St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1, 5 January 1905, Page 31

St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor.

St. Hilary was the scian of a noble family of Poitiers, France, and was born between 320 anti 325. lie received .his scientific education in his native town and in Bordeaux, wiiere he more especially applied himself to talie fctludy of r/hetoric. The more he saw of the profligate life of this fellow-citizen's, tihe more his noble soul was filled with disgust and lionged after the knowledge of ttriuth. The perusal of Holy Scripture freed him from all the doluMs which heathen philosophy hati raised in his mind, and together with his wife and daughter he embraced Christianity in 350. On account of his holy hfo, both the clergy and people demanded his elevation to the bistapric of Poitiers, and he was consecrated sWiorUy qeßore 355. Thencefortji he lived a life of oontinency, devotiag himself entirely to his episcopal d,utios. His uimctompromising opposition to Ariiahism, favored by ifke EmJperor Const^ntius, caused him to be Vanished by fbat prince to Phrypjia. But as his influence here seemeid to be still more dreaided by the Arians, he was! alliowed, in 359, to return to his bijflibpric, where he by ward and writing, and especially by mieaJns of sy,no|d|s, to combat Arianism with such Success tliat he ciaJ.iS'eJd the Gallican bishops completely to renjoumce it. Tr\ue, he was not able to gain over Auxentilus, Bi.-,hicyp of Milajn, which city was the stronghplld of Airi^aism, Hit 'he forced him to lie miore cautious. The fettcT years of his life were spent in quietude, occupied with exegeticb.l labors. He died at Poitiers, January 13, 366.