a second profanation. Saint Nicephorus saw the
storm gathering, and spent most of his time in prayer with several holy
bishops and abbots. Shortly after, the emperor, having assembled
together certain Iconoclast bishops in his palace, sent for the
patriarch and his fellow-bishops. They obeyed the summons, but entreated
his majesty to leave the government of the church to its pastors.
Emilian, bishop of Cyzicus, one of their body, said: "If this is an
ecclesiastical affair, let it be discussed in the church, according to
custom, not in the palace." Euthymius, bishop of Sardes said: "For these
eight hundred years past, since the coming of Christ, there have been
always pictures of him, and he has been honored in them. Who shall now
have the boldness to abolish so ancient a tradition?" St. Theodorus, the
Studite, spoke after the bishops, and said to the emperor: "My Lord, do
not disturb the order of the church. God hath placed in it apostles,
prophets, pastors, and teachers.[2] You he hath intrusted with the care
of the state; but leave the church to its pastors." The emperor, {584}
in a rage, drove them from his presence. Sometime after, the Iconoclast
bishops held a pretended council in the imperial palace, and cited the
patriarch to appear before them. To their summons he returned this
answer: "Who gave you this authority? was it the pope, or any of the
patriarchs? In my diocese you have no jurisdiction." He then read the
canon which declares those excommunicated who presume to exercise any
act of jurisdiction in the diocese of another bishop. They, however,
proceeded to pronounce against him a mock sentence of deposition; and
the holy pastor, after several attempts made secretly to take away his
life, was sent by the emperor into banishment. Michael the Stutterer,
who in 820 succeeded Leo in the imperial throne, was engaged in the same
heresy, and also a persecutor of our saint, who died in his exile, on
the 2d of June, in the monastery of St. Theodorus, which he had built in
the year 828, the fourteenth of his banishment, being about seventy
years old. By the order of the empress Theodora, his body was brought to
Constantinople with great pomp, in 848, on the 13th of March, on which
day he is commemorated in the Roman Martyrology.[3]

* * * * *

It is by a wonderful effect of his most gracious mercy and singular
love, that God is pleased to visit all his faithful servants with severe
tr