ON ST. AMBROSE OF SAINTES, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR
AT SAINTES IN GAUL.
At the beginning of the fifth century.
HISTORICO-CRITICAL COLLECTION.
ON ST. AMBROSE OF SAINTES, BISHOP AND CONFESSOR
BY J. S.
Denis de Sainte-Marthe, in volume 2 of Gallia Christiana, among the bishops of Saintes, column 1056, places St. Ambrose after St. Bibianus, St. Ambrose was bishop of Saintes before St. Bibianus, and writes these things concerning him: Only of St. Ambrose, pontiff of Saintes,
is the name known to us. In the Breviary of Saintes it is read that St. Bibianus succeeded St. Ambrose; but this Breviary is not of greater authority than the common catalogues. Sainte-Marthe therefore relies upon the authority of the common catalogues alone, when he places Ambrose after Bibianus. Yet not even all the catalogues favor this opinion. Certainly Demochares, On the Sacrifice of the Mass, page 45, reviewing the bishops of Saintes from a catalogue received, as he testifies, from the canons of Saintes in the year 1560, sets St. Ambrose before St. Bibianus. But even if the catalogues, in great part faulty, were opposed, the Acts of St. Bibianus alone, to be published on this day, sufficiently establish that Ambrose presided over the church of Saintes before Bibianus, as will presently be plain. Further, the year of St. Ambrose's death we cannot exactly determine; but from his successor Bibianus, whose death we shall mark about the middle of the fifth century, the death of St. Ambrose must be set at the beginning of the same century.
[2] In the praised Acts of St. Bibianus, at number 2, these things pertaining to St. Ambrose are read: who was his disciple, and initiated by him into sacred Orders: When (Bibianus) had come to sixteen years, desiring that his early age should be trained in divine disciplines, he devoted himself to the devout service of St. Ambrose, bishop of the city of Saintes. Whom he, receiving with fatherly affection, while he trained him in sacred letters, initiated the zeal of his manner of life in the Order of lectors. He adds that he was consecrated by the same subdeacon, deacon, and, in the thirtieth year of his age, priest. Then he subjoins the Saint's death in these words: And so, divine grace providing that the most holy Instructor should leave behind him a worthy successor, … the most blessed Ambrose, departing by a holy emigration from this hospitable life, fell asleep in the Lord. In another Life of St. Bibianus, in Martène, volume 6 of the Most Ample Collection, column 762, these things are reported: The most holy Ambrose therefore, desiring to leave a successor worthy of his merits, established him in all regular discipline and pontifical magnificence, and chose him beforehand as his vicar after his own departure. Again another Life of the same Bibianus, in manuscript among us, where it had narrated that Bibianus was made the disciple of St. Ambrose, subjoins these things: Moreover the Prelate, a diligent inspector of virtues, embraces him as an only son; and since he too was strong in holy conversation, he took the greatest pleasure in the companionship of so great a man, and poured himself out into love of him so much the more vehemently as he saw the daily increase of his virtues. Whence it came about that he longed for and hoped for him as his successor. And the Lord indeed did not defraud his Saint of the desire of his lips: for not long after, passing beyond the goal of the present life, he was rewarded with the prize of eternal blessedness, etc.
[3] [the title of Saint everywhere attributed to Ambrose, and his name inscribed in the Fasti:] You see, I think, studious reader, how honorable a mention of St. Ambrose those writers make, who certainly are ancient, although not all of equal authority. Hence it may seem strange that the name of our St. Ambrose is not read as inscribed in the ancient Martyrologies. For in other Fasti I have not found him, except in our manuscript Florarium, which was written in the fifteenth century. There at the XXVIII of August he is announced in these words: At Saintes, of St. Ambrose, bishop and confessor. Nevertheless he is everywhere adorned with the title of Saint. Whether he was also honored with an ecclesiastical Office is unascertained by me. Among the letters of St. Sidonius Apollinaris, the sixth of book 9 is read as addressed to bishop Ambrose, whom the most eminent Baronius thought to be this very man, in his Observations on the day XXVIII of August of the Roman Martyrology. But our Ambrose is far more ancient than that Sidonius could have written to him, as Savaro has already observed in his notes on the letter praised.
[4] some judge that the vision should be attributed to this Ambrose, Claude Robert in Gallia Christiana, page 467, reports another conjecture concerning our Saint in these words: Some suspect that this is he who was present in spirit at the obsequies of St. Martin of Tours. The fact is narrated by St. Gregory of Tours in book 1 On the Miracles of St. Martin, chapter 5, and is attributed to St. Ambrose of Milan. But the learned everywhere contend that it cannot be reconciled with the time of the death of St. Ambrose of Milan, and not a few reject the fact as fabulous. Hence some judged that it should be attributed to St. Ambrose of Saintes, whose age is not repugnant to it. Their reason is, according to the praised Robert, that the city of Saintes was formerly called Mediolanum. Gregory of Tours therefore would have erred, and would have wrongly attributed to the most famous doctor of the Church and prelate of Milan in Liguria what he had found reported or had heard of Ambrose of Mediolanum, bishop of Saintes. This conjecture of certain men appears indeed more probable than the censure of those who think Gregory of Tours' report altogether fabulous. But since our Henschen, before volume 1 of April, page XXXIX, has endeavored by no light arguments to reconcile the whole report of Gregory of Tours with the death of St. Ambrose, I remit the matter to be discussed further to the Acts of the praised doctor of the Church, or of St. Martin himself.
[5] Meanwhile hear the matter from the praised Gregory of Tours: For at that time the blessed Ambrose, whose flowers of eloquence are today fragrant throughout the whole Church, which Gregory of Tours narrates concerning Ambrose of Milan. presided as bishop over the city of Milan. Whose custom in celebrating the feasts of the Lord's Day was this, that when the lector came with his book he should not presume to read before the Saint had bidden him by a nod. Now it happened that on that Lord's Day, the prophetic lesson having been recited, and the lector already standing before the altar who was to deliver the lesson of blessed Paul, the most blessed prelate Ambrose fell asleep upon the holy altar. Which many seeing, since no one at all presumed to rouse him, after the spaces of nearly two or three hours had passed, they roused him, saying: "The hour now passes. Let our lord bid the lector read the lesson; for the people, now very weary, is waiting." But blessed Ambrose answering said: "Be not troubled. For it profits me much to have thus slept, to whom the Lord has deigned to show such a miracle. For know that my brother Martin the priest has gone forth from the body, and that I rendered service at his funeral; and, the service being performed according to custom, I only did not finish the closing versicle, while you were waiting." Then they, astounded and alike marveling, note the day and the time, carefully inquiring. And they found that very day and time of the Saint's passing, which the blessed Confessor had said that he had served at his obsequies.