are aftonished to behold the imperious lion turned into a gentle lamb; and the best use to be made of his character is to prove, how extremly beneficial it is to human fociety, that princes fhould be men of fome religion. Without this check Valentinian might have been one of the worst of tyrants: but by the fole means of religion he paffes for one of the better fort of princes. CHAP CHAP. XIII. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST UNDER GRATIAN AND THEODOSIUS, TILL THE DEATH OF THE FOR MER. RATIAN, the elder fon of Valentinian, fucceeded him in Gaul, Spain, and Britain. His younger fon, an infant, fucceeded in Italy, and the reft of the Western world. And fometime after Gratian chofe Theodofius as his colleague, who reigned in the East. From his early years there appear unquestionable marks of real godlinefs in Gratian, to a degree beyond any thing that has yet been seen in any Roman emperor. One of his firft actions demonftrates it. The title of high-prieft always belonged to the Roman princes. He justly obferved, that as its whole nature was idolatrous, it became not a Chriftian to affume it. He therefore refused the habit, though the Pagans ftill gave him the title. As he was deftitute of that ambition, which Roman pride had ever indulged, he chofe a colleague for the Eaft of great abilities, purely for the good of the ftates, and managed the concerns of his infant brother at Rome with the affection of a father. There from the beginning of his reign, Gracchus the prefect, as yet only a catechumen, laboured earnestly to fubdue idolatry. The mind of this young prince being ftrongly fixed on divine things, and being conscious of ignorance, he wrote to Ambrofe of Milan to this effect," Gratian Auguftus to Ambrose the religious prieft of Almighty God. I much defire, to be present in body with him whom I remember abfent, and with whom I am united in mind. Come Fleury, B. XVIII. 24. Ambrofe's Epiftles, B V. 25. 26. to to me immediately, holy prieft, that you may teach the doctrine of falvation to one who truly believes; not that he may ftudy for contention, or feek to embrace God rather verbally than mentally, but that the revelation of the divinity may dwell more intimately in my breaft. For he will teach me, whom I do not deny, whom I own as my Lord and my God. I would not conceive fo meanly of him as to make him a mere creature like myself, who own that I can add nothing to Chrift. And yet while I feck to please the Father in celebrating the Son, I do not fear left the Father should envy the honours afcribed to his Son, nor do I think fo highly of my powers of commendation, as to think that I can increase the divinity by my words. I am weak and frail, I extol him as I can, not as the Divinity deserves. With respect to that treatise which you gave me, I beg you would make additions to it by fcriptural arguments, to prove the proper Deity of the Holy Ghoft." Ambrofe delighted with the vein of ferious attention to divine fubjects, which appears in this letter, anfwered him in an exftacy of fatisfaction. Moft Chriftian prince, fays he, modesty, not want of affection has hitherto prevented me from waiting upon you. If, however, I was not with you perfonally, I have been prefent with my prayers, in which confifts ftill more the duty of a Paftor. I ufe no flattery, which you need not, and which is quite foreign to my office. Our Judge, whom you confefs, and whom you prously believe, knows that my bowels are refreshed with your faith, your falvation, and your glory, and that I pray for you not only as in publick duty bound, but even with perfonal affection. He alone hath taught you, who faid, he that loveth me fhall be loved of my Father." Father." Toward the clofe, he reminds him that his own arguments for the divinity of of the Son expreffed in his letter are equally conclufive for the divinity of the Holy Ghost, whom we ought not to think the Father to envy, nor ourfelves to be on an equal footing with him, who are mere creatures." Some writings of Ambrofe remain to us as the confequence of Gratian's requests. The errours of good men have in some instances proved prejudicial to the church. This was unhappily the cafe with Ambrofe: all the world bore teftimony to his fincerity, charity, and piety. But he had not strength to withstand the torrent of fu perftition, which for fome time had been growing. He even augmented it by his immoderate encomiums on virginity. The little acquaintance he had with the Scriptures before his ordination, and the influence of his fifter Marcellina, a zealous devotee, will account for this. He wrote treatises on this fubject, he reduced the rules of it to a fort of fyftem, and expofed himself to the ill-will of parents by inducing fuch a number of young women to follow them. It must be confeffed, however, that he taught the effentials of Christian faith and love, and built his wOOD, HAY, AND STUBBLE* on the true foundation. He had no other arms, but those of perfuafion, and his great fuccefs fhewed the piety, as well as fuperftition of many of the female fex . Another part of his conduct was more worthy of his understanding. The ravages of the Goths gave him an opportunity to exercife his liberality. He fcrupled not to apply the veffels of the church to the redemption of captives, and vindicated himfelf against those who accufed him. In the inftruction of catechumens he employed fo much pains, that five bishops could fcarcely go through so much labour, as he alone §. At Sirmium in Illyricum, * 1 Cor. iii, 12. + Paulinus's Life of Ambrofe. VOL. II. the the Arian bishop Photinus had caufed a wide de parture from the faith: and there being a vacancy A. D. in the year 379, Ambrofe was fent for to attend the 379. election of a new bifhop. The empress Juftina, mother of young Valentinian, refided there at that time*. She had conceived a predilection for Arianifm, and endeavoured by her authority and influence to expel Ambrofe from the church. He continued, however, in his tribunal, though infulted and haraffed by the mob. An Arian woman particularly had the impudence to lay hold of his habit, and attempt to draw him among the women, who intend. ed to drag him out of the church. "Though I am unworthy of the priesthood, faid he, it does not become you to lay hands on a paftor, you ought to fear the judgment of God." It is remarkable, that fhe died the next day. The minds of men were ftruck with awe, and Artemius, an orthodox minifter, was elected without moleftation. Thofe, with whom one fort of doctrine is as valuable as another, will feel themselves little disposed to relish or believe the ftory. But the laws of hiftory require the ftricteft regard to veracity. The fact is unquestionable, whatever inferences men may chufe to draw from it. And the humility and piety connected with the Scripture-doctrine of the Trinity are well understood by every Chriftian. But the foundation. Paulinus. was † Another story of the fame kind will deserve to be mentioned here. Two courtiers of the emperor Gratian, being Arians, came to Ambrofe, and defired him to preach on our Lord's Incarnation, promifing that they would come to hear him the next day. But they, meaning nothing except ridicule and scorn, took their horfes, and rode out of town. It is remarkable, that they were both thrown from their horfes, and perifhed. The congregation in the mean time growing impatient under the delay, Ambrofe went up into the pulpit, and told them that he was come to pay his debt, but found not his yesterday's creditors to receive it; and then preached on the fubject.-Paulinus's Life of Ambrofe. |