From The Lives of the Popes from the Time of our Saviour Jesus Christ to the Accession of Gregory VII. Written Originally in Latin by B. Platina, Native of Cremona, and translated into English (from an anonymous translation, first printed in 1685 by Sir Paul Rycaut), Edited by William Benham, Volume I, London: Griffith, Farran, Okeden & Welsh, [1888, undated in text]; pp. 26-27.
The Lives of the Popes,
BY
B. Platina
Volume I.
ST HYGINUS.
A.D. 139-143.
HYGINUS, an Athenian, son of a philosopher, succeeded Telesphorus, during the empire of Antoninus Pius, whose extraordinary merit compels me to add something farther in his praise, before I come to give an account of Hyginus. He was so far from the vanity of valuing himself upon the glory of his arms, that he made it his business rather to defend the provinces of the empire, than to increase them; and had often that saying of Scipio in his mouth, that he had rather save one citizen than destroy a thousand enemies: being herein of a quite contrary temper to that of Domitian, who, from a consciousness of his own cruelty, did so hate and fear a multitude, that he would expose the Roman army to the fury of its enemies, on purpose that it might return home thinner and less formidable. Moreover, Pius was so famous for his justice, that several princes and nations did at his command cease their hostilities, making him the arbitrator of their differences, and standing to his determination as to the justice of their pretensions. For these admirable qualities, the Romans after his much lamented death, in honour to his memory, appointed cirque shows, built a temple, and constituted a Flamen, with an order called by his name.
At this time Hyginus prudently settled and confirmed the several orders and degrees of the clergy; and ordained the solemn consecration of churches, the number of which he would not have increased or diminished without leave of the metropolitan or bishop. He forbade also that the timber or other materials prepared for the building any church should be converted to profane uses; yet allowing that, with the bishop’s consent, they might be made use of towards the erecting any other church or religious house. He likewise ordained that at least one godfather or one godmother should be present at baptism; and that no metropolitan should condemn or censure any bishop of his province, until the cause were first heard and discussed by the other bishops of the province; though some make this latter an institution of Pelagius, not Hyginus. In his time lived Polycarp, a disciple of St John the Apostle, and by him made Bishop of Smyrna; 27 the most celebrated man for religion and learning in all Asia. He, coming to Rome, reduced to the orthodox faith multitudes who had been seduced into the errors of Marcion and Valentinus; the former of which by chance meeting him, and asking whether he knew him, Polycarp answered, that he knew him to be the first-born of the devil. For this heretic denied the Father of our blessed Saviour to be God, the Creator, who by His Son made the world. But afterwards, in the time of M. Antoninus and L. Aurelius Commodus, who raised the fourth persecution, Polycarp was burnt at Smyrna by order of the proconsul. Melito, also an Asian, Bishop of Sardis, and a disciple of Fronto the orator, presented to M. Antoninus a book written in defence of the Christian doctrine. Tertullian highly extols his parts, and says that most of the Christians looked upon him as a prophet. Moreover, Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch, wrote a book against the heresy of Hermogenes, who asserted an uncreated eternal matter, co-eval to God himself. As for Hyginus himself, having deserved well of the church, and at three Decembrian ordinations made fifteen presbyters, five deacons, six bishops, he died, and was buried in the Vatican, by St Peter, January 11. He was in the chair four years, three months, four days. The see was then vacant four days.
Previous Pope: 9. St. Telephorus. 10. St. Hyginus. Next Pope: 11. St. Pius I.