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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 27

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXVII.—Soul and Body Conceived, Formed and Perfected in Element Simultaneously.

How, then, is a living being conceived? Is

‹ Chapter 26 Chapter 28 ›

the

substance

of

both

body

and

soul

formed

together

at

one

and

the

same

time

?

Or

does

one

of

them

precede

the

other

in

natural

formation

?

We

indeed

maintain

that

both

are

conceived

,

and

formed

,

and

perfectly

simultaneously

,

as

well

as

born

together

;

and

that

not

a

moment’s

interval

occurs

in

their

conception

,

so

that

,

a

prior

place

can

be

assigned

to

either

.

Judge

,

in

fact

,

of

the

incidents

of

man’s

earliest

existence

by

those

which

occur

to

him

at

the

very

last

.

As

death

is

defined

to

be

nothing

else

than

the

separation

of

body

and

soul

,

life

,

which

is

the

opposite

of

death

,

is

susceptible

of

no

other

definition

than

the

conjunction

of

body

and

soul

.

If

the

severance

happens

at

one

and

the

same

time

to

both

substances

by

means

of

death

,

so

the

law

of

their

combination

ought

to

assure

us

that

it

occurs

simultaneously

to

the

two

substances

by

means

of

life

.

Now

we

allow

that

life

begins

with

conception

,

because

we

contend

that

the

soul

also

begins

from

conception

;

life

taking

its

commencement

at

the

same

moment

and

place

that

the

soul

does

.

Thus

,

then

,

the

processes

which

act

together

to

produce

separation

by

death

,

also

combine

in

a

simultaneous

action

to

produce

life

.

If

we

assign

priority

to

(

the

formation

of

)

one

of

the

natures

,

and

a

subsequent

time

to

the

other

,

we

shall

have

further

to

determine

the

precise

times

of

the

semination

,

according

to

the

condition

and

rank

of

each

.

And

that

being

so

,

what

time

shall

we

give

to

the

seed

of

the

body

,

and

what

to

the

seed

of

the

soul

?

Besides

,

if

different

periods

are

to

be

assigned

to

the

seminations

then

arising

out

of

this

difference

in

time

,

we

shall

also

have

different

substances

.

For

although

we

shall

allow

that

there

are

two

kinds

of

seed

—

that

of

the

body

and

that

of

the

soul

—

we

still

declare

that

they

are

inseparable

,

and

therefore

contemporaneous

and

simultaneous

in

origin

.

Now

let

no

one

take

offence

or

feel

ashamed

at

an

interpretation

of

the

processes

of

nature

which

is

rendered

necessary

(

by

the

defence

of

the

truth

)

.

Nature

should

be

to

us

an

object

of

reverence

,

not

of

blushes

.

It

is

lust

,

not

natural

usage

,

which

has

brought

shame

on

the

intercourse

of

the

sexes

.

It

is

the

excess

,

not

the

normal

state

,

which

is

immodest

and

unchaste

:

the

normal

condition

has

received

a

blessing

from

God

,

and

is

blest

by

Him

:

“

Be

fruitful

,

and

multiply

,

(

and

replenish

the

earth

.

)

”

Excess

,

however

,

has

He

cursed

,

in

adulteries

,

and

wantonness

,

and

chambering

.

Well

,

now

,

in

this

usual

function

of

the

sexes

which

brings

together

the

male

and

the

female

in

their

common

intercourse

,

we

know

that

both

the

soul

and

the

flesh

discharge

a

duty

together

:

the

soul

supplies

desire

,

the

flesh

contributes

the

gratification

of

it

;

the

soul

furnishes

the

instigation

,

the

flesh

affords

the

realization

.

The

entire

man

being

excited

by

the

one

effort

of

both

natures

,

his

seminal

substance

is

discharged

,

deriving

its

fluidity

from

the

body

,

and

its

warmth

from

the

soul

.

Now

if

the

soul

in

Greek

is

a

word

which

is

synonymous

with

cold

,

how

does

it

come

to

pass

that

the

body

grows

cold

after

the

soul

has

quitted

it

?

Indeed

(

if

I

run

the

risk

of

offending

modesty

even

,

in

my

desire

to

prove

the

truth

)

,

I

cannot

help

asking

,

whether

we

do

not

,

in

that

very

heat

of

extreme

gratification

when

the

generative

fluid

is

ejected

,

feel

that

somewhat

of

our

soul

has

gone

from

us

?

And

do

we

not

experience

a

faintness

and

prostration

along

with

a

dimness

of

sight

?

This

,

then

,

must

be

the

soul

-

producing

seed

,

which

arises

at

once

from

the

out

-

drip

of

the

soul

,

just

as

that

fluid

is

the

body

-

producing

seed

which

proceeds

from

the

drainage

of

the

flesh

.

Most

true

are

the

examples

of

the

first

creation

.

Adam’s

flesh

was

formed

of

clay

.

Now

what

is

clay

but

an

excellent

moisture

,

whence

should

spring

the

generating

fluid

?

From

the

breath

of

God

first

came

the

soul

.

But

what

else

is

the

breath

of

God

than

the

vapour

of

the

spirit

,

whence

should

spring

that

which

we

breathe

out

through

the

generative

fluid

?

Forasmuch

,

therefore

,

as

these

two

different

and

separate

substances

,

the

clay

and

the

breath

,

combined

at

the

first

creation

in

forming

the

individual

man

,

they

then

both

amalgamated

and

mixed

their

proper

seminal

rudiments

in

one

,

and

ever

afterwards

communicated

to

the

human

race

the

normal

mode

of

its

propagation

,

so

that

even

now

the

two

substances

,

although

diverse

from

each

other

,

flow

forth

simultaneously

in

a

united

channel

;

and

finding

their

way

together

into

their

appointed

seed

-

plot

,

they

fertilize

with

their

combined

vigour

the

human

fruit

out

of

their

respective

natures

.

And

inherent

in

this

human

product

is

his

own

seed

,

according

to

the

process

which

has

been

ordained

for

every

creature

endowed

with

the

functions

of

generation

.

Accordingly

from

the

one

(

primeval

)

man

comes

the

entire

outflow

and

redundance

of

men’s

souls

—

nature

proving

herself

true

to

the

commandment

of

God

,

“

Be

fruitful

,

and

multiply

.

”

For

in

the

very

preamble

of

this

one

production

,

“

Let

us

make

man

,

”

man’s

whole

posterity

was

declared

and

described

in

a

plural

phrase

,

“

Let

them

have

dominion

over

the

fish

of

the

sea

,

”

etc

.

And

no

wonder

:

in

the

seed

lies

the

promise

and

earnest

of

the

crop

.

Notes

1
Comp. De Resurr. Carnis, xlv.
2
So Plato, Phædo, p. 64.
3
Materiæ.
4
Gen. i. 28.
5
Lupanaria.
6
See above, c. xxv. p. 206.
7
Gen. i. 28.
8
Ver. 26.
9
Ver. 26.