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Against Hermogenes

Tertullian

Chapter 35

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXXV.—Contradictory Propositions Advanced by Hermogenes Respecting Matter and Its Qualities.

As regards all other points touching Matter, although there is

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no

necessity

why

we

should

treat

of

them

(

for

our

first

point

was

the

manifest

proof

of

its

existence

)

,

we

must

for

all

that

pursue

our

discussion

just

as

if

it

did

exist

,

in

order

that

its

non

-

existence

may

be

the

more

apparent

,

when

these

other

points

concerning

it

prove

inconsistent

with

each

other

,

and

in

order

at

the

same

time

that

Hermogenes

may

acknowledge

his

own

contradictory

positions

.

Matter

,

says

he

,

at

first

sight

seems

to

us

to

be

incorporeal

;

but

when

examined

by

the

light

of

right

reason

,

it

is

found

to

be

neither

corporeal

nor

incorporeal

.

What

is

this

right

reason

of

yours

,

which

declares

nothing

right

,

that

is

,

nothing

certain

?

For

,

if

I

mistake

not

,

everything

must

of

necessity

be

either

corporeal

or

incorporeal

(

although

I

may

for

the

moment

allow

that

there

is

a

certain

incorporeality

in

even

substantial

things

,

although

their

very

substance

is

the

body

of

particular

things

)

;

at

all

events

,

after

the

corporeal

and

the

incorporeal

there

is

no

third

state

.

But

if

it

be

contended

that

there

is

a

third

state

discovered

by

this

right

reason

of

Hermogenes

,

which

makes

Matter

neither

corporeal

nor

incorporeal

,

(

I

ask

,

)

Where

is

it

?

what

sort

of

thing

is

it

?

what

is

it

called

?

what

is

its

description

?

what

is

it

understood

to

be

?

This

only

has

his

reason

declared

,

that

Matter

is

neither

corporeal

nor

incorporeal

.

Notes

1
Ista.
2
Interim.
3
De substantiis duntaxat.
4
Age nunc sit: “But grant that there is this third state.”