22. Same subject concluded.

Thus the Saints, as I said before, were abundantly preserved in their flight by the Providence of God, as physicians for the sake of them that had need. And to all men generally, even to us, is this law given, to flee when persecuted, and to hide when sought after, and not rashly tempt the Lord, but wait, as I said above, until the appointed time of death arrive, or the Judge determine something concerning them, according as it shall seem to Him to be good: that men should be ready, that, when the time calls, or when they are taken, they may contend for the truth even unto death. This rule the blessed Martyrs observed in their several persecutions. When persecuted they fled, while concealing themselves they shewed fortitude, and when discovered they submitted to martyrdom. And if some of them came and presented themselves to their persecutors107    Vid. instances and passages collected in Pearson’s Vind. Ignat. part ii. 0. 9; also Gibbon, ch. xvi. p. 428. Mosheim de Reb. Ante Const. p, 941. [See D.C.A. p. 1119 (3).], they did not do so without reason; for immediately in that case they were martyred, and thus made it evident to all that their zeal, and this offering up of themselves to their enemies, were from the Spirit.

22 Οὕτω μὲν οὖν οἱ ἅγιοι, καθάπερ εἴρηται, φεύγοντες κατὰ περιττὸν καὶ δι' οἰκονομίαν ἐφυλάττοντο ὥσπερ ἰατροὶ τῶν δεομένων χάριν. Τοῖς δ' ἄλλοις καὶ πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νόμος οὗτος, φεύγειν διωκομένους καὶ κρύπτεσθαι ζητουμένους, καὶ μὴ προπετεύεσθαι μὲν ἐν τῷ πειράζειν τὸν Κύριον, περιμένειν δὲ αὐτούς, καθὰ προεῖπον, ἕως ἂν ὁ ὡρισμένος τοῦ θανάτου χρόνος ἔλθῃ, ἢ ὁ κριτής τι περὶ αὐτῶν βουλεύσηται, ὅπερ ἂν αὐτῷ δόξῃ καλῶς ἔχειν· εἶναι μέντοι τούτους ἑτοίμους, ὥστε καιροῦ καλέσαν τος καὶ κρατηθέντας «ἀγωνίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀληθείας μέχρι θανάτου». Ταῦτα καὶ οἱ μακάριοι μάρτυρες ἐν τοῖς κατὰ καιροὺς διωγμοῖς ἐφύλαττον, καὶ διωκόμενοι μὲν ἔφευγον, καὶ λανθάνοντες ἐκαρτέρουν, εὑρισκόμενοι δὲ ἐμαρτύρουν. Εἰ δὲ καί τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἑαυτοῖς προσήρχοντο τοῖς διώ κουσι, καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἔπραττον· ἐμαρτύρουν γὰρ εὐθὺς καὶ πᾶσιν ἐγίνετο φανερὸν ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἦν καὶ αὐτῶν ἡ προθυμία καὶ ἡ τοσαύτη πρόσοδος.