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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 3

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter III.—Some Truths Held Even by the Heathen. They Were, However, More Often Wrong Both in Religious Opinions and in Moral Practice. The Heathen Not to Be Followed in Their Ignorance of the Christian Mystery. The Heretics Perversely Prone to Follow Them.

One may no doubt be wise in the things

‹ Chapter 2 Chapter 4 ›

of

God

,

even

from

one’s

natural

powers

,

but

only

in

witness

to

the

truth

,

not

in

maintenance

of

error

;

(

only

)

when

one

acts

in

accordance

with

,

not

in

opposition

to

,

the

divine

dispensation

.

For

some

things

are

known

even

by

nature

:

the

immortality

of

the

soul

,

for

instance

,

is

held

by

many

;

the

knowledge

of

our

God

is

possessed

by

all

.

I

may

use

,

therefore

,

the

opinion

of

a

Plato

,

when

he

declares

,

“

Every

soul

is

immortal

.

”

I

may

use

also

the

conscience

of

a

nation

,

when

it

attests

the

God

of

gods

.

I

may

,

in

like

manner

,

use

all

the

other

intelligences

of

our

common

nature

,

when

they

pronounce

God

to

be

a

judge

.

“

God

sees

,

”

(

say

they

)

;

and

,

“

I

commend

you

to

God

.

”

But

when

they

say

,

“

What

has

undergone

death

is

dead

,

”

and

,

“

Enjoy

life

whilst

you

live

,

”

and

,

“

After

death

all

things

come

to

an

end

,

even

death

itself

;

”

then

I

must

remember

both

that

“

the

heart

of

man

is

ashes

,

”

according

to

the

estimate

of

God

,

and

that

the

very

“

Wisdom

of

the

world

is

foolishness

,

”

(

as

the

inspired

word

)

pronounces

it

to

be

.

Then

,

if

even

the

heretic

seek

refuge

in

the

depraved

thoughts

of

the

vulgar

,

or

the

imaginations

of

the

world

,

I

must

say

to

him

:

Part

company

with

the

heathen

,

O

heretic

!

for

although

you

are

all

agreed

in

imagining

a

God

,

yet

while

you

do

so

in

the

name

of

Christ

,

so

long

as

you

deem

yourself

a

Christian

,

you

are

a

different

man

from

a

heathen

:

give

him

back

his

own

views

of

things

,

since

he

does

not

himself

learn

from

yours

.

Why

lean

upon

a

blind

guide

,

if

you

have

eyes

of

your

own

?

Why

be

clothed

by

one

who

is

naked

,

if

you

have

put

on

Christ

?

Why

use

the

shield

of

another

,

when

the

apostle

gives

you

armour

of

your

own

?

It

would

be

better

for

him

to

learn

from

you

to

acknowledge

the

resurrection

of

the

flesh

,

than

for

you

from

him

to

deny

it

;

because

if

Christians

must

needs

deny

it

,

it

would

be

sufficient

if

they

did

so

from

their

own

knowledge

,

without

any

instruction

from

the

ignorant

multitude

.

He

,

therefore

,

will

not

be

a

Christian

who

shall

deny

this

doctrine

which

is

confessed

by

Christians

;

denying

it

,

moreover

,

on

grounds

which

are

adopted

by

a

man

who

is

not

a

Christian

.

Take

away

,

indeed

,

from

the

heretics

the

wisdom

which

they

share

with

the

heathen

,

and

let

them

support

their

inquiries

from

the

Scriptures

alone

:

they

will

then

be

unable

to

keep

their

ground

.

For

that

which

commends

men’s

common

sense

is

its

very

simplicity

,

and

its

participation

in

the

same

feelings

,

and

its

community

of

opinions

;

and

it

is

deemed

to

be

all

the

more

trustworthy

,

inasmuch

as

its

definitive

statements

are

naked

and

open

,

and

known

to

all

.

Divine

reason

,

on

the

contrary

,

lies

in

the

very

pith

and

marrow

of

things

,

not

on

the

surface

,

and

very

often

is

at

variance

with

appearances

.

Notes

1
Compare the De Test. Anim. ii., and De Anim. xlii.
2
Isa. xliv. 20.
3
1 Cor. i. 20, iii. 19.