30. I recalled the people, and yet I did not escape their ill-will, which ill-will, however, I think we ought rather to tempt than fear. For why should we fear for the Name of Christ? Unless perchance I ought to be troubled because they say: "Ought not the Emperor to have one basilica, to which to go, and Ambrose wants to have more power than the Emperor, and so refuses to the Emperor the opportunity of going forth to church?" When they say this, they desire to lay hold of my words, as did the Jews who tried Christ with cunning words, saying: "Master, is it lawful to give tribute to Cæsar or not?" [3505] Is ill-will always stirred up against the servants of God on Cæsar's account, and does impiety make use of this with a view to starting a slander, so as to shelter itself under the imperial name? and can they say that they do not share in the sacrilege of those whose advice they follow?
31. See how much worse than the Jews the Arians are. They asked whether He thought that the right of tribute should be given to Cæsar; these want to give to Cæsar the right of the Church. But as these faithless ones follow their author, so also let us answer as our Lord and Author has taught us. For Jesus seeing the wickedness of the Jews said to them: Why tempt ye Me? show Me a penny. When they had given it, He said: "Whose image and superscription hath it?" [3506] They answered and said: Cæsar's. And Jesus says to them: "Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and to God the things that are God's." [3507] So, too, I say to these who oppose me: Show me a penny. Jesus sees Cæsar's penny and says: Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's. Can they in seizing the basilicas of the church offer Cæsar's penny?
32. But in the church I only know of one Image, that is the Image of the unseen God, of Which God has said: "Let us make man in Our image and Our likeness;" [3508] that Image of Which it is written, that Christ is the Brightness of His glory and the Image of His Person. [3509] In that Image I perceive the Father, as the Lord Jesus Himself has said: "He that seeth Me seeth the Father." [3510] For this Image is not separated from the Father, which indeed has taught me the unity of the Trinity, saying: "I and My Father are One," [3511] and again: "All things that the Father hath are Mine." [3512] Also of the Holy Spirit, saying that the Spirit is Christ's, and has received of Christ, as it is written: "He shall receive of Mine, and shall declare it unto you."
33. How, then, did we not answer humbly enough? If he demand tribute, we do not refuse it. The lands of the Church pay tribute. If the Emperor wants the lands, he has the power to claim them, none of us will interfere. The contributions of the people are amply sufficient for the poor. Do not stir up ill-will in the matter of the lands. Let them take them if it is the Emperor's will. I do not give them, but I do not refuse them. They ask for gold. I can say: Silver and gold I do not ask for. But they stir up ill-will because gold is spent. I am not afraid of such ill-will as this. I have dependents. My dependents are Christ's poor. I know how to collect this treasure. On that they may even charge me with this crime, that I have spent money on the poor! and if they make the charge that I seek for defence at their hands, I do not deny it; nay, I solicit it. I have my defence, but it consists in the prayers of the poor. The blind and the lame, the weak and the old, are stronger than hardy warriors. Lastly, gifts to the poor make God indebted to us, for it is written: "He that giveth to the poor, lendeth to God." [3514] The guards of warriors often do not merit divine grace.
34. They declare also that the people have been led astray by the strains of my hymns. [3515] I certainly do not deny it. That is a lofty strain, and there is nothing more powerful than it. For what has more power than the confession of the Trinity which is daily celebrated by the mouth of the whole people? All eagerly vie one with the other in confessing the faith, and know how to praise in verse the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So they all have become teachers, who scarcely could be disciples.
35. What could show greater obedience than that we should follow Christ's example, "Who, being found in fashion as a man, humbled Himself and became obedient even unto death?" [3516] Accordingly He has freed all through His obedience. "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous." [3517] If, then, He was obedient, let them receive the rule of obedience: to which we cling, saying to those who stir up ill-will against us on the Emperor's side: We pay to Cæsar what is Cæsar's, and to God what is God's. Tribute is due to Cæsar, we do not deny it. The Church belongs to God, therefore it ought not to be assigned to Cæsar. For the temple of God cannot be Cæsar's by right.
36. That this is said with respectful feeling for the Emperor, no one can deny. For what is more full of respect than that the Emperor should be called the son of the Church. As it is said, it is said without sin, since it is said with the divine favour. For the Emperor is within the Church, not above it. For a good emperor seeks the aid of the Church and does not refuse it. As I say this with all humility, so also I state it with firmness. Some threaten us with fire, sword, exile; we have learnt as servants of Christ not to fear. To those who have no fear, nothing is ever a serious cause of dread. Thus too is it written: "Arrows of infants their blows have become." [3518]
37. A sufficient answer, then, seems to have been given to their suggestion. Now I ask them, what the Saviour asked: "The baptism of John, was it from heaven or men?" [3519] The Jews could not answer Him. If the Jews did not make nothing of the baptism of John, does Auxentius make nothing of the baptism of Christ? For that is not a baptism of men, but from heaven, which the angel of great counsel [3520] has brought to us, that we might be justified to God. Wherefore, then, does Auxentius hold that the faithful ought to be rebaptized, when they have been baptized in the name of the Trinity, when the Apostle says: "One faith, one baptism"? [3521] And wherefore does he say that he is man's enemy, not Christ's, seeing that he despises the counsel of God and condemns the baptism which Christ has granted us to redeem our sins.
[3466] 1 Pet. v. 8.
[3467] Eph. vi. 12.
[3468] S. Luke xix. 35.
[3469] S. Matt. xi. 28 ff.
[3470] Phil. i. 23.
[3471] S. Matt. x. 28.
[3472] S. Matt. x. 39.
[3473] The words amisit (lost) and custodiam (guard) are repeated by St. Ambrose from the earlier part of the sentence. Such play upon words is not uncommon in his writings.
[3474] 2 Kings vi. 16.
[3475] Acts xii. 4 ff.
[3476] Rom. vi. 10.
[3477] S. John xxi. 22.
[3478] S. John iv. 34.
[3479] S. John vii. 30.
[3480] The story is related at length by Paulinus in his Life of St. Ambrose, ch. 12. He tells us that whilst many tried to drive the saint into exile, one named Euterymius went the greatest lengths to accomplish this purpose. He hired a house near the church and kept a carriage there, so as to be able the more readily to carry off St. Ambrose into exile, if he could once but seize him. But that very day year he was himself put into the same carriage, and from the same house was carried into exile. For "his wickedness fell on his own pate." (Ps. vii. 7.) He adds also that the bishop did much to comfort him, and gave him money and other things he needed.
[3481] Zech. v. 1.
[3482] 2 Cor. xi. 14.
[3483] Ps. l. 16.
[3484] 2 Cor. vi. 15.
[3485] 1 Kings xxi. 3.
[3486] S. Luke xix. 35.
[3487] S. Luke xix. 40.
[3488] S. Luke viii. 37.
[3489] Ps. viii. 2.
[3490] S. Luke xix. 40.
[3491] Ps. cxviii. [cxvii.] 22.
[3492] S. John ii. 15.
[3493] Jer. xvii. 1.
[3494] Gal. ii. 16.
[3495] Gal. ii. 19.
[3496] Gal. iii. 11.
[3497] Gal. iv. 4.
[3498] Gal. iii. 13.
[3499] Gal. iii. 13.
[3500] 2 Cor. v. 21.
[3501] 1 Cor. vi. 1, 2.
[3502] 1 Cor. vi. 5.
[3503] Isa. li. 7.
[3504] 2 Cor. iii. 3.
[3505] S. Matt. xxii. 17.
[3506] S. Matt. xxii. 18.
[3507] S. Matt. xxii. 21.
[3508] Gen. i. 26.
[3509] Heb. i. 3.
[3510] S. John xiv. 9.
[3511] S. John x. 30.
[3512] S. John xvi. 15.
[3513] S. John xvi. 14.
[3514] Prov. xix. 17.
[3515] St. Augustine speaks of this introduction of hymns into the services of the Church at Milan (Confess. IX. 7): "Then was it first instituted that after the manner of the Eastern Churches, hymns and psalms should be sung, lest the people should wax faint through the tediousness of sorrow."--Eng. Trans. Such a hymn as "The eternal gifts of Christ the king," etc., written by St. Ambrose, was perhaps first sung there.
[3516] Phil. ii. 7, 8.
[3517] Rom. v. 19.
[3518] Ps. lxiv. [lxiii.] 7.
[3519] S. Luke xx. 4.
[3520] Isa. ix. 6.
[3521] Eph. iv. 5.