3

9 Bk. xviii.

with his tyranny and his crimes; he was in suspense between A. D. 388. justice and mercy, but the soldiers took Maximus from his presence and cut off his head. This happened on the fifth of the calends of August', i. e. on the twenty-eighth of July in this Socr. v. year 388. Maximus had reigned about five years since the 14. death of Gratian. A few days after Count Arbogastes, who Idat. Fast. was sent into Gaul by Theodosius, took Victor the son of Olymp. 291. Maximus and put him to death. Andragathius, the chief c. 28. leader of the same party and Gratian's murderer, was in the mean time at sea, with a fleet, between Greece and Italy; but being informed of the defeat of Maximus, he leaped out of his vessel into the sea, in his armour, and was drowned. Such was the success of this war, in which there was hardly any blood spilt. Theodosius afterwards entered Aquileia, Oros. vii. and continued in Italy until the year 391.

4

5

35. p. 558.

13. Soz. vii.

Meanwhile at Constantinople' false reports were spread Socr. v. concerning a battle, in which Maximus was said to have 14. gained a considerable advantage; even the number of the dead was mentioned. The Arians being angry that the Catholics had possession of the churches, magnified these reports, so that those who had only heard them, affirmed them even to those by whom they were invented. The rage of the Arians was so great that they burnt the house of Nectarius the Bishop. The sedition however had no ill consequences on the offenders, for the Emperor Arcadius who stayed at Con- S. Ambr. stantinople, though he was himself affronted, interceded with his Ep. 40. §13. father Theodosius for them, and obtained their pardon. Theodosius' only made a law by which he forbids the Arians Cod. pleading any order which they pretended to have obtained in their favour; and as this law is dated on the ninth of August de Hæret. in this year after the defeat of Maximus, it is with reason [ See note e.] referred to the time of this sedition. The Arians of Constantinople had at this time Dorotheus' for their Bishop, who' Socr. v. had been their Bishop at Antioch. For Demophilus died in 386, and they had sent into Thrace for a Bishop of the same

e Socrates (v. 14.) dates this event on the 27th of August. Valesius supposes him to be in error, and follows Idatius, as does Fleury. Socrates is followed by Gothof. in Cod. Theod. xvi. tit. v. 16.

f The British soldiers in the army of Maximus, who escaped, formed the British settlement in Armorica (Brittany) under Cynan Meiriadog, brotherin-law of Maximus.

Theod. xvi.

Tit. v. 16.

12.

A. D. 387. heresy, named Marinus, to succeed him, but not finding him sufficiently qualified for it, they put Dorotheus in his place soon after, which afterwards occasioned a schism amongst them 8.

XIV.

A synagogue burnt in

the East. 1 Paulin.

$ 22.

Gothof.

in Cod.

8, 9.

S. Ambr. Ep. 40.

$ 6. Ep. 41. $ 1.

From Aquileia the Emperor Theodosius came to Milan' He spent the winter and stayed there until May in the following year 389. St. Ambrose was at Aquileia when he heard that the Emperor Theodosius had sentenced a Bishop to rebuild a synagogue of the Jews under the following circumstances. At Callinicus, a little town in the province of Theod. xvi. Osdroëna in the East, the Jews had a synagogue3 which was burnt by the Christians, and the Bishop of the place was accused of having instigated them to it. In the same place' certain Valentinian heretics, seeing some Monks pass by, singing Psalms on their way to celebrate the festival of the Maccabees according to the ancient custom3, endeavoured to prevent them. The Monks exasperated at their insolence ex consue- burnt the temple belonging to the Valentinians*. It was moreover asserted' that several valuable gifts that had been gebant.] made to the synagogue had been carried off. The military counts of the East gave an account of these disorders to the Emperoror Theodosius, who looking upon them as a matter militarium merely political, answered that without consulting him, the the same as, offenders ought to have been punished at once; and it was ordered that the Bishop of Callinicus himself should rebuild the synagogue, that the Monks and people should be severely punished on account of the fire, and that enquiry should be

'Ep. 40.
$16.
566 Quo
Psalmos
canentes

tudine

usuque veteri per

fanum. $ 18. [ Comes Orientis

partium,

magister militum

Gothof in

Cod. 16. 8, 9 and

note y, p. 74.]

9 § 6.

In consequence of this preference, Marinus put himself at the head of the Psathyrian division of the Arians. See chap. 35. Dorotheus led a party which denied that the Father was ever- Father; the Psathyrians gave Him the title, even before the being of the Son. Demophilus had succeeded Eudoxius at Constantinople, ad Dorotheus, Euzoïus at Antioch. Socr. v. 3, 23.

This is referred by Gothof. Cod. Theod. xvi. tit. 8. 9. to A.D. 392. the date of this law, passed apparently in consequence, being A.D. 393.

The antiquity of this Festival is worth noticing. It fixes the time, too, of these events, viz. August 1. Vid. Antholog. Græc. p. oud. Breviar. Aug. 1.

The Valentinian Gnostics (A. D. 150.) held that from the original In

generate and His speechless self-consciousness emanated, an Ogdoade, a Decade, and a Dodecade, of alternately male and female ons, constituting the Pleroma of thirty gods, which Paulinus (§ 22.) or thirty-two with the original pair, which St. Ambrose (Ep. 40. § 16.) charges them with heathenishly wor shipping. An imperfect being (Acha moth) was produced by the struggles of the last on to gain the forbidden knowledge of the first original; the creation of the world succeeded, and ever since, means have been operating for the reunion of whatever in the world is spiritual to the pleroma from which it had been degraded. See Gieseler § 43. ii. Beaven's St. Irenæus, ch. 21. § 6. and the note of the Bened. Editors St. Ambros. Ep. 40. § 16.

made about the offerings and other things of value said to A. D. 388. have been taken out of the synagogue.

St. Ambrose was informed of this when he was at Aquileia,

1

and he wrote to the Emperor at Milan a long letter' to per- Epist. 40. suade him to revoke the order. He began with insisting upon the liberty which a Bishop ought to have of making remonstrances. "Who," says he, "will dare tell you the "truth, if a Bishop dare not?" then proceeding to the subject of his letter, "I do not insist upon the unfairness "of passing sentence on the Bishop without hearing his defence; suppose him, through an excess of zeal, to have "burned the synagogue, would you yourself, O Emperor, "wish him to obey your sentence? would not you dread an "act of apostasy? For such is the alternative; if he submits, apostasy, if he resists, martyrdom; and yourself will be the cause of either." St. Ambrose says this because the Christians thought it unlawful for them to contribute in any manner whatsoever to the exercise of a false religion. "The

66

same alternative was put to Mark of Arethusa1, in the * Bk. 15.17.

reign of Julian; he was condemned and suffered, and his 'judge has ever since been held a persecutor. I believe the ' § 8. "Bishop of Callinicus will rejoice in the sentence of martyr"dom; I myself would gladly take his place. He is absent, "I am here; be it that it was I who burnt the synagogue, "and visit the offence on me, who confess it. Nor think, '§ 9. that, should you acquit the Bishop you may require of "other less constant Christians, the restoration of the syna

4

5

6

gogue; this is no less unlawful than the other; neither let § 10. "the idea that thus only discipline can be preserved, weigh with 'you; let policy, as it ought, give way to religion. Is it the "loss of a public building that incenses you? Why then § 13. "does the destruction of Præfects' houses in Rome and of "the Bishop's in Constantinople continue unpunished, "while an obscure corner in a petty village touches you

so nearly? Or is it that a synagogue has fallen? How

many churches have the Jews destroyed in the reign of Julian'? Two at Damascus, one lately restored, but at the '§ 15.

This name is supplied by Fleury. Baronius supposes Emilianus of Dorostolis in Moesia to be meant by St. Am

M

brose, who was burned in the time of
Julian. Bk. xv. c. 10. Baron. Ann. 362.
§ 80. See Chron. S. Hieron. A. D. 366.

expense, not of Jews, but of the Christians, the other still a mass of ruins; churches at Gaza, Ascalon, Berytus, Alex"andria; the Church has no compensation, shall compensation "be made to the synagogue of the Jews, or to the heathen temple' of the Valentinians? The offerings too which were "taken from the synagogue are to be restored: Basilicas of "churches have been burnt by Jews; no restoration has "been made, none asked for. Satisfaction is demanded for "a synagogue in a distant frontier town, whose greatest possessions must have been almost valueless. Who does "not see that these are mere artifices of the Jews to lay the "Christians under a false charge which may subject them to "military execution, to imprisonment, to the fire, or to the "axe?"

"If I am unworthy of belief, summon to your council such "Bishops as you judge to be more trustworthy. On matters touching the exchequer you consult your Counts; how "much rather should you consult the Priests of the LORD in "matters of religion. What shall I say hereafter, if it shall "appear that by an edict, issuing from hence, Christians have "been exposed to death by the sword or by the club? Soldiers, "who serve at the court of the Emperor, become free from the "burden of municipal offices after a fixed time; Presbyters "and ministers of the Churchm may be called to undertake

m

Constantine, A. D. 313, exempted the Catholic Clerks of Africa from the Municipal offices (onera Curialia) in a letter to the Proconsul, Anulinus (S. Aug. Ep. 88. tom. 2. and Act. Coll. Carth. die 30. § 216. 220. p. 83. apud Optat.) The Donatists, being jealous, appealed (April 15th) to the Emperor, who indignantly referred them to a Church Council (Optat. p. 25. Comp. p. 28.), in which (Oct. 3rd) they were condemned. Then followed the first law on this subject, Oct. 31st A.D. 313. (Cod. Theod. 16, 2. 1. de Episc.) securing to the Catholics the unmolested enjoyment of their privilege. Constantine's extension of this everywhere A.D. 319. (ibid. 2.) is mentioned by Sozomen in proof of the Emperor's piety. (Soz. 1. 9.) The immunity was secured to all orders of Clerks A.D. 330. (ibid. 7.); though by a law, the year before (Cod. Th. ibid. 3.), all persons liable to the Curial burdens were forbidden to be ordained.

From the increased need of clergy, Con-
stantius, A. D. 346, in a law addressed
to all the Bishops (ibid. 10.) extended
the Clerical exemptions and, A.D. 349,
allowed them also to the sons of Clerks,
(who were to continue in the service of
the Church,) provided they had been
born at a time when their fathers were
exempt. (ibid. 9.) As might be ex-
pected, Constantius withdrew these pri-
vileges, and A.D. 354, (ibid. 11.) we
find those Clerks only excused who had
no money to sustain the burdens. This
law is defined by two of Valentinian I
both dated A.D. 364, (ibid. 17. and 12
1. 59. de Decur.), the first, forbidding
any rich plebeians to be ordained; the
second, recalling the Clerk, unless he
found a substitute (who was to perform
the duties with the Clerk's property) or
ceded his property to the Curia.
last law is again defined by one of l'alens
A. D. 370, (16. 2. 19.) forbidding a
Clerk of ten years' service to be molested

This

"them even after spending thirty", nay, any number of years, a. D. 388. "in the service of God. Is not this grievance sufficient for

us, a grievance which the Bishops constantly lament? How "shall I defend myself before them, if this calamity is super"added?"

1

Ep. 41.

$ 1.

Ep. 40.

This letter had not the desired effect, and consequently as soon as he returned to Milan, when the Emperor came to Church, he addressed him publicly', as he had threatened at the end of his letter. He concluded with representing to him the favours which he had received from God, and exhorting him to pardon the offenders. When he came down Ep. 41. $ 26. from the throne', the Emperor said to him: "You have madexedra. us your subject to-day." St. Ambrose replied, "I chose Paulin. § 23 ]

§ 33.

a matter, which was for your good." Theodosius said, "It is true, I did give too severe an order for rebuilding the synagogue by the Bishop; but it has been corrected. The "Monks are continually offending." Then Timasius the Magister militum, a proud and insolent man, began to speak violently against the Monks. St. Ambrose put him aside and then after standing for some time, said to the Emperor : § 28.

5