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Against the Valentinians

Tertullian

Chapter 29

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter XXIX.—The Three Natures Again Adverted to. They are All Exemplified Amongst Men. For Instance, by Cain, and Abel, and Seth.

I will now collect from different sources, by way of

‹ Chapter 28 Chapter 30 ›

conclusion

,

what

they

affirm

concerning

the

dispensation

of

the

whole

human

race

.

Having

at

first

stated

their

views

as

to

man’s

threefold

nature

—

which

was

,

however

,

united

in

one

in

the

case

of

Adam

—

they

then

proceed

after

him

to

divide

it

(

into

three

)

with

their

especial

characteristics

,

finding

opportunity

for

such

distinction

in

the

posterity

of

Adam

himself

,

in

which

occurs

a

threefold

division

as

to

moral

differences

.

Cain

and

Abel

,

and

Seth

,

who

were

in

a

certain

sense

the

sources

of

the

human

race

,

become

the

fountain

-

heads

of

just

as

many

qualities

of

nature

and

essential

character

.

The

material

nature

,

which

had

become

reprobate

for

salvation

,

they

assign

to

Cain

;

the

animal

nature

,

which

was

poised

between

divergent

hopes

,

they

find

in

Abel

;

the

spiritual

,

preordained

for

certain

salvation

,

they

store

up

in

Seth

.

In

this

way

also

they

make

a

twofold

distinction

among

souls

,

as

to

their

property

of

good

and

evil

—

according

to

the

material

condition

derived

from

Cain

,

or

the

animal

from

Abel

.

Men’s

spiritual

state

they

derive

over

and

above

the

other

conditions

,

from

Seth

adventitiously

,

not

in

the

way

of

nature

,

but

of

grace

,

in

such

wise

that

Achamoth

infuses

it

among

superior

beings

like

rain

into

good

souls

,

that

is

,

those

who

are

enrolled

in

the

animal

class

.

Whereas

the

material

class

—

in

other

words

,

those

which

are

bad

souls

—

they

say

,

never

receive

the

blessings

of

salvation

;

for

that

nature

they

have

pronounced

to

be

incapable

of

any

change

or

reform

in

its

natural

condition

.

This

grain

,

then

,

of

spiritual

seed

is

modest

and

very

small

when

cast

from

her

hand

,

but

under

her

instruction

increases

and

advances

into

full

conviction

,

as

we

have

already

said

;

and

the

souls

,

on

this

very

account

,

so

much

excelled

all

others

,

that

the

Demiurge

,

even

then

in

his

ignorance

,

held

them

in

great

esteem

.

For

it

was

from

their

list

that

he

had

been

accustomed

to

select

men

for

kings

and

for

priests

;

and

these

even

now

,

if

they

have

once

attained

to

a

full

and

complete

knowledge

of

these

foolish

conceits

of

theirs

,

since

they

are

already

naturalized

in

the

fraternal

bond

of

the

spiritual

state

,

will

obtain

a

sure

salvation

,

nay

,

one

which

is

on

all

accounts

their

due

.

Notes

1
De dispositione.
2
Inunitam.
3
Argumenta.
4
Essentiæ.
5
Choicum: “the clayey.” Having the doubtful issues, which arise from freedom of the will (Oehler).
6
Recondunt: or, “discover.”
7
Recondunt: or, “discover.”
8
Superducunt.
9
De obvenientia.
10
Indulgentiam.
11
The “quos” here relates to “spiritalem statum,” but expressing the sense rather than the grammatical propriety, refers to the plural idea of “good souls” (Oehler).
12
Depluat.
13
Salutaria.
14
We have tried to retain the emphatic repetition, “inreformabilem naturæ naturam.”
15
Eruditu hujus.
16
Above, in ch. xxv. p. 515.
17
Istarum næniarum.