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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 1

About this work

Author: Tertullian

1. My brother Fabius, you very lately asked, because

‹ IX.Section 2 ›

some

news

or

other

were

communicated

,

whether

or

not

we

ought

to

flee

in

persecution

.

For

my

part

,

having

on

the

spot

made

some

observations

in

the

negative

suited

to

the

place

and

time

,

I

also

,

owing

to

the

rudeness

of

some

persons

,

took

away

with

me

the

subject

but

half

treated

,

meaning

to

set

it

forth

now

more

fully

by

my

pen

;

for

your

inquiry

had

interested

me

in

it

,

and

the

state

of

the

times

had

already

on

its

own

account

pressed

it

upon

me

.

As

persecutions

in

increasing

number

threaten

us

,

so

the

more

are

we

called

on

to

give

earnest

thought

to

the

question

of

how

faith

ought

to

receive

them

,

and

the

duty

of

carefully

considering

it

concerns

you

no

less

,

who

no

doubt

,

by

not

accepting

the

Comforter

,

the

guide

to

all

truth

,

have

,

as

was

natural

,

opposed

us

hitherto

in

regard

to

other

questions

also

.

We

have

therefore

applied

a

methodical

treatment

,

too

,

to

your

inquiry

,

as

we

see

that

we

must

first

come

to

a

decision

as

to

how

the

matter

stands

in

regard

to

persecution

itself

,

whether

it

comes

on

us

from

God

or

from

the

devil

,

that

with

the

less

difficulty

we

may

get

on

firm

ground

as

to

our

duty

to

meet

it

;

for

of

everything

one’s

knowledge

is

clearer

when

it

is

known

from

whom

it

has

its

origin

.

It

is

enough

indeed

to

lay

it

down

,

(

in

bar

of

all

besides

,

)

that

nothing

happens

without

the

will

of

God

.

But

lest

we

be

diverted

from

the

point

before

us

,

we

shall

not

by

this

deliverance

at

once

give

occasion

to

the

other

discussions

if

one

make

answer

—

Therefore

evil

and

sin

are

both

from

God

;

the

devil

henceforth

,

and

even

we

ourselves

,

are

entirely

free

.

The

question

in

hand

is

persecution

.

With

respect

to

this

,

let

me

in

the

meantime

say

,

that

nothing

happens

without

God’s

will

;

on

the

ground

that

persecution

is

especially

worthy

of

God

,

and

,

so

to

speak

,

requisite

,

for

the

approving

,

to

wit

,

or

if

you

will

,

the

rejection

of

His

professing

servants

.

For

what

is

the

issue

of

persecution

,

what

other

result

comes

of

it

,

but

the

approving

and

rejecting

of

faith

,

in

regard

to

which

the

Lord

will

certainly

sift

His

people

?

Persecution

,

by

means

of

which

one

is

declared

either

approved

or

rejected

,

is

just

the

judgment

of

the

Lord

.

But

the

judging

properly

belongs

to

God

alone

.

This

is

that

fan

which

even

now

cleanses

the

Lord’s

threshing

-

floor

—

the

Church

,

I

mean

—

winnowing

the

mixed

heap

of

believers

,

and

separating

the

grain

of

the

martyrs

from

the

chaff

of

the

deniers

;

and

this

is

also

the

ladder

of

which

Jacob

dreams

,

on

which

are

seen

,

some

mounting

up

to

higher

places

,

and

others

going

down

to

lower

.

So

,

too

,

persecution

may

be

viewed

as

a

contest

.

By

whom

is

the

conflict

proclaimed

,

but

by

Him

by

whom

the

crown

and

the

rewards

are

offered

?

You

find

in

the

Revelation

its

edict

,

setting

forth

the

rewards

by

which

He

incites

to

victory

—

those

,

above

all

,

whose

is

the

distinction

of

conquering

in

persecution

,

in

very

deed

contending

in

their

victorious

struggle

not

against

flesh

and

blood

,

but

against

spirits

of

wickedness

.

So

,

too

,

you

will

see

that

the

adjudging

of

the

contest

belongs

to

the

same

glorious

One

,

as

umpire

,

who

calls

us

to

the

prize

.

The

one

great

thing

in

persecution

is

the

promotion

of

the

glory

of

God

,

as

He

tries

and

casts

away

,

lays

on

and

takes

off

.

But

what

concerns

the

glory

of

God

will

surely

come

to

pass

by

His

will

.

And

when

is

trust

in

God

more

strong

,

than

when

there

is

a

greater

fear

of

Him

,

and

when

persecution

breaks

out

?

The

Church

is

awe

-

struck

.

Then

is

faith

both

more

zealous

in

preparation

,

and

better

disciplined

in

fasts

,

and

meetings

,

and

prayers

,

and

lowliness

,

in

brotherly

-

kindness

and

love

,

in

holiness

and

temperance

.

There

is

no

room

,

in

fact

,

for

ought

but

fear

and

hope

.

So

even

by

this

very

thing

we

have

it

clearly

proved

that

persecution

,

improving

as

it

does

the

servants

of

God

,

cannot

be

imputed

to

the

devil

.

Notes

2
Matt. iii. 12.
3
Gen. xxviii. 12.