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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 52

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter LII.—All Kinds of Death a Violence to Nature, Arising from Sin.—Sin an Intrusion Upon Nature as God Created It.

Such, then, is the work of death—the

‹ Chapter 51 Chapter 53 ›

separation

of

the

soul

from

the

body

.

Putting

out

of

the

question

fates

and

fortuitous

circumstances

,

it

has

been

,

according

to

men’s

views

,

distinguished

in

a

twofold

form

—

the

ordinary

and

the

extraordinary

.

The

ordinary

they

ascribe

to

nature

,

exercising

its

quiet

influence

in

the

case

of

each

individual

decease

;

the

extraordinary

is

said

to

be

contrary

to

nature

,

happening

in

every

violent

death

.

As

for

our

own

views

,

indeed

,

we

know

what

was

man’s

origin

,

and

we

boldly

assert

and

persistently

maintain

that

death

happens

not

by

way

of

natural

consequence

to

man

,

but

owing

to

a

fault

and

defect

which

is

not

itself

natural

;

although

it

is

easy

enough

,

no

doubt

,

to

apply

the

term

natural

to

faults

and

circumstances

which

seem

to

have

been

(

though

from

the

emergence

of

an

external

cause

)

inseparable

to

us

from

our

very

birth

.

If

man

had

been

directly

appointed

to

die

as

the

condition

of

his

creation

,

then

of

course

death

must

be

imputed

to

nature

.

Now

,

that

he

was

not

thus

appointed

to

die

,

is

proved

by

the

very

law

which

made

his

condition

depend

on

a

warning

,

and

death

result

from

man’s

arbitrary

choice

.

Indeed

,

if

he

had

not

sinned

,

he

certainly

would

not

have

died

.

That

cannot

be

nature

which

happens

by

the

exercise

of

volition

after

an

alternative

has

been

proposed

to

it

,

and

not

by

necessity

—

the

result

of

an

inflexible

and

unalterable

condition

.

Consequently

,

although

death

has

various

issues

,

inasmuch

as

its

causes

are

manifold

,

we

cannot

say

that

the

easiest

death

is

so

gentle

as

not

to

happen

by

violence

(

to

our

nature

)

.

The

very

law

which

produces

death

,

simple

though

it

be

,

is

yet

violence

.

How

can

it

be

otherwise

,

when

so

close

a

companionship

of

soul

and

body

,

so

inseparable

a

growth

together

from

their

very

conception

of

two

sister

substances

,

is

sundered

and

divided

?

For

although

a

man

may

breathe

his

last

for

joy

,

like

the

Spartan

Chilon

,

while

embracing

his

son

who

had

just

conquered

in

the

Olympic

games

;

or

for

glory

,

like

the

Athenian

Clidemus

,

while

receiving

a

crown

of

gold

for

the

excellence

of

his

historical

writings

;

or

in

a

dream

,

like

Plato

;

or

in

a

fit

of

laughter

,

like

Publius

Crassus

,

—

yet

death

is

much

too

violent

,

coming

as

it

does

upon

us

by

strange

and

alien

means

,

expelling

the

soul

by

a

method

all

its

own

,

calling

on

us

to

die

at

a

moment

when

one

might

live

a

jocund

life

in

joy

and

honour

,

in

peace

and

pleasure

.

That

is

still

a

violence

to

ships

:

although

far

away

from

the

Capharean

rocks

,

assailed

by

no

storms

,

without

a

billow

to

shatter

them

,

with

favouring

gale

,

in

gliding

course

,

with

merry

crews

,

they

founder

amidst

entire

security

,

suddenly

,

owing

to

some

internal

shock

.

Not

dissimilar

are

the

shipwrecks

of

life

,

—

the

issues

of

even

a

tranquil

death

.

It

matters

not

whether

the

vessel

of

the

human

body

goes

with

unbroken

timbers

or

shattered

with

storms

,

if

the

navigation

of

the

soul

be

overthrown

.

Notes

1
Ex accidentia.
2
In mortem directo institutus est. [See p. 227, supra.]