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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 4

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter IV.—Heathens and Heretics Alike in Their Vilification of the Flesh and Its Functions, the Ordinary Cavils Against the Final Restitution of So Weak and Ignoble a Substance.

Hence it is that heretics start at once from this

‹ Chapter 3 Chapter 5 ›

point

,

from

which

they

sketch

the

first

draft

of

their

dogmas

,

and

afterwards

add

the

details

,

being

well

aware

how

easily

men’s

minds

are

caught

by

its

influence

,

(

and

actuated

)

by

that

community

of

human

sentiment

which

is

so

favourable

to

their

designs

.

Is

there

anything

else

that

you

can

hear

of

from

the

heretic

,

as

also

from

the

heathen

,

earlier

in

time

or

greater

in

extent

?

Is

not

(

their

burden

)

from

the

beginning

and

everywhere

an

invective

against

the

flesh

—

against

its

origin

,

against

its

substance

,

against

the

casualties

and

the

invariable

end

which

await

it

;

unclean

from

its

first

formation

of

the

dregs

of

the

ground

,

uncleaner

afterwards

from

the

mire

of

its

own

seminal

transmission

;

worthless

,

weak

,

covered

with

guilt

,

laden

with

misery

,

full

of

trouble

;

and

after

all

this

record

of

its

degradation

,

dropping

into

its

original

earth

and

the

appellation

of

a

corpse

,

and

destined

to

dwindle

away

even

from

this

loathsome

name

into

none

henceforth

at

all

—

into

the

very

death

of

all

designation

?

Now

you

are

a

shrewd

man

,

no

doubt

:

will

you

then

persuade

yourself

,

that

after

this

flesh

has

been

withdrawn

from

sight

,

and

touch

,

and

memory

,

it

can

never

be

rehabilitated

from

corruption

to

integrity

,

from

a

shattered

to

a

solid

state

,

from

an

empty

to

a

full

condition

,

from

nothing

at

all

to

something

—

the

devouring

fires

,

and

the

waters

of

the

sea

,

and

the

maws

of

beasts

,

and

the

crops

of

birds

and

the

stomachs

of

fishes

,

and

time’s

own

great

paunch

itself

of

course

yielding

it

all

up

again

?

Shall

the

same

flesh

which

has

fallen

to

decay

be

so

expected

to

recover

,

as

that

the

lame

,

and

the

one

-

eyed

,

and

the

blind

,

and

the

leper

,

and

the

palsied

shall

come

back

again

,

although

there

can

be

no

pleasure

in

returning

to

their

old

condition

?

Or

shall

they

be

whole

,

and

so

have

to

fear

exposure

to

such

sufferings

?

What

,

in

that

case

,

(

must

we

say

)

of

the

consequences

of

resuming

the

flesh

?

Will

it

again

be

subject

to

all

its

present

wants

,

especially

meats

and

drinks

?

Shall

we

have

with

our

lungs

to

float

(

in

air

or

water

)

,

and

suffer

pain

in

our

bowels

,

and

with

organs

of

shame

to

feel

no

shame

,

and

with

all

our

limbs

to

toil

and

labour

?

Must

there

again

be

ulcers

,

and

wounds

,

and

fever

,

and

gout

,

and

once

more

the

wishing

to

die

?

Of

course

these

will

be

the

longings

incident

on

the

recovery

of

the

flesh

,

only

the

repetition

of

desires

to

escape

out

of

it

.

Well

now

,

we

have

(

stated

)

all

this

in

very

subdued

and

delicate

phrases

,

as

suited

to

the

character

of

our

style

;

but

(

would

you

know

)

how

great

a

licence

of

unseemly

language

these

men

actually

use

,

you

must

test

them

in

their

conferences

,

whether

they

be

heathens

or

heretics

.

Notes

1
Of the resurrection of the body.
2
Frivolæ.
3
Isto.
4
Gula.
5
Natandum pulmonibus.