S. Hilarii Episcopi Confessoris et Ecclesiæ Doctoris.

Nolíte fraudáre ínvicem, nisi forte ex consénsu ad tempus, ut vacétis oratióni: et íterum revertímini in idípsum, ne tentet vos sátanas propter incontinéntiam vestram. Hoc autem dico secúndum indulgéntiam, non secúndum impérium. Volo enim omnes vos esse sicut meípsum: sed unusquísque próprium donum habet ex Deo: álius quidem sic, álius vero sic. Dico autem non nuptis, et víduis: bonum est illis si sic permáneant, sicut et ego. Quod si non se cóntinent, nubant. Mélius est enim núbere, quam uri.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Defraud not one another, except, perhaps, by consent, for a time, that you may give yourselves to prayer; and return together again, lest Satan tempt you for your incontinency. But I speak this by indulgence, not by commandment. For I would that all men were even as myself: but every one hath his proper gift from God; one after this manner, and another after that. But I say to the unmarried, and to the widows: It is good for them if they so continue, even as I. But if they do not contain themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to be burnt.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Iis autem, qui matrimónio juncti sunt, præcípio non ego, sed Dóminus, uxórem a viro non discédere: quod si discésserit, manére innúptam, aut viro suo reconciliári. Et vir uxórem non dimíttat. Nam céteris ego dico, non Dóminus. Si quis frater uxórem habet infidélem, et hæc conséntit habitáre cum illo, non dimíttat illam. Et si qua múlier fidélis habet virum infidélem, et hic conséntit habitáre cum illa, non dimíttat virum: sanctificátus est enim vir infidélis per mulíerem fidélem, et sanctificáta est múlier infidélis per virum fidélem: alióquin fílii vestri immúndi essent, nunc autem sancti sunt.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

But to them that are married, not I but the Lord commandeth, that the wife depart not from her husband. And if she depart, that she remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. And let not the husband put away his wife. For to the rest I speak, not the Lord. If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she consent to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And if any woman hath a husband that believeth not, and he consent to dwell with her, let her not put away her husband. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife; and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband: otherwise your children should be unclean; but now they are holy.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Quadriénnio post coácto concílio ad Seleucíam Isúriæ urbem, Hilárius adésse compúlsus est: ac deínde Constantinópolim proféctus, ubi extrémum fídei perículum animadvértit, tribus libéllis públice datis, audiéntiam imperatóris popóscit, ut de fide cum adversáriis coram disputáret. Verum cum Ursácius et Valens Ariáni epíscopi, quos Hilárius scriptis confutárat, præséntis eruditiónem pertiméscerent, Constántio persuasérunt, ut spécie honóris eum in suum episcopátum restitúeret. Tunc Hilárium e prǽlio hæreticórum reverténtem, ut inquit sanctus Hierónymus, Galliárum ecclésia compléxa est: quem ad episcopátum secútus est Martínus, qui póstea Turonénsi prǽfuit ecclésiæ: tantúmque illo doctóre profécit, quantum ejus póstea sánctitas declarávit.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

In (the year 359,) the fourth of his exile, took place the Council of Seleucia in Isauria, at which Hilary was obliged to be present, but afterwards withdrew to Constantinople. Here he realised more sharply the awful nature of this crisis in the history of Christianity, published three pamphlets in the form of letters to the Emperor, and demanded from that Prince leave to hold a public disputation in his presence. The Arian Bishops Ursacius and Valens, whom Hilary had already confuted in writing, were afraid to meet him in debate, and therefore induced Constantius, under pretence of pardon, to send him back to his Bishopric, (in 360.) His mother, the Church of Gaul, to use the language of Jerome, received him with open arms on his return from the battle with the heretics. He was followed to Poitiers by Martin, afterwards Bishop of Tours, whose after holiness was a fruit of his teaching.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Magna deínceps tranquillitáte Pictavórum ecclésiam administrávit: Galliámque univérsam addúxit, ut Arianórum impietátem condemnáret. Multos libros scripsit mira eruditióne: quos omnes sanctus Hierónymnus ad Lætam, sine ulla erróris suspicióne legi posse testátur illis verbis: Hilárii libros inoffénso decúrrat pede. Migrávit in cœlum Idibus Januárii, Valentiniáno et Valénte imperatóribus, anno post Christum natum trecentésimo sexagésimo nono. Eum a multis Pátribus et concíliis insígnem Ecclésiæ Doctórem nuncupátum, atque uti talem in áliquot diœcésibus cultum, tandem instánte sýnodo Burdigalénsi Pius nonus Póntifex Máximus, ex sacrórum Rítuum Congregatiónis consúlto, universális Ecclésiæ Doctórem declarávit et confirmávit, ac ipsíus festo die Missam et Offícium de Doctóribus ab ómnibus recitári jussit.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

At the same time that the Hyades come bringing rain, the sun daily riseth higher in the heavens: thus do we, seeing the learning of the Doctors, and having our minds saturated with the rain of preaching, grow warmer in faith. And when the hot heavens shine fiery over her, the wet earth tendeth to harvest: thus do we, when the fire of holy learning burneth bright in our heart, tend to bring forth the fruit of good works. When, day by day, we learn more of the knowledge of heavenly things, a spring-time of inward light is opening within us, a new Sun is irradiating our mind, and, as we know Him better by the words of His Teachers, He doth daily Himself shine the more therein. As the end of the world groweth nearer, the knowledge of things heavenly will grow greater, and continue to develop with time.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Mérito ígitur sal terræ nuncupáti sunt, per doctrínæ virtútem saliéndi modo æternitáti córpora reservántes. ¶ Sed natúra salis semper éadem est, nec immutári umquam potest. Verum quia conversióni homo súbjacet, et solus beátus, qui usque ad finem in ómnibus Dei opéribus permánserit: ídeo eos sal terræ nuncupátos monet in tráditæ sibi potestátis virtúte persístere, ne infatuáti nihil sáliant, et ipsi, sensu accépti sapóris amísso, vivificáre corrúpta non possint, et projécti de Ecclésiæ promptuáriis, cum his quos salíerint, pédibus incedéntium proterántur.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Meetly then are they called salt, the savour of whose teaching doth keep sweet the receiver thereof even unto life everlasting. ¶ But the nature of salt is to be ever the same, and unchanging, and, on the other hand, the nature of man hath this weakness, to be changeable. He only is blessed who hath continued even unto the end in all the works which God hath commanded. Therefore doth the Lord warn them whom He calleth the salt of the earth, that they are behoven to remain strong in that strength which He hath given unto them, lest, becoming themselves savourless, they should be impotent to season others; losing the freshness of their own saltness, be unable to stop the corruption round about them; and so the Church cast them out of her buttery, and they and those that they should have salted, be together trodden under foot of such as enter in.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Felix Nolánus présbyter, cum in idóla veheméntius inveherétur, ab infidélibus várie vexátus, in cárcerem conjícitur. Unde ab Angelo nocte edúctus, quǽrere jussus est Maximiánum Nolæ epíscopum: qui cum sénio conféctus desperáret se ferre posse supplícia persequéntium, se abdíderat in silvam. Quo cum Felix Deo duce pervenísset, sanctum epíscopum humi jacéntem pene mórtuum videt: quem recreátum, ac sublátum in húmeros, apud fidélem víduam reficiéndum curávit. Sed cum is íterum idolórum cultóres impietátis argúeret, facto in ipsum ímpetu, fúgiens in angústo duórum paríetum intervállo se occultávit. Qui áditus cum repénte araneárum telis pertéxtus visus esset, némini recéntis látebræ suspiciónem relíquit. Inde ígitur evádens Felix, in ǽdibus piæ mulíeris tres menses látuit. Cum vero Dei Ecclésia requiéscere cœpísset, Nolam rédiens, multísque ibi vitæ exémplis, et doctrínæ præcéptis, miraculísque ad Christi fidem convérsis, constánter étiam recusáto ejus urbis episcopátu, obdormívit in Dómino, sepultúsque est prope Nolam in loco, quem in Pincis appellábant.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Felix was a Priest of Nola, who on account of his fiery zeal against idolatry, suffered much persecution from the heathens, and was cast into prison. From thence an angel delivered him by night, and bade him go to Maximian, Bishop of Nola. This Bishop, enfeebled by old age, had at length despaired of power to withstand the torments of the persecutors, and had hidden, himself in a wood. Thither came Felix, by the will of God, and found the holy bishop lying half-dead upon the ground. He succoured him, and carried him upon his shoulders to the house of an holy widow. On another occasion, Felix, having again provoked the anger of the devil-worshippers, became an object of their pursuit, from which he hid himself in a narrow place between two walls. Hardly had he entered, when some spiders wove their webs across the entrance, which the enemy perceiving, concluded that no man had entered, and passed by. After leaving this hiding-place, Felix lay for three months in the house of an holy woman. After the Lord gave peace to His Church, the Saint returned to Nola, where he turned many to Christ by his life, his preaching, and his miracles. He steadily refused to accept the Bishopric, fell asleep in the Lord, and was buried at Nola in the place called The Pines.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.