circumcision, and renounced the faith of his baptism. Ambrose
considers the toleration of the Jewish, as the persecution of the
Christian, religion; boldly declares that he himself, and every true
believer, would eagerly dispute with the bishop of Callinicum the
merit of the deed, and the crown of martyrdom; and laments, in the
most pathetic terms, that the execution of the sentence would be fatal
to the fame and salvation of Theodosius. As this private admonition
did not produce an immediate effect, the archbishop, from his pulpit,
publicly addressed the emperor on his throne; nor would he consent to
offer the oblation of the altar, till he had obtained from Theodosius
a solemn and positive declaration, which secured the impunity of the
bishop and monks of Callinicum. The recantation of Theodosius was
sincere; and, during the term of his residence at Milan, his affection
for Ambrose was continually increased by the habits of pious and
familiar conversation.

When Ambrose was informed of the massacre of Thessalonica, his mind
was filled with horror and anguish. He retired into the country to
indulge his grief, and to avoid the presence of Theodosius. But as the
archbishop was satisfied that a timid silence would render him the
accomplice of his guilt, he represented, in a private letter, the
enormity of the crime; which could only be effaced by the tears of
penitence. The episcopal vigor of Ambrose was tempered by prudence;
and he contented himself with signifying an indirect sort of
excommunication, by the assurance, that he had been warned in a vision
not to offer the oblation in the name, or in the presence, of
Theodosius; and by the advice, that he would confine himself to the
use of prayer, without presuming to approach the altar of Christ, or
to receive the holy eucharist with those hands that were still
polluted with the blood of an innocent people. The emperor was deeply