Ambrose Chosen Bishop of Milan

About the same time another event took place at Milan that is well worth recording. On the death of Auxentius, who had been ordained bishop of that church by the Arians, the people were again in turmoil over the election of a successor. Some proposed one man and others favored another, so the city was full of strife and uproar. In this situation the governor of the province, Ambrose by name, who was also a man of consular rank, feared that some disaster would come of the people’s excitement, and hurried into the church to calm the disturbance. When he arrived and the people grew quiet, he checked the senseless fury of the crowd with a long and fitting speech, urging reasons they felt to be right. Then everyone present suddenly came to one mind, crying out “that Ambrose was worthy of the bishopric,” and demanding that he be ordained. “For only in that way,” they insisted, “will the peace of the church be secured, and all be united again in the same faith and judgment.” [a]

Since such unanimity among the people seemed to the bishops who were present to come from some divine appointment, they at once took hold of Ambrose; and having baptized him, for he was then only a catechumen, they were about to invest him with the office of bishop. But although Ambrose willingly received baptism, he refused with great earnestness to be ordained. So the bishops referred the matter to the emperor Valentinian. This prince, regarding the universal consent of the people as the work of God, sent word to the bishops to do the will of God by ordaining him, declaring that “his choice was by the voice of God rather than by the votes of men.” So Ambrose was ordained, and the people of Milan, who had been divided among themselves, were once more brought back to unity.