Opening the library…

Search the Bible

On Exhortation to Chastity

Tertullian

Chapter 2

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter II.—The Blame of Our Misdeeds Not to Be Cast Upon God. The One Power Which Rests with Man is the Power of Volition.

What moderation, in short, is there in that utterance

‹ Chapter 1 Chapter 3 ›

,

“

The

Lord

gave

,

the

Lord

hath

taken

away

;

as

seemed

(

good

)

to

the

Lord

,

so

hath

it

been

done

!

”

And

accordingly

,

if

we

renew

nuptials

which

have

been

taken

away

,

doubtless

we

strive

against

the

will

of

God

,

willing

to

have

over

again

a

thing

which

He

has

not

willed

us

to

have

.

For

had

He

willed

(

that

we

should

)

,

He

would

not

have

taken

it

away

;

unless

we

interpret

this

,

too

,

to

be

the

will

of

God

,

as

if

He

again

willed

us

to

have

what

He

just

now

did

not

will

.

It

is

not

the

part

of

good

and

solid

faith

to

refer

all

things

to

the

will

of

God

in

such

a

manner

as

that

;

and

that

each

individual

should

so

flatter

himself

by

saying

that

“

nothing

is

done

without

His

permission

,

”

as

to

make

us

fail

to

understand

that

there

is

a

something

in

our

own

power

.

Else

every

sin

will

be

excused

if

we

persist

in

contending

that

nothing

is

done

by

us

without

the

will

of

God

;

and

that

definition

will

go

to

the

destruction

of

(

our

)

whole

discipline

,

(

nay

)

,

even

of

God

Himself

;

if

either

He

produce

by

His

own

will

things

which

He

wills

not

,

or

else

(

if

)

there

is

nothing

which

God

wills

not

.

But

as

there

are

some

things

which

He

forbids

,

against

which

He

denounces

even

eternal

punishment

—

for

,

of

course

,

things

which

He

forbids

,

and

by

which

withal

He

is

offended

,

He

does

not

will

—

so

too

,

on

the

contrary

,

what

He

does

will

,

He

enjoins

and

sets

down

as

acceptable

,

and

repays

with

the

reward

of

eternity

.

And

so

,

when

we

have

learnt

from

His

precepts

each

(

class

of

actions

)

,

what

He

does

not

will

and

what

He

does

,

we

still

have

a

volition

and

an

arbitrating

power

of

electing

the

one

;

just

as

it

is

written

,

“

Behold

,

I

have

set

before

thee

good

and

evil

:

for

thou

hast

tasted

of

the

tree

of

knowledge

.

”

And

accordingly

we

ought

not

to

lay

to

the

account

of

the

Lord’s

will

that

which

lies

subject

to

our

own

choice

;

(

on

the

hypothesis

)

that

He

does

not

will

,

or

else

(

positively

)

nills

what

is

good

,

who

does

nill

what

is

evil

.

Thus

,

it

is

a

volition

of

our

own

when

we

will

what

is

evil

,

in

antagonism

to

God’s

will

,

who

wills

what

is

good

.

Further

,

if

you

inquire

whence

comes

that

volition

whereby

we

will

anything

in

antagonism

to

the

will

of

God

,

I

shall

say

,

It

has

its

source

in

ourselves

.

And

I

shall

not

make

the

assertion

rashly

—

for

you

must

needs

correspond

to

the

seed

whence

you

spring

—

if

indeed

it

be

true

,

(

as

it

is

)

,

that

the

originator

of

our

race

and

our

sin

,

Adam

,

willed

the

sin

which

he

committed

.

For

the

devil

did

not

impose

upon

him

the

volition

to

sin

,

but

subministered

material

to

the

volition

.

On

the

other

hand

,

the

will

of

God

had

come

to

be

a

question

of

obedience

.

In

like

manner

you

,

too

,

if

you

fail

to

obey

God

,

who

has

trained

you

by

setting

before

you

the

precept

of

free

action

,

will

,

through

the

liberty

of

your

will

,

willingly

turn

into

the

downward

course

of

doing

what

God

nills

:

and

thus

you

think

yourself

to

have

been

subverted

by

the

devil

;

who

,

albeit

he

does

will

that

you

should

will

something

which

God

nills

still

does

not

make

you

will

it

,

inasmuch

as

he

did

not

reduce

those

our

protoplasts

to

the

volition

of

sin

;

nay

,

nor

(

did

reduce

them

at

all

)

against

their

will

,

or

in

ignorance

as

to

what

God

nilled

.

For

,

of

course

,

He

nilled

(

a

thing

)

to

be

done

when

He

made

death

the

destined

consequence

of

its

commission

.

Thus

the

work

of

the

devil

is

one

:

to

make

trial

whether

you

do

will

that

which

it

rests

with

you

to

will

.

But

when

you

have

willed

,

it

follows

that

he

subjects

you

to

himself

;

not

by

having

wrought

volition

in

you

,

but

by

having

found

a

favourable

opportunity

in

your

volition

.

Therefore

,

since

the

only

thing

which

is

in

our

power

is

volition

—

and

it

is

herein

that

our

mind

toward

God

is

put

to

proof

,

whether

we

will

the

things

which

coincide

with

His

will

—

deeply

and

anxiously

must

the

will

of

God

be

pondered

again

and

again

,

I

say

,

(

to

see

)

what

even

in

secret

He

may

will

.

Notes

1
Job i. 21 (in LXX. and Vulg.).
2
Adulari. Comp. de Pæn., c. vi. sub init.; ad Ux., b. i. c. iv. ad init.
3
Or, “from”—de.
4
i.e., eternal life: as in de Bapt., c. ii.; ad Ux., b. i. c. vii. ad init.
5
De Pæn., c. xii. ad fin.
6
In obaudientiam venerat.