The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints. January, February, MarchButler, Alban
Religion
The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Other Principal Saints. January, February, March
Butler, Alban
Christian patron saints -- Biography; Christian saints -- Biography
humility, modesty, greatness of soul, constancy, invincible
meekness, and love of peace, shine forth. In this work he mollifies
certain expressions of the Semi-Arians in their councils, because
writing before the council of Rimini, he endeavored to gain them by
this method, whereas he at other times severely condemned the same;
as did also St. Athanasius, in his book on the same subject, and
under the same title, which he composed after the council of Rimini;
and expressly to show the variations of those heretics. (See
Coutant, vit. S. Hilar. p. c. ci. et praef. in S. Hilar. de Synodis,
p. 1147.) Fifteen fragments of St. Hilary's history of the councils
of Rimini and Seleucia furnish important materials for the history
of Arianism, particularly of the council of Rimini. In his first
book to the emperor Constantius, which he wrote in 355 or 356, he
conjures that prince with tears to restore peace to the church, and
leave the decision of ecclesiastical causes to its pastors. The
excellent request which he presented to Constantius at
Constantinople, in 360, is called his second book to that prince.
The third book ought to be styled, with Coutant, Against
Constantius: for in it St. Hilary directs it to the Catholics, (n. 2
and 12) though he often uses an apostrophe to Constantius. The saint
wrote it five years after the council of Milan, in 355, as he
testifies; consequently in 360, after that prince had rejected his
second request; but it was only published after the death of that
emperor, in the following year, as is clear from St. Jerom: He says
Constantius, by artifices and flattery, was a more dangerous
persecutor than Nero and Decius: he tells him, "Thou receivest the
priests with a kiss, as Christ was betrayed by one: thou bowest thy
head to receive their blessing, that thou mayest trample on their
faith: thou entertainest them at thy table, as Judas went from table
to betray his master." Fleury (l. 14, n. 26) bids us observe, in
these words, with what respect emperors then treated bishops. St.
Hilary in his elegant book against Auxentius, gives the catholics an
account of his conferences with that heretic at Milan in 364.
14. In Ps. 64.
15. In Ps. 1, p. 19, 20.
16. Lib. 7, de Trinit. n. 4, p. 917.
17. Lib. 6, n. 37, 38, p. 904.
18. In Ps. 131, n. 4, p. 447, in cap. 16, Matt. n. 7, p. 690.
19. Lib. 11, de Trinit. n. 3.
20. Lib. 3, adv. Constant. n. 8, p. 1243, Ed. Ben.
21. This letter is commended by the most judicious critics, Baronius,
Tillemont, Fleury, and Coutant, a monk of the congregation of St.
Maur, in his edition of the works of St. Hilary, and others. The
style is not pompous, but adapted to the capacity of a girl of
thirteen years of age.
22. Facta est fides temporum, potius quam evangellorum, l. 2, ad Const.
p. 1227. Tot nunc fides existere, quot voluntates, ib. Annuas atque
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account