’s

birth

,

that

I

may

omit

nothing

incidental

in

the

whole

process

.

A

mature

and

regular

birth

takes

place

,

as

a

general

rule

,

at

the

commencement

of

the

tenth

month

.

They

who

theorize

respecting

numbers

,

honour

the

number

ten

as

the

parent

of

all

the

others

,

and

as

imparting

perfection

to

the

human

nativity

.

For

my

own

part

,

I

prefer

viewing

this

measure

of

time

in

reference

to

God

,

as

if

implying

that

the

ten

months

rather

initiated

man

into

the

ten

commandments

;

so

that

the

numerical

estimate

of

the

time

needed

to

consummate

our

natural

birth

should

correspond

to

the

numerical

classification

of

the

rules

of

our

regenerate

life

.

But

inasmuch

as

birth

is

also

completed

with

the

seventh

month

,

I

more

readily

recognize

in

this

number

than

in

the

eighth

the

honour

of

a

numerical

agreement

with

the

sabbatical

period

;

so

that

the

month

in

which

God’s

image

is

sometimes

produced

in

a

human

birth

,

shall

in

its

number

tally

with

the

day

on

which

God’s

creation

was

completed

and

hallowed

.

Human

nativity

has

sometimes

been

allowed

to

be

premature

,

and

yet

to

occur

in

fit

and

perfect

accordance

with

an

hebdomad

or

sevenfold

number

,

as

an

auspice

of

our

resurrection

,

and

rest

,

and

kingdom

.

The

ogdoad

,

or

eightfold

number

,

therefore

,

is

not

concerned

in

our

formation

;

for

in

the

time

it

represents

there

will

be

no

more

marriage

.

We

have

already

demonstrated

the

conjunction

of

the

body

and

the

soul

,

from

the

concretion

of

their

very

seminations

to

the

complete

formation

of

the

fœtus

.

We

now

maintain

their

conjunction

likewise

from

the

birth

onwards

;

in

the

first

place

,

because

they

both

grow

together

,

only

each

in

a

different

manner

suited

to

the

diversity

of

their

nature

—

the

flesh

in

magnitude

,

the

soul

in

intelligence

—

the

flesh

in

material

condition

,

the

soul

in

sensibility

.

We

are

,

however

,

forbidden

to

suppose

that

the

soul

increases

in

substance

,

lest

it

should

be

said

also

to

be

capable

of

diminution

in

substance

,

and

so

its

extinction

even

should

be

believed

to

be

possible

;

but

its

inherent

power

,

in

which

are

contained

all

its

natural

peculiarities

,

as

originally

implanted

in

its

being

,

is

gradually

developed

along

with

the

flesh

,

without

impairing

the

germinal

basis

of

the

substance

,

which

it

received

when

breathed

at

first

into

man

.

Take

a

certain

quantity

of

gold

or

of

silver

—

a

rough

mass

as

yet

:

it

has

indeed

a

compact

condition

,

and

one

that

is

more

compressed

at

the

moment

than

it

will

be

;

yet

it

contains

within

its

contour

what

is

throughout

a

mass

of

gold

or

of

silver

.

When

this

mass

is

afterwards

extended

by

beating

it

into

leaf

,

it

becomes

larger

than

it

was

before

by

the

elongation

of

the

original

mass

,

but

not

by

any

addition

thereto

,

because

it

is

extended

in

space

,

not

increased

in

bulk

;

although

in

a

way

it

is

even

increased

when

it

is

extended

:

for

it

may

be

increased

in

form

,

but

not

in

state

.

Then

,

again

,

the

sheen

of

the

gold

or

the

silver

,

which

when

the

metal

was

any

in

block

was

inherent

in

it

no

doubt

really

,

but

yet

only

obscurely

,

shines

out

in

developed

lustre

.

Afterwards

various

modifications

of

shape

accrue

,

according

to

the

feasibility

in

the

material

which

makes

it

yield

to

the

manipulation

of

the

artisan

,

who

yet

adds

nothing

to

the

condition

of

the

mass

but

its

configuration

.

In

like

manner

,

the

growth

and

developments

of

the

soul

are

to

be

estimated

,

not

as

enlarging

its

substance

,

but

as

calling

forth

its

powers

.

Notes

1
Causa hominis.
2
The ogdoad, or number eight, mystically representing “heaven,” where they do not marry.
3
Beyond the hebdomad comes the resurrection, on which see Matt. xxii. 30.