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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 2

About this work

Author: Tertullian

2. If, because injustice is not from God, but

‹ Section 1 Section 3 ›

from

the

devil

,

and

persecution

consists

of

injustice

(

for

what

more

unjust

than

that

the

bishops

of

the

true

God

,

that

all

the

followers

of

the

truth

,

should

be

dealt

with

after

the

manner

of

the

vilest

criminals

?

)

,

persecution

therefore

seems

to

proceed

from

the

devil

,

by

whom

the

injustice

which

constitutes

persecution

is

perpetrated

,

we

ought

to

know

,

as

you

have

neither

persecution

without

the

injustice

of

the

devil

,

nor

the

trial

of

faith

without

persecution

,

that

the

injustice

necessary

for

the

trial

of

faith

does

not

give

a

warrant

for

persecution

,

but

supplies

an

agency

;

that

in

reality

,

in

reference

to

the

trial

of

faith

,

which

is

the

reason

of

persecution

,

the

will

of

God

goes

first

,

but

that

as

the

instrument

of

persecution

,

which

is

the

way

of

trial

,

the

injustice

of

the

devil

follows

.

For

in

other

respects

,

too

,

injustice

in

proportion

to

the

enmity

it

displays

against

righteousness

affords

occasion

for

attestations

of

that

to

which

it

is

opposed

as

an

enemy

,

that

so

righteousness

may

be

perfected

in

injustice

,

as

strength

is

perfected

in

weakness

.

For

the

weak

things

of

the

world

have

been

chosen

by

God

to

confound

the

strong

,

and

the

foolish

things

of

the

world

to

confound

its

wisdom

.

Thus

even

injustice

is

employed

,

that

righteousness

may

be

approved

in

putting

unrighteousness

to

shame

.

Therefore

,

since

the

service

is

not

of

free

-

will

,

but

of

subjection

(

for

persecution

is

the

appointment

of

the

Lord

for

the

trial

of

faith

,

but

its

ministry

is

the

injustice

of

the

devil

,

supplied

that

persecution

may

be

got

up

)

,

we

believe

that

persecution

comes

to

pass

,

no

question

,

by

the

devil’s

agency

,

but

not

by

the

devil’s

origination

.

Satan

will

not

be

at

liberty

to

do

anything

against

the

servants

of

the

living

God

unless

the

Lord

grant

leave

,

either

that

He

may

overthrow

Satan

himself

by

the

faith

of

the

elect

which

proves

victorious

in

the

trial

,

or

in

the

face

of

the

world

show

that

apostatizers

to

the

devil’s

cause

have

been

in

reality

His

servants

.

You

have

the

case

of

Job

,

whom

the

devil

,

unless

he

had

received

authority

from

God

,

could

not

have

visited

with

trial

,

not

even

,

in

fact

,

in

his

property

,

unless

the

Lord

had

said

,

“

Behold

,

all

that

he

has

I

put

at

your

disposal

;

but

do

not

stretch

out

your

hand

against

himself

.

”

In

short

,

he

would

not

even

have

stretched

it

out

,

unless

afterwards

,

at

his

request

,

the

Lord

had

granted

him

this

permission

also

,

saying

,

“

Behold

,

I

deliver

him

to

you

;

only

preserve

his

life

.

”

So

he

asked

in

the

case

of

the

apostles

likewise

an

opportunity

to

tempt

them

,

having

it

only

by

special

allowance

,

since

the

Lord

in

the

Gospel

says

to

Peter

,

“

Behold

,

Satan

asked

that

he

might

sift

you

as

grain

;

but

I

have

prayed

for

you

that

your

faith

fail

not

;

”

that

is

,

that

the

devil

should

not

have

power

granted

him

sufficient

to

endanger

his

faith

.

Whence

it

is

manifest

that

both

things

belong

to

God

,

the

shaking

of

faith

as

well

as

the

shielding

of

it

,

when

both

are

sought

from

Him

—

the

shaking

by

the

devil

,

the

shielding

by

the

Son

.

And

certainly

,

when

the

Son

of

God

has

faith’s

protection

absolutely

committed

to

Him

,

beseeching

it

of

the

Father

,

from

whom

He

receives

all

power

in

heaven

and

on

earth

,

how

entirely

out

of

the

question

is

it

that

the

devil

should

have

the

assailing

of

it

in

his

own

power

!

But

in

the

prayer

prescribed

to

us

,

when

we

say

to

our

Father

,

“

Lead

us

not

into

temptation

”

(

now

what

greater

temptation

is

there

than

persecution

?

)

,

we

acknowledge

that

that

comes

to

pass

by

His

will

whom

we

beseech

to

exempt

us

from

it

.

For

this

is

what

follows

,

“

But

deliver

us

from

the

wicked

one

,

”

that

is

,

do

not

lead

us

into

temptation

by

giving

us

up

to

the

wicked

one

,

for

then

are

we

delivered

from

the

power

of

the

devil

,

when

we

are

not

handed

over

to

him

to

be

tempted

.

Nor

would

the

devil’s

legion

have

had

power

over

the

herd

of

swine

unless

they

had

got

it

from

God

;

so

far

are

they

from

having

power

over

the

sheep

of

God

.

I

may

say

that

the

bristles

of

the

swine

,

too

,

were

then

counted

by

God

,

not

to

speak

of

the

hairs

of

holy

men

.

The

devil

,

it

must

be

owned

,

seems

indeed

to

have

power

—

in

this

case

really

his

own

—

over

those

who

do

not

belong

to

God

,

the

nations

being

once

for

all

counted

by

God

as

a

drop

of

the

bucket

,

and

as

the

dust

of

the

threshing

-

floor

,

and

as

the

spittle

of

the

mouth

,

and

so

thrown

open

to

the

devil

as

,

in

a

sense

,

a

free

possession

.

But

against

those

who

belong

to

the

household

of

God

he

may

not

do

ought

as

by

any

right

of

his

own

,

because

the

cases

marked

out

in

Scripture

show

when

—

that

is

,

for

what

reasons

—

he

may

touch

them

.

For

either

,

with

a

view

to

their

being

approved

,

the

power

of

trial

is

granted

to

him

,

challenged

or

challenging

,

as

in

the

instances

already

referred

to

,

or

,

to

secure

an

opposite

result

,

the

sinner

is

handed

over

to

him

,

as

though

he

were

an

executioner

to

whom

belonged

the

inflicting

of

punishment

,

as

in

the

case

of

Saul

.

“

And

the

Spirit

of

the

Lord

,

”

says

Scripture

,

“

departed

from

Saul

,

and

an

evil

spirit

from

the

Lord

troubled

and

stifled

him

;

”

or

the

design

is

to

humble

,

as

the

apostle

tells

us

,

that

there

was

given

him

a

stake

,

the

messenger

of

Satan

,

to

buffet

him

;

and

even

this

sort

of

thing

is

not

permitted

in

the

case

of

holy

men

,

unless

it

be

that

at

the

same

time

strength

of

endurance

may

be

perfected

in

weakness

.

For

the

apostle

likewise

delivered

Phygellus

and

Hermogenes

over

to

Satan

that

by

chastening

they

might

be

taught

not

to

blaspheme

.

You

see

,

then

,

that

the

devil

receives

more

suitably

power

even

from

the

servants

of

God

;

so

far

is

he

from

having

it

by

any

right

of

his

own

.

Notes

4
2 Cor. xii. 9.
5
1 Cor. i. 27, 28.
6
Job i. 12.
7
Luke xxii. 31, 32.
8
Matt. vi. 13.
9
Mark v. 11.
10
1 Sam. xvi. 14.
11
2 Cor. xii. 7.
12
2 Tim. i. 15; see 1 Tim. i. 20.