emine infectum suae etiam damnationis traducem
fecit." Compare his teachings in de anima 40, 41, 16 about the disease
of sin that is propagated "ex originis vitio" and has become a real
second nature). But how little he regards this original sin as guilt is
shown by de bapt. 18: "Quaie innocens aetas festinat ad baptismum." For
the rest, Tertullian discussed the relationship of flesh and spirit,
sensuousness and intellect, much more thoroughly than Irenaeus; he showed
that flesh is not the seat of sin (de anima 40). In the same book (but
see Bk. V. c. 1) he expressly declared that in this question also sure
results are only to be obtained from revelation. This was an important
step in the direction of secularising Christianity through "philosophy"
and of emasculating the understanding through "revelation." In regard to
the conception of sin Cyprian followed his teacher. De op. et eleem. 1
reads indeed like an utterance of Irenaeus ("dominus sanavit illa quae
Adam portaverat vulnera"); but the statement in ep. 64. 5: "Recens natus
nihil peccavit, nisi quod secundum Adam carnaliter natus contagium
mortis antiquae prima nativitate contraxit" is quite in the manner of
Tertullian, and perhaps the latter could also have agreed with the
continuation: "infanti remittuntur non propria sed aliena peccata."
Tertullian's proposition that absolutely no one but the Son of God could
have remained without sin was repeated by Cyprian (see, e.g., de op. et
eleem. 3).]

[Footnote 575: III. 22. 4 has quite a Gnostic sound ... "eam quae est a
Maria in Evam recirculationem significans; quia non aliter quod
colligatum est solveretur, nisi ipsae compagines alligationis
reflectantur retrorsus, ut primae coniunctiones solvantur per secundas,
secundae rursus liberent primas. Et evenit primam quidem compaginem a
secunda colligatione solvere, secundam vero colligationem primae
solutionis habere locum. Et propter hoc dominus dicebat primos quidem
novissimos futuros et novissimos primos." Irenaeus expresses a Gnostic
idea when he on one occasion plainly says (V. 12. 3): [Greek: En to Adam
pantes apothneskomen, hoti psychikoi.] But Paul, too, made an approach
to this thought.]

[Footnote 576: See III. 23. 1, 2, a highly characteristic statement.]

[Footnote 577: See, e.g., III. 9. 3, 12. 2, 16. 6-9, 17. 4 and
repeatedly 8. 2: "verbum dei, per quem facta sunt omnia, qui est dominus
noster Jesus Christus."]

[Footnote 578: See IV. 6. 7.]

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