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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

Section 8

About this work

Author: Tertullian

8. He sometimes also fled from violence Himself, but for

‹ Section 7 Section 9 ›

the

same

reason

as

had

led

Him

to

command

the

apostles

to

do

so

:

that

is

,

He

wanted

to

fulfil

His

ministry

of

teaching

;

and

when

it

was

finished

,

I

do

not

say

He

stood

firm

,

but

He

had

no

desire

even

to

get

from

His

Father

the

aid

of

hosts

of

angels

:

finding

fault

,

too

,

with

Peter’s

sword

.

He

likewise

acknowledged

,

it

is

true

,

that

His

“

soul

was

troubled

,

even

unto

death

,

”

and

the

flesh

weak

;

with

the

design

,

(

however

,

)

first

of

all

,

that

by

having

,

as

His

own

,

trouble

of

soul

and

weakness

of

the

flesh

,

He

might

show

you

that

both

the

substances

in

Him

were

truly

human

;

lest

,

as

certain

persons

have

now

brought

it

in

,

you

might

be

led

to

think

either

the

flesh

or

the

soul

of

Christ

different

from

ours

;

and

then

,

that

,

by

an

exhibition

of

their

states

,

you

might

be

convinced

that

they

have

no

power

at

all

of

themselves

without

the

spirit

.

And

for

this

reason

He

puts

first

“

the

willing

spirit

,

”

that

,

looking

to

the

natures

respectively

of

both

the

substances

,

you

may

see

that

you

have

in

you

the

spirit’s

strength

as

well

as

the

flesh’s

weakness

;

and

even

from

this

may

learn

what

to

do

,

and

by

what

means

to

do

it

,

and

what

to

bring

under

what

,

—

the

weak

,

namely

,

under

the

strong

,

that

you

may

not

,

as

is

now

your

fashion

,

make

excuses

on

the

ground

of

the

weakness

of

the

flesh

,

forsooth

,

but

put

out

of

sight

the

strength

of

the

spirit

.

He

also

asked

of

His

Father

,

that

if

it

might

be

,

the

cup

of

suffering

should

pass

from

Him

.

So

ask

you

the

like

favour

;

but

as

He

did

,

holding

your

position

,

—

merely

offering

supplication

,

and

adding

,

too

,

the

other

words

:

“

but

not

what

I

will

,

but

what

Thou

wilt

.

”

But

when

you

run

away

,

how

will

you

make

this

request

?

taking

,

in

that

case

,

into

your

own

hands

the

removal

of

the

cup

from

you

,

and

instead

of

doing

what

your

Father

wishes

,

doing

what

you

wish

yourself

.

Notes

31
Matt. xxvi. 38.
32
Matt. xxvi. 41.
33
Matt. xxvi. 39.