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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 41

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XLI.—Notwithstanding the Depravity of Man’s Soul by Original Sin, There is Yet Left a Basis Whereon Divine Grace Can Work for Its Recovery by Spiritual Regeneration.

There is, then, besides the evil which supervenes on

‹ Chapter 40 Chapter 42 ›

the

soul

from

the

intervention

of

the

evil

spirit

,

an

antecedent

,

and

in

a

certain

sense

natural

,

evil

which

arises

from

its

corrupt

origin

.

For

,

as

we

have

said

before

,

the

corruption

of

our

nature

is

another

nature

having

a

god

and

father

of

its

own

,

namely

the

author

of

(

that

)

corruption

.

Still

there

is

a

portion

of

good

in

the

soul

,

of

that

original

,

divine

,

and

genuine

good

,

which

is

its

proper

nature

.

For

that

which

is

derived

from

God

is

rather

obscured

than

extinguished

.

It

can

be

obscured

,

indeed

,

because

it

is

not

God

;

extinguished

,

however

,

it

cannot

be

,

because

it

comes

from

God

.

As

therefore

light

,

when

intercepted

by

an

opaque

body

,

still

remains

,

although

it

is

not

apparent

,

by

reason

of

the

interposition

of

so

dense

a

body

;

so

likewise

the

good

in

the

soul

,

being

weighed

down

by

the

evil

,

is

,

owing

to

the

obscuring

character

thereof

,

either

not

seen

at

all

,

its

light

being

wholly

hidden

,

or

else

only

a

stray

beam

is

there

visible

where

it

struggles

through

by

an

accidental

outlet

.

Thus

some

men

are

very

bad

,

and

some

very

good

;

but

yet

the

souls

of

all

form

but

one

genus

:

even

in

the

worst

there

is

something

good

,

and

in

the

best

there

is

something

bad

.

For

God

alone

is

without

sin

;

and

the

only

man

without

sin

is

Christ

,

since

Christ

is

also

God

.

Thus

the

divinity

of

the

soul

bursts

forth

in

prophetic

forecasts

in

consequence

of

its

primeval

good

;

and

being

conscious

of

its

origin

,

it

bears

testimony

to

God

(

its

author

)

in

exclamations

such

as

:

Good

God

!

God

knows

!

and

Good

-

bye

!

Just

as

no

soul

is

without

sin

,

so

neither

is

any

soul

without

seeds

of

good

.

Therefore

,

when

the

soul

embraces

the

faith

,

being

renewed

in

its

second

birth

by

water

and

the

power

from

above

,

then

the

veil

of

its

former

corruption

being

taken

away

,

it

beholds

the

light

in

all

its

brightness

.

It

is

also

taken

up

(

in

its

second

birth

)

by

the

Holy

Spirit

,

just

as

in

its

first

birth

it

is

embraced

by

the

unholy

spirit

.

The

flesh

follows

the

soul

now

wedded

to

the

Spirit

,

as

a

part

of

the

bridal

portion

—

no

longer

the

servant

of

the

soul

,

but

of

the

Spirit

.

O

happy

marriage

,

if

in

it

there

is

committed

no

violation

of

the

nuptial

vow

!

Notes

1
Deo commendo = God be wi’ ye. De Test. c. ii. p. 176, supra.