(St.), bishop of Milan, one of the most eminent fathers of the fourth century, born in Gaul in the year 333, according to Dr Cave, or in 340, as Mr Du Pin affirms. His father was at this time praefectus praetorio in Gaul; and resided at Arles, the capital of Gallia Narbonensis. The birth of Ambrose is said to have been followed with a remarkable preface of his future eloquence; for we are told, that a swarm of bees came and settled upon his mouth as he lay in his cradle. He soon made himself master of the several parts of secular learning; and pleaded causes before Probus with so much eloquence, that he was appointed his assessor, and soon after governor of the provinces of Liguria and Aemilia. He settled at Milan; where, in the year 374, upon the death of Auxentius bishop of that city, there being a great contest between the Catholics and Arians concerning the choice of a new bishop, Ambrose thought it his duty, as governor, to go to the church, in order to compose the tumult. He accordingly addressed himself to the people in a gentle pathetic speech, exhorting them to proceed to their choice in a calm and friendly manner: while he was speaking to them, the whole assembly cried out with one voice, "Let Ambrose be bishop!" Such a sudden and unexpected incident surprized him extremely; so that he retired immediately, and used every method to divert them from their resolution of choosing him: but at last he was obliged to comply; and was baptized (being but a catechumen before), and ordained bishop, towards the latter end of the year 374, or beginning of 375.

About the year 377, the barbarous nations making an incursion into the Roman empire, he fled to Illyricum, and afterwards to Rome. In the year 384, he was sent to the tyrant Maximus, who had usurped the empire, and prevailed upon him not to pass over into Italy. The heathens being encouraged by these intestine commotions in the empire, attempted to restore their religion, and employed Q. Aurelius Symmachus, prefect of Rome, a man of great eloquence, to plead their cause. This gave rise to the famous contest between St Ambrose and him, about repairing the altar of Victory. But Symmachus having lost his cause, was expelled the city, and commanded not to approach within a hundred miles of it. The petition which he presented to the emperor Valentinian the younger, is still extant; we find in it the strongest figures of rhetoric and the greatest force of eloquence. St Ambrose wrote a confutation of this petition; but he has been thought guilty of many paradoxisms: and yet he protests, "that he endeavoured only after the solidity of reasoning, leaving Symmachus all the glory of eloquence and politeness; it being (says he) the peculiar privilege of the pagan philosophers to amuse the mind with colours as false as their idols; and to say great things, not being capable of saying true ones." Ambrose met with a good deal of opposition from the Arians, against whom he acted with great spirit and intrepidity. Juliana the empress and mother of Valentinian, who was an Arian, resolving to restore Arianism at Milan, began with demanding of St Ambrose one of the churches, which was called the Portian church: but he refused it; and the people surrounding the palace in a body, she was obliged to leave him in possession of his church, and even desire him to pacify the people.

Ambrose was a second time sent to the tyrant Maximus, for Valentinian found no person so proper to negotiate with him. He spoke to him with great courage and boldness, but could obtain nothing; for Maximus soon after marched into Italy, and made himself master of the western empire: so that Valentinian was obliged to retire, with his mother Juliana and his foster Galla, to Thessalonica in Illyricum, in order to desire Theodosius's alliance; who defeated Maximus, and restored Valentinian to the empire.

While Theodosius continued in Italy, after the defeat of Maximus, an insurrection happened at Thessalonica, in which several of the magistrates were stoned, and their bodies dragged along the streets. Theodosius being informed of this, rashly commanded a certain number of the inhabitants to be put to death promiscuously; Ambrose, cuously; by which means the city was filled with the blood of many innocent persons, and amongst the rest several strangers who were but just come there; no regard was had to any distinction of persons, no form of trial was observed; but they were cut down like corn in the harvest, as Theodoret expresses it, to the number of 7000. At this time an assembly of bishops was held at Milan, who all expressed an abhorrence of such cruelty in the emperor. Ambrose wrote a letter to him, in which he represented the enormity of his crime, and exhorted him to make satisfaction by a sincere submission and repentance. Some time after, Theodosius coming to Milan, went to receive the sacrament at the great church; where Ambrose meeting him at the door, denied him entrance, and represented his guilt in the most forcible and pathetic terms. The emperor was struck with his words, and with great uneasiness of mind returned to his palace; but about a year after, Ambrose, being convinced of the sincerity of his repentance, admitted him into the church.

In 392, Valentinian the emperor being assassinated by the contrivance of Argobastes, and Eugenius usurping the empire, Ambrose was obliged to leave Milan; but he returned the year following, when Eugenius was defeated. He died at Milan the 4th of April 397; being 57 years of age, according to Mr Du Pin and some other writers; but Dr Cave and Olearius say that he was 64 years old at his death. He was buried in the great church at Milan. He wrote several works, the most considerable of which is that De Officiis. He is concise and sententious in his manner of writing, and full of turns of wit; his terms are well chosen, and his expressions noble; he diversifies his subject by an admirable copiousness of thought and language; he is very ingenious in giving an easy and natural turn to every thing which he treats of, and is not without strength and pathos when there is occasion for it. This is part of the character which Du Pin gives him as a writer; but Erasmus observes that he has many quaint and affected sentences, and frequently very obscure ones; and it is certain that his writings are intermixed with many strange and peculiar opinions. Paulinus wrote his life, and dedicated it to St Augustine; this life is prefixed to St Ambrose's works; the best edition of which is reckoned to be that published by the Benedictine monks, in two volumes in folio, at Paris, in 1686 and 1690.

Ambrose (Isaac), an eminent presbyterian minister, was educated at Brazen-nose college Oxford, where he took the degree of bachelor of arts, and became minister of Preston, and afterwards of Garfing in Lancashire, where he was in 1662 ejected for non-conformity. It was usual with him to retire every year for a month into a little hut in a wood; where he shunned all society, and devoted himself to religious contemplation. Dr Calamy observes, that he had a very strong impulse on his mind of the approach of death, and took a formal leave of his friends at their house a little before his departure; and the last night of his life he sent his discourse concerning angels to the press. The next day he shut himself up in his parlour, where, to the great surprize and regret of all who saw him, he was found just expiring. He died in 1663-4, in the 72nd year of his age. He wrote several other books; as the Prima, Media, et Ultima, or the First, Middle, and Last Things; War with Ambrosia devils; Looking unto Jesus; &c.

St Ambrose in the Wood, an order of religious, who use the Ambrosian office, and wear an image of that faint engraven on a little plate; in other respects, they conform to the rule of the Augustins. See Ambrosian Office, and Augustins.