hat seemed an overwhelming necessity, and giving the
Basilica to the Arians. Yet he felt that to do so would be to peril his
soul; so that the request was but the voice of the tempter, as he spoke
in Job's wife, to make him "say a word against God, and die," to betray
his trust, and incur the sentence of spiritual death.

Before this time the soldiers who had been sent to the New Church, from
dread of the threat of excommunication, had declared against the
sacrilege, and joined his own congregation; and now the news came that
the royal hangings had been taken down. Soon after, as he was continuing
his address to the people, a fresh message came to him from the Court to
ask him whether he had an intention of domineering over his sovereign?
Ambrose, in answer, showed the pains he had taken to be obedient to the
Emperor's will, and to hinder disturbance: then he added:--

"Priests have by old right bestowed sovereignty, never assumed it;
and it is a common saying, that sovereigns have coveted the
priesthood more than priests the sovereignty. Christ hid Himself,
lest He should be made a king. Yes! we have a dominion of our own.
The dominion of the priest lies in his helplessness, as it is said,
'When I am weak, then am I strong.'"

And so ended the dispute for a time. On Good Friday the Court gave way;
the guards were ordered from the Basilica, and the fines were remitted.
I end for the present with the view which Ambrose took of the prospect
before him:--

"Thus the matter rests; I wish I could say, has ended: but the
Emperor's words are of that angry sort which shows that a more
severe contest is in store. He says I domineer, or worse than
domineer. He implied this when his ministers were entreating him,
on the petition of the soldiers, to attend church. 'Should Ambrose
bid you,' he made answer, 'doubtless you would give me to him in
chains.' I leave you to judge what these words promise. Persons
present were all shocked at hearing them; but there are parties who
exasperate him."

FOOTNOTES:

[363] Vid. _British Magazine_, 1832, etc. And Froude's Remains, part II,
vol. ii.

Sec. 2. _Ambrose and Valentinian._

1.

In the opposition which Ambrose made to the Arians, as already related,
there is no appearance of his appealing to any law of the Empire in
justification of his refusal to surrender the Basilica to them. He
rested it up