examined, he wished these matters to belong to the judgment of bishops. . . . But if we examine the context of Holy Scripture or of times past, who will deny that in a matter of faith, in a matter, I say, of faith, bishops usually judge Christian emperors; not emperors, bishops (Beyenka, 1954, pp. 52-53).
Ambrose further admonished that there had been an agreement that when he accepted the bishopric, he would not be subjected to harassment by the Arians, and he clearly implies that this present action is a form of Arian harassment. And he strongly chides the young man "who must still earn the sacrament of baptism" for undertaking to judge a matter concerning faith, a faith which he is "unacquainted with" (Beyenka, 1954, p. 53).
Ambrose clearly indicates that he believes the matter at hand is an attempt to return control of the church in Milan to the Arians. His challenge to the Emperor is that such an event is a matter for the church itself to decide; it cann
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