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De Fuga in Persecutione

VI.

[1] 'Immo', inquit, 'quia praeceptum adimplevit fugiens de civitate in civitatem.' Sic enim voluit quidam, sed et ipse fugitivus, argumentari et qui proinde nolunt intelligere sensum domini illius pronuntiationis, ut eam ad velamentum timiditatis suae utantur, cum et personas suas habuerit et tempora et causas. Cum coeperint, inquit, persequi vos, fugite de civitate in civitatem. [2] Hoc in persona proprie apostolorum et in tempora et in causas eorum pertinere defendimus, sicut subsequentes sensus probabunt, qui nonnisi in apostolos competunt: In viam nationum ne ieritis et in civitatem Samaritanorum ne introieritis, sed ite potius ad oves perditas domus Israelis. [3] Nobis autem et via nationum patet, in qua et inventi sumus et usque in finem incedimus, et nulla civitas excepta est, quo per totum orbem praedicamus; sed nec cura nobis Israelis iniuncta est extra ordinem, nisi qua et omnibus gentibus praedicare debemus; [4] etiam si apprehendamur, non in concilia eorum perducemur nec in synagogis eorum flagellabimur, sed Romanis utique potestatibus et tribunalibus obiciemur. [5] Si igitur et fugae praeceptum apostolorum condicio desiderabat, quoniam primum praedicandum erat ad oves perditas domus Israelis. Ut ergo perciperetur praedicatio, apud quos priores eam perfici oportebat, uti panem ante filii quam canes sumerent, ideo illis fugere tunc ad tempus praecepit, non propter eludendum periculum proprio nomine persecutionis ---- atquin persecutiones eos passuros praedicabat et tolerandas docebat ----, sed propter profectum annuntiationis, ne statim oppressis evangelii quoque disseminatio perimeretur. Neque enim quasi tacite in aliquam civitatem transfugiendum erat, sed quasi ubique annuntiaturis et ex hoc ubique persecutiones subituris, donec replerent doctrinam suam. [6] Denique Non consummabitis, inquit, civitates Israelis; adeo intra terminos Iudaeae praeceptum fugae continebatur. Nobis autem nulla Iudaeae praefinitio competit praedicationis in omnem iam carnem effuso spiritu sancto. [7] Itaque Paulus et apostoli ipsi memores praecepti dominici contestantur illud apud Israel, quem iam doctrina sua impleverant: Vobis oportuit in primis sermonem dei tradi; sed quoniam repulistis eum nec dignos vos aeterna vita existimastis, ecce convertimus nos ad nationes, Atque exinde conversi, ut ipsi antecessores instituerant, et in viam nationum abierunt et in civitates Samaritanorum introierunt, ut in totam scilicet terram exiret sonus eorum et in terminos orbis voces eorum. [8] Si ergo cessavit exceptio viae natiorum et introitus in civitates Samaritanorum, cur non cessaverit et fugae praeceptum pariter emissum? Denique ex quo saturato Israele apostoli in nationes transierunt, nec fugerunt de civitate in civitatem nec pati dubitaverunt. [9] Atquin Paulus, qui se per murum concesserat expediri de persecutione, qua ad hoc tempus erat praecepti, idem iam in clausula officii et in consummatione praecepti discipulis magnopere deprecantibus, ne se Hierosolymam committeret passurus illic, quae Agabus prophetaverat, sollicitudini eorum non subscripsit, sed e contrario: Quid, inquit, facitis lacrimantes et conturbantes cor meum? ego enim non modo vincula pati optaverim, sed etiam mori Hierosolymis pro nomine domini mei Iesu Christi. [10] Atque ita omnes aierunt: Fiat voluntas domini. Quae erat voluntas domini? Utique non fugiendi iam persecutionem. Ceterum poterant et priorem domini voluntatem proposuisse, qua fugere mandaverat, qui illum persecutionem vitasse maluerant. [11] Igitur cum etiam sub apostolis ipsis temporale fuerit fugae praeceptum sicut et reliquorum praescriptorum, non potest apud nos perseverare, quod apud doctores nostros concessavit, etsi non proprie ad illos fuisset emissum; aut, si perseverare illud dominus voluit, deliquerunt apostoli, qui non usque in finem fugere curaverunt.

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De Fuga in Persecutione

6.

Nay, says some one, he fulfilled the command, 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." ¹ 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." ² 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. ³ 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." ⁴ 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." ⁵ 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. ⁶ 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." ⁷ 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.