Tertullian, On Flight in Persecution
Brother Fabius, you recently asked whether a Christian should flee when persecution threatens, prompted by rumors of some unspecified trouble. I touched on the question at the time, as the occasion and the insistence of certain people allowed, but I carried the half-treated subject away to write it out fully now, since your request and the urgency of the times demanded it. The more frequent persecutions become, the more carefully faith must examine how to receive them. That examination falls to you especially, because if you have not received the Paraclete, the guide into all truth, you remain answerable for other questions as well (John 16:13). So let us bring order to your inquiry: first we must decide the nature of persecution itself—whether it comes from God or from the devil—so that we can know how to respond. Every investigation is clearer when the author is known. It is true enough to say that nothing happens without God's will, but we cannot simply stop there, or we would be dragged off the point by the objection: "Then evil comes from God, and sin from God; the devil has no role, and neither do we." The question is specifically about persecution. For now, I say that nothing happens without God's will, because persecution is especially worthy of God and, I might even say, necessary—for the testing of his servants or their rejection. What else is the outcome of persecution but the testing and rejection of faith, by which the Lord examines his own? Persecution is that whole judgment through which someone is judged either approved or rejected, and judgment belongs to God alone. It is the winnowing fan that even now purifies the Lord's threshing floor, the Church, sifting the confused heap of the faithful into the wheat of martyrs and the chaff of deniers. Like the ladder Jacob saw in his dream, it shows some ascending to higher things, others descending to lower (Genesis 28:12). Persecution can also be understood as a contest. Who announces the contest if not the one who offers the crown and the rewards? The rules of this contest are written in the Apocalypse, listing the rewards that invite to victory—especially for those who have truly conquered in persecution, struggling and winning, not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). So you will recognize that the judgment of the contest belongs to the same judge who invites to the reward. Everything that happens in persecution is the glory of God who tests and rejects, who appoints and deposes. And what pertains to God's glory certainly happens by his will. But when is God more believed than when he is more feared? And when is that truer than in a time of persecution? Then the Church stands in awe; then faith becomes more earnest and disciplined in fasts, vigils, prayers, humility, diligence, love, holiness, and self-control. Nothing is done except in fear and hope. From this alone it is shown that persecution cannot be credited to the devil, since it makes God's servants better. If wickedness comes not from God but from the devil, and persecution consists of wickedness—for what is more wicked than treating the priests of the true God, all followers of truth, like the worst criminals?—then it seems persecution comes from the devil, from whom wickedness proceeds and from which persecution is constituted. Yet we must understand: persecution is not without the devil's wickedness, nor is the testing of faith without persecution. Because the testing of faith requires wickedness, the devil's wickedness serves not as patronage for persecution but as its instrument. God's will precedes, ordaining the testing of faith, which is the reason for persecution; the devil's wickedness follows as the instrument of persecution, which is the reason for the testing. Even elsewhere, insofar as wickedness rivals justice, it becomes material for the testimonies of him whose rival it is, so that justice is perfected in wickedness, just as virtue is perfected in weakness. God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong, and the foolish things to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). So wickedness is used to prove justice, confounding wickedness. Therefore, since the devil's role is not judgment but service—the Lord's judgment is persecution for the testing of faith, while the devil's wickedness is the ministry for the conduct of persecution—we believe persecution happens through the devil, if you will, but not from the devil. Nothing is permitted to Satan against the living servants of God except what the Lord allows, either so that he may destroy them through the victorious faith of the elect in temptation, or so that he may hand over to him those who have defected to him. You have the example of Job: the devil could bring no temptation against him except what he received from God, nor even against his possessions, until the Lord said, "Behold, all that he has is in your hand; only do not lay a hand on him" (Job 1:12). And he did not lay a hand on him until the Lord, to the one asking, said, "Behold, I deliver him to you; only spare his life" (Job 2:6). So also with the apostles: he asked for the power of temptation, not possessing it except by permission. The Lord said to Peter in the Gospel, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail" (Luke 22:31–32)—that is, it would not be permitted to the devil to the point that faith was endangered. This shows that both the shaking of faith and its protection are with God, since both are asked of him: the shaking by the devil, the protection by the Son. And when the Son of God holds the protection of faith in his power, which he asks from the Father, from whom he receives all authority in heaven and on earth, how could the devil hold the shaking of faith in his own hand? In the Lord's Prayer we say to the Father, "Lead us not into temptation"—and what greater temptation is there than persecution? We confess that it comes from him from whom we beg deliverance: "But deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13). That is, "Do not lead us into temptation by handing us over to the evil one." For we are snatched from the devil's hands precisely when we are not handed over to him in temptation. Even the legion of demons had no power over the herd of swine except what they obtained from God, let alone over the sheep of God (Mark 5:12–13). I could say that even the bristles of the swine were numbered before God at that moment; how much more the hairs of the saints (Matthew 10:30). The devil appears to have his own power only over those who do not belong to God—once given over to him, like chaff on the threshing floor, like the spittle of nations appointed by God and thus exposed to the devil in a kind of empty possession. But among God's household, nothing is permitted to him by his own right; the examples marked in Scripture show when and why it is permitted. Either the right of temptation is granted to him for the sake of testing, whether provoked or provoking, as in the cases above; or the sinner is handed over to him as to an executioner for punishment, as with Saul: "The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him" (1 Samuel 16:14). Or for the sake of discipline, as the apostle reports: a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me; and this is not permitted to the devil among the saints to humble them through the affliction of the flesh, except so that the virtue of endurance may be perfected in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7–9). The apostle himself handed Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:20). You see now that the devil receives power more readily from the servants of God, so far is he from possessing it by his own right. Since these examples occur especially in persecutions—when we are more tested or rejected, more humbled or corrected—it is necessary that these things be permitted or commanded by God, from whom both the shaking and the protection of faith proceed. If persecution comes from God, then it must not be fled, because it is good. For everything God has seen to be good is necessarily good. Is it not written in Genesis: "And God saw that it was good"—not because he did not know it was good unless he saw it, but to signal by this very statement that what God sees is good (Genesis 1)? Many things happen by God's will that turn out evil for some; yet they are good because they happen by God's will, as divine and rational. What is divine that is not rational and good? What is good that is not divine? If something seems evil to someone's perception, human perception does not prejudge the reality; reality prejudges perception. The reality of a thing is fixed and gives perception its law, so that perception matches the reality as it is. If the reality is good—what comes from God (for nothing from God is not good, because it is divine and rational)—but it seems evil to perception, then the reality stands secure and the perception is at fault. Chastity, truth, and justice are optimal realities, yet they displease the perception of many. Does reality therefore become subject to perception? So persecution is good in reality, because it is a divine and rational arrangement; it displeases only the perception of those to whom it comes for evil. You see also that evil has its reason with God, when someone loses salvation in persecution, just as good happens by reason when someone gains salvation from it. Unless someone perishes or is saved irrationally before the Lord, he cannot call persecution evil, which is good even in its evil aspect, because it is administered by reason. So if persecution is good in any way, because it is established by reality, we rightly conclude that what is good must not be avoided: to refuse the good is a fault; all the more so because God has seen it so. And indeed it cannot be avoided, because it happens by God's will, which cannot be evaded.
Latin
Quaesisti proxime, Fabi frater, fugiendum necne sit in persecutione, quod nescio quid annuntiaretur. Ibidem ego oblocutus aliquid pro loco ac tempore, et quarumdam personarum importunitate, semitractatam materiam abstuli mecum, plenius eam de stylo nunc renuntiaturus, utpote quam mihi et tua consultatio commendarat, et conditio temporum suo jam nomine injunxerat. Quanto enim frequentiores imminent persecutiones, tanto examinatio procuranda est, quomodo eas excipere fides debeat. Procuranda autem examinatio penes vos, qui, si forte, Paracletum non recipiendo deductorem omnis veritatis, merito adhuc etiam aliis quaestionibus obnoxii estis. Igitur consultationi tuae ordinem quoque induimus, animadvertentes ante determinari oportere de statu ipsius persecutionis, utrum a Deo obveniat, an a diabolo, quo facilius de obitu ejus constare possit. Omnis enim rei inspectio, auctore cognito, planior. Satis est quidem praescribere nihil fieri sine Dei voluntate. Sed non statim hac sententia caeteris retractatibus locum dabimus, ne a praesenti articulo avocemur, si quis responderit: Ergo et malum a Deo, et delictum a Deo; nihil jam in diabolo, nihil etiam in nobis ipsis. De persecutione nunc quaeritur. Circa hanc interim dixerim nihil fieri sine Dei voluntate, respiciens eam in primis dignam Deo esse, et, ut ita dixerim, necessariam, ad probationem scilicet servorum ejus sive reprobationem. Quis est enim exitus persecutionis, quis effectus alius, nisi probatio et reprobatio fidei, qua suos utique Dominus examinavit? Hoc omne judicium est persecutio per quam quis aut probatus aut reprobatus judicatur. Porro judicium soli Deo competit. Haec pala illa, quae et nunc Dominicam aream purgat, Ecclesiam scilicet, confusum acervum fidelium eventilans, frumentum martyrum et paleas negatorum. Haec enim, scalae quas somniat Jacob, aliis ascensum in superiora, aliis descensum ad inferiora demonstrantes. Sic et agonem intelligi capit persecutionem. A quo certamen edicitur, nisi a quo corona et praemia proponuntur? Legis edictum agonis istius in Apocalypsi, quibus praemiis ad victoriam invitet, vel maxime illos qui proprie vicerint in persecutione, vincendo luctati, revera non adversus carnem et sanguinem, sed adversus spiritalia nequitiae. Ita agnosces ad eumdem agonothetam pertinere certaminis arbitrium, qui invitat ad praemium. Totum quod agitur in persecutione, gloria Dei est probantis et reprobantis, imponentis et deponentis. Quod autem ad gloriam Dei pertinet, utique ex voluntate illius eveniet. Sed quando Deus magis creditur, nisi cum magis timetur, nisi in tempore persecutionis? Tunc Ecclesia in attonito est; tunc et fides in expeditione sollicitior et disciplinatior in jejuniis et stationibus, et orationibus, et humilitate, in alterutra diligentia et dilectione, in sanctitate et sobrietate. Non enim vacatur nisi timori et spei. Adeo et ex hoc ipso ostenditur nobis non posse diabolo deputari eam, quae meliores efficit Dei servos. Si quod iniquitas a Deo non est, sed a diabolo, persecutio autem ex iniquitate consistit (quid enim iniquius quam veri Dei antistites, omnis sectatores veritatis, nocentissimorum more tractari?), ideo videtur persecutio a diabolo evenire, a quo iniquitas agitur, ex qua constat persecutio: seire debemus, quatenus nec persecutio est sine iniquitate diaboli, nec probatio fidei sine persecutione, propter probationem fidei necessariam iniquitatem, non patrocinium praestare persecutioni, sed ministerium; praecedere enim Dei voluntatem circa fidei probationem, quae est ratio persecutionis, sequi autem diaboli iniquitatem ad instrumentum persecutionis, quae ratio est probationis. Nam et alias, in quantum justitiae iniquitas aemula est, in tantum materia est ad testimonia ejus, cujus est aemula; ut sic justitia in iniquitate perficiatur, quomodo virtus in infirmitate perficitur. Nam infirma mundi electa sunt a Deo, ut confundantur fortia; et stulta ejus, ut confundantur sapientia. Ita et iniquitas adhibetur ut justitia probetur, confundens iniquitatem. Igitur quod ministerium non est arbitrii, sed servitii (arbitrium enim Domini, persecutio, propter fidei probationem, ministerium autem iniquitas diaboli, propter persecutionis instructionem); ita eam per diabolum, si forte, non a diabolo evenire credimus. Nihil Satanae in servos Dei vivi licebit, nisi permiserit Dominus, ut aut ipsum destruat per fidem electorum in tentatione victricem: aut homines ejus fuisse traducat, qui defecerint ad illum. Habes exemplum Job, cui diabolus nullam potuit incutere tentationem, nisi a Deo accepisset potestatem, nec in substantiam quidem ejus, nisi Dominus, Ecce, dixisset, omnia quae sunt ei, in manu tua do, in ipsum autem ne extenderis manum. Denique nec extendit, nisi posteaquam et hoc postulanti Dominus, Ecce, dixisset, trado tibi illum, tantum animam ejus custodi. Sic et in Apostolos facultatem tentationis postulavit, non habens eam nisi ex permissu. Siquidem Dominus in Evangelio ad Petrum: Ecce, inquit, postulavit Satanas uti cerneret vos velut frumentum: verum ego rogavi pro te, ne deficeret fides tua: id est, ne tantum diabolo permitteretur, ut fides periclitaretur. Quo ostenditur, utrumque apud Deum esse, et concussionem fidei, et protectionem, cum utrumque ab eo petitur, concussio a diabolo, protectio a Filio. Et utique cum Filius Dei protectionem fidei habet in sua potestate quam a Patre postulat, a quo omnem accipit potestatem in coelis et in terris, quale est ut concussionem fidei diabolus in manu sua habeat? Sed in legitima Oratione cum dicimus ad Patrem: Ne nos inducas in tentationem (quae aut major tentatio quam persecutio?); ab eo illam profitemur accidere, a quo veniam ejus deprecamur: hoc est enim quod sequitur: Sed erue nos a maligno; id est, ne nos induxeris in tentationem, permittendo nos maligno. Tunc enim eruimur diaboli manibus, cum illi non tradimur in tentationem. Nec in porcorum gregem diaboli legio habuit potestatem, nisi eam de Deo impetrasset, tantum abest ut in oves Dei habeat. Possum dicere, porcorum quoque setas tunc numeratas apud Deum fuisse; nedum capillos sanctorum. Habere videtur diabolus propriam jam potestatem, si forte in eos qui ad Deum non pertinent, semel in stillam situtae, et in pulverem areae, et in salivam nationibus deputatis a Deo, ac per hoc diabolo expositis in vacuam quodammodo possessionem. Caeterum, in domesticos Dei nihil illi licet ex propria potestate; quia quando liceat, id est, ex quibus caussis, exempla in Scripturis signata demonstrant. Aut enim ex caussa probationis conceditur ei jus tentationis provocato vel provocanti, ut in superioribus: aut ex caussa reprobationis traditur ei peccator quasi carnifici in poenam, ut Saul: Et abscessit, inquit, spiritus Domini a Saule, et concutiebat eum spiritus nequam a Domino, et suffocabat. Aut ex caussa cohibitionis, ut Apostolus refert datum sibi sudem angelum Satanae ut colaphizetur: nec hanc speciem permitti diabolo in sanctos humiliandos per carnis vexationem, nisi simul ut et virtus tolerantiae scilicet in infirmitate perfici possit; nam et ipse Apostolus Phigellum et Hermogenem tradidit Satanae, uti emendentur, ne blasphement. Vides jam et a servis Dei facilius diabolum accipere potestatem, tanto abest ut eam ex proprietate possideat. Cum ergo et haec exempla magis in persecutionibus eveniant, siquidem magis tunc probamur vel reprobamur, et magis tunc humiliamur vel emendamur, ab eo permittatur vel imperetur necesse est catholice fieri haec, a quo et ex parte, scilicet ab illo qui dicit: Ego sum qui facio pacem, et condo mala, id est bellum. Hoc est enim contrarium paci. Nostrae autem paci quid est bellum, quam persecutio? Si persecutionis vel maxime exitus aut vitam afferunt aut mortem, aut plagam aut sanationem, habes auctorem ejusdem: Ego percutiam, et sanabo; ego vivificabo, et mortificabo. Uram, inquit, illos, sicut uritur argentum; et probabo, inpuid, illos, sicut probatur aurum. Cum enim exurimur persecutionis ardore, tunc probamur de fidei tenore. Haec erunt ignea jacula diaboli, per quae fidei ustio et conflatio administratur; ex Dei tamen voluntate. De isto quis dubitare possit ignoro, nisi plane frivola et frigida fides, deprehendens eos qui timide conveniunt in Ecclesiam. Dicitis enim, Quoniam incondite convenimus, simul convenimus, et complures concurrimus in Ecclesiam, quaerimur a nationibus, et timemus ne turbentur nationes. Annon scitis quod Deus omnium sit Dominus? Et si velit Deus, tunc persecutionem patieris; si vero noluerit, silebunt nationes. Credas utique; si tamen in eum Deum credis, sine cujus voluntate nec passer unius assis cadit in terram. Nos autem, puto, multis passeribus antistamus. Igitur si constat a quo persecutio eveniat, possumus jam consultationem tuam inducere, et determinare ex hoc ipso praetractatu, fugiendum in persecutione non esse. Si enim persecutio a Deo evenit, nullo modo fugiendum erit quod a Deo evenit. Sicut duplex ratio defendit, quia neque debeat devitari, neque evadi possit quod a Deo evenit. Non debet devitari, quia bonum. Necesse est enim bonum esse omne quod Deo visum est. Et numquid ideo in Genesi sic positum est: Et vidit Deus quia bonum est; non quod ignoraret bonum esse, nisi vidisset; sed ut hoc sono portenderet bonum esse, quod Deo visum est? Multa quidem sunt, quae a Deo eveniant, et alicujus malo eveniant. Imo bonum est ideo, quia a Deo evenit, ut divinum et rationale. Quid enim divinum non rationale, non bonum? Quid bonum non divinum? Si autem sensui cujusque videtur, non sensus hominis praejudicat statui, sed status sensui. Status enim uniuscujusque certum quid est, et dat sensui legem, ita sentiendi statum, sicuti est. Si autem statu quidem bonum quod a Deo venit (nihil enim a Deo non bonum, quia divinum, quia rationale), sensui vero malum videtur, erit status in tuto, sensus in vitio. Statu optima res pudicitia, et veritas, et justitia, quae a multorum sensu displicent. Nunquid ideo status sensui addicitur? Ita et persecutio statu bona est, quia divina et rationalis dispositio; sensui eorum vero quorum malo venit, displicet. Vides etiam illud malum rationem apud Deum habere, cum quis in persecutione evertitur de salute, sicut et illud bonum ratione contingere, cum quis ex persecutione proficit in salute? Nisi si irrationaliter quis aut perit apud Dominum, aut salvus est: is non poterit persecutionem malum dicere, quae etiam in mali parte bonum est, dum ratione administratur. Ita si bonum persecutio quoquo modo, quia de statu constat, merito definimus, quod bonum est, vitari non oportere: quia delictum sit, quod bonum est recusare; eo amplius, quod Deo visum est: jam vero nec posse vitari, quia a Deo evenit, cujus voluntas non poterit evadi.