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THESSALONICA is a large and very populous city, belonging
to Macedonia, but the capital of Thessaly and Achaia, as well as of
many other provinces which are governed by the prefect of Illyricum.
Here arose a great sedition, and several of the magistrates were
stoned and violently treated.
The emperor was fired with anger when he heard the news, and unable to
endure the rush of his passion, did not even check its onset by the
curb of reason, but allowed his rage to be the minister of his
vengeance. When the imperial passion had received its authority, as
though itself an independent prince, it broke the bonds and yoke of
reason unsheathed swords of injustice right and left without
distinction, and slew innocent and guilty together. No trial preceded
the sentence. No condemnation was passed on the perpetrators of the
crimes. Multitudes were mowed down like ears of corn in
harvest-tide. It is said that seven thousand perished.
News of this lamentable calamity reached Ambrosius. The emperor on
his arrival at Milan wished according to custom to enter the church.
Ambrosius met him outside the outer porch and forbade him to step over
the sacred threshold. "You seem, sir, not to know," said he,
"the magnitude of the bloody deed that has been done. Your rage has
subsided, but your reason has not yet recognised the character of the
deed. Peradventure your Imperial power prevents your recognising the
sin, and power stands in the light of reason. We must however know
how our nature passes away and is subject to death; we must know the
ancestral dust from which we sprang, and to which we are swiftly
returning. We must not because we are dazzled by the sheen of the
purple fail to see the weakness of the body that it robes. You are a
sovereign, Sir, of men of like nature with your own, and who are in
truth your fellow slaves; for there is one Lord and Sovereign of
mankind, Creator of the Universe. With what eyes then will you look
on the temple of our common Lord, with what feet will you tread that
holy threshold, how will you stretch forth your hands still dripping
with the blood of unjust slaughter? How in such hands will you receive
the all holy Body of the Lord? How will you who in your rage
unrighteously poured forth so much blood lift to your lips the precious
Blood? Begone. Attempt not to add another crime to that which you
have committed. Submit to the restriction to which the God the Lord
of all agrees that you be sentenced. He will be your physician, He
will give you health."
Educated as he had been in the sacred oracles, Theodosius knew
clearly what belonged to priests and what to emperors. He therefore
bowed to the rebuke of Ambrose, and retired sighing and weeping to the
palace. After a considerable time, when eight months had passed
away, the festival of our Saviour's birth came round and the emperor
sat in his palace shedding a storm of tears.
Now Rufinus, at that time controller of the household, and, from
his familiarity with his imperial master, able to use great freedom of
speech, approached and asked him why he wept. With a bitter groan and
yet more abundant weeping "You are trifling, Rufinus," said the
emperor, "because von do not feel my troubles. I am groaning and
lamenting at the thought of my own calamity; for menials and for
beggars the way into the church lies open; they can go in without
fear, and put up their petitions to their own Lord. I dare not set
my foot there, and besides this for me the door of heaven is shut, for
I remember the voice of the Lord which plainly says, 'Whatsoever ye
bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven.'"
Rufinus replied "With your permission I will hasten to the bishop,
and by my entreaties induce him to remit your penalty." "He will not
yield" said the emperor. "I know the justice of the sentence passed
by Ambrose, nor will he ever be moved by respect for my imperial power
to transgress the law of God."
Rufinus urged his suit again and again, promising to win over
Ambrosius; and at last the emperor commanded him to go with all
despatch. Then, the victim of false hopes, Theodosius, in reliance
on the promises of Rufinus, followed in person, himself. No sooner
did the divine Ambrose perceive Rufinus than he exclaimed,
"Rufinus, your impudence matches a dog's, for you were the adviser
of this terrible slaughter; you have wiped shame from your brow, and
guilty as you are of this mad outrage on the image of God yon stand
here fearless, without a blush." Then Rufinus began to beg and
pray, and announced the speedy approach of the emperor. Fired with
divine zeal the holy Ambrosius exclaimed "Rufinus, I tell you
beforehand; I shall prevent him from crossing the sacred threshold.
If he is for changing his sovereign power into that of a tyrant I too
will gladly submit to a violent death." On this Rufinus sent a
messenger to inform the emperor in what mind the archbishop was, and
exhorted him to remain within the palace. Theodosius had already
reached the middle of the forum when he received the message. "I will
go," said he, "and accept the disgrace I deserve." He advanced
to the sacred precincts but did not enter the holy building. The
archbishop was seated in the house of salutation and there the emperor
approached him and besought that his bonds might be loosed.
"Your coming" said Ambrose "is the coming of a tyrant. You are
raging against God; yon are trampling on his laws." "No," said
Theodosius, "I do not attack laws laid down, I do not seek
wrongfully to cross the sacred threshold; but I ask you to loose my
bond, to take into account the mercy of our common Lord, and not to
shut against me a door which our master has opened for all them that
repent." The archbishop replied "What repentance have you shown
since your tremendous crime? You have inflicted wounds right hard to
heal; what salve have you applied?" "Yours" said the emperor "is
the duty alike of pointing out and of mixing the salve. It is for me
to receive what is given me." Then said the divine Ambrosius "You
let your passion minister justice, your passion not your reason gives
judgment. Put forth therefore an edict which shall make the sentence
of your passion null and void; let the sentences which have been
published inflicting death or confiscation be suspended for thirty clays
awaiting the judgment of reason. When the days shall have elapsed let
them that wrote the sentences exhibit their orders, and then, and not
till then, when passion has calmed down, reason acting as sole judge
shall examine the sentences and will see whether they be right or
wrong. If it find them wrong it will cancel the deeds; if they be
righteous it will confirm them, and the interval of time will inflict
no wrong on them that have been rightly condemned."
This suggestion the emperor accepted and thought it admirable. He
ordered the edict to be put out forthwith and gave it the authority of
his sign manual. On this the divine Ambrosius loosed the bond.
Now the very faithful emperor came boldly within the holy temple bat
did not pray to his Lord standing, or even on his knees, but lying
prone upon the ground he tittered David's cry "My soul cleaveth unto
the dust, quicken thou me according to thy word."
He plucked out his hair; he smote his head; he besprinkled the ground
with drops of tears and prayed for pardon. When the time came for him
to bring his oblations to the holy table, weeping all the while he
stood up and approached the sanctuary.
After making his offering, as he was wont, he remained within at the
rail, but once more the great Ambrosius kept not silence and taught
him the distinction of places. First he asked him if he wanted
anything; and when the emperor said that he was waiting for
participation in the divine mysteries, Ambrose sent word to him by the
chief deacon and said, "The inner place, sir, is open only to
priests; to all the rest it is inaccessible; go out and stand where
others stand; purple can make emperors, but not priests." This
instruction too the faithful emperor most gladly received, and
intimated in reply that it was not from any audacity that he had
remained within the rails, but because he had understood that this was
the custom at Constantinople. "I owe thanks," he added, "for
being cured too of this error."
So both the archbishop and the emperor showed a mighty shining light of
virtue. Both to me are admirable; the former for his brave words,
the latter for his docility; the archbishop for the warmth of his
zeal, and the prince for the purity of his faith.
On his return to Constantinople Theodosius kept within the bounds of
piety which he had learnt from the great archbishop. For when the
occasion of a feast brought him once again into the divine temple,
after bringing his gifts to the holy table he straightway went out.
The bishop at that time was, and on his asking the emperor what could
possibly be the reason of his not remaining within, Theodosius
answered with a sigh "I have learnt after great difficulty the
differences between an emperor and a priest. It is not easy to find a
man capable of teaching me the truth. Ambrosius alone deserves the
title of bishop."
So great is the gain of conviction when brought home by a man of bright
and shining goodness.
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