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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 33

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXIII.—The Judicial Retribution of These Migrations Refuted with Raillery.

Forasmuch as this doctrine is vindicated even on the principle of

‹ Chapter 32 Chapter 34 ›

judicial

retribution

,

on

the

pretence

that

the

souls

of

men

obtain

as

their

partners

the

kind

of

animals

which

are

suited

to

their

life

and

deserts

,

—

as

if

they

ought

to

be

,

according

to

their

several

characters

,

either

slain

in

criminals

destined

to

execution

,

or

reduced

to

hard

work

in

menials

,

or

fatigued

and

wearied

in

labourers

,

or

foully

disgraced

in

the

unclean

;

or

,

again

,

on

the

same

principle

,

reserved

for

honour

,

and

love

,

and

care

,

and

attentive

regard

in

characters

most

eminent

in

rank

and

virtue

,

usefulness

,

and

tender

sensibility

,

—

I

must

here

also

remark

,

that

if

souls

undergo

a

transformation

,

they

will

actually

not

be

able

to

accomplish

and

experience

the

destinies

which

they

shall

deserve

;

and

the

aim

and

purpose

of

judicial

recompense

will

be

brought

to

nought

,

as

there

will

be

wanting

the

sense

and

consciousness

of

merit

and

retribution

.

And

there

must

be

this

want

of

consciousness

,

if

souls

lose

their

condition

;

and

there

must

ensue

this

loss

,

if

they

do

not

continue

in

one

stay

.

But

even

if

they

should

have

permanency

enough

to

remain

unchanged

until

the

judgment

,

—

a

point

which

Mercurius

Ægyptius

recognised

,

when

he

said

that

the

soul

,

after

its

separation

from

the

body

,

was

not

dissipated

back

into

the

soul

of

the

universe

,

but

retained

permanently

its

distinct

individuality

,

“

in

order

that

it

might

render

,

”

to

use

his

own

words

,

“

an

account

to

the

Father

of

those

things

which

it

has

done

in

the

body

;

”

—

(

even

supposing

all

this

,

I

say

,

)

I

still

want

to

examine

the

justice

,

the

solemnity

,

the

majesty

,

and

the

dignity

of

this

reputed

judgment

of

God

,

and

see

whether

human

judgment

has

not

too

elevated

a

throne

in

it

—

exaggerated

in

both

directions

,

in

its

office

both

of

punishments

and

rewards

,

too

severe

in

dealing

out

its

vengeance

,

and

too

lavish

in

bestowing

its

favour

.

What

do

you

suppose

will

become

of

the

soul

of

the

murderer

?

(

It

will

animate

)

,

I

suppose

,

some

cattle

destined

for

the

slaughter

-

house

and

the

shambles

,

that

it

may

itself

be

killed

,

even

as

it

has

killed

;

and

be

itself

flayed

,

since

it

has

fleeced

others

;

and

be

itself

used

for

food

,

since

it

has

cast

to

the

wild

beasts

the

ill

-

fated

victims

whom

it

once

slew

in

woods

and

lonely

roads

.

Now

,

if

such

be

the

judicial

retribution

which

it

is

to

receive

,

is

not

such

a

soul

likely

to

find

more

of

consolation

than

of

punishment

,

in

the

fact

that

it

receives

its

coup

de

grâce

from

the

hands

of

most

expert

practitioners

—

is

buried

with

condiments

served

in

the

most

piquant

styles

of

an

Apicius

or

a

Lurco

,

is

introduced

to

the

tables

of

your

exquisite

Ciceros

,

is

brought

up

on

the

most

splendid

dishes

of

a

Sylla

,

finds

its

obsequies

in

a

banquet

,

is

devoured

by

respectable

(

mouths

)

on

a

par

with

itself

,

rather

than

by

kites

and

wolves

,

so

that

all

may

see

how

it

has

got

a

man’s

body

for

its

tomb

,

and

has

risen

again

after

returning

to

its

own

kindred

race

—

exulting

in

the

face

of

human

judgments

,

if

it

has

experienced

them

?

For

these

barbarous

sentences

of

death

consign

to

various

wild

beasts

,

which

are

selected

and

trained

even

against

their

nature

for

their

horrible

office

the

criminal

who

has

committed

murder

,

even

while

yet

alive

;

nay

,

hindered

from

too

easily

dying

,

by

a

contrivance

which

retards

his

last

moment

in

order

to

aggravate

his

punishment

.

But

even

if

his

soul

should

have

anticipated

by

its

departure

the

sword’s

last

stroke

,

his

body

at

all

events

must

not

escape

the

weapon

:

retribution

for

his

own

crime

is

yet

exacted

by

stabbing

his

throat

and

stomach

,

and

piercing

his

side

.

After

that

he

is

flung

into

the

fire

,

that

his

very

grave

may

be

cheated

.

In

no

other

way

,

indeed

,

is

a

sepulture

allowed

him

.

Not

that

any

great

care

,

after

all

,

is

bestowed

on

his

pyre

,

so

that

other

animals

light

upon

his

remains

.

At

any

rate

,

no

mercy

is

shown

to

his

bones

,

no

indulgence

to

his

ashes

,

which

must

be

punished

with

exposure

and

nakedness

.

The

vengeance

which

is

inflicted

among

men

upon

the

homicide

is

really

as

great

as

that

which

is

imposed

by

nature

.

Who

would

not

prefer

the

justice

of

the

world

,

which

,

as

the

apostle

himself

testifies

,

“

beareth

not

the

sword

in

vain

,

”

and

which

is

an

institute

of

religion

when

it

severely

avenges

in

defence

of

human

life

?

When

we

contemplate

,

too

,

the

penalties

awarded

to

other

crimes

—

gibbets

,

and

holocausts

,

and

sacks

,

and

harpoons

,

and

precipices

—

who

would

not

think

it

better

to

receive

his

sentence

in

the

courts

of

Pythagoras

and

Empedocles

?

For

even

the

wretches

whom

they

will

send

into

the

bodies

of

asses

and

mules

to

be

punished

by

drudgery

and

slavery

,

how

will

they

congratulate

themselves

on

the

mild

labour

of

the

mill

and

the

water

-

wheel

,

when

they

recollect

the

mines

,

and

the

convict

-

gangs

,

and

the

public

works

,

and

even

the

prisons

and

black

-

holes

,

terrible

in

their

idle

,

do

-

nothing

routine

?

Then

,

again

,

in

the

case

of

those

who

,

after

a

course

of

integrity

,

have

surrendered

their

life

to

the

Judge

,

I

likewise

look

for

rewards

,

but

I

rather

discover

punishments

.

To

be

sure

,

it

must

be

a

handsome

gain

for

good

men

to

be

restored

to

life

in

any

animals

whatsoever

!

Homer

,

so

dreamt

Ennius

,

remembered

that

he

was

once

a

peacock

;

however

,

I

cannot

for

my

part

believe

poets

,

even

when

wide

awake

.

A

peacock

,

no

doubt

,

is

a

very

pretty

bird

,

pluming

itself

,

at

will

,

on

its

splendid

feathers

;

but

then

its

wings

do

not

make

amends

for

its

voice

,

which

is

harsh

and

unpleasant

;

and

there

is

nothing

that

poets

like

better

than

a

good

song

.

His

transformation

,

therefore

,

into

a

peacock

was

to

Homer

a

penalty

,

not

an

honour

.

The

world’s

remuneration

will

bring

him

a

much

greater

joy

,

when

it

lauds

him

as

the

father

of

the

liberal

sciences

;

and

he

will

prefer

the

ornaments

of

his

fame

to

the

graces

of

his

tail

!

But

never

mind

!

let

poets

migrate

into

peacocks

,

or

into

swans

,

if

you

like

,

especially

as

swans

have

a

respectable

voice

:

in

what

animal

will

you

invest

that

righteous

hero

Æacus

?

In

what

beast

will

you

clothe

the

chaste

and

excellent

Dido

?

What

bird

shall

fall

to

the

lot

of

Patience

?

what

animal

to

the

lot

of

Holiness

?

what

fish

to

that

of

Innocence

?

Now

all

creatures

are

the

servants

of

man

;

all

are

his

subjects

,

all

his

dependants

.

If

by

and

by

he

is

to

become

one

of

these

creatures

,

he

is

by

such

a

change

debased

and

degraded

,

he

to

whom

,

for

his

virtues

,

images

,

statues

,

and

titles

are

freely

awarded

as

public

honours

and

distinguished

privileges

,

he

to

whom

the

senate

and

the

people

vote

even

sacrifices

!

Oh

,

what

judicial

sentences

for

gods

to

pronounce

,

as

men’s

recompense

after

death

!

They

are

more

mendacious

than

any

human

judgments

;

they

are

contemptible

as

punishments

,

disgusting

as

rewards

;

such

as

the

worst

of

men

could

never

fear

,

nor

the

best

desire

;

such

indeed

,

as

criminals

will

aspire

to

,

rather

than

saints

,

—

the

former

,

that

they

may

escape

more

speedily

the

world’s

stern

sentence

,

—

the

latter

that

they

may

more

tardily

incur

it

.

How

well

,

(

forsooth

)

,

O

ye

philosophers

do

you

teach

us

,

and

how

usefully

do

you

advise

us

,

that

after

death

rewards

and

punishments

fall

with

lighter

weight

!

whereas

,

if

any

judgment

awaits

souls

at

all

,

it

ought

rather

to

be

supposed

that

it

will

be

heavier

at

the

conclusion

of

life

than

in

the

conduct

thereof

,

since

nothing

is

more

complete

than

that

which

comes

at

the

very

last

—

nothing

,

moreover

,

is

more

complete

than

that

which

is

especially

divine

.

Accordingly

,

God’s

judgment

will

be

more

full

and

complete

,

because

it

will

be

pronounced

at

the

very

last

,

in

an

eternal

irrevocable

sentence

,

both

of

punishment

and

of

consolation

,

(

on

men

whose

)

souls

are

not

to

transmigrate

into

beasts

,

but

are

to

return

into

their

own

proper

bodies

.

And

all

this

once

for

all

,

and

on

“

that

day

,

too

,

of

which

the

Father

only

knoweth

;

”

(

only

knoweth

,

)

in

order

that

by

her

trembling

expectation

faith

may

make

full

trial

of

her

anxious

sincerity

,

keeping

her

gaze

ever

fixed

on

that

day

,

in

her

perpetual

ignorance

of

it

,

daily

fearing

that

for

which

she

yet

daily

hopes

.

Notes

1
Or, “that he may be punished even in his sepulture.”
2
Rom. xiii. 4.
3
In administratione.
4
Mark xiii. 32.