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The Soul's Testimony

Tertullian

Chapter 2

About this work

Author: Tertullian

Chapter II Chapter III Chapter IV Chapter V Chapter VI Elucidations

We give offence by proclaiming that there is one God,

‹ Chapter 1 Chapter 3 ›

to

whom

the

name

of

God

alone

belongs

,

from

whom

all

things

come

,

and

who

is

Lord

of

the

whole

universe

.

Bear

thy

testimony

,

if

thou

knowest

this

to

be

the

truth

;

for

openly

and

with

a

perfect

liberty

,

such

as

we

do

not

possess

,

we

hear

thee

both

in

private

and

in

public

exclaim

,

“

Which

may

God

grant

,

”

and

,

“

If

God

so

will

.

”

By

expressions

such

as

these

thou

declarest

that

there

is

one

who

is

distinctively

God

,

and

thou

confessest

that

all

power

belongs

to

him

to

whose

will

,

as

Sovereign

,

thou

dost

look

.

At

the

same

time

,

too

,

thou

deniest

any

others

to

be

truly

gods

,

in

calling

them

by

their

own

names

of

Saturn

,

Jupiter

,

Mars

,

Minerva

;

for

thou

affirmest

Him

to

be

God

alone

to

whom

thou

givest

no

other

name

than

God

;

and

though

thou

sometimes

callest

these

others

gods

,

thou

plainly

usest

the

designation

as

one

which

does

not

really

belong

to

them

,

but

is

,

so

to

speak

,

a

borrowed

one

.

Nor

is

the

nature

of

the

God

we

declare

unknown

to

thee

:

“

God

is

good

,

God

does

good

,

”

thou

art

wont

to

say

;

plainly

suggesting

further

,

“

But

man

is

evil

.

”

In

asserting

an

antithetic

proposition

,

thou

,

in

a

sort

of

indirect

and

figurative

way

,

reproachest

man

with

his

wickedness

in

departing

from

a

God

so

good

.

So

,

again

,

as

among

us

,

as

belonging

to

the

God

of

benignity

and

goodness

,

“

Blessing

”

is

a

most

sacred

act

in

our

religion

and

our

life

,

thou

too

sayest

as

readily

as

a

Christian

needs

,

“

God

bless

thee

;

”

and

when

thou

turnest

the

blessing

of

God

into

a

curse

,

in

like

manner

thy

very

words

confess

with

us

that

His

power

over

us

is

absolute

and

entire

.

There

are

some

who

,

though

they

do

not

deny

the

existence

of

God

,

hold

withal

that

He

is

neither

Searcher

,

nor

Ruler

,

nor

Judge

;

treating

with

especial

disdain

those

of

us

who

go

over

to

Christ

out

of

fear

of

a

coming

judgment

,

as

they

think

,

honouring

God

in

freeing

Him

from

the

cares

of

keeping

watch

,

and

the

trouble

of

taking

note

,

—

not

even

regarding

Him

as

capable

of

anger

.

For

if

God

,

they

say

,

gets

angry

,

then

He

is

susceptible

of

corruption

and

passion

;

but

that

of

which

passion

and

corruption

can

be

affirmed

may

also

perish

,

which

God

cannot

do

.

But

these

very

persons

elsewhere

,

confessing

that

the

soul

is

divine

,

and

bestowed

on

us

by

God

,

stumble

against

a

testimony

of

the

soul

itself

,

which

affords

an

answer

to

these

views

.

For

if

either

divine

or

God

-

given

,

it

doubtless

knows

its

giver

;

and

if

it

knows

Him

,

it

undoubtedly

fears

Him

too

,

and

especially

as

having

been

by

Him

endowed

so

amply

.

Has

it

no

fear

of

Him

whose

favour

it

is

so

desirous

to

possess

,

and

whose

anger

it

is

so

anxious

to

avoid

?

Whence

,

then

,

the

soul’s

natural

fear

of

God

,

if

God

cannot

be

angry

?

How

is

there

any

dread

of

Him

whom

nothing

offends

?

What

is

feared

but

anger

?

Whence

comes

anger

,

but

from

observing

what

is

done

?

What

leads

to

watchful

oversight

,

but

judgment

in

prospect

?

Whence

is

judgment

,

but

from

power

?

To

whom

does

supreme

authority

and

power

belong

,

but

to

God

alone

?

So

thou

art

always

ready

,

O

soul

,

from

thine

own

knowledge

,

nobody

casting

scorn

upon

thee

,

and

no

one

preventing

,

to

exclaim

,

“

God

sees

all

,

”

and

“

I

commend

thee

to

God

,

”

and

“

May

God

repay

,

”

and

“

God

shall

judge

between

us

.

”

How

happens

this

,

since

thou

art

not

Christian

?

How

is

it

that

,

even

with

the

garland

of

Ceres

on

the

brow

,

wrapped

in

the

purple

cloak

of

Saturn

,

wearing

the

white

robe

of

the

goddess

Isis

,

thou

invokest

God

as

judge

?

Standing

under

the

statue

of

Æsculapius

,

adorning

the

brazen

image

of

Juno

,

arraying

the

helmet

of

Minerva

with

dusky

figures

,

thou

never

thinkest

of

appealing

to

any

of

these

deities

.

In

thine

own

forum

thou

appealest

to

a

God

who

is

elsewhere

;

thou

permittest

honour

to

be

rendered

in

thy

temples

to

a

foreign

god

.

Oh

,

striking

testimony

to

truth

,

which

in

the

very

midst

of

demons

obtains

a

witness

for

us

Christians

!

Notes

1
[The student of Plato will recall such evidence, readily. See The Laws, in Jowett’s Translation, vol. iv. p. 416. Also Elucidation I.]