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On the Resurrection of the Flesh

Tertullian

Chapter 61

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter LXI.—The Details of Our Bodily Sex, and of the Functions of Our Various Members. Apology for the Necessity Which Heresy Imposes of Hunting Up All Its Unblushing Cavils.

Now you have received your mouth, O man,

‹ Chapter 60 Chapter 62 ›

for

the

purpose

of

devouring

your

food

and

imbibing

your

drink

:

why

not

,

however

,

for

the

higher

purpose

of

uttering

speech

,

so

as

to

distinguish

yourself

from

all

other

animals

?

Why

not

rather

for

preaching

the

gospel

of

God

,

that

so

you

may

become

even

His

priest

and

advocate

before

men

?

Adam

indeed

gave

their

several

names

to

the

animals

,

before

he

plucked

the

fruit

of

the

tree

;

before

he

ate

,

he

prophesied

.

Then

,

again

,

you

received

your

teeth

for

the

consumption

of

your

meal

:

why

not

rather

for

wreathing

your

mouth

with

suitable

defence

on

every

opening

thereof

,

small

or

wide

?

Why

not

,

too

,

for

moderating

the

impulses

of

your

tongue

,

and

guarding

your

articulate

speech

from

failure

and

violence

?

Let

me

tell

you

,

(

if

you

do

not

know

)

,

that

there

are

toothless

persons

in

the

world

.

Look

at

them

,

and

ask

whether

even

a

cage

of

teeth

be

not

an

honour

to

the

mouth

.

There

are

apertures

in

the

lower

regions

of

man

and

woman

,

by

means

of

which

they

gratify

no

doubt

their

animal

passions

;

but

why

are

they

not

rather

regarded

as

outlets

for

the

cleanly

discharge

of

natural

fluids

?

Women

,

moreover

,

have

within

them

receptacles

where

human

seed

may

collect

;

but

are

they

not

designed

for

the

secretion

of

those

sanguineous

issues

,

which

their

tardier

and

weaker

sex

is

inadequate

to

disperse

?

For

even

details

like

these

require

to

be

mentioned

,

seeing

that

heretics

single

out

what

parts

of

our

bodies

may

suit

them

,

handle

them

without

delicacy

,

and

,

as

their

whim

suggests

,

pour

torrents

of

scorn

and

contempt

upon

the

natural

functions

of

our

members

,

for

the

purpose

of

upsetting

the

resurrection

,

and

making

us

blush

over

their

cavils

;

not

reflecting

that

before

the

functions

cease

,

the

very

causes

of

them

will

have

passed

away

.

There

will

be

no

more

meat

,

because

no

more

hunger

;

no

more

drink

,

because

no

more

thirst

;

no

more

concubinage

,

because

no

more

child

-

bearing

;

no

more

eating

and

drinking

,

because

no

more

labour

and

toil

.

Death

,

too

,

will

cease

;

so

there

will

be

no

more

need

of

the

nutriment

of

food

for

the

defence

of

life

,

nor

will

mothers

’

limbs

any

longer

have

to

be

laden

for

the

replenishment

of

our

race

.

But

even

in

the

present

life

there

may

be

cessations

of

their

office

for

our

stomachs

and

our

generative

organs

.

For

forty

days

Moses

and

Elias

fasted

,

and

lived

upon

God

alone

.

For

even

so

early

was

the

principle

consecrated

:

“

Man

shall

not

live

by

bread

alone

,

but

by

every

word

that

proceedeth

out

of

the

mouth

of

God

.

”

See

here

faint

outlines

of

our

future

strength

!

We

even

,

as

we

may

be

able

,

excuse

our

mouths

from

food

,

and

withdraw

our

sexes

from

union

.

How

many

voluntary

eunuchs

are

there

!

How

many

virgins

espoused

to

Christ

!

How

many

,

both

of

men

and

women

,

whom

nature

has

made

sterile

,

with

a

structure

which

cannot

procreate

!

Now

,

if

even

here

on

earth

both

the

functions

and

the

pleasures

of

our

members

may

be

suspended

,

with

an

intermission

which

,

like

the

dispensation

itself

,

can

only

be

a

temporary

one

,

and

yet

man’s

safety

is

nevertheless

unimpaired

,

how

much

more

,

when

his

salvation

is

secure

,

and

especially

in

an

eternal

dispensation

,

shall

we

not

cease

to

desire

those

things

,

for

which

,

even

here

below

,

we

are

not

unaccustomed

to

check

our

longings

!

Notes

1
Ex. xxiv. 8.
2
1 Kings xix. 8.
3
Deut. viii. 3; Matt. iv. 4.