Constantine was blinded, Irene banished, Nicephorus I., her successor, had fallen before the Bulgarians. Michael I. was driven from the throne, and Leo the Armenian became emperor in 813. He was an Iconoclast, and endeavoured both by artifices and open violence to establish that heresy. His first endeavour, however, was, by crafty suggestions, to gain over the holy patriarch to favour his design of destroying the sacred pictures and images which had resumed their places in the churches and streets, after the second council of Nicæa had sanctioned their use. But S. Nicephorus answered him, "We cannot change the ancient traditions: we respect holy images as we do the cross and the book of the gospels." For it must be observed that the ancient Iconoclasts venerated the book of the gospels, and the figure of the cross, though with singular inconsistency, they forbade the rendering of the like honour to holy images. The saint showed, that far from derogating from the supreme honour of God, we honour Him when we for His sake respect His angels, saints, prophets, and ministers; and also when we show reverence towards all such things as belong to His service, like sacred vessels, churches, and images. But the tyrant persisted in his error, and the first steps he took against images were marked by caution. He privately encouraged some soldiers to maltreat an image of Christ on a great cross at the brazen gate of the city; and then he ordered the image to be taken off the cross, pretending he did it to prevent a second profanation. S. Nicephorus saw the storm gathering, and spent most of his time in prayer, in company with several holy bishops and abbots. Shortly after, the emperor, having assembled certain Iconoclastic bishops in his palace, sent for the patriarch and his fellow-bishops.[46] They obeyed the summons, but entreated the emperor to leave the government of the Church to her pastors. Æmilian, 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 Sardis, said, "For these eight hundred years past, since the coming of Christ, there have been pictures of Him, and He has been honoured in them. Who shall now have the boldness to abolish so ancient a tradition?" S. Theodore of the Studium spoke after the bishops, and addressed the emperor, "My lord, do not disturb the order of the Church. God hath placed in it apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers.[47] You he hath entrusted with the care of the State; the Church hath he entrusted to the care of her Bishops." The emperor, in a rage, drove them from his presence. Some time after, the Iconoclast bishops held an assembly in the imperial palace, and cited the patriarch to appear before them. To their summons he returned this answer, "Who gave you this authority? If it was he who pilots the vessel of old Rome, I am ready. If it was the