§7Videamus nunc, an et cetera domini edicta congruant perpetuo fugae praecepto.
Let us now see whether the other edicts of the Lord agree with a perpetual commandment of flight.
Primo quidem, si a deo persecutio est, quale est, ut idem fugiendam eam mandet, qui et infert? Quam si evadi vellet, melius non immitteret, ne voluntatem suam alia voluntate praevaricari videretur.
First of all, if persecution is from God, how is it that He who also inflicts it commands that it must be fled? If He wished it to be avoided, He would have done better not to send it, lest He should seem to prevaricate His own will by another will.
Aut pati enim nos voluit persecutionem aut fugere.
For He either wished us to suffer persecution or to flee.
Si fugere, quomodo pati? si pati, quomodo fugere? Iam vero quanta inaequalitas sententiarum iubentis fugere et invitantis ad passionem contrariam fugae.
If to flee, how to suffer? if to suffer, how to flee? Now, indeed, how great is the disparity of the pronouncements of Him who commands to flee and Him who invites to the passion, which is the contrary of flight.
Qui confessus fuerit me et ego confitebor illum coram patre meo. Quomodo confitebitur fugiens? quomodo fugiet confitens? Qui mei confusus fuerit, et ego confundar eius coram patre. Si devito passionem, confundor confessionem.
"Whosoever shall confess me, him will I also confess before my Father." How shall he confess while fleeing? how shall he flee while confessing? "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, of him will I also be ashamed before my Father." If I avoid passion, I am ashamed of confession.
Felices qui persecutionem passi fuerint causa nominis mei. Infelices ergo qui fugiendo ex praecepto non erunt passi.
"Blessed are they who have suffered persecution for my name's sake." Unhappy, therefore, are they who, by fleeing according to the commandment, shall not have suffered.
Qui sustinuerit in finem, iste salvabitur. Quid ergo me iubens fugere vis in finem sustinere? Tanta diversitas sententiarum si non congruit divinae gravitati, apparet ex his quoque praeceptum fugae suam tunc habuisse rationem, quam ostendimus.
"He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." Why then, commanding me to flee, do You wish me to endure to the end? If so great a diversity of pronouncements does not agree with divine gravity, it appears from these also that the commandment of flight had its own reason at that time, which we have shown.
Sed infirmitatem, inquit, quorundam prospiciens dominus pro sua humanitate nihilominus et portum fugae demonstravit. Non enim idoneus erat etiam sine fuga tam turpi et indigno et servili praesidio salvos facere in persecutione quos sciret infirmos.
"But," he says, "foreseeing the infirmity of certain persons, the Lord, in His human kindness, nevertheless also showed a harbor of flight." For was He not able, even without a flight so disgraceful, unworthy, and slavish a protection, to save in persecution those whom He knew to be infirm?
Atquin non fovet, sed recusat semper infirmos, primum docens non fugiendos esse persecutors, sed potius non timendos.
Nay, He does not cherish, but always rejects the infirm, teaching first that persecutors are not to be fled from, but rather not to be feared.
Nolite timere eos qui corpus occidere possunt, animae autem nihil valent facere, sed timete eum qui et corpus et animam perdere potest in gehennam. Atque exinde quae timidis praefinit? Qui pluris fecerit animam suam quam me, non est me dignus, et qui non tollit crucem suam et sequitur me, non potest esse meus discipulus. Postremo in Apocalypsi non fugam timidis offert, sed inter ceteros reprobos particulam in stagnum sulphuris et ignis, quod est mors secunda.
"Fear not them who can kill the body, but are unable to do anything to the soul; but fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell." And thereafter, what does He prescribe for the fearful? "He that loveth his own soul more than me is not worthy of me; and he that taketh not up his cross and followeth me cannot be my disciple." Finally, in the Apocalypse, He does not offer flight to the fearful, but, among the rest of the reprobate, a portion in the lake of sulfur and fire, which is the second death.
§8Refugit et ipse vim interdum, sed eadem ratione qua apostolis fugere praeceperat, donec scilicet doctrinam suam impleret, qua consummata, non dico stetit, sed nec auxilium a patre angelorum exercituum desideravit, increpito etiam Petri gladio.
He Himself also fled violence at times, but for the same reason for which He had commanded the apostles to flee, namely, until He should fulfill His teaching; which being consummated, I do not say He stood, but He did not even desire help from the Father of armies of angels, having also rebuked Peter's sword.
Professus quidem et ipse est animam anxiam usque ad mortem et carnem infirmam, ut tibi ostenderet primo in se utramque substantiam humanam fuisse ex proprietate anxietatis animae et imbecillitatis carnis, ne aliam, ut quidam nunc induxerunt, aut carnem aut animam Christi interpretareris, dehinc ut demonstratis conditionibus earum scires illas nihil valere per semetipsas sine spiritu.
He Himself indeed also confessed that His soul was sorrowful even unto death, and His flesh weak, so that He might show you first that both human substances were in Him, from the property of the sorrow of the soul and the weakness of the flesh, lest you should interpret either the flesh or the soul of Christ to be different, as some have now introduced; and next, that having demonstrated their conditions, you might know that they are of no avail by themselves without the spirit.
Et ideo praeponit spiritus promptus, ut utramque conditionem substantiae utriusque respiciens intellegas in te esse etiam fortitudipem spiritus, quomodo et infirmitatem carnis, ac iam hinc scias quid unde facias et quid cui subicias, infirmum scilicet forti, ne, ut nunc facis, de carnis quidem infirmitate causeris, de spiritus autem firmitate dissimules.
And therefore the "prompt spirit" is placed first, so that, looking at both conditions of both substances, you may understand that there is also in you the strength of the spirit, just as there is the weakness of the flesh, and that you may henceforth know what to do from what source, and what to subject to what, namely, the weak to the strong, lest, as you now do, you make excuses concerning the weakness of the flesh, but pretend not to see the firmness of the spirit.
Postulavit et ipse a patre, si fieri posset, transiret ab illo calix passionis.
He Himself also petitioned the Father that, if it were possible, the cup of passion might pass from Him.
Postula et tu, sed stans ut ille, sed postulans tantum, sed subiungens et reliqua, Verum non quod ego volo, sed quod tu. Fugiens autem quomodo hoc postulabis, ipse tibi praestans calicis translationem, nec quod pater vult faciens, sed quod tu?
Petition you also, but standing as He did, but only petitioning, but subjoining also the rest: "Nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt." But fleeing, how will you petition this, yourself presenting to yourself the passing of the cup, and doing not what the Father wills, but what you will?