As a theologian, Gregory had great reputation in his age. His theologj' shows independent and original thought, but contains many of the ideas of Origen. He maintained the Nicene doctrine of the Trinity, tlie doc- trine of Kedemption, the freedom of the will, faith as the subjective, and the sacraments as the objective means of grace. His style is very imeven. He was an abundant writer, but his abundance too often de- generated into ditFuseness ; his style drags ; his illus- trations are often in cjuestionable taste, and, being too fully developed, fatigue the reader. When attempt- ing to be refined, he becomes subtile, and his grander passages border on bombast ; j'et his works contain manj- passages full of elevated views and true beaut}', and animated by a warmth of feeling reaching even to enthusiasm. An analj'sis of his writings may be found in Clarke, /Succession of Sac. Lit. i, 354 sq. ; and in Du- pin, Hist, of Eccl. Writers, cent. iv. They may be di-
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vided into, 1. Doctrinal (chiefly relating to the Arian controversy), 2. Exegetical ; 3. Practical treatises; 4. Discourses ; 5. Epistles and Panegyrics. Many of these have beea published in separate editions. The first edition of his collected Works appeared at Cologne (1537, fol.), then at Basle (15G2, 1571), and at Paris (1573 and 1G03). Fronton le Due gave the first Greek and Latin edition (Paris, 1G15, 2 vols. fol. ; an Appendix in 1 vol. fol. appeared in 1G18). This edition was re- printed in 1638 (edited by Gretzer, 3 vols. fol.). It is handier, but not so neat and correct as that of 1615. New editions in Migne's Patrol. Grcec. vols, xliv-xlvi (Par. 1846) , also by Oehler (Hal. Sax. 1865 sq.). The oration against Arius and Sabellius, and that against the Macedonians, is in Mai's iSoipf. Vet. nova coll. vol. vili, and in vol. iv of the Nova Putrum Bihliotheca (Kom. 1847). Ceillier gives a long catalogue of the separate editions of Gregory's writings in Hist. Gene- rale des Auteurs Sacres, vi, 110 sq. (Paris, 1860). Re- cent issues are, Gregorius Nyssenus, Dial, de anima et resurrectione, ed. Krabinger (Leips. 1837, 8vo) ; Ora- tiones Catechet. ed. Krabinger (Munich, 1838, 8vo); Ora- tiones de Precatione, edit. Krabinger (Landshut, 1840, 8vo). See Dupin, Eccl. Writers, cent, iii ; Hook, Eccl. Biog. vol. V ; Neander, Ch. History, ii, 413 sq. ; Lard- ner, Works, v, 295 sq. ; Cave, Hist. Lit. i, 249 ; Tille- mont, Mcmoires, t. ix ; Rupp, Gregorys von Nyssa Lehen iind Meinungen (Leips. 1834, 8vo) ;• Heyns, Disjniiatio de Gregorio Nysseno (Leyden, 1835, ito); Hoefer, A'b?(t\ Biog. Generale, xxi, 846; Fabricius, Bibl. Grmca, edit. Harles, ix, 98 ; Bohringer, Kirche Ckristi in Biograph. i, 2, 275 ; Moller, Greg. Nyss. doctrinam de hominis na- tiira, etc. (Halle, 1854).
Gregorius Syracusanus (Gregory of Sicily, and surnained Asbestas), was born about 820, and be- came bishop of Syracuse about 845. In consequence, it is said, of tlie invasion of the Arabs, he went to Con- stantinople soon after his appointment, for he was there in 847, when Ignatius was chosen patriarch. Gregory had strenuouslj'' opposed this election, and he tiien re- tired with some other prelates, who, taking his part, created a schism against Ignatius. The latter, in re- turn, deposed Gregorj' in a council held at Constanti- nople in 854, under the plea of profligacj\ The depo- sition was confirmed by pope Benedict III. When Photius took the place of Ignatius, who was deposed in 858, he caused himself to be consecrated by Gregory, thus openl}^ recognising his ecclesiastical character in spite of his deposition. They were both anathema- tized bj' the council held at Rome in 863, and thus the schism between the two churches was completed. Un- der these circumstances, the accusation of immorality preferred against Gregory by Roman Catholic writers is to be received with great caution. Photius appoint- ed him bishop of Nicsea in Bithynia in 878. He died about 880. Some have considered him as the "Gre- gorius archiepiscopus Sicilice" mentioned by Allatius {De Methodiorum Scriptis, in the Conviiium decern Vir- ginum Sti Mcthodii Martyris, Rome, 1656) as having written an " Gratia longa in S. Melhodium." See Mongitor, Bibliotheca Sicula, i, 263; Cave, Hist. Litt. ii, 40, 76 ; Jager, Histoire de Photius, i, 1 ; ii ; Smith, Diet, of Gr. and Rom. Biog. and Myth, ii, 310 ; Hoofer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, xxi, 877.
Gregorius Turonensis {Gregory of Tours'), an eminent prelate and scholar of the Gtli centur}', call- ed " the father of French history," was born of a noble family in Auvergne, A.D. 540, educated by his uncle, the bishop of Clermont. He was ordained dea- con in 569, and bishop of Tours 573. He M-as strenu- ous in upholding the orthodox faith, and, though twen- ty-two years a bishop, he was only fifty-five years old when he died, A.D. 595. He was a man of active mind and hal)its, and much engaged in the theological disputes of the time. His trreat work, Annales Fran- coritm {History of the French), is as barbarous in style
as it is full of credulity in narration : it begins at the creation, and comes down to his own times (Paris, 1552 ; Basil. 8vo, 1568 ; Paris, 1610, 8vo ; but the best edition is that edited by Du Chesne in his Script. Franc, torn, i, Paris, 1636). He wrote also Miraculorum lihri vii {Seven Books of Miracles), of which the first contains an account of the miracles of some of the primitive Christians as well as of Christ ; the second, the miracles of St. Justin ; the. four next, the miracles of St. Martin of Tours ; the seventh, the lives of some monks, and an account of the Seven Sleepers. While these writings show an honest simplicit}' on the part of Gregory, they manifest also his excessive credulity. The best edi- tion of his collected works is Greg. Opera, ed. liuinart (Paris, 1699, fol.). Tlie Historia Francoruni is given in the Bib. Max. Patrol, vol. xi, in Pertz, Monumenta Germanin hisiorica, in a new German version, Kirchl. Geschichte d. Franken (Wiirzburg, 1853, 18mo), and by Giescbrecht (Berl. 1851, 2 vols.). See Lobell, Gregor. V. Tours und seine Zeit (Leips. 1835, 8 vo ; 2d edit. 1867) ; Kries, de Greg. Turon.vita et scriptis (Vrat. 1839, 8vo) ; Mosheim, Church History, cent, vi, pt. ii, ch. ii, note 42; Clarke, Success. Sacred Literatine, ii, 344; Nean- der, C%.//is^ vol. iii ; Dupin, ^cc^ei'. Writers, t. v.; Hist. Litt. de la France, iii, 372 ; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gener, xxi, 856.