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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 40

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XL.—The Body of Man Only Ancillary to the Soul in the Commission of Evil.

Every soul, then, by reason of its birth,

‹ Chapter 39 Chapter 41 ›

has

its

nature

in

Adam

until

it

is

born

again

in

Christ

;

moreover

,

it

is

unclean

all

the

while

that

it

remains

without

this

regeneration

;

and

because

unclean

,

it

is

actively

sinful

,

and

suffuses

even

the

flesh

(

by

reason

of

their

conjunction

)

with

its

own

shame

.

Now

although

the

flesh

is

sinful

,

and

we

are

forbidden

to

walk

in

accordance

with

it

,

and

its

works

are

condemned

as

lusting

against

the

spirit

,

and

men

on

its

account

are

censured

as

carnal

,

yet

the

flesh

has

not

such

ignominy

on

its

own

account

.

For

it

is

not

of

itself

that

it

thinks

anything

or

feels

anything

for

the

purpose

of

advising

or

commanding

sin

.

How

should

it

,

indeed

?

It

is

only

a

ministering

thing

,

and

its

ministration

is

not

like

that

of

a

servant

or

familiar

friend

—

animated

and

human

beings

;

but

rather

that

of

a

vessel

,

or

something

of

that

kind

:

it

is

body

,

not

soul

.

Now

a

cup

may

minister

to

a

thirsty

man

;

and

yet

,

if

the

thirsty

man

will

not

apply

the

cup

to

his

mouth

,

the

cup

will

yield

no

ministering

service

.

Therefore

the

differentia

,

or

distinguishing

property

,

of

man

by

no

means

lies

in

his

earthy

element

;

nor

is

the

flesh

the

human

person

,

as

being

some

faculty

of

his

soul

,

and

a

personal

quality

;

but

it

is

a

thing

of

quite

a

different

substance

and

different

condition

,

although

annexed

to

the

soul

as

a

chattel

or

as

an

instrument

for

the

offices

of

life

.

Accordingly

the

flesh

is

blamed

in

the

Scriptures

,

because

nothing

is

done

by

the

soul

without

the

flesh

in

operations

of

concupiscence

,

appetite

,

drunkenness

,

cruelty

,

idolatry

,

and

other

works

of

the

flesh

,

—

operations

,

I

mean

,

which

are

not

confined

to

sensations

,

but

result

in

effects

.

The

emotions

of

sin

,

indeed

,

when

not

resulting

in

effects

,

are

usually

imputed

to

the

soul

:

“

Whosoever

looketh

on

a

woman

to

lust

after

,

hath

already

in

his

heart

committed

adultery

with

her

.

”

But

what

has

the

flesh

alone

,

without

the

soul

,

ever

done

in

operations

of

virtue

,

righteousness

,

endurance

,

or

chastity

?

What

absurdity

,

however

,

it

is

to

attribute

sin

and

crime

to

that

substance

to

which

you

do

not

assign

any

good

actions

or

character

of

its

own

!

Now

the

party

which

aids

in

the

commission

of

a

crime

is

brought

to

trial

,

only

in

such

a

way

that

the

principal

offender

who

actually

committed

the

crime

may

bear

the

weight

of

the

penalty

,

although

the

abettor

too

does

not

escape

indictment

.

Greater

is

the

odium

which

falls

on

the

principal

,

when

his

officials

are

punished

through

his

fault

.

He

is

beaten

with

more

stripes

who

instigates

and

orders

the

crime

,

whilst

at

the

same

time

he

who

obeys

such

an

evil

command

is

not

acquitted

.

Notes

1
Rom. vi. 4.
2
Gal. v. 16.
3
Ver. 17.
4
Rom. viii. 5.
5
Matt. v. 28.