His teaching and writings converted many, including Saint Florence of Poitiers , and in an attempt to reduce his notoriety he was returned to the small town of Poitiers where his enemies hoped he would fade into obscurity.
His writings continued to convert pagans. He introduced Eastern theology to the Western Church , fought Arianism with the help of Saint Viventius , and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in When I look at your heavens, according to my own lights, with these weak eyes of mine, I am certain with reservation that they are your heavens.
The stars circle in the heavens, reappear year after year, each with a function and service to fulfill. Hilary was raised as a pagan. Pagans worshipped many gods. That did not make sense to Hilary. He thought that there could only be one true God. To learn more, Hilary read the Scriptures. He was baptized and became a Christian. The heresy spread rapidly.
While writing in exile, he was invited by some semi-Arians hoping for reconciliation to a council the emperor called to counteract the Council of Nicea. But Hilary predictably defended the Church, and when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians, dreading the meeting and its outcome, pleaded with the emperor to send this troublemaker back home.
Hilary was welcomed by his people. Like many other early Church Fathers, he came to accept the truth of the Bible by recognizing its compatibility with philosophy and the sciences. This was a gradual process for him, however, and it was not until — by which time he was already married, and had a daughter— that Hilary committed himself to full membership in the Catholic Church by receiving baptism with the rest of his family.
His rise within the Church, however, was not gradual at all: around , the people of Poitiers called for him to be made their bishop. By its nature, the position involved tremendous responsibility, as well as significant personal sacrifice. While the early church permitted some married men to become bishops, they were traditionally required to practice celibacy within marriage, and many adopted a radically simplified lifestyle akin to monasticism.
There are indications that Hilary followed this ascetic path, once ordained. Moreover, Hilary's election as the Bishop of Poitiers coincided with the second wave of the Church's first great doctrinal controversy, in which he would play a significant role. Constantius II did not likely suspect that by banishing Hilary to Phrygia he would inspire the bishop to mount an even greater defense of orthodox theology. Remarkably, this staunchly Orthodox bishop also showed great charity toward those he believed were honestly mistaken.
He worked closely with groups of clergy and faithful whose formulations of dogma he perceived to be merely imperfect or imprecise, but not intentionally heretical, to support what was correct in their understanding and lead them into full adherence with tradition.
Once exiled for opposing Arianism in Gaul, he lived to see it squarely condemned in the local church after his return.
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