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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 38

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXVIII.—On the Growth of the Soul. Its Maturity Coincident with the Maturity of the Flesh in Man.

Now we have already laid down the principle, that all

‹ Chapter 37 Chapter 39 ›

the

natural

properties

of

the

soul

which

relate

to

sense

and

intelligence

are

inherent

in

its

very

substance

,

and

spring

from

its

native

constitution

,

but

that

they

advance

by

a

gradual

growth

through

the

stages

of

life

and

develope

themselves

in

different

ways

by

accidental

circumstances

,

according

to

men’s

means

and

arts

,

their

manners

and

customs

their

local

situations

,

and

the

influences

of

the

Supreme

Powers

;

but

in

pursuance

of

that

aspect

of

the

association

of

body

and

soul

which

we

have

now

to

consider

,

we

maintain

that

the

puberty

of

the

soul

coincides

with

that

of

the

body

,

and

that

they

attain

both

together

to

this

full

growth

at

about

the

fourteenth

year

of

life

,

speaking

generally

,

—

the

former

by

the

suggestion

of

the

senses

,

and

the

latter

by

the

growth

of

the

bodily

members

;

and

(

we

fix

on

this

age

)

not

because

,

as

Asclepiades

supposes

,

reflection

then

begins

,

nor

because

the

civil

laws

date

the

commencement

of

the

real

business

of

life

from

this

period

,

but

because

this

was

the

appointed

order

from

the

very

first

.

For

as

Adam

and

Eve

felt

that

they

must

cover

their

nakedness

after

their

knowledge

of

good

and

evil

so

we

profess

to

have

the

same

discernment

of

good

and

evil

from

the

time

that

we

experience

the

same

sensation

of

shame

.

Now

from

the

before

-

mentioned

age

(

of

fourteen

years

)

sex

is

suffused

and

clothed

with

an

especial

sensibility

,

and

concupiscence

employs

the

ministry

of

the

eye

,

and

communicates

its

pleasure

to

another

,

and

understands

the

natural

relations

between

male

and

female

,

and

wears

the

fig

-

tree

apron

to

cover

the

shame

which

it

still

excites

,

and

drives

man

out

of

the

paradise

of

innocence

and

chastity

,

and

in

its

wild

pruriency

falls

upon

sins

and

unnatural

incentives

to

delinquency

;

for

its

impulse

has

by

this

time

surpassed

the

appointment

of

nature

,

and

springs

from

its

vicious

abuse

.

But

the

strictly

natural

concupiscence

is

simply

confined

to

the

desire

of

those

aliments

which

God

at

the

beginning

conferred

upon

man

.

“

Of

every

tree

of

the

garden

”

He

says

,

“

ye

shall

freely

eat

;

”

and

then

again

to

the

generation

which

followed

the

flood

He

enlarged

the

grant

:

“

Every

moving

thing

that

liveth

shall

be

meat

for

you

;

behold

,

as

the

green

herb

have

I

given

you

all

these

things

,

”

—

where

He

has

regard

rather

to

the

body

than

to

the

soul

,

although

it

be

in

the

interest

of

the

soul

also

.

For

we

must

remove

all

occasion

from

the

caviller

,

who

,

because

the

soul

apparently

wants

ailments

,

would

insist

on

the

soul’s

being

from

this

circumstance

deemed

mortal

,

since

it

is

sustained

by

meat

and

drink

and

after

a

time

loses

its

rigour

when

they

are

withheld

,

and

on

their

complete

removal

ultimately

droops

and

dies

.

Now

the

point

we

must

keep

in

view

is

not

merely

which

particular

faculty

it

is

which

desires

these

(

aliments

)

,

but

also

for

what

end

;

and

even

if

it

be

for

its

own

sake

,

still

the

question

remains

,

Why

this

desire

,

and

when

felt

,

and

how

long

?

Then

again

there

is

the

consideration

,

that

it

is

one

thing

to

desire

by

natural

instinct

,

and

another

thing

to

desire

through

necessity

;

one

thing

to

desire

as

a

property

of

being

,

another

thing

to

desire

for

a

special

object

.

The

soul

,

therefore

,

will

desire

meat

and

drink

—

for

itself

indeed

,

because

of

a

special

necessity

;

for

the

flesh

,

however

,

from

the

nature

of

its

properties

.

For

the

flesh

is

no

doubt

the

house

of

the

soul

,

and

the

soul

is

the

temporary

inhabitant

of

the

flesh

.

The

desire

,

then

,

of

the

lodger

will

arise

from

the

temporary

cause

and

the

special

necessity

which

his

very

designation

suggests

,

—

with

a

view

to

benefit

and

improve

the

place

of

his

temporary

abode

,

while

sojourning

in

it

;

not

with

the

view

,

certainly

,

of

being

himself

the

foundation

of

the

house

,

or

himself

its

walls

,

or

himself

its

support

and

roof

,

but

simply

and

solely

with

the

view

of

being

accommodated

and

housed

,

since

he

could

not

receive

such

accommodation

except

in

a

sound

and

well

-

built

house

.

(

Now

,

applying

this

imagery

to

the

soul

,

)

if

it

be

not

provided

with

this

accommodation

,

it

will

not

be

in

its

power

to

quit

its

dwelling

-

place

,

and

for

want

of

fit

and

proper

resources

,

to

depart

safe

and

sound

,

in

possession

,

too

,

of

its

own

supports

,

and

the

aliments

which

belong

to

its

own

proper

condition

,

—

namely

immortality

,

rationality

,

sensibility

,

intelligence

,

and

freedom

of

the

will

.

Notes

1
See above, in ch. xx.
2
See above, in ch. xxiv.
3
Gen. ii. 16.
4
Gen. ix. 3.