Persecutions And Death

Διώγμὸς δὲ ὁ μέν τις ἔξεωεν περιγίνεται, τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἤ δι' ἔχθραν, ἤ διὰ φθόνον, ἤ διὰ φιλοκέρδειαν, ἤ κατ' ἑνέργειαν διαβολικὴν τοὺς πιστοὺς ἑλαυνόντων· ὁ δὲ χαλεπώτατος ἔνδοθέν ἐστι διωθγμὸς, ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐκάστῳ τῆς ψυχῆς προπεμπόμενος, λυμαινομένης ὑπὸ ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀθέων καὶ ἡδονῶν ποικίλων καὶ φαύλων ἐλπίδων καὶ φθαρτῶν ὀνειροπολημάτων· ὅταν ἀεὶ τῶν πλειόνων ὀρεγομένη, καὶ λυσσῶσα ὑπὸ ἀγρίων ἐρώτων, καὶ φλεγομένη καθάπερ κέντροις ἤ μύωψι τοῖς προκειμένοις αὐτῇ πάθεσιν, ἐξαιμάσσηται πρὸς σπουδὰς μανιώδεις καὶ ζωῆς ἀπόγνωσιν καὶ Θεοῦ καταφρόνησιν. Οὕτος ὁ διωγμὸς βαρύτερος καὶ χαλεπώτερος, ἔνδοθεν ὁρμώμενος, ἀεὶ συνὼν, ὄν οὐδὲ ἐκφυγεῖν ὁ διωκόμενος δύναται· τὸν γὰρ ἐχθρὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ περιαγει πανταχοῦ. Οὕτω καὶ πύρωσις, ἡ μὲν ἔξωθεν προσπίπτουσα δοκιμασίαν κατεργάζεταιἡ ἡ δὲ ἔνδοθέν θάνατον διαπραττεται. Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Τις Ὁ Σώζομενος Πλούσιος Source: Migne PG 9.629b-c

There is a persecution that comes from outside, from men who assail the faithful, because of hatred, or envy, or avarice, or through diabolic agency. But the most grievous is the persecution that comes from within, which proceeds from each man's soul, when it is vexed by unholy desires and shifting pleasures and vile hopes and ruinous dreams, when always desiring more and maddened by brutish loves and inflamed by the passions that strike it like goads and stings, soaked in blood, it rushes to insane pursuits and to despair of life and to contempt of God. This persecution is more grievous and painful, which arises from within, which is ever with a man and which the persecuted cannot escape, for a man carries the enemy about everywhere in himself. Thus the burning which comes from persecution from outside works proof, but that from within accomplishes death. Clement of Alexandria, Who Is The Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?