Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IV/Commodianus/The Instructions of Commodianus/Chapter 51

L.&#8212;Who Have Apostatized from God.

Moreover, when war is waged, or an enemy attacks, if one be able either to conquer or to be hidden, they are great trophies; but unhappy will he be who shall be taken by them.&#160; He loses country and king who has been unwilling to fight worthily for the truth, for his country, or for life.&#160; He ought to die rather than go under a barbarian king; and let him seek slavery who is willing to transfer himself to enemies without law.&#160; Then, if in warring thou shouldst die for thy king, thou hast conquered, or if thou hast given thy hands, thou hast perished uninjured by law.&#160; The enemy crosses the river; do thou hide under thy lurking-place; or, if he can enter or not, do not linger.&#160; Everywhere make thyself safe, and thy friends also; thou hast conquered.&#160; And take watchful care lest any one enter in that lurking-place.&#160; It will be an infamous thing if any one declares himself to the enemy.&#160; He who knows not how to conquer, and runs to deliver himself up, has weakly foregone praise for neither his own nor his country&#8217;s good.&#160; Then he was unwilling to live, since life itself will perish.&#160; If any one is without God, or profane from the enemy, they are become as sounding brass, or deaf as adders:&#160; such men ought abundantly to pray or to hide themselves.