Church History in Plain Language (Plain Language Series)

by Bruce L. Shelley

Ambrose decided to write Theodosius. “I cannot deny that you have a zeal for the faith,” he wrote, “and that you fear God, but you have a naturally passionate spirit which becomes ungovernable when you are excited. I call on you to repent. You can only atone for your sin by tears, by penitence, by humbling your soul before God. You are a man, and as you have sinned as a man so you must repent. No angel, no archangel can forgive you. God alone can forgive you, and He forgives only those who repent.” Ambrose refused the emperor Communion until he had confessed his sin. For a while Theodosius stayed away from church, but in the end he accepted Ambrose’s terms. In front of a crowded congregation he took off his splendid imperial robes and asked pardon for his sins. He had to do so on several occasions until at last, on Christmas Day, Ambrose gave him the sacrament. It required unusual courage to humiliate a Byzantine emperor. Ambrose had hit upon the weapon—the threat of excommunication—which