eautified with
rhetorical ornaments and figures, but somewhat studied; and the length
of his periods renders him sometimes obscure to the unlearned,[10] as
St. Jerom takes notice.[11] It is observed by Dr. Cave, that all his
writings breathe an extraordinary vein of piety. Saint Hilary solemnly
appeals to God,[12] that he held it as the great work of his life, to
employ all his faculties to announce God to the world, and to excite all
men to the love of him. He earnestly recommends the practice of
beginning every action and discourse by prayer,[13] and some act of
divine praise;[14] as also to meditate on {142} the law of God day and
night, to pray without ceasing, by performing all our actions with a
view to God their ultimate end, and to his glory.[15] He breathes a
sincere and ardent desire of martyrdom, and discovers a soul {143}
fearless of death and torments. He had the greatest veneration for
truth, sparing no pains in its pursuit, and dreading no dangers in its
defence. The emperor Constantius, having labored for several years to
compel the eastern churches to embrace Arianism, came into the West: and
after the overthrow of the tyrant Magnentius, made some stay at Arles,
while his Arian bishops held a council there, in which they engaged
Saturninus, the impious bishop of that city, in their party, in 353. A
bolder Arian council at Milan, in 355, held during the residence of the
emperor in that city, required all to sign the condemnation of St.
Athanasius. Such as refused to comply were banished; among whom were St.
Eusebius of Vercelli, Lucifer of Cagliari, and St. Dionysius of Milan,
into whose see Auxentius, the Arian, was intruded. St. Hilary wrote on
that occasion his first book to Constantius, in which he mildly
entreated him to restore peace to the church. He separated himself from
the three Arian bishops in the West, Ursacius, Valens, and Saturninus,
and exhibited an accusation against the last in a synod at Beziers. But
the emperor, who had information of the matter from Saturninus, sent an
order to Julian, then Caesar, and surnamed afterwards the Apostate, who
at that time commanded in Gaul, for St. Hilary's immediate banishment
into Phrygia, together with St. Rhodanius, bishop of Toulouse. The
bishops in Gaul being almost all orthodox, remained in communion with
St. Hilary, and would not suffer the intrusion of any one into his see,
which in his absence he continued to govern by his priests. The saint
w