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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 6

About this work

Author: Tertullian

6. Nay, says some one, he fulfilled the command

‹ Section 5 Section 7 ›

,

when

he

fled

from

city

to

city

.

For

so

a

certain

individual

,

but

a

fugitive

likewise

,

has

chosen

to

maintain

,

and

others

have

done

the

same

who

are

unwilling

to

understand

the

meaning

of

that

declaration

of

the

Lord

,

that

they

may

use

it

as

a

cloak

for

their

cowardice

,

although

it

has

had

its

persons

as

well

as

its

times

and

reasons

to

which

it

specially

applies

.

“

When

they

begin

,

”

He

says

,

“

to

persecute

you

,

flee

from

city

to

city

.

”

We

maintain

that

this

belongs

specially

to

the

persons

of

the

apostles

,

and

to

their

times

and

circumstances

,

as

the

following

sentences

will

show

,

which

are

suitable

only

to

the

apostles

:

“

Do

not

go

into

the

way

of

the

Gentiles

,

and

into

a

city

of

the

Samaritans

do

not

enter

:

but

go

rather

to

the

lost

sheep

of

the

house

of

Israel

.

”

But

to

us

the

way

of

the

Gentiles

is

also

open

,

as

in

it

we

in

fact

were

found

,

and

to

the

very

last

we

walk

;

and

no

city

has

been

excepted

.

So

we

preach

throughout

all

the

world

;

nay

,

no

special

care

even

for

Israel

has

been

laid

upon

us

,

save

as

also

we

are

bound

to

preach

to

all

nations

.

Yes

,

and

if

we

are

apprehended

,

we

shall

not

be

brought

into

Jewish

councils

,

nor

scourged

in

Jewish

synagogues

,

but

we

shall

certainly

be

cited

before

Roman

magistrates

and

judgment

-

seats

.

So

,

then

,

the

circumstances

of

the

apostles

even

required

the

injunction

to

flee

,

their

mission

being

to

preach

first

to

the

lost

sheep

of

the

house

of

Israel

.

That

,

therefore

,

this

preaching

might

be

fully

accomplished

in

the

case

of

those

among

whom

this

behoved

first

of

all

to

be

carried

out

—

that

the

sons

might

receive

bread

before

the

dogs

,

for

that

reason

He

commanded

them

to

flee

then

for

a

time

—

not

with

the

object

of

eluding

danger

,

under

the

plea

strictly

speaking

which

persecution

urges

(

rather

He

was

in

the

habit

of

proclaiming

that

they

would

suffer

persecutions

,

and

of

teaching

that

these

must

be

endured

)

;

but

in

order

to

further

the

proclamation

of

the

Gospel

message

,

lest

by

their

being

at

once

put

down

,

the

diffusion

of

the

Gospel

too

might

be

prevented

.

Neither

were

they

to

flee

to

any

city

as

if

by

stealth

,

but

as

if

everywhere

about

to

proclaim

their

message

;

and

for

this

,

everywhere

about

to

undergo

persecutions

,

until

they

should

fulfil

their

teaching

.

Accordingly

the

Saviour

says

,

“

Ye

will

not

go

over

all

the

cities

of

Israel

.

”

So

the

command

to

flee

was

restricted

to

the

limits

of

Judea

.

But

no

command

that

shows

Judea

to

be

specially

the

sphere

for

preaching

applies

to

us

,

now

that

the

Holy

Spirit

has

been

poured

out

upon

all

flesh

.

Therefore

Paul

and

the

apostles

themselves

,

mindful

of

the

precept

of

the

Lord

,

bear

this

solemn

testimony

before

Israel

,

which

they

had

now

filled

with

their

doctrine

—

saying

,

“

It

was

necessary

that

the

word

of

God

should

have

been

first

delivered

to

you

;

but

seeing

ye

have

rejected

it

,

and

have

not

thought

yourselves

worthy

of

eternal

life

,

lo

,

we

turn

to

the

Gentiles

.

”

And

from

that

time

they

turned

their

steps

away

,

as

those

who

went

before

them

had

laid

it

down

,

and

departed

into

the

way

of

the

Gentiles

,

and

entered

into

the

cities

of

the

Samaritans

;

so

that

,

in

very

deed

,

their

sound

went

forth

into

all

the

earth

,

and

their

words

to

the

end

of

the

world

.

If

,

therefore

,

the

prohibition

against

setting

foot

in

the

way

of

the

Gentiles

,

and

entering

into

the

cities

of

the

Samaritans

,

has

come

to

an

end

,

why

should

not

the

command

to

flee

,

which

was

issued

at

the

same

time

,

have

come

also

to

an

end

?

Accordingly

,

from

the

time

when

,

Israel

having

had

its

full

measure

,

the

apostles

went

over

to

the

Gentiles

,

they

neither

fled

from

city

to

city

,

nor

hesitated

to

suffer

.

Nay

,

Paul

too

,

who

had

submitted

to

deliverance

from

persecution

by

being

let

down

from

the

wall

,

as

to

do

so

was

at

this

time

a

matter

of

command

,

refused

in

like

manner

now

at

the

close

of

his

ministry

,

and

after

the

injunction

had

come

to

an

end

,

to

give

in

to

the

anxieties

of

the

disciples

,

eagerly

entreating

him

that

he

would

not

risk

himself

at

Jerusalem

,

because

of

the

sufferings

in

store

for

him

which

Agabus

had

foretold

;

but

doing

the

very

opposite

,

it

is

thus

he

speaks

,

“

What

do

ye

,

weeping

and

disquieting

my

heart

?

For

I

could

wish

not

only

to

suffer

bonds

,

but

also

to

die

at

Jerusalem

,

for

the

name

of

my

Lord

Jesus

Christ

.

”

And

so

they

all

said

,

“

Let

the

will

of

the

Lord

be

done

.

”

What

was

the

will

of

the

Lord

?

Certainly

no

longer

to

flee

from

persecution

.

Otherwise

they

who

had

wished

him

rather

to

avoid

persecution

,

might

also

have

adduced

that

prior

will

of

the

Lord

,

in

which

He

had

commanded

flight

.

Therefore

,

seeing

even

in

the

days

of

the

apostles

themselves

,

the

command

to

flee

was

temporary

,

as

were

those

also

relating

to

the

other

things

at

the

same

time

enjoined

,

that

[

command

]

cannot

continue

with

us

which

ceased

with

our

teachers

,

even

although

it

had

not

been

issued

specially

for

them

;

or

if

the

Lord

wished

it

to

continue

,

the

apostles

did

wrong

who

were

not

careful

to

keep

fleeing

to

the

last

.

Notes

17
Matt. x. 23.
18
Matt. x. 5.
19
Matt. x. 17.
20
Matt. x. 23.
21
Acts xiii. 46.
22
Ps. xix. 4.
23
Acts xxi. 13.