on the simple basis of the Divine Law, a commonsense
argument which there was no evading. "The Basilica has been made over to
Christ; the Church is His trustee; I am its ruler. I dare not alienate
the Lord's property. He who does so, does it at his peril." Indeed, he
elsewhere expressly repudiates the principle of dependence in this
matter on human law. "Law," he says, "has not brought the Church
together, but the faith of Christ." However, Justina determined to have
human law on her side. She persuaded her son to make it a capital
offence in any one, either publicly or privately, even by petition, to
interfere with the assemblies of the Arians; a provision which admitted
a fair, and might also bear, and did in fact receive, a most tyrannical
interpretation. Benevolus, the Secretary of State, from whose office the
edict was to proceed, refused to draw it up, and resigned his place; but
of course others less scrupulous were easily found to succeed him. At
length it was promulgated on the 21st of January of the next year, A.D.
386, and a fresh attempt soon followed on the part of the Court to get
possession of the Portian Basilica, which was without the walls.

The line of conduct which Ambrose had adopted remained equally clear
and straight, whether before or after the promulgation of this edict. It
was his duty to use all the means which Christ has given the Church to
prevent the profanation of the Basilica. But soon a new question arose
for his determination. An imperial message was brought to him to retire
from the city at once, with any friends who chose to attend him. It is
not certain whether this was intended as an absolute command, or (as his
words rather imply) a recommendation on the part of government to save
themselves the odium, and him the suffering, of public and more severe
proceedings. Even if it were the former, it does not appear that a
Christian bishop, so circumstanced, need obey it; for what was it but in
other words to say, "Depart from the Basilica, and leave it to us?"--the
very order which he had already withstood. The words of Scripture, which
bid Christians, if persecuted in one city, flee to another, are
evidently, from the form of them, a discretionary rule, grounded on the
expediency of each occasion, as it arises. A mere threat is not a
persecution, nor is a command; and though we are bound to obey our civil
rulers, the welfare of the Church has a prior claim upon our obedience.
Other bisho