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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 13

About this work

Author: Tertullian

13. But also to every one who asks me I will

‹ Section 12 Section 14 ›

give

on

the

plea

of

charity

,

not

under

any

intimidation

.

Who

asks

?

He

says

.

But

he

who

uses

intimidation

does

not

ask

.

One

who

threatens

if

he

does

not

receive

,

does

not

crave

,

but

compels

.

It

is

not

alms

he

looks

for

,

who

comes

not

to

be

pitied

,

but

to

be

feared

.

I

will

give

,

therefore

,

because

I

pity

,

not

because

I

fear

,

when

the

recipient

honours

God

and

returns

me

his

blessing

;

not

when

rather

he

both

believes

that

he

has

conferred

a

favour

on

me

,

and

,

beholding

his

plunder

,

says

,

“

Guilt

money

.

”

Shall

I

be

angry

even

with

an

enemy

?

But

enmities

have

also

other

grounds

.

Yet

withal

he

did

not

say

a

betrayer

,

or

persecutor

,

or

one

seeking

to

terrify

you

by

his

threats

.

For

how

much

more

shall

I

heap

coals

upon

the

head

of

a

man

of

this

sort

,

if

I

do

not

redeem

myself

by

money

?

“

In

like

manner

,

”

says

Jesus

,

“

to

him

who

has

taken

away

your

coat

,

grant

even

your

cloak

also

.

”

But

that

refers

to

him

who

has

sought

to

take

away

my

property

,

not

my

faith

.

The

cloak

,

too

,

I

will

grant

,

if

I

am

not

threatened

with

betrayal

.

If

he

threatens

,

I

will

demand

even

my

coat

back

again

.

Even

now

,

the

declarations

of

the

Lord

have

reasons

and

laws

of

their

own

.

They

are

not

of

unlimited

or

universal

application

.

And

so

He

commands

us

to

give

to

every

one

who

asks

,

yet

He

Himself

does

not

give

to

those

who

ask

a

sign

.

Otherwise

,

if

you

think

that

we

should

give

indiscriminately

to

all

who

ask

,

that

seems

to

me

to

mean

that

you

would

give

,

I

say

not

wine

to

him

who

has

a

fever

,

but

even

poison

or

a

sword

to

him

who

longs

for

death

.

But

how

we

are

to

understand

,

“

Make

to

yourselves

friends

of

mammon

,

”

let

the

previous

parable

teach

you

.

The

saying

was

addressed

to

the

Jewish

people

;

inasmuch

as

,

having

managed

ill

the

business

of

the

Lord

which

had

been

entrusted

to

them

,

they

ought

to

have

provided

for

themselves

out

of

the

men

of

mammon

,

which

we

then

were

,

friends

rather

than

enemies

,

and

to

have

delivered

us

from

the

dues

of

sins

which

kept

us

from

God

,

if

they

bestowed

the

blessing

upon

us

,

for

the

reason

given

by

the

Lord

,

that

when

grace

began

to

depart

from

them

,

they

,

betaking

themselves

to

our

faith

,

might

be

admitted

into

everlasting

habitations

.

Hold

now

any

other

explanation

of

this

parable

and

saying

you

like

,

if

only

you

clearly

see

that

there

is

no

likelihood

of

our

opposers

,

should

we

make

them

friends

with

mammon

,

then

receiving

us

into

everlasting

abodes

.

But

of

what

will

not

cowardice

convince

men

?

As

if

Scripture

both

allowed

them

to

flee

,

and

commanded

them

to

buy

off

!

Finally

,

it

is

not

enough

if

one

or

another

is

so

rescued

.

Whole

Churches

have

imposed

tribute

en

masse

on

themselves

.

I

know

not

whether

it

is

matter

for

grief

or

shame

when

among

hucksters

,

and

pickpockets

,

and

bath

-

thieves

,

and

gamesters

,

and

pimps

,

Christians

too

are

included

as

taxpayers

in

the

lists

of

free

soldiers

and

spies

.

Did

the

apostles

,

with

so

much

foresight

,

make

the

office

of

overseer

of

this

type

,

that

the

occupants

might

be

able

to

enjoy

their

rule

free

from

anxiety

,

under

colour

of

providing

(

a

like

freedom

for

their

flocks

)

?

For

such

a

peace

,

forsooth

,

Christ

,

returning

to

His

Father

,

commanded

to

be

bought

from

the

soldiers

by

gifts

like

those

you

have

in

the

Saturnalia

!

Notes

56
Matt. v. 42.
57
Luke xvi. 9.