18. A. D. 381. “Is the Father, say you, the greater or not?” St. Ambrose perceiving that he endeavoured to turn the dispute by this question, which was what the Arians most depended upon, said to him, "I will answer you hereafter." But as he persisted that he would make no reply, if they did not answer him on this point, St. Eusebius of Bologna said, " According "to the Divine Nature, the Son is equal to the Father. You St. John 5. "find in the Gospel that the Jews persecuted Him because He "said that God was His Father, making Himself equal to God. "What the impious confessed when they persecuted Him, we "who are believers cannot deny." St. Ambrose added, "You Phil. 2. 6. “read in another place; Being in the form of God, He thought "it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no "reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant. Do you "see that He is equal in the form of God? In what respect "then is He less? According to the form of a servant, not "according to the form of God." St. Eusebius said, "As "being in the form of a servant He could not be inferior to a servant, so being in the form of God He could not be "inferior to God." St. Ambrose said, "You say that the "Son of God is less according to the Divinity." Palladius replied, "The Father is greater." "According to the flesh," St. John 14. said St. Ambrose. Palladius replied, "He that hath sent me "is greater than I. Is it the flesh that is sent, or the Son of "God?" St. Ambrose answered, "Now are you convicted of falsifying the Scripture; for it is written, The Father is "greater than I; and not, He that hath sent me is greater than "I." Palladius replied, "The Father is greater." St. Ambrose said, "Let him be anathema who addeth to or taketh from "the divine Scriptures." All the Bishops cried out, "Anathema." They continued disputing upon these words, The Father is greater. Palladius rose up and was going out; however he stayed, and after debating a little more upon this point, St. Ambrose said, "Let him be anathema who denieth "that the Son of God is equal to the Father, according to "the Divine Nature." All the Bishops cried out, " Anathema." 28. $ 40, &c. 66 Palladius returned again to the same point, saying that the Son is subject to the Father, and consequently less, and would not make a distinction between the Humanity and Divinity; and renewing his protestations from time to time, that he 66 66 You would not answer in this Council. At length St. Ambrose A. D. 381. replied thus, "When the impieties of Arius were read, yours "likewise were condemned which agreed with them. "have thought fit while the letter is being read, to propose "what you would; you have been told in answer after what manner the Son hath said that the Father is the greater, namely according to the flesh which He hath taken upon "Him. You have also urged that the Son of God is subject; "and you have been answered that He is so according to the "flesh, not according to His Divinity. You have our pro"fession; hear now what follows; since you have been "answered, do you reply to what is going to be read." Palladius said, “I will not answer you, because all that I "have said hath not been written down." St. Ambrose replied, "You see that every thing is written down. In short "what is written is more than sufficient to convict you of "impiety." And he proceeded, "Do you affirm that Jesus "Christ is a creature, or do you deny it?" Palladius would not answer, but desired his writers to be sent for; which Sabinus Bishop of Placentia was for granting him. But Palladius then again required a plenary Council. Then St. Ambrose addressed himself to the Priest Attalus, § 44, &c. who was also amongst the Arians, and pressed him to declare whether he had not subscribed to the Council of Nicæa. Attalus, after being some time silent, only spoke to refuse an answer; and Sabinus the Bishop said, "We are witnesses "that Attalus subscribed to the Council of Nicæa, and that he "will not answer." St. Ambrose, by the advice of all the Bishops, caused the letter of Arius to be continued, and said to Palladius, "I have answered you concerning the terms "greater and subject; do you answer me in your turn." Palladius said, "I will not answer you, unless there come "some arbiters after Sunday!." St. Ambrose said, "You came [1 The "to a conference, but because you have seen the letter of "Arius, which you will not condemn and cannot maintain, Friday.] "you now go off and make evasions. I am reading it "entirely. Say whether you believe Jesus Christ to be a "created being: or whether there was a time when he was "not; or whether the only Son of God hath always existed." Palladius replied, "Since I convict you of impiety, I refuse Council was held on A. D. 391. “you as my judge; you are a transgressor." XV. Condemnation of Palladius and Secundianus. $ 49, &c. $ 54. Sabinus of Placentia said, "With what impieties do you reproach our "brother Ambrose? declare them." Palladius said, "I have "told you already I will answer in a General Council, and "before arbiters." St. Ambrose said, "I desire to be accused "and convicted in an assembly of my brethren." Then St. Valerian of Aquileia said, "Do not urge "Palladius so much, he cannot sincerely confess the Catholic "truth; he knows himself guilty of two heresies; he was "ordained by the Photinians, and condemned with them; and "he is now going to be condemned as an Arian." Palladius replied, "Prove it." St. Ambrose said, "You accuse me of "impiety; prove that." And soon after all the Bishops said, "We all pronounce Anathema to Palladius." St. Ambrose said. "Do you consent, Palladius, that the rest of Arius' letter "be read?" Palladius replied, "Allow us arbiters, and let us "likewise have writers on both sides." St. Ambrose said, "What arbiters do you require?" Palladius replied, "There "are several persons here who are qualified by their dignities." St. Ambrose said, "The Bishops are appointed to judge laymen, "not laymen to judge Bishops. However, tell us what judges "you would have." Chromatius the Priest replied, "Without "prejudice to the condemnation pronounced by the Bishops, "let us hear at length who are of Palladius' party." St. Ambrose added, “We are ashamed to see that a man who pretends to "be a Bishop, desires to be judged by laymen; he deserves to "be condemned for that very thing, besides the impieties of "which he is convicted: therefore I declare that he is un"worthy of the Sacerdotal dignity, that he ought to be "deprived of it, and a Catholic ordained in his place." After this he reminded the Bishops, of the Emperor's having referred the determination of this dispute to them, as being the interpreters of the Scriptures, and then he collected their votes. St. Valerian, Bishop of Aquileia, gave his opinion first, in these terms: "It appears to me that he who will defend Arius "is an Arian: he that does not condemn his blasphemies, is "a blasphemer himself; therefore I am of opinion, that he ought to be cut off from the fellowship of Bishops." Palladius seeing that he was in earnest, and that he was going to 66 be deposed, seemed to make a jest of it, and said: "You have A. D. 381. "began to play, play on; we shall not answer you, without "an Eastern Council;" after which he said nothing more. The Bishops continued to give their opinions, every one in § 55, &c. particular, to the same purport, though in different words; and all declared him an Arian, and deposed from his Bishopric. Then St. Ambrose addressed himself to Secundianus, and urged him to acknowledge that the Son of God is truly God. But Secundianus would not say any thing, but that he was truly the only Son of God; and not that he was True God, saying that this proposition was not in the Scriptures. And whatever arguments St. Ambrose, who was seconded by St. Eusebius of Bologna, could use, they never could persuade him to say any thing else. This dispute having lasted from day break to the seventh hour, that is to say, till one o'clock Epist. x. in the afternoon, Secundianus and Palladius were deposed Ambros from the dignity of the Priesthood, and Attalus the Priest was $5. 8. 9. likewise condemned. Synod. ap. Letters of After this the Council of Aquileia wrote several letters, of XVI. which we have four remaining. The first was sent to the the Council Bishops of Gaul, and of the Provinces of Vienne and Nar- of Aquileia. Ap. Amb. bonne, in which that Council returns them thanks for the Ep. ix. deputies which they sent to it, and gives them an account of the condemnation of Palladius and Secundianus. We may suppose that letters of the same nature, were written to the other provinces who had sent deputies; and it possibly might be the same letter, only changing the names. The other Ibid. Ep. x. three letters of the Council of Aquileia were directed to the Emperors, that is to say, to Gratian. In the first, the Bishops return thanks to the Emperors for calling the Council, and give them the particulars of what had passed, the evasions, and quibbles of the heretics, their blasphemies and condemnation; for the execution of which they desire them to give orders, by letters to the judges of the several places, to the intent that they might be expelled from the churches, and that Catholic Bishops might be put into their places by the deputies of the Council. After having mentioned the Priest Attalus, they add: "What "shall we say of his master Julianus Valens? who though he § 9, 10. “was close at hand, yet declined coming to the Council, for A. D. 381. "fear of being called to account for his country that is Ap. Ambr. § 3. 66 66 : destroyed, and his people whom he has betrayeda. It is reported that he even appeared in the presence of the "Roman army in a Gothic habit, wearing a necklace and "bracelet after the Pagan manner, thus profaning the dignity "of the Priesthood. For he had been ordained Bishop at "Pettaw after the righteous Marcus, whose memory is highly "esteemed and now he remains at Milan after the ruin of "his country." The Council therefore requested that he might be banished from Italy, and sent home: that the Emperors would give a favourable audience to the deputies of the Council, and send them back speedily, after having granted their requests; and lastly, that in execution of the previous laws, the Photinians might be forbidden to hold any assemblies, as they continued to do at Sirmium. The second letter, to the Emperors, or more properly to Gratian, relates to the Anti-Pope Ursinus". The Bishops had taken notice in the Council, that he sided with the Arians, and particularly with Valens of Pettaw, in order to disturb the Church of Milan; holding private assemblies with them, sometimes near the doors of the synagogue, at other times in the houses of the Arians, and giving them direction how to disturb the peace of the Church. Therefore the Bishops entreated the Emperor not to hear him any more, and firmly a Alluding to the devastation of Pannonia and Illyricum by the Goths after the defeat of Valens at Hadrianople, A. D. 378. St. Jerome describes the ravages of the Barbarians tom. iii. p. 1645, ad cap. 1. Zephan. See Gibbon, ch. 26. vol. ii. p. 621. In consequence of these distresses, Valens Bishop of Pettaw (on the Drave) had forsaken his Ecclesiastical charge. 6 Damasus was made Pope on the death of Liberius (whose fall is so notorious), A. D. 366. Ursinus (called by some Ursicinus) was, as Damasus had been, Deacon at Rome, and could not endure the exaltation of his former colleague, who is suspected of having taken part with Felix, the successor to the power of Liberius, when exiled by the Arians, (see the Bened. on St. Ambr. Epist. xi.) Ursinus was factiously consecrated by one Bishop, and a contest ensued, in which even much blood was shed. Ursinus was banished, and In being recalled the next year, was It does not quite appear what is here |