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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 10

About this work

Author: Tertullian

10. But some, paying no attention to the exhortations of

‹ Section 9 Section 11 ›

God

,

are

readier

to

apply

to

themselves

that

Greek

versicle

of

worldly

wisdom

,

“

He

who

fled

will

fight

again

;

”

perhaps

also

in

the

battle

to

flee

again

.

And

when

will

he

who

,

as

a

fugitive

,

is

a

defeated

man

,

be

conqueror

?

A

worthy

soldier

he

furnishes

to

his

commander

Christ

,

who

,

so

amply

armed

by

the

apostle

,

as

soon

as

he

hears

persecution’s

trumpet

,

runs

off

from

the

day

of

persecution

.

I

also

will

produce

in

answer

a

quotation

taken

from

the

world

:

“

Is

it

a

thing

so

very

sad

to

die

?

”

He

must

die

,

in

whatever

way

of

it

,

either

as

conquered

or

as

conqueror

.

But

although

he

has

succumbed

in

denying

,

he

has

yet

faced

and

battled

with

the

torture

.

I

had

rather

be

one

to

be

pitied

than

to

be

blushed

for

.

More

glorious

is

the

soldier

pierced

with

a

javelin

in

battle

,

than

he

who

has

a

safe

skin

as

a

fugitive

.

Do

you

fear

man

,

O

Christian

?

—

you

who

ought

to

be

feared

by

the

angels

,

since

you

are

to

judge

angels

;

who

ought

to

be

feared

by

evil

spirits

,

since

you

have

received

power

also

over

evil

spirits

;

who

ought

to

be

feared

by

the

whole

world

,

since

by

you

,

too

,

the

world

is

judged

.

You

are

Christ

-

clothed

,

you

who

flee

before

the

devil

,

since

into

Christ

you

have

been

baptized

.

Christ

,

who

is

in

you

,

is

treated

as

of

small

account

when

you

give

yourself

back

to

the

devil

,

by

becoming

a

fugitive

before

him

.

But

,

seeing

it

is

from

the

Lord

you

flee

,

you

taunt

all

runaways

with

the

futility

of

their

purpose

.

A

certain

bold

prophet

also

had

fled

from

the

Lord

,

he

had

crossed

over

from

Joppa

in

the

direction

of

Tarsus

,

as

if

he

could

as

easily

transport

himself

away

from

God

;

but

I

find

him

,

I

do

not

say

in

the

sea

and

on

the

land

,

but

,

in

fact

,

in

the

belly

even

of

a

beast

,

in

which

he

was

confined

for

the

space

of

three

days

,

unable

either

to

find

death

or

even

thus

escape

from

God

.

How

much

better

the

conduct

of

the

man

who

,

though

he

fears

the

enemy

of

God

,

does

not

flee

from

,

but

rather

despises

him

,

relying

on

the

protection

of

the

Lord

;

or

,

if

you

will

,

having

an

awe

of

God

all

the

greater

,

the

more

that

he

has

stood

in

His

presence

,

says

,

“

It

is

the

Lord

,

He

is

mighty

.

All

things

belong

to

Him

;

wherever

I

am

,

I

am

in

His

hand

:

let

Him

do

as

He

wills

,

I

go

not

away

;

and

if

it

be

His

pleasure

that

I

die

,

let

Him

destroy

me

Himself

,

while

I

save

myself

for

Him

.

I

had

rather

bring

odium

upon

Him

by

dying

by

His

will

,

than

by

escaping

through

my

own

anger

.

”

Notes

42
Æneid, xii. 646.