of
the Church, for all that he recurred himself to the imperial power against
him. He represented him to the Emperor Valentinian the Third as one who
rebelled both against the authority of the Apostolic See, and the majesty
of the Empire, and obtained of this prince, who was then at Rome, a
celebrated rescript, addressed to the Patrician Aetius, general of the
armies of the Empire, by which, under pretext of maintaining the peace of
the Church, he forbids undertaking any thing whatever without the authority
of the Apostolic See, or resisting its orders, which, says he, had always
been observed inviolably up to Hilarius. He orders all Bishops to hold as
law all that the authority of the Pope establishes, and all magistrates to
compel by force to appear before the tribunal of the Bishop of Rome all
persons cited thither, if they refused to go. It may be seen by what
happened about this time to Atticus, Metropolitan of Nicopolis, in Epirus,
how scandalous this employment of force was, and how opposed, according to
St. Leo himself, to the gentleness of the Church. Valentinian adds, that
the sentence given by St. Leo against St. Hilary, had no need of any one to
be executed in the Gauls, since the authority of so great a Pontiff has a
right to give any order to the Churches. He goes so far as to make it a
charge against St. Hilary, to have deposed and ordained Bishops without
consulting the Pope. He even names him a criminal of State on the score of
his being charged with having employed the force of arms to establish
Bishops, and to place them on a throne where they had only to preach peace.
This law is dated the 6th of June, 445, and it is this which fixes the time
of all this history. It is undoubtedly very proper, as says Baronius, to
show that the Emperors have greatly contributed to establish the greatness
and authority of the Popes. This is not the place to make other reflections
upon it; but we cannot forbear saying that, in the mind of those who have
any love for the liberty of the Church, and any knowledge of its
discipline, this law will always as little honour him whom it praises as it
will injure him whom it condemns. Pope Hilary quotes this law, and avails
himself of the authority it attributes to the decisions of Rome."[66] It
would be presumptuous to add a word to the judgment of one who has made the
first centuries of the Church his especial study. St. Hilary, on his return
to Arles, made many attempts to reco