Library › Eusebius of Caesarea › On the Theophania
On the Theophania
Eusebius of Caesarea, tr. Lee, 1843
How those also who were equals should arise, and persecute each other, in the times of…
“The brother shall deliver his brother to death, and the father his son: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake; but he, who shall bear even to the end, shall live.” Now, how these things have, even to the present time, been fulfilled in fact, What need is there that we should shew at length, since these facts are superior to all report? We have seen too with our own eyes, how many things of this sort took place, both during the persecutions, and in our own times. Nor do you simply hear this, that “the brother should deliver his brother to death;” for even this might have been as any mere matter of opinion. But we can investigate (the case), and inform ourselves how it was, that “the brother delivered his brother to death.”—When one surrenders himself to fraternal affection, and chooses the love of life, and denies God, and particularly with respect to his brother, whom he will solicit and persuade to worship idols; will excite and inveigle, putting forth (his) fraternal affection, so as to make him disregard the command of our Saviour; then indeed, will the brother deliver up his brother to the death of his soul. In like manner also, will the father cause his son to err (by enticing), and will persuade him to worship the idols, and (so) deliver him to death. So also the children, their parents: they will, through their affection for them, (so) lead them on, that they will choose the mortal life which now is, rather than that which is with God; and will (so) become the cause, both of the death and perdition of the soul of their parents. And many such things as these, did we witness with our own eyes, during the times of the persecutions; so that in them was fulfilled the (prediction): “Ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake.” In this place also was this addition carefully made, teaching the Disciples that, it should not be for any hateful deed, but for His name’s sake, they should be hated.