Book II. He begins with
the command to baptize all nations (St. Matt. xxviii. 19) as a summary of the faith; this by
itself would suffice were not explanations rendered necessary by
heretical misrepresentations of its meaning. For (§§ 3,
4) heresy is the result of Scripture misunderstood; and here we must
notice that Scripture is regarded as ground common to both sides.
All accept it as literally true, and combine its texts as will best
serve their own purposes.
Hilary, regarding all heresies as one combined opposition to the truth,
makes the two objections that their arguments are mutually destructive,
and that they are modern. Then in § 5 he expresses the awe
with which he approaches the subject. The language which he must
use is utterly inadequate, and yet he is compelled to use it. In
§§ 6, 7 he begins with the notion of God as Father; in
§§ 8–11 he proceeds to that of God the Son. He
states the faith as it must be believed; it is not enough (§§
12, 13) to accept the truth of Christ’s miracles. The
mystery, as it is revealed in St. John i. 1–4, must be the object of faith. In
§§ 14–21 he expounds this passage in the face of
current objections, and then triumphantly asserts that all the efforts
of heresy are vain (§ 22). He advances proof-texts in §
23 against each objector, and then points out in §§ 24, 25
our indebtedness to the infinite Divine condescension thus
revealed. For, in all the humiliation to which Christ stooped the
Divine Majesty was still inseparably His, and was manifested both in
the circumstances of His birth and in His life on earth (§§
26–28). The book concludes (§§ 29–35) with
a statement of the doctrine of the Holy Ghost, as perfect as in the
undeveloped state of that doctrine was possible.