A. D. 388. “Free me from my care, that I may make the oblation fo "you. Set my mind at rest." The Emperor continuing sitting, made some sign as of assent to him, but seeing that he still stood, he said that he would correct his rescript. St. Ambrose pressed him to put a stop to the whole proceeding. The Emperor promised it. St. Ambrose said twice: "I depend upon your good faith." "Yes," said the Emperor, "you may depend upon it." And then St. Ambrose approached the Altar, which he would not have done without a distinct promise. As he had written an account to his sister St. Marcellina of the uneasiness' that this matter gave him, he likewise gave her an account of his good success. XV. Firmness brose. १ Theodor. κιγ During the Emperor's stay at Milan', it happened on a of St. Am- festival day, that when he had come into the church, and had brought his offering to the altar, he remained within' 5. 18. the enclosure of the sanctuary. St. Ambrose asked him [3 ἔντος παpà Tàs Ky- if he wanted any thing. The Emperor answered, that he κλίδας.] stayed for the communion of the divine mysteries. St. Am[oupy brose ordered his Archdeacon'P to say to him: "O Emperor! "it is lawful for none but the priests to remain within the youμév.]"sanctuary; depart, therefore, and continue standing with 15. 5. 3.] "the rest; the purple robe makes Princes, not Priests." TW TWV διακόνων [ Bingham. [ ο ἑορτὴ θεία.] The Emperor signified, that it was not through pride that This event is placed by other authors immediately after the Penance of Theodosius, to which time the account in Theodoret seems to fix it. "From the end of the fourth Cen"tury, the Archdeacon was next to the "Bishop in rank, his duty being to "assist him in the management of the "Church revenues," Giesel. § 90. and to attend him at the Altar. Bingham ix. c. 8. Both duties were his before, e. g. in the case of St. Lawrence. me the truth. None but Ambrose do I know, rightly A. D. 388. "called Bishop." Ep. 57. ad Eugen. $ 4. St. Ambrose likewise contended for the interest of religion against part of the Senate of Rome', who sent a deputation to the Emperor Theodosius, to solicit again the restoration of the altar of Victory. When he was before the Emperor he did not dissemble what it was his duty to tell him upon this subject; he was even some time without coming near him, and the Emperor was not displeased at it. Symmachus' was [ Fleury, 18. 31.] probably the chief of this deputation, for it is certain that he made a speech in praise of the Emperor in the consistory, this same year, 388. But when he desired that the altar of Victory might be restored, the Emperor3 drove him from his presence, caused him to be put into a chariot, and sent to the distance of a hundred miles, and ordered him to continue ris] de prothere. Symmachus was likewise obliged to justify himself 3. c. 38. for having made a panegyric' upon Maximus; but at length Theodosius pardoned him, treated him kindly, and made him consul in the year 3914. even it and Prosperi certi aucto miss. Pars tom. 2. p. 129.Symm. vid. 10. Ep. 2. 13. 54. et 8.68.] 4 Ibid. Ep. 5 14. od. Gothof. Cod. The 6 Idat. Fast. p. 185. Soc. Then 5. 14. I. contra From Milan', Theodosius went as far as Rome with his 31. Socr. 5. son Honorius, whom he had sent for from Constantinople, Chron. and with the young Emperor Valentinian. They entered on the ides of June under the Consulate of Timasius Promotus, i. e. on the thirteenth of June, A.D. 389. it was that idolatry at Rome received the greatest You might see the senators of greatest quality', and the Prudent. most ancient families, such as the Anicii, the Probi, the Symm. v. Pauli, and the Gracchi, embracing Christianity; the people 545, &c. ran in crowds to the Vatican to venerate the tombs of the [8 p. 85. Apostles, or to the Lateran' to receive baptism. There were marg.] but few who adhered to their ancient superstitions. The temples were full of cobwebs and fell to ruin; the idols S. Hieron. Ep. 7. ad Rome, at the intercession of Leontius, Læt. c. 1. 2. a Novatian Bishop. It would probably [bk. 18. then be on Theodosius' return to Milan, ch. 21.] from Rome, that Symmachus was deputed in behalf of Paganism. 4 Maximus' attachment to the Ithacians (bk. 18, 29, 59.) would imply an opposition to the Catholics; and he would naturally wish to conciliate the Pagans, who could look for no support from Theodosius. (We have seen too that in one case he favoured the Jews, ch. 10.) Hence the adherence of Symmachus to him. It appears from Socrates (5. 14.) that Symmachus, having taken sanctuary in a church, was par doned on the first visit of Theodosius to A. D. 389. were left alone under their roofs with the owls and bats. Prudent. Theodosius however suffered the antique' statues, which were the workmanship of excellent artists, to be preserved for the ornament of the city. ibid. v.503. XVI. The Manichees at Cod. tit. 5. 1. 18. While he was at Rome, Theodosius made a law against the Manichees, ordering them to be expelled from all places, Rome. The- and particularly from Rome; forbidding the execution of od. 16. their wills, and ordering their estates to be confiscated for the benefit of the people; and in short depriving them of every thing which they enjoyed in common with the rest of mankind. The Manichees were very numerous at Rome, and some years before one of their hearers named Constantius3, had undertaken to make the Elect live in common; for thus they styled the most perfect amongst them. ConS. Aug. 2. stantius, who was very zealous for the sect, and had had a de Mor. good education, could not bear the reproaches which he ult. tom. 1. suffered on account of the immoralities of these Elect, who " S. Aug. c. Faust. v. 5. tom. 8. P 198. Manich. c. P. 742. lived in a miserable manner dispersed up and down the several quarters of the city of Rome. He offered to assemble together in his house and to maintain at his own expense, all those who would live according to the abstinence which they professed, for he had a large estate, and was not sparing of his riches. But he complained that their Bishops, so far from assisting him, opposed his design, "from their attach"ment to their unrestrained mode of life." When one of these Bishops, who seemed fittest for an austere life, because he was rustic and ill-bred, came to Rome, Constantius, who had been long expecting him, imparted to him his design, which the Bishop approved. He was the first who lodged in Constantius' house, to which were assembled all the Elect whom they could find at Rome. A rule of life was proposed to them taken from the Epistles of Manes. Many of them thought it intolerable, and went away; not a few, however, remained for very shame. These began to live according to the rule; Constantius ardently urged them to follow it, and set the example by being the first to practise it himself. In the mean time there arose frequent quarrels among the Elect, and they reproached each other with several crimes. Constantius was grieved to hear them, and took care that in For the writings of Mancs, see Gieseler § 59, note 11. their disputes they should unwarily discover themselves, and A. D. 389. indeed they did discover unheard-of abominations. It was then known what kind of persons they were, who amongst them were reckoned the most perfect. In short, endeavours being used to make them observe the rule, they murmured and alleged that it was intolerable, and so things came to an open sedition. Constantius argued in few words, that they must either observe all these precepts, or imagine their master, who enjoined them, to be most foolish if they were impracticable. The noise of the greater number prevailed over his argument, and ultimately the Bishop himself gave way, and fled away disgracefully. It was said that he had brought money with him in a bag, and carefully concealed it, in order to buy provisions, which he ate in secret, contrary to the rule. At length they all dispersed; and those who were for still continuing this rule were called by the rest Mattarii, from their sleeping upon mats. Constantius was c. Faust. afterwards converted to the Catholic Faith'. 1 S. Aug. lib. 5. c. 5. tom. 8. XVII. The writ Manners of [written Retract. 1. c. 7. § 1. tom. 1. p. 9. St. Augustine relates this matter as having been informed of it from the most trustworthy witnesses at Rome itself, where ings of St. he lived after the death of his mother, the remainder of the Augustine. year 387, and all the year 388. For he had just forsaken the Church. the errors of the Manichees, and so, his first labour, after he 387-368.] was baptized, was to convert them'. He could not bear the insolence with which they boasted of their pretended continence and abstinence, in which they professed superiority to the true Christians, in order to impose upon the ignorant. This was the occasion of his composing, whilst he continued at Rome, his two books Of the Manners of the Catholic Church, and Of the Manners of the Manichees. In the first he explains the principles of Christian morality, shewing that the love of God is the only foundation and the soul of all virtues. He concludes with describing those which were practised in the Church, in order to confute the calumnies of the Manichees by undeniable facts. In the first place he describes the Monks, and amongst them the most perfect, that is to say, the Anachorites or Hermits'. "Men," he says, "who cannot forbear loving De Mor. mankind, though they forbear seeing them; who being Eccles.c.31. § 66.tom. 1. absolutely separated from all the world, content themselves ř. 710. A. D. 388. “with bread and water, and live in the most desert places, "but enjoy converse with God, and are happy in the con 66 templation of the Divine beauty. It is true that, according "to the opinion of some, they have disengaged themselves "too much from the affairs of the world; but these persons "do not understand how useful they are to us by their prayers and their good example." He afterwards proceeds to the Cœnobites, "Who having contemned the world, lead "in common the purest life, praying, reading, and discoursing; "free from pride, obstinacy, and envy; modest, peaceable, "and perfectly united. None of them possesses any thing as his own; no one is a burden to any other. They employ their hands in labour sufficient for the support "of their bodies, without drawing off the mind from God. "They give the produce of their labours to certain persons "whom they call deans, from being, each, set over ten of "the fraternity, so that none of them is troubled with taking "care for the body, in respect of food, raiment, and other 66 necessaries, in sickness or in health. These deans dis"charge their trust very carefully, and give an account to "one whom they style Father; and these fathers, excelling "not only in the sanctity of their lives, but also on account "of their divine knowledge, govern these their sons without pride, but with great authority; and are obeyed with the "utmost good will. "At the close of the day they all come out of their dwellings, "still fasting, in order to listen to this Father; every Father "has at least three thousand men under him; and there are "communities still more numerous. They hear them with "incredible attention and in great silence, expressing the "sentiments which his discourse excites, by groans, tears, or a modest and silent joy. Afterwards they administer "nourishment to the body, as much as is conducive to health, "making a very sober use even of that small quantity of "ordinary food that is provided for them. They not only "abstain from flesh and wine, but from whatever may gratify "the taste. What remains after this, and they have a "great deal remaining from the frugality of their meals and "their great labour, is distributed amongst the poor with more care than it was acquired; so that they send ships |