Tertullian — On the Soul 41
ON THE EVIL AND GOOD OF THE SOUL. So the evil of the soul — beside what is built on by the onset of an evil spirit — comes first from the fault of origin, somehow natural. For, as we have said, corruption of nature is another nature, having its own god and father, namely the author of corruption itself; and yet good also dwells in the soul — that principal, divine, genuine, and properly natural good.
For what is from God is not so much extinguished as overshadowed. It can be overshadowed, because it is not God; it cannot be extinguished, because it is from God. So that good, restored by the faith and sealed by the Spirit of the new birth, recovers its own face: the curtain of the old corruption drawn away, it sees all its light. It is also received by the Holy Spirit, as in the first birth by a profane spirit. The flesh follows the soul that marries the Spirit, as a dowry slave, and is no longer the servant of the soul but of the Spirit. O blessed marriage — if it does not admit adultery!
Latin
DE MALO ET BONO ANIMAE. [1] Malum igitur animae, praeter quod ex obuentu spiritus nequam superstruitur, ex originis uitio antecedit, naturale quodammodo. Nam, ut diximus, naturae corruptio alia natura est, habens suum deum et patrem, ipsum scilicet corruptionis auctorem, ut tamen insit et bonum animae, illud principale, illud diuinum atque germanum et proprie naturale.
[2] Quod enim a deo est, non tam extinguitur quam obumbratur. Potest enim obumbrari, quia non est deus, extingui non potest, quia a deo est. Itaque sicut lumen aliquo obstaculo impeditum manet, sed non comparet, si tanta densitas obstaculi fuerit, ita et bonum in anima a malo oppressum pro qualitate eius aut in totum uacat occulta salute aut qua datur radiat inuenta libertate. [3] Sic pessimi et optimi quidam, et nihilominus unum omnes animae genus; sic et in pessimis aliquid boni et in optimis nonnihil pessimi. Solus enim deus sine peccato et solus homo sine peccato Christus, quia et deus Christus. Sic et diuinitas animae in praesagia erumpit ex bono priore et conscientia dei in testimonium prodit: 'deus bonus' et 'deus uidet' et 'deo commendo'. Propterea nulla anima sine crimine, quia nulla sine boni semine. [4] Proinde cum ad fidem peruenit reformata per secundam natiuitatem ex aqua et superna uirtute, detracto corruptionis pristinae aulaeo totam lucem suam conspicit. Excipitur etiam a spiritu sancto, sicut in pristina natiuitate a spiritu profano. Sequitur animam nubentem spiritui caro, ut dotale mancipium, et iam non animae famula, sed spiritus. O beatum conubium, si non admiserit adulterium!