As a theologian, Gregory shows marks of the power- ful influence of Origen. As to the Trinity, be ear- nestly defended the Nicene doctrines (Oraiiones, 27- 31), and vindicated, against the ApoUinarians, the hu- manity of Christ. In common with nearh' all theolo- gians before Augustine, he maintained side by side the doctrines of the necessity of grace and the freedom of the human will.
The first edition of the Worlds of Gregory is that of Basle (1550, fol.) : it contains the Greek text, a Lat- in version, and the life of Gregor}' by Suidas and by Gregory the Presbyter. This edition is not much es- teemed. A better is that of Billius (Paris, 1C09-11, 2 vols, fol.; reprinted cum not is Prunci Morelli, etc., Paris, 1630, 2 vols. fol. ; and again at Cologne, 1690, 2 vols, fol.), badly edited, and abounding in errors. The best edition is that of the Benedictines (Paris, vol. i, fol. edited by Clemenoet, 1778 ; vol. ii, edited by Cail- lau, fol. 1840). It is also given in Jligne's Patrologicp Curs, Complet. vols, xxxv-xxxviii (Paris, fol., v. v.). Many of his writings have been published separately. His Oration on the Xntivity, and a number of his po- ems, are given in English by H. S. Boyd, The Fathers
not Papists (new cd. Lond. 1834, 8vo). A selection of his works was published liy Goldhorn (Leips. 1854). The best view of the life and theology of Gregorj' is to be found in Ullmann, Gregorius von Nazianz (Darmst. 1825. 8vo) ; translated, but, unfortunately, without the dogmatical part, by G. V. Cox (Lond. 1857, 18mo). See Fabricius, Bibl. Gr(tca, viii, 383-389 ; Tillemont, Mem. pour servir, etc., t. ix ; Neander, Ch. History, ii, 120; Neander, History of Dogmas, p. 262, 403 ; Lardner, Works, iv, 285 sq. ; Clarke, Succession of Sacred Liter- ature, i, 308 (where the Orations are analj'zed) ; Baur, Lehre von d. Dreiiinigkiit, i, 648; Schaff, Hist, of the Christian Church, iii, 908 sq. ; Bohringer, Kirche Chrisii inEiographieen, i, 2, 369 ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxi, 837-846.
Gregorius Neo-Caesariensis, or Thauma- turgus, received the latter surname from the miracles ascribed to him. His proper name was Theodorus. He was born in the 3d century, of rich and noble pa- rents, at Neo-C;esarea, in Pontus. He was educated very carefully in the learning and religion of Pagan- ism by his father, who was a warm zealot; but losing this parent at fourteen years of age, his inclinations led him to Christianity. Having studied the law for some time at Alexandria and Athens, he accompanied his sister to Ca;sarea, and there became the pupil of Ori- gen, about A.D. 234. He continued five years under his tuition, during which he learned logic, phj'sics, ge- ometry, astronomj% and ethics, and, what was of infi- nitely greater consequence, the knowledge of the true God and tlie Christian Scriptures. When Gregory re- turned to his native country he devoted himself to a private and retired life, but Phedimus, bishop of Ama- sea, ordained him bishop of Neo-Ca;sarea, in which, and the whole neighborhood, there were only seventeen Christians. Gregorj' Nyssen, who has written an ac- count of his life, saj's he was more perfectly instructed in the Christian doctrine by a vision from heaven, in which he heard and saw the Virgin Mary and St. John discoursing together of the Christian faith! When they disappeared, he wrote down carefully all the}' spoke, which, as Nyssen sa^'s, was preserved in Greg- ory's own handwriting in the church of Keo-Cifisarea in his time. There are other legends of miracles wrought by him, among them the following : On his wa}' to take possession of his unpromising bishopric he was benighted, and obliged, through the inclemenc}' of the weather, to take up his lodging in a heathen tem- ple, the dsemon of which had iieen very remarkable for his frequent appearances to the priest, and for the ora- cles which he delivered. Gregory and his companions departed from this place early in the morning, after whicli the priest performed the usual rites, but the dae- mon answered that "he could appear no more in that place, because of him who had lodged there the preced- ing night." The pagan priest besought Gregory' to bring the daemon back. The saint laid on the altar a piece of paper, on which he had written, " Gregory to Satan — enter." The devils returned, and the pagan, as- tonished, was converted to Christianity. When Greg- orj' arrived at the city a vast crowd of people came to- gether, to whom he preached the gospel, and numbers were converted. As the number of believers increased daily, he formed the design of liuilding a cliurch, which was soon effected, all cheerfully contributing both by labor and monej'. This was probably the first church ever erected for the sole purpose of Christian worship. After having converted all the Neo-Casareans except seventeen persons, he died full of faith and the Holy Spirit, rejoicing that he left no more unbelievers in the city than he found Christians at the commencement of his ministry. In the year 264 he attended at the synod at Antioch, where Paul of Samosata made a feigned recantation of his heretical opinions. Gregory died most probably in the following j^ear, certainly be- tween A.D. 265 and 270. The many accounts of mir- acles ascribed to him do not rest upon the authority of