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CHAPTER XIII

T the period of our story, Milan was a royal residence. So early as the third century, Maximinius, who reigned over the western empire, as the colleague of Diocletian, took up his abode there; and he surrounded the city with strong walls, which extended to a circumference of two miles. The Emperors Valentinian the second, Theodosius the first, and others of the fourth and fifth centuries also, made Milan their occasional place of residence; and, at the time when Augustine established himself in the capital of Lombardy, the former of these sovereigns kept his court there.

With the proceedings of that court we have very little to do, except as they regard one of the friends of Augustine, and his pious and long-suffering mother, Monica.

Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, had long been contending with the followers of Arius, of whom Justina, the widow of Valentinian the first, was a decided patroness. After the death of her husband, she openly endeavoured to instil her heretical opinions into the mind of the youthful emperor, and to induce him to compel Ambrose, by threats and persecution, to cease from opposing the pernicious doctrines of the Arians.

The bishop was not, however, to be thus deterred from his duty, and he earnestly exhorted the emperor to hold fast and

support the doctrine delivered by the apostles. But it seems that Valentinian was more under the influence of his mother than of the bishop; for he one day commanded his body-guards to surround the church in which Ambrose was ministering, and then ordered the prelate to come forth with his congregation. The reply of the holy man was worthy of a soldier and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ: "I shall not willingly give up the sheep of Christ to be devoured by wolves. You may use your swords and spears against me; such a death I shall freely undergo."

The emperor did not then proceed to any further violence; but the bishop was continually exposed to the artifices and the opposition of Justina, who feared to make any more open attacks upon him, as she found that the people of Milan were generally inclined to support him, and that he also exercised no little influence in the court and the council of her

son.

By his talents in negociation, Ambrose was instrumental in averting from the city of Milan, for a time, the invasion of the usurper Maximus. But even this good service did not soften the animosity of Justina; and in the year 386 she persuaded Valentinian to pass a law permitting the Arians to assemble, without any interference from the bishop.

Her next step was to introduce the Arian teacher, Auxentius, into the city; and he immediately sent a challenge to Ambrose, inviting him to hold a controversy on their respective doctrines in the imperial palace. But the bishop wrote to Valentinian, boldly declaring that it was no part of the emperor's business to decide on points of theology; and adding, “Let him come to

the church; and, upon hearing, let the people judge for themselves. If they prefer Auxentius, let them take him; but they have already declared their sentiments."

More violent measures were then adopted; and at the suggestion of the Arian teacher a band of soldiers was sent to demand for him the possession of the church called the Basilica, with all the rich plate and furniture belonging to it, on the plea that it was unreasonable that the emperor should not have one place of worship where the services could be conducted in a manner agreeable to his own views and sentiments.

This argument was specious, but it was merely a cunning trap to catch the bishop. The emperor could, by his own authority, have enforced the use of all the churches in the city for the Arians; but his object, and that of his mother, was to draw Ambrose into an act of inconsistency, by inducing him to resign voluntarily one of his churches into the hands of the Arians, and thus indirectly to sanction and acknowledge the Arian creed.

Again they failed in their efforts. The bishop calmly replied to the officers, that "if the emperor had sent to demand his house or land, his money or goods, he would freely have resigned them, but that he could not deliver up that which was committed to his care." And to his congregation he that day declared that he "would not willingly desert his right; but if compelled, he knew not how to resist."

"I can grieve," he added, "I can weep, I can groan. Against arms and soldiers, tears are my weapons. Such are the fortifications of a pastor."

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