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De Fuga in Persecutione

Tertullian

IX.

About this work

Author: Tertullian

IX.

De Fuga in Persecutione.

[Translated by the Rev. S. Thelwall.]

For He wished us either to suffer persecution or to

flee

from

it

.

If

to

flee

,

how

to

suffer

?

If

to

suffer

,

how

to

flee

?

In

fact

,

what

utter

inconsistency

in

the

decrees

of

One

who

commands

to

flee

,

and

yet

urges

to

suffer

,

which

is

the

very

opposite

!

“

Him

who

will

confess

Me

,

I

also

will

confess

before

My

Father

.

”

How

will

he

confess

,

fleeing

?

How

flee

,

confessing

?

“

Of

him

who

shall

be

ashamed

of

Me

,

will

I

also

be

ashamed

before

My

Father

.

”

If

I

avoid

suffering

,

I

am

ashamed

to

confess

.

“

Happy

they

who

suffer

persecution

for

My

name’s

sake

.

”

Unhappy

,

therefore

,

they

who

,

by

running

away

,

will

not

suffer

according

to

the

divine

command

.

“

He

who

shall

endure

to

the

end

shall

be

saved

.

”

How

then

,

when

you

bid

me

flee

,

do

you

wish

me

to

endure

to

the

end

?

If

views

so

opposed

to

each

other

do

not

comport

with

the

divine

dignity

,

they

clearly

prove

that

the

command

to

flee

had

,

at

the

time

it

was

given

,

a

reason

of

its

own

,

which

we

have

pointed

out

.

But

it

is

said

,

the

Lord

,

providing

for

the

weakness

of

some

of

His

people

,

nevertheless

,

in

His

kindness

,

suggested

also

the

haven

of

flight

to

them

.

For

He

was

not

able

even

without

flight

—

a

protection

so

base

,

and

unworthy

,

and

servile

—

to

preserve

in

persecution

such

as

He

knew

to

be

weak

!

Whereas

in

fact

He

does

not

cherish

,

but

ever

rejects

the

weak

,

teaching

first

,

not

that

we

are

to

fly

from

our

persecutors

,

but

rather

that

we

are

not

to

fear

them

.

“

Fear

not

them

who

are

able

to

kill

the

body

,

but

are

unable

to

do

ought

against

the

soul

;

but

fear

Him

who

can

destroy

both

body

and

soul

in

hell

.

”

And

then

what

does

He

allot

to

the

fearful

?

“

He

who

will

value

his

life

more

than

Me

,

is

not

worthy

of

Me

;

and

he

who

takes

not

up

his

cross

and

follows

Me

,

cannot

be

My

disciple

.

”

Last

of

all

,

in

the

Revelation

,

He

does

not

propose

flight

to

the

“

fearful

,

”

but

a

miserable

portion

among

the

rest

of

the

outcast

,

in

the

lake

of

brimstone

and

fire

,

which

is

the

second

death

.

Notes

24
Matt. x. 32, 33.
25
Mark viii. 38; Luke ix. 26.
26
Matt. v. 11.
27
Matt. x. 22.
28
Matt. x. 28.
29
Matt. x. 37, 38.
30
Rev. xxi. 8.