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2Ch_26:18 And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, [It appertaineth] not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, that are consecrated to burn incense: go out of the sanctuary; for thou hast trespassed; neither [shall it be] for thine honour from the LORD God.
Ver. 18. And they withstood Uzziah the king.] Wherein they became an example of courage and piety, to ministers especially, who must withstand the torrent of vices, and not spare to reprove the greatest, if need be; as Nathan did David, as John Baptist did Herod, as Ambrose did Theodosius. This emperor, when he was at Thessalonica, in revenge of certain of his judges slain there in an uproar and tumult of the people, made a great slaughter among them by his soldiers, who destroyed seven thousand of the citizens. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, heard hereof to his great grief; and when the emperor, afterwards returning to Milan, would have come, as his manner had been, to the holy assembly, he stoutly withstood him, saying, Quibus oculis intuebere templum illius qui est omnium Dominus, &c.? With what face canst thou look him in the face who is Lord of all? With what feet canst thou enter his house, whom thou hast so deeply displeased? How canst thou receive his body with those hands of thine so drenched in Christian blood? Or drink his blood with that mouth that commanded such an inhuman slaughter? Recede igitur, et ne conare novo scelere scelus ante editum augers, &c. Depart, therefore, and go not about to add one wickedness to another; but stand thou excommunicated, till by repentance thou hast obtained pardon of God, and given satisfaction to his offended people. The good emperor - who having been religiously bred, knew well what was fit for a king to do, and what for a bishop - returned hereupon to his palace, after that he had acknowledged the greatness of his sin, where also he spent eight months in weeping and lamentation; and then coming to Ambrose, he begged pardon and absolution; which after many rebukes, at length he obtained. {a}
It appertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah.] Chrysostom {b} much admiring this speech, Vide, saith he, libertatem: Vide mentem servire nesciam: Vide linguam caelos attingentem: Vide libertatera incoercibilem: Vide hominis corpus et angel; mentem, &c. See what a gallant spirit this man was of, and of what a bold speech; he had the body of a man, but the mind of an angel, &c.
{a} Theodoret.
{b} Hom. iv., De Verb. Isaiae.