Chapter 12
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And, if anyone recognizes the Spirit, he will hear Him branding the runaways.
(3) But, if it is not fitting that the leaders of the flock should flee when the wolves descend upon the sheep if indeed, it is forbidden—for He who called such a one a wicked shepherd, certainly condemned him, and whatever has been condemned is certainly thereafter unlawful—then those who have been given charge over the Church cannot flee in time of persecution. If however, the flock were obliged to flee, then the shepherd would not be obliged to stand his ground. In that case, there would be no reason for him to stay 'to protect his flock,' since, as a matter of fact, they would have no need of protection, as a result of their liberty, of course, to flee.
Chapter 12 (1) That, I think, should be a sufficient answer to the question that you raised, my brother, and you have my decision and encouragement. But, the man who raises the question as to flight in time of persecution must go on to ask the next one, namely, if we cannot flee, then may we buy our freedom when persecution comes? I will also have a.few suggestions for you on this point, declaring that we can no more buy our freedom than we can run away when per secution strikes. And the key to my answer lies in the pay ment: just as flight is getting your freedom without money, so buying your freedom is a 'money-flight.' This, surely, is the counsel of fear. Because you fear, you pay, and when you pay, you flee. As regards your feet, you have stood still; as regards the money you paid, you have run away. By
FLIGHT IN TIME OF PERSECUTION
this very fact that your money permitted you to stay, you have run away.
(2) Oh how unworthy is it of God and His will that you try to redeem with mere money a man who has been ran somed by the Blood of Christ! God spared not His own Son for you,1 letting Him become a curse for us; for 'cursed is he who hangs on a tree' ;2 as a sheep He was led to the sacrifice, as a lamb to the shearer, and He did not open His mouth,3 but bared His back to the scourge and His cheeks to those who would smite Him; He did not turn away from those who would spit on Him4 and among the wicked He was re puted,5 and was delivered up to death, even unto the death of the cross.6 And all this that He might redeem us from our sins. The sun was darkened on the day of our redemption;7 hell lost its right to us and we were enrolled for heaven. The eternal gates were lifted up that the King of Glory, the Lord of Might, might enter in,8 and man, born of the earth, destined for hell, was purchased for heaven.
(3) What kind of man is he who struggles against Christ, in fact, misprizes the goods that were bought at so high a price, namely, the precious blood of the Immaculate Lamb?9
Far better that he run away than to become so mean, that a man should not prize himself for as much as Christ was willing to pay for him. Christ indeed ransomed man from the angels who rule over the world, from the powers and spirits
1 Rom. 8.32.
2 Gal. 3:13.
3 Cf. Isa. 53.7.
4 Cf. Isa. 50.6.
5 Cf. Isa. 53.12.
6 Phil. 2.8.
7 Cf. Matt. 27.45.
8 Cf. Ps. 23.7.
9 Cf. 1 Peter 1.19.
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of wickedness, from the darkness of this world,10 from eternal judgment, from eternal death. And you bargain for him with an informer, or some soldier, or some petty thief of a ruler, passing money from up your sleeves, as they say, as if he were stolen goods, whom Christ redeemed before the whole world and, in fact, freed from slavery! Can you price this free man, and buy him for any sum less (as we have said) than what he cost Christ—His own Blood? Why do you haggle with a man as to the price of a man in whom Christ dwells?
(4) That is precisely what Simon [Magus] was trying to do when he offered the Apostles money for the Spirit of Christ.* 11 Anyone who, by buying his freedom, has tried to buy the Spirit of Christ, will also hear: 'Thy money go to destruction with thee, because thou hast thought that the grace of God could be purchased at a price.'12 We can have nothing but contempt for such a denier. What does the extortioner say? 'Give me money!' You pay him so that he may not betray you, because all he sells you is what he is going to give you for the money you hand over to him. When you pay, you do it so that you will not be turned in to the author ities; not being turned in, you wish not to be betrayed. There fore, by wishing not to be handed over, at the same time you do not want to be betrayed; by that unwillingness of yours you have denied that you are what you have been unwilling to have made public. 'Yes,' you say, 'in not wanting to be betrayed I confess to be what I do not want to have made public, that is, that I am a Christian.'
(5) Can you boast that you have shown yourself a brave and constant witness to Christ? By buying Christ, you have
10 Cf. Eph. 6.12.
11 Cf. Acts 8.18.
12 Acts 8.20.
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not shown it! Oh yes, perhaps you have admitted you are a Christian to some individual, but, in refusing to do so before many, you have denied Him. The very fact that a man is still free indicates that he has fallen while getting out of persecution's way. He has fallen because his desire has been to escape. The refusal of martyrdom is denial. A Christian is freed by money, and for this end he has his wealth, that he may not suffer, but he is rich by offending God; Christ became rich for him, but by His Blood. 'Blessed are the poor,' He tells us, 'for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' ;13 their only stored-up wealth is their soul.
(6) If we cannot serve both God and mammon,14 can we be redeemed by mammon and by God? And who is the greater servant of mammon than he who is freed by money?
Finally, what example do you use to justify your redeeming yourself by money? When did the Apostles, dealing with the matter, ever gain their freedom from the troubles of persecu tion with money? They certainly had enough money from the prices of the lands that were laid at their feet,15 and there were plenty of wealthy men and women among Christians who would gladly have ministered to their comfort. Did
Onesiphorus or Aquila or Stephanas ever finance them in time of persecution?16 When Felix the governor hoped to get some money from the disciples for Paul, and even took the matter up privately with Paul himself,17 he got not one coin either from Paul or from the faithful. Those disciples who wept because Paul was determined to go to Jerusalem and 13 Matt. 5.3.
14 Cf. Matt. 6.24.
15 Cf. Acts 4.34,35.
16 Cf. 2 Tim. 1.16; Rom. 16.3,4; 1 Cor. 16.15-18.
17 Cf. Acts 24.26.
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would not protect himself againt the torments that had been foretold for him there finally said: 'The Lord's will be done.'18 And, what was that will? No doubt it was that he should suffer for the name of the Lord, and not that he should be bought off.
(7) Just as Christ laid down His life for us, so should we do the same for Him, and not only for Him, but for our brethren, for His sake. It is the teaching of St. John not that we should pay for our brethren, but that we should die for them.19 It makes no difference whether we are forbidden to buy off a Christian, or to buy one.
(8) And so, this is the will of God: Look at the situation of the kingdoms and empires as arranged by God, in whose hand the heart of the king lies.20 Every day they plan for future income, from the registration of property, taxes in kind, gifts and taxes payable in money; but never up to this time has there been procured any such income by bringing the Christians under some sales tax for the person and the sect, when that could be a tremendous source of income because of our vast numbers, known to all. We are bought with blood, we are paid for in blood, we owe no money for our head, because Christ is our Head.21 It is not fitting that Christ should cost us money. How could martyrdoms bring glory to God if by tribute we should pay for the liberty of our sect? And so, the man who bargains to have his freedom at a price goes counter to the divine dispensation.
(9) Since, therefore, Caesar has made no law that makes us a tributary sect—in fact, such a law is impossible—with 18 Cf. Acts 21.12-14.
19 Cf. 1 John 3.16.
20 Cf. Prov. 21.1.
21 Cf. Eph. 5.23.
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Antichrist lowering over us,22 demanding the blood of Christians and not their money, how can anyone quote the text to me: 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's'?23
A soldier, be he informer or personal enemy, extorts money from me by threats, exacting nothing on Caesar's behalf—in fact, doing quite the opposite—when for a bribe he lets me go,
Christian that I am, and guilty by human law. Of a different kind is the denarius that I owe to Caesar, a thing that he has a right to, about which the question then was raised, it being a coin of tribute due from people subject to tribute and not from free men.
(10) And how shall I render to God the things that are God's?24 Surely by paying him that coin which bears His image and name—that is to say, a Christian man. But, what do I owe to God as a denarius is owed to Caesar, except the blood of His Son, shed for me? If, indeed, what I owe to God is a man and my own blood, and if I am now being asked to pay my debts, am I not cheating God if I refuse to pay? The law of tribute due to Caesar I have observed to the letter, but what I owe to God I refuse to pay!
22 Cf. 1 John 2.18.
23 Matt. 22.21.
24 Cf. Matt. 22.21.