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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 14

About this work

Author: Tertullian

14. But how shall we assemble together? say you;

how

shall

we

observe

the

ordinances

of

the

Lord

?

To

be

sure

,

just

as

the

apostles

also

did

,

who

were

protected

by

faith

,

not

by

money

;

which

faith

,

if

it

can

remove

a

mountain

,

can

much

more

remove

a

soldier

.

Be

your

safeguard

wisdom

,

not

a

bribe

.

For

you

will

not

have

at

once

complete

security

from

the

people

also

,

should

you

buy

off

the

interference

of

the

soldiers

.

Therefore

all

you

need

for

your

protection

is

to

have

both

faith

and

wisdom

:

if

you

do

not

make

use

of

these

,

you

may

lose

even

the

deliverance

which

you

have

purchased

for

yourself

;

while

,

if

you

do

employ

them

,

you

can

have

no

need

of

any

ransoming

.

Lastly

,

if

you

cannot

assemble

by

day

,

you

have

the

night

,

the

light

of

Christ

luminous

against

its

darkness

.

You

cannot

run

about

among

them

one

after

another

.

Be

content

with

a

church

of

threes

.

It

is

better

that

you

sometimes

should

not

see

your

crowds

,

than

subject

yourselves

(

to

a

tribute

bondage

)

.

Keep

pure

for

Christ

His

betrothed

virgin

;

let

no

one

make

gain

of

her

.

These

things

,

my

brother

,

seem

to

you

perhaps

harsh

and

not

to

be

endured

;

but

recall

that

God

has

said

,

“

He

who

receives

it

,

let

him

receive

it

,

”

that

is

,

let

him

who

does

not

receive

it

go

his

way

.

He

who

fears

to

suffer

,

cannot

belong

to

Him

who

suffered

.

But

the

man

who

does

not

fear

to

suffer

,

he

will

be

perfect

in

love

—

in

the

love

,

it

is

meant

,

of

God

;

“

for

perfect

love

casteth

out

fear

.

”

“

And

therefore

many

are

called

,

but

few

chosen

.

”

It

is

not

asked

who

is

ready

to

follow

the

broad

way

,

but

who

the

narrow

.

And

therefore

the

Comforter

is

requisite

,

who

guides

into

all

truth

,

and

animates

to

all

endurance

.

And

they

who

have

received

Him

will

neither

stoop

to

flee

from

persecution

nor

to

buy

it

off

,

for

they

have

the

Lord

Himself

,

One

who

will

stand

by

us

to

aid

us

in

suffering

,

as

well

as

to

be

our

mouth

when

we

are

put

to

the

question

.

Notes

58
Matt. xix. 12.
59
1 John iv. 18.
60
Matt. xxii. 14.