XXII. minions, the public exercise of his religion; and she CHAP. proposed to the archbishop, as a moderate and reasonable concession, that he should resign the use of a single church, either in the city or suburbs of Milan. But the conduct of Ambrose was governed by very different principles. The palaces of the earth might indeed belong to Cæsar; but the churches were the houses of God; and, within the limits of his diocese, he himself, as the lawful successor of the apostles, was the only minister of God. The privileges of Christianity, temporal as well as spiritual, were confined to the true believers; and the mind of Ambrose was satisfied that his own theological opinions were the standard of truth and orthodoxy. The archbishop declared, with modest firmness, his resolution to die a martyr, rather than yield; and Justina, who resented the refusal as an act of insolence and rebellion, hastily determined to exert the Imperial prerogative of her son. As she desired to perform her public devotions on the approaching festival of Easter, Ambrose was ordered to appear before the council. He obeyed the summons with the respect of a faithful subject, but he was followed, without his consent, by an innumerable people: they pressed, with impetuous zeal, against the gates of the palace; and the affrighted ministers of Valentinian, instead of pronouncing a sentence of exile on the archbishop of Milan, humbly requested that he would interpose his authority, to protect the person of the emperor, and to restore the tranquillity of the capital. But the promises which Ambrose received and communicated were soon violated by a perfidious court; and, during six of the most solemn days, which Christian piety has set apart for the exercise of religion, the city was agitated by the irregular convulsions of tumult and fanaticism. The officers of the household were di XXII. CHAP. rected to prepare, first, the Portian, and afterwards, the new, Basilica, for the immediate reception of the emperor, and his mother. The splendid canopy and hangings of the royal seat were arranged in the cus tomary manner; but it was found necessary to defend them, by a strong guard, from the insults of the populace. The Arian ecclesiastics, who ventured to show themselves in the streets, were exposed to the most imminent danger of their lives and Ambrose enjoyed the merit and reputation of rescuing his pe sonal enemies from the hands of the enraged multitude. But while he laboured to restrain the effects of their zeal, the pathetic vehemence of his sermo continually inflamed the angry and seditious tempe of the people of Milan. The measures of the cour served only to expose the magnitude of the evil. fine of two hundred pounds of gold was imposed ( the corporate body of merchants and manufacturers: an order was signified, in the name of the emperor. to all the officers, and inferior servants, of the count of justice, that, during the continuance of the publi disorders, they should strictly confine themselves to their houses; and the ministers of Valentinian im prudently confessed, that the most respectable part of the citizens of Milan was attached to the cause of their archbishop. He was again solicited to restore peace to his country, by a timely compliance with the will of his sovereign. The reply of Ambrose wa couched in the most humble and respectful terms, which might, however, be interpreted as a serious declaration of civil war. "His life and fortune were "in the hands of the emperor; but he would never betray the church of Christ, or degrade the dignity "of of the episcopal character. In such a cause, he "was prepared to suffer whatever malice could in 66 66 XXII. "flict; and he only wished to die in the presence of CHAP. "his faithful flock, and at the foot of the altar; he "had not contributed to excite, but it was in the power of God alone to appease, the rage of the people he deprecated the scenes of blood and confusion, which were likely to ensue; and it was his "fervent prayer, that he might not survive to behold "the ruin of a flourishing city, and perhaps the de"solation of all Italy." The obstinate bigotry of Justina would have endangered the empire of her son, if, in this contest with the church and people of Milan, she could have depended on the active obedience of the troops of the palace. A large body of Goths had marched to occupy the Basilica, which was the object of the dispute: and it might be expected from the Arian principles, and barbarous manners, of these foreign mercenaries, that they would not entertain any scruples in the execution of the most sanguinary orders. They were encountered, on the sacred threshold, by the archbishop, who, thundering against them a sentence of excommunication, asked them, in the tone of a father and a master, Whether it was to invade the house of God, that they had implored the hospitable protection of the republic? The suspense of the Barbarians allowed some hours for a more effectual negotiation; and the empress was persuaded, by the advice of her wisest counsellors, to leave the Catholics in possession of all the churches of Milan; and to dissemble, till a more convenient season, her intentions of revenge. The mother of Valentinian could never forgive the triumph of Ambrose; and the royal youth uttered a passionate exclamation, that his own servants were ready to betray him into the hands of an insolent priest. The laws of the empire, some of which were in- A. D. 386. scribed with the name of Valentinian, still condemned XXII. CHAP. the Arian heresy, and seemed to excuse the resistance of the Catholics. By the influence of Justin, an edit of toleration was promulgated in all the provinces which were subject to the court of Milan; the free exercise of their religion was granted to those who professed the faith of Rimini; and the emperor de clared, that all persons who should infringe this sacred and salutary constitution should be capitally punished as the enemies of the public peace. The characte and language of the archbishop of Milan may justi the suspicion, that his conduct soon afforded a re sonable ground, or at least a specious pretence, to the Arian ministers, who watched the opportunity of sur prising him in some act of disobedience to a law, whi he strangely represents as a law of blood and tyrann A sentence of easy and honourable banishment we pronounced, which enjoined Ambrose to depart from Milan without delay; whilst it permitted him t choose the place of his exile, and the number of companions. But he boldly refused to obey; and his refusal was supported by the unanimous consent of his faithful people. They guarded by turns person of their archbishop; the gates of the cathedr and the episcopal palace were strongly secured; an the Imperial troops, who had formed the blockad were unwilling to risk the attack, of that impregnabl fortress. The numerous poor, who had been relieve by the liberality of Ambrose, embraced the fair occ sion of signalizing their zeal and gratitude; and & the patience of the multitude might have been es hausted by the length and uniformity of nocturnal vigils, he prudently introduced into the church of Milan the useful institution of a loud and regulat psalmody. The feeble sovereign of Italy found himself unable to contend with the archbishop. The powers likewise of the earth interposed in the defence the XXII. of Ambrose; the disinterested advice of Theodosius CHAP. was the general result of piety and friendship; and the mask of religious zeal concealed the hostile and ambitious designs of the tyrant of Gaul. invades A. D. 387. August. The reign of Maximus might have ended in peace Maximus and prosperity, could he have contented himself with Italy, the possession of three ample countries, which now constitute the three most flourishing kingdoms of modern Europe. But the aspiring usurper, whose sordid ambition was not dignified by the love of glory and of arms, considered his actual forces as the instruments only of his future greatness, and his success was the immediate cause of his destruction. The wealth which he extorted from the oppressed provinces of Gaul, Spain, and Britain, was employed in levying and maintaining a formidable army of Barbarians, collected, for the most part, from the fiercest nations of Germany. The conquest of Italy was the object of his hopes and preparations; and he secretly meditated the ruin of an innocent youth, whose government was abhorred and despised by his Catholic subjects. But as Maximus wished to occupy, without resistance, the passes of the Alps, he received, with perfidious smiles, Domninus of Syria, the ambassador of Valentinian, and pressed him to accept the aid of a considerable body of troops for the service of a Pannonian war. The penetration of Ambrose had discovered the snares of an enemy under the professions of friendship; but the Syrian Domninus was corrupted or deceived, by the liberal favour of the court of Treves; and the council of Milan obstinately rejected the suspicion of danger, with a blind confidence, which was the effect, not of courage, but of fear. The march of the auxiliaries was guided by the ambassador; and they were admitted, without distrust, into the fortresses of the Alps. |