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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 5

About this work

Author: Tertullian

5. But, says some one, I flee, the

‹ Section 4 Section 6 ›

thing

it

belongs

to

me

to

do

,

that

I

may

not

perish

,

if

I

deny

;

it

is

for

Him

on

His

part

,

if

He

chooses

,

to

bring

me

,

when

I

flee

,

back

before

the

tribunal

.

First

answer

me

this

:

Are

you

sure

you

will

deny

if

you

do

not

flee

,

or

are

you

not

sure

?

For

if

you

are

sure

,

you

have

denied

already

,

because

by

presupposing

that

you

will

deny

,

you

have

given

yourself

up

to

that

about

which

you

have

made

such

a

presupposition

;

and

now

it

is

vain

for

you

to

think

of

flight

,

that

you

may

avoid

denying

,

when

in

intention

you

have

denied

already

.

But

if

you

are

doubtful

on

that

point

,

why

do

you

not

,

in

the

incertitude

of

your

fear

wavering

between

the

two

different

issues

,

presume

that

you

are

able

rather

to

act

a

confessor’s

part

,

and

so

add

to

your

safety

,

that

you

may

not

flee

,

just

as

you

presuppose

denial

to

send

you

off

a

fugitive

?

The

matter

stands

thus

—

we

have

either

both

things

in

our

own

power

,

or

they

wholly

lie

with

God

.

If

it

is

ours

to

confess

or

to

deny

,

why

do

we

not

anticipate

the

nobler

thing

,

that

is

,

that

we

shall

confess

?

If

you

are

not

willing

to

confess

,

you

are

not

willing

to

suffer

;

and

to

be

unwilling

to

confess

is

to

deny

.

But

if

the

matter

is

wholly

in

God’s

hand

,

why

do

we

not

leave

it

to

His

will

,

recognising

His

might

and

power

in

that

,

just

as

He

can

bring

us

back

to

trial

when

we

flee

,

so

is

He

able

to

screen

us

when

we

do

not

flee

;

yes

,

and

even

living

in

the

very

heart

of

the

people

?

Strange

conduct

,

is

it

not

,

to

honour

God

in

the

matter

of

flight

from

persecution

,

because

He

can

bring

you

back

from

your

flight

to

stand

before

the

judgment

-

seat

;

but

in

regard

of

witness

-

bearing

,

to

do

Him

high

dishonour

by

despairing

of

power

at

His

hands

to

shield

you

from

danger

?

Why

do

you

not

rather

on

this

,

the

side

of

constancy

and

trust

in

God

,

say

,

I

do

my

part

;

I

depart

not

;

God

,

if

He

choose

,

will

Himself

be

my

protector

?

It

beseems

us

better

to

retain

our

position

in

submission

to

the

will

of

God

,

than

to

flee

at

our

own

will

.

Rutilius

,

a

saintly

martyr

,

after

having

ofttimes

fled

from

persecution

from

place

to

place

,

nay

,

having

bought

security

from

danger

,

as

he

thought

,

by

money

,

was

,

notwithstanding

the

complete

security

he

had

,

as

he

thought

,

provided

for

himself

,

at

last

unexpectedly

seized

,

and

being

brought

before

the

magistrate

,

was

put

to

the

torture

and

cruelly

mangled

,

—

a

punishment

,

I

believe

,

for

his

fleeing

,

—

and

thereafter

he

was

consigned

to

the

flames

,

and

thus

paid

to

the

mercy

of

God

the

suffering

which

he

had

shunned

.

What

else

did

the

Lord

mean

to

show

us

by

this

example

,

but

that

we

ought

not

to

flee

from

persecution

because

it

avails

us

nothing

if

God

disapproves

?