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A Treatise on the Soul

Tertullian

Chapter 43

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XLIII.—Sleep a Natural Function as Shown by Other Considerations, and by the Testimony of Scripture.

Let us therefore first discuss the question of sleep, and

‹ Chapter 42 Chapter 44 ›

afterwards

in

what

way

the

soul

encounters

death

.

Now

sleep

is

certainly

not

a

supernatural

thing

,

as

some

philosophers

will

have

it

be

,

when

they

suppose

it

to

be

the

result

of

causes

which

appear

to

be

above

nature

.

The

Stoics

affirm

sleep

to

be

“

a

temporary

suspension

of

the

activity

of

the

senses

;

”

the

Epicureans

define

it

as

an

intermission

of

the

animal

spirit

;

Anaxagoras

and

Xenophanes

as

a

weariness

of

the

same

;

Empedocles

and

Parmenides

as

a

cooling

down

thereof

;

Strato

as

a

separation

of

the

(

soul’s

)

connatural

spirit

;

Democritus

as

the

soul’s

indigence

;

Aristotle

as

the

interruption

of

the

heat

around

the

heart

.

As

for

myself

,

I

can

safely

say

that

I

have

never

slept

in

such

a

way

as

to

discover

even

a

single

one

of

these

conditions

.

Indeed

,

we

cannot

possibly

believe

that

sleep

is

a

weariness

;

it

is

rather

the

opposite

,

for

it

undoubtedly

removes

weariness

,

and

a

person

is

refreshed

by

sleep

instead

of

being

fatigued

.

Besides

,

sleep

is

not

always

the

result

of

fatigue

;

and

even

when

it

is

,

the

fatigue

continues

no

longer

.

Nor

can

I

allow

that

sleep

is

a

cooling

or

decaying

of

the

animal

heat

,

for

our

bodies

derive

warmth

from

sleep

in

such

a

way

that

the

regular

dispersion

of

the

food

by

means

of

sleep

could

not

so

easily

go

on

if

there

were

too

much

heat

to

accelerate

it

unduly

,

or

cold

to

retard

it

,

if

sleep

had

the

alleged

refrigerating

influence

.

There

is

also

the

further

fact

that

perspiration

indicates

an

over

-

heated

digestion

;

and

digestion

is

predicated

of

us

as

a

process

of

concoction

,

which

is

an

operation

concerned

with

heat

and

not

with

cold

.

In

like

manner

,

the

immortality

of

the

soul

precludes

belief

in

the

theory

that

sleep

is

an

intermission

of

the

animal

spirit

,

or

an

indigence

of

the

spirit

,

or

a

separation

of

the

(

soul’s

)

connatural

spirit

.

The

soul

perishes

if

it

undergoes

diminution

or

intermission

.

Our

only

resource

,

indeed

,

is

to

agree

with

the

Stoics

,

by

determining

the

soul

to

be

a

temporary

suspension

of

the

activity

of

the

senses

,

procuring

rest

for

the

body

only

,

not

for

the

soul

also

.

For

the

soul

,

as

being

always

in

motion

,

and

always

active

,

never

succumbs

to

rest

,

—

a

condition

which

is

alien

to

immortality

:

for

nothing

immortal

admits

any

end

to

its

operation

;

but

sleep

is

an

end

of

operation

.

It

is

indeed

on

the

body

,

which

is

subject

to

mortality

,

and

on

the

body

alone

,

that

sleep

graciously

bestows

a

cessation

from

work

.

He

,

therefore

,

who

shall

doubt

whether

sleep

is

a

natural

function

,

has

the

dialectical

experts

calling

in

question

the

whole

difference

between

things

natural

and

supernatural

—

so

that

what

things

he

supposed

to

be

beyond

nature

he

may

,

(

if

he

likes

,

)

be

safe

in

assigning

to

nature

,

which

indeed

has

made

such

a

disposition

of

things

,

that

they

may

seemingly

be

accounted

as

beyond

it

;

and

so

,

of

course

,

all

things

are

natural

or

none

are

natural

,

(

as

occasion

requires

.

)

With

us

(

Christians

)

,

however

,

only

that

can

receive

a

hearing

which

is

suggested

by

contemplating

God

,

the

Author

of

all

the

things

which

we

are

now

discussing

.

For

we

believe

that

nature

,

if

it

is

anything

,

is

a

reasonable

work

of

God

.

Now

reason

presides

over

sleep

;

for

sleep

is

so

fit

for

man

,

so

useful

,

so

necessary

,

that

were

it

not

for

it

,

not

a

soul

could

provide

agency

for

recruiting

the

body

,

for

restoring

its

energies

,

for

ensuring

its

health

,

for

supplying

suspension

from

work

and

remedy

against

labour

,

and

for

the

legitimate

enjoyment

of

which

day

departs

,

and

night

provides

an

ordinance

by

taking

from

all

objects

their

very

colour

.

Since

,

then

,

sleep

is

indispensable

to

our

life

,

and

health

,

and

succour

,

there

can

be

nothing

pertaining

to

it

which

is

not

reasonable

,

and

which

is

not

natural

.

Hence

it

is

that

physicians

banish

beyond

the

gateway

of

nature

everything

which

is

contrary

to

what

is

vital

,

healthful

,

and

helpful

to

nature

;

for

those

maladies

which

are

inimical

to

sleep

—

maladies

of

the

mind

and

of

the

stomach

—

they

have

decided

to

be

contrariant

to

nature

,

and

by

such

decision

have

determined

as

its

corollary

that

sleep

is

perfectly

natural

.

Moreover

,

when

they

declare

that

sleep

is

not

natural

in

the

lethargic

state

,

they

derive

their

conclusion

from

the

fact

that

it

is

natural

when

it

is

in

its

due

and

regular

exercise

.

For

every

natural

state

is

impaired

either

by

defect

or

by

excess

,

whilst

it

is

maintained

by

its

proper

measure

and

amount

.

That

,

therefore

,

will

be

natural

in

its

condition

which

may

be

rendered

non

-

natural

by

defect

or

by

excess

.

Well

,

now

,

what

if

you

were

to

remove

eating

and

drinking

from

the

conditions

of

nature

?

if

in

them

lies

the

chief

incentive

to

sleep

.

It

is

certain

that

,

from

the

very

beginning

of

his

nature

,

man

was

impressed

with

these

instincts

(

of

sleep

)

.

If

you

receive

your

instruction

from

God

,

(

you

will

find

)

that

the

fountain

of

the

human

race

,

Adam

,

had

a

taste

of

drowsiness

before

having

a

draught

of

repose

;

slept

before

he

laboured

,

or

even

before

he

ate

,

nay

,

even

before

he

spoke

;

in

order

that

men

may

see

that

sleep

is

a

natural

feature

and

function

,

and

one

which

has

actually

precedence

over

all

the

natural

faculties

.

From

this

primary

instance

also

we

are

led

to

trace

even

then

the

image

of

death

in

sleep

.

For

as

Adam

was

a

figure

of

Christ

,

Adam’s

sleep

shadowed

out

the

death

of

Christ

,

who

was

to

sleep

a

mortal

slumber

,

that

from

the

wound

inflicted

on

His

side

might

,

in

like

manner

(

as

Eve

was

formed

)

,

be

typified

the

church

,

the

true

mother

of

the

living

.

This

is

why

sleep

is

so

salutary

,

so

rational

,

and

is

actually

formed

into

the

model

of

that

death

which

is

general

and

common

to

the

race

of

man

.

God

,

indeed

,

has

willed

(

and

it

may

be

said

in

passing

that

He

has

,

generally

,

in

His

dispensations

brought

nothing

to

pass

without

such

types

and

shadows

)

to

set

before

us

,

in

a

manner

more

fully

and

completely

than

Plato’s

example

,

by

daily

recurrence

the

outlines

of

man’s

state

,

especially

concerning

the

beginning

and

the

termination

thereof

;

thus

stretching

out

the

hand

to

help

our

faith

more

readily

by

types

and

parables

,

not

in

words

only

,

but

also

in

things

.

He

accordingly

sets

before

your

view

the

human

body

stricken

by

the

friendly

power

of

slumber

,

prostrated

by

the

kindly

necessity

of

repose

immoveable

in

position

,

just

as

it

lay

life

,

and

just

as

it

will

lie

after

life

is

past

:

there

it

lies

as

an

attestation

of

its

form

when

first

moulded

,

and

of

its

condition

when

at

last

buried

—

awaiting

the

soul

in

both

stages

,

in

the

former

its

bestowal

,

in

the

latter

after

its

recent

withdrawal

.

Meanwhile

the

soul

is

circumstanced

in

such

a

manner

as

to

seem

to

be

elsewhere

active

,

learning

to

bear

future

absence

by

a

dissembling

of

its

presence

for

the

moment

.

We

shall

soon

know

the

case

of

Hermotimus

.

But

yet

it

dreams

in

the

interval

.

Whence

then

its

dreams

?

The

fact

is

,

it

cannot

rest

or

be

idle

altogether

,

nor

does

it

confine

to

the

still

hours

of

sleep

the

nature

of

its

immortality

.

It

proves

itself

to

possess

a

constant

motion

;

it

travels

over

land

and

sea

,

it

trades

,

it

is

excited

,

it

labours

,

it

plays

,

it

grieves

,

it

rejoices

,

it

follows

pursuits

lawful

and

unlawful

;

it

shows

what

very

great

power

it

has

even

without

the

body

,

how

well

equipped

it

is

with

members

of

its

own

,

although

betraying

at

the

same

time

the

need

it

has

of

impressing

on

some

body

its

activity

again

.

Accordingly

,

when

the

body

shakes

off

its

slumber

,

it

asserts

before

your

eye

the

resurrection

of

the

dead

by

its

own

resumption

of

its

natural

functions

.

Such

,

therefore

,

must

be

both

the

natural

reason

and

the

reasonable

nature

of

sleep

.

If

you

only

regard

it

as

the

image

of

death

,

you

initiate

faith

,

you

nourish

hope

,

you

learn

both

how

to

die

and

how

to

live

,

you

learn

watchfulness

,

even

while

you

sleep

.

Notes

1
Decurrat.
2
So Bp. Kaye, p. 195.
3
Marcorem, “the decay.”
4
Adulatur.
5
Gen. ii. 21.