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ON this occasion Athanasius read to those present the Defense which
he had composed some time before in justification of his flight; a few
passages from which it may be of service to introduce here, leaving the
entire production, which is too long to be transcribed, to be sought
out and perused by the studious. See the daring enormities of the
impious persons! Such are their proceedings: and yet instead of
blushing at their former clumsy intrigues against us, they even now
abuse us for having effected our escape out of their murderous hands;
nay, are grievously vexed that they were unable to put us out of the
way altogether. In short, they overlook the fact that while they
pretend to upbraid us with 'cowardice,' they are really criminating
themselves: for if it be disgraceful to flee, it is still more so to
pursue, since the one is only endeavoring to avoid being murdered,
while the other is seeking to commit the deed. But Scripture itself
directs us to flee: and those who persecute unto death, in attempting
to violate the law, constrain us to have recourse to flight. They
should rather, therefore, be ashamed of their persecution, than
reproach us for having sought to escape from it: let them cease to
harass, and those who flee will also cease. Nevertheless they set no
bounds to their malevolence, using every art to entrap us, in the
consciousness that the flight of the persecuted is the strongest
condemnation of the persecutor: for no one runs away from a mild and
beneficent person, but from one who is of a barbarous and cruel
disposition. Hence it was that 'Every one that was discontented and
in debt' fled from Saul to David. Wherefore these [foes of ours]
in like manner desire to kill such as conceal themselves, that no
evidence may exist to convict them of their wickedness. But in this
also these misguided men most egregiously deceive themselves: for the
more obvious the effort to elude them, the more manifestly will their
deliberate slaughters and exiles be exposed. If they act the part of
assassins, the voice of the blood which is shed will cry against them
the louder: and if they condemn to banishment, they will raise so
everywhere living monuments-of their own injustice and oppression.
Surely unless their intellects were unsound they would perceive the
dilemma in which their own counsels entangle them. But since they have
lost sound judgment, their folly is exposed when they vanish, and when
they seek to stay they do not see their wickedness. But if they
reproach those who succeed in secreting themselves from the malice of
their blood-thirsty adversaries, and revile such as flee from their
persecutors, what will they say to Jacob's retreat from the rage of
his brother Esau, and to Moses retiring into the land of Midian for
fear of Pharaoh? And what apology will these babblers make for
David's flight from Saul, when he sent messengers from his own house
to dispatch him; and for his concealment in a cave, after contriving
to extricate himself from the treacherous designs of Abimelech, by
feigning madness? What will these reckless asserters of whatever suits
their purpose answer, when they are reminded of the great prophet
Elijah, who by calling upon God had recalled the dead to life,
hiding himself from dread of Ahab, and fleeing on account of
Jezebel's menaces? At which time the sons of the prophets also,
being sought for in order to be slain, withdrew, and were concealed in
caves by Obadiah; or are they unacquainted with these instances
because of their antiquity? Have they forgotten also what is recorded
in the Gospel, that the disciples retreated and hid themselves for
fear of the Jews? Paul, when sought for by the governor [of
Damascus] 'was let down from the wall in a basket, and thus escaped
the hands of him that sought him.' Since then Scripture relates
these circumstances concerning the saints, what excuse can they
fabricate for their temerity? If they charge us with 'cowardice,'
it is in utter insensibility to the condemnation it pronounces on
themselves. If they asperse these holy men by asserting that they
acted contrary to the will of God, they demonstrate their ignorance of
Scripture. For it was commanded in the Law that 'cities of refuge'
should be constituted, by which provision was made that such as were
pursued in order to be put to death might have means afforded of
preserving themselves. Again in the consummation of the ages, when
the Word of the Father, who had before spoken by Moses, came
himself to the earth, he gave this express injunction, 'When they
persecute you in one city, flee unto another:' and shortly after,
'When therefore ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of
by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place (let whosoever reads,
understand), then let those in Judea flee unto the mountains: let
him that is on the house-top not come down to take anything out of his
house; nor him that is in the fields return to take his clothes.'
The saints therefore knowing these precepts, had such a sort of
training for their action: for what the Lord then commanded, he had
before his coming in the flesh already spoken of by his servants. And
this is a universal rule for man, leading to perfection, 'to practice
whatever God has enjoined.' On this account the Word himself,
becoming incarnate for our sake, deigned to conceal himself when he was
sought for; and being again persecuted, condescended to withdraw to
avoid the conspiracy against him. For thus it became him, by
hungering and thirsting and suffering other afflictions, to demonstrate
that he was indeed made man. For at the very commencement, as soon as
he was born, he gave this direction by an angel to Joseph: 'Arise
and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, for
Herod will seek the infant's life.' And after Herod's death, it
appears that for fear of his son Archelaus he retired to Nazareth.
Subsequently; when he gave unquestionable evidence of his Divine
character by healing the withered hand, 'when the Pharisees took
council how they might destroy him, Jesus knowing their wickedness
withdrew himself thence.' Moreover, when he had raised Lazarus from
the dead, and they had become still more intent on destroying him,
[we are told that] 'Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews,
but retired into a region on the borders of the desert.' Again when
the Saviour said, 'Before Abraham was, I am;' and the Jews
took up stones to cast at him; Jesus concealed himself, and going
through the midst of them out of the Temple, went away thence, and so
escaped. Since then they see these things, or rather understand
them, (for they will not see,) are they not deserving of being burnt
with fire, according to what is written, for acting and speaking so
plainly contrary to all that the Lord did and taught? Finally, when
John had suffered martyrdom, and his disciples had buried his body,
Jesus having heard what was done, departed thence by ship into a
desert place apart. Now the Lord did these things and so taught.
But would that these men of whom I speak, had the modesty to confine
their rashness to men only, without daring to be guilty of such madness
as to accuse the Saviour himself of 'cowardice'; especially after
having already uttered blasphemies against him. But even if they be
insane they will not be tolerated and their ignorance of the gospels be
detected by every one. The cause for retreat and flight under such
circumstances as these is reasonable and valid, of which the
evangelists have afforded us precedents in the conduct of our Saviour
himself: from which it may be inferred that the saints have always been
justly influenced by the same principle, since whatever is recorded of
him as man, is applicable to mankind in general. For he took on
himself our nature, and exhibited in himself the affections of our
infirmity, which John has thus indicated: 'Then they sought to take
him; but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet
come.' Moreover, before that hour came, he himself said to his
mother, 'Mine hour is not yet come;' and to those who were
denominated his brethren, 'My time is not yet come.' Again when
the time had arrived, he said to his disciples, 'Sleep on now, and
take your rest: for behold the hour is at hand, and the Son of man
shall be betrayed into the hands of sinners.' . . . So that he
neither permitted himself to be apprehended before the time came; nor
when the time was come did he conceal himself, but voluntarily gave
himself up to those who had conspired against him. . . . Thus also
the blessed martyrs have guarded themselves in times of persecution:
being persecuted they fled, and kept themselves concealed; but being
discovered they suffered martyrdom.
Such is the reasoning of Athanasius in his apology for his own
flight.
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