Gregorius of Armenia {Gregory Uluminator ; Greek Photistes, Armenian Lusawoi'ich), first bishop of Armenia and apostle of Christianity in that country (3d century). Others had preached there before him, but he was the first to organize Christianity thorough- ly. Accurate information about him is wanting. The Bollandists {.Acta Sanctorum, September, vol. viii) give a life of him professedly written by his contemporary, Agathangelus, but it is clearly spurious. He is the author of several Homilies, which have been published by the Mekhitarists (Venice, 1837). His name is held in just veneration in the Eastern churches, and he is also a saint in the Roman Calendar, Sept. 30. The United Armenians in Constantinople claim to possess his relics, which in August, 1869, were transferred from one church to another. — Hoefer, Nouvelle Biogr. Generale, xxi, 863 (where the traditional account is fulh' given); Mosheim, Church History, ii, 225 ; Malan, Life and Times of Gregory Illuminator (London, 1868). See Armenia.
Gregorius of B^tica, bishop of Illiberis (Elvira in the ancient Bfetica, now Andalusia), 4th century. He is mentioned by Jerome {Chronicon, anno 371) as a vigorous opponent of the Arians, who persecuted him, and strove, but without success, to drive him from his see. Gregory wrote several works, and among them a treatise de Fide, which Jerome styles elegans libellus. The treatise de Fide contra A rianos, which is given as Gregory's in some editions of the fathers, is by Faus- tinus (q. v.). — Tillemont, Memoires, x, 727.
Gregory of Heimburg, one of the boldest op- ponents of papal encroachments in his time, was born at Wurzburg in the early part of the 15th century. He studied in the University of Wurzburg, and took the degree of LL.D. about 1430. We next find him at the Council of Basle in company with iEneas Sylvius (afterwards pope Pius II), who, as appears from his letter to Heimburg in Goldast's Monarchia S. Rom, Imperii (vol. ii, p. 16.32 sq.), fully appreciated the char- acter and talents of his colleague. iEneas took Greg- ory as his secretarj'^, and the two opposed very suc- cessfully the papal encroachments on the domain of the temporal power. Heimburg, however, soon re- tired to Nuremberg, where he was elected syndic, and acquired such reputation that all important questions in civil or ecclesiastical law were referred to his arbi- tration. His relations with iEneas Sj'lvius changed in proportion as the latter rose in the Church, and when he was finally raised to the see of Rome, the friends found themselves in complete oppositioa to
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each other. When pope Eugene IV deposed Thao- doric, archbishop of Cologne, and Jacob, archbishop of Treves, on account of the firmness with wliich they carried out the principles of the Council of Basle, the (iernian electors sent Heimburg at the head of a depu- tation to the pope. He spoke courageously against the usurpations of the Koman see. Eugene answered that he would send an answer "worthy of himself." This answer did not satisfy the deputation, and, on their return to Frankfort, they gave an unfavorable account of their mission, while Gregory, about the same time, wrote his most remarkable works against the papac\-, entitled Adinonitio de injustis usurpaiion- ibus Paparum Rom. ad Imperatores, reges el principes Chrhlinnos, sive Confutatio Piimatus Papce (in Goldast, Monurchia S. Rom. Imperii, i, 557). In this work he censures the usurpations of the papacy in the strongest terms, substantiating his reproofs by Scripture and history. Gregory then entered the service of the grand duke Sigismund of Austria, and in this position continued to urge war against the papacy, soon after represented by Pius II. The latter, when ascending the jiapal chair, had formed the plan of engaging Ger- many in a crusade, and in this view convoked a meet- ing of the German princes at Mantua. Heimburg ap- peared at it as representative of Sigismund, and suc- cessfully opposed the project of Pius, who never for- gave him for it. I'le soon found an opportunity for revenge. Cardinal Nicholas, of Cusa, also a former friend of Heimburg, was appointed bishop of Brixen, against the wishes of Sigisminul. Difficulties arose between them, and Sigismund took the bishop prison- er. Pius II immediately (Jime 1, 1460) excommuni- cated the grand duke, who appealed to a general coun- cil by the intermediation of Gregory-, Aug. lo, 14G0 (see Goldast, as above, ii, 157G), and caused the appeal to be posted on the door of a number of churches through- out Italy. Gregory of Heimburg posted it himself on the doors of the church in Florence, and was imme- diately excommunicated also. Pius II even sent a brief to the magistrates of Nuremberg, Oct. 18, 14G0, demanding that Gregory should be secured at any cost. The latter appealed to a future council (see Goldast, as above, p. 1592), showing how the pope abused his pow- er, and slrongh' defending the proposition that a coun- cil is superior to the pope, and that therefore an ap- peal to a general council is legal. The apostolic refer- endary, Theodoras Liilius, bishop of Feltri, wrote a refutation of Gregory's appeal (Goldast, p. 1505% but the latter answered him triumphantly in his Apolor/ia contrii detractationes et hlasphemlas Tkeod. La'lii (Gol- dast, p. 14G1). Against Nicholas of Cusa, whom he ac- cused of having deserted his former principles, ho wrote a vigorous attack in his Invectwa in Rever. Pa- trem, Dom. Nicointm de Cusa (Goldast, p. 1G2G). In the mean time, Diether, archl)ishop of Jlcntz, had also been arbitrarily deposed bj- Pius II in 14G1, when hard- ly installed in office ; Gregory of Heimburg imme- diately took up his defence, but he soon found himself entirely unsui)ported. Sigismund made his peace with Pius by the mediation of the pmi)eror Frederick, and obtained alisolution in 14G4 ; Dictlier submitted to tiie pope, and renounced his archbishopric. Gregorj' then retired to Bohemia, where he continued to make war against the pope under the protection of George Po- diebrad, for whom he wrote several controversial es- says (in Erschenlor, Gesch. von Breslan, pul). by Ku- risch, Hreslau, 1827). After the deatii of his jiroteetor he fixed liis residence at Dresden, and, by the media- tion of duke Albert, ol)tained absolution from pope Sixtus IV in 1472. He soon afterwards died (Aug. 1472), and was buried in the Clmrch of Sophia, in Dresden. His collected works were puldished under the title Scnpfn nervosa justiticnqnr plena, ex inanu- scriptis nunc primnm eritta (Prcft. 1608). > Sec Hagen, in the Zcitschr'ifl Brnga (Heidelberg, 18.S9, ii, 414 sq.) ; \j\\ini.\nn, Reformaloren vor d.ReJormation (Hamburg,