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The Soul's Testimony

Tertullian

Chapter 1

About this work

Author: Tertullian

If, with the object of convicting the rivals and persecutors of

Christian

truth

,

from

their

own

authorities

,

of

the

crime

of

at

once

being

untrue

to

themselves

and

doing

injustice

to

us

,

one

is

bent

on

gathering

testimonies

in

its

favour

from

the

writings

of

the

philosophers

,

or

the

poets

,

or

other

masters

of

this

world’s

learning

and

wisdom

,

he

has

need

of

a

most

inquisitive

spirit

,

and

a

still

greater

memory

to

carry

out

the

research

.

Indeed

,

some

of

our

people

,

who

still

continued

their

inquisitive

labours

in

ancient

literature

,

and

still

occupied

memory

with

it

,

have

published

works

we

have

in

our

hands

of

this

very

sort

;

works

in

which

they

relate

and

attest

the

nature

and

origin

of

their

traditions

,

and

the

grounds

on

which

opinions

rest

,

and

from

which

it

may

be

seen

at

once

that

we

have

embraced

nothing

new

or

monstrous

—

nothing

for

which

we

cannot

claim

the

support

of

ordinary

and

well

-

known

writings

,

whether

in

ejecting

error

from

our

creed

,

or

admitting

truth

into

it

.

But

the

unbelieving

hardness

of

the

human

heart

leads

them

to

slight

even

their

own

teachers

,

otherwise

approved

and

in

high

renown

,

whenever

they

touch

upon

arguments

which

are

used

in

defence

of

Christianity

.

Then

the

poets

are

fools

,

when

they

describe

the

gods

with

human

passions

and

stories

;

then

the

philosophers

are

without

reason

,

when

they

knock

at

the

gates

of

truth

.

He

will

thus

far

be

reckoned

a

wise

and

sagacious

man

who

has

gone

the

length

of

uttering

sentiments

that

are

almost

Christian

;

while

if

,

in

a

mere

affectation

of

judgment

and

wisdom

,

he

sets

himself

to

reject

their

ceremonies

,

or

to

convicting

the

world

of

its

sin

,

he

is

sure

to

be

branded

as

a

Christian

.

We

will

have

nothing

,

then

,

to

do

with

the

literature

and

the

teaching

,

perverted

in

its

best

results

,

which

is

believed

in

its

errors

rather

than

its

truth

.

We

shall

lay

no

stress

on

it

,

if

some

of

their

authors

have

declared

that

there

is

one

God

,

and

one

God

only

.

Nay

,

let

it

be

granted

that

there

is

nothing

in

heathen

writers

which

a

Christian

approves

,

that

it

may

be

put

out

of

his

power

to

utter

a

single

word

of

reproach

.

For

all

are

not

familiar

with

their

teachings

;

and

those

who

are

,

have

no

assurance

in

regard

to

their

truth

.

Far

less

do

men

assent

to

our

writings

,

to

which

no

one

comes

for

guidance

unless

he

is

already

a

Christian

.

I

call

in

a

new

testimony

,

yea

,

one

which

is

better

known

than

all

literature

,

more

discussed

than

all

doctrine

,

more

public

than

all

publications

,

greater

than

the

whole

man

—

I

mean

all

which

is

man’s

.

Stand

forth

,

O

soul

,

whether

thou

art

a

divine

and

eternal

substance

,

as

most

philosophers

believe

if

it

be

so

,

thou

wilt

be

the

less

likely

to

lie

,

—

or

whether

thou

art

the

very

opposite

of

divine

,

because

indeed

a

mortal

thing

,

as

Epicurus

alone

thinks

—

in

that

case

there

will

be

the

less

temptation

for

thee

to

speak

falsely

in

this

case

:

whether

thou

art

received

from

heaven

,

or

sprung

from

earth

;

whether

thou

art

formed

of

numbers

,

or

of

atoms

;

whether

thine

existence

begins

with

that

of

the

body

,

or

thou

art

put

into

it

at

a

later

stage

;

from

whatever

source

,

and

in

whatever

way

,

thou

makest

man

a

rational

being

,

in

the

highest

degree

capable

of

thought

and

knowledge

,

—

stand

forth

and

give

thy

witness

.

But

I

call

thee

not

as

when

,

fashioned

in

schools

,

trained

in

libraries

,

fed

in

Attic

academies

and

porticoes

,

thou

belchest

wisdom

.

I

address

thee

simple

,

rude

,

uncultured

and

untaught

,

such

as

they

have

thee

who

have

thee

only

;

that

very

thing

of

the

road

,

the

street

,

the

work

-

shop

,

wholly

.

I

want

thine

inexperience

,

since

in

thy

small

experience

no

one

feels

any

confidence

.

I

demand

of

thee

the

things

thou

bringest

with

thee

into

man

,

which

thou

knowest

either

from

thyself

,

or

from

thine

author

,

whoever

he

may

be

.

Thou

art

not

,

as

I

well

know

,

Christian

;

for

a

man

becomes

a

Christian

,

he

is

not

born

one

.

Yet

Christians

earnestly

press

thee

for

a

testimony

;

they

press

thee

,

though

an

alien

,

to

bear

witness

against

thy

friends

,

that

they

may

be

put

to

shame

before

thee

,

for

hating

and

mocking

us

on

account

of

things

which

convict

thee

as

an

accessory

.

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