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 GREGORY

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GREGORY

advanced by the Emperor (Iratian to the dignity of Emperor of the East. Constantinople, tlie seat of his empire, had been for the space of about thirty years (since the death of the saintly and martyred Bishop Paul) practically given over to Arianism, with an Arian prelate, Demophilus, enthroned at St. Sophia's. The remnant of persecuted Catholics, without either church or pastor, applied to Gregory to come and place himself at their head and organize their scattered forces; and many bishops supported the demand. After much hesitation he gave his consent, proceeded to Constantinople early in the year 379, and began his mission in a private house which he describes as " the new Shiloh where the Ark was fi.xed ' ', and as " an Anastasia, the scene of the resurrection of the faith". Not only the faithful Catholics, but many heretics gathered in the humble chapel of the Anastasia, at- tracted by Gregory's sanctity, learning and eloquence; and it was in this chapel that he delivered the five wonderful discourses on the faith of Nicaea — unfolding the doctrine of the Trinity while safeguarding the Unity of the Godhead — which gained for him, alone of all Christian teachers except the Apostle St. John, the special title of Thcologus or the Divine. He also de- livered at this time the eloquent panegyrics on St. Cyprian, St. Athanasius, and the Machabees, which are among his finest oratorical works. Meanwhile he found himself exposed to persecution of every kind from without, and was actually attacked in his own chapel, whilst baptizing his Easter neophytes, by a hostile mob of Arians from St. Sophia's, among them being Arian monks and infuriated women. He was saddened, too, by dissensions among his own little flock, some of whom openly charged him with holding Tritheistic errors. St. Jerome became about this time his pupil and disciple, and tells us in glowing language how much he owed to his erudite and elo- quent teacher. Gregory was consoled by the ap- proval of Peter, Patriarch of Constantinople (Du- chesne's opinion, that the patriarch was from the first jealous or suspicious of the Cappadocian bishop's in- fluence in Constantinople, does not seem sufficiently supported by evidence), and Peter appears to have been desirous to see him appointed to the bishopric of the capital of the East. Gregory, however, unfortu- nately allowed himself to beimpo.sed upon by a plausi- ble adventurer called Hero, or Maximus, who came to Constantinople from Alexandria in the guise (long hair, white robe, and staff) of a Cynic, and profesfsed to be a convert to Christianity, and an arflent admirer of Gregory's sermons. Gregory entertained him hos- pitably, gave him his complete confidence, and pro- nounced a public panegyric on him in his presence. Maximus's intrigues to obtain the bishopric for him- self found support in various quarters, including Alex- andria, which the patriarch Peter, for what reason preci-sely it is not known, had turned against Gregory; and certain Egyptian bishops deputed by Peter, sud- denly, and at night, consecrated and enthroned Maximus as Catholic Bishop of Constantinople, while Gregory was confined to bed by illness. Gregory's friends, however, rallied round him, and Maximus had to fly from Constantinople. The Emperor Theodo- sius, to whom he had recourse, refused to recognize any liishop other than Gregory, and Maximus retired in disgrace to Alexandria.

Thoodosius received Christian baptism early in .SSO, at Thessalonica, and immediately addressed an edict to his subjects at Constantinople, commanding them to adhere to the faith taught by St. Peter, and pro- fessed by the Roman pontiff, which alone deserved to be called Catholic. In November, the emperor en- tered the city, and called on Demophilus, the Arian bishop, to subscribe to the Nicene creed; but he re- fused to do so, and was banished from Constantinople. Theodosius determined that fJregory .should be bishop of the new Catholic see, and himself accompanied him

to St. Sophia's, where he was enthroned in presence of an immense crowd, who manifested their feelings by hand-clappings and other signs of joy. Constanti- nople was now restored to Catholic unity; the em- peror, by a new edict, gave back all the "churches to Catholic use ; Arians and other heretics were forbidden to hold public assemblies; and the name of Catholic was restricted to adherents of the orthodox and Cath- olic faith.

Gregory had hardly settled down to the work of administration of the Diocese of Constantinople, when Theodosius carried out his long-cherished purpose of summoning thither a general council of the Eastern Church. One hundred and fifty bishops met in coun- cil, in May, 381, the object of the as.sembly being, as Socrates plainly states, to confirm the faith of Nica-a, and to appoint a bishop for Constantinople (see Con- stantinople, The First Council of). Among the bi.shops present were thirty-six holding semi-Arian or Macedonian opinions; and neither the arguments of the orthodox prelates nor the eloquence of Gregory, who preached at Pentecost, in St. Sophia's, on the subject of the Holy Spirit, availed to persuade them to sign the orthodox creed. As to the appointment of the bishopric, the confirmation of Gregory to the .see could only be a matter of form. The orthodox bishops were all in his favour, and the objection (urged by the Egyptian and Macedonian prelates who joined the council later) that his translation from one see to an- other was in opposition to a canon of the Nicene council was obviously unfounded. The fact was well known that Gregory had ne\er. after his forced con- secration at the instanceof Basil. enteredon possession of the See of Sasima, and that he had later exercised his episcopal functions at Nazianzus, not as bishop of that diocese, but merely as coadjutor of his father. Gregory was accordingly recognized by the council as lawful Bishop of Constantinople, and was placed in the episcopal chair by Meletius, tlie venerable Bishop of Antioch, who died almost immediately afterwards. Gregorv succeeded Meletius as president of the coun- cil, which found itself at once called on to deal with the difficult question of appointing a successor to the deceased bishop. There had lieen an understanding between the two orthodox parties at Antioch, of which Meletius and Paulinus hail been respectively bishops, that the survivor of either .should succeed as sole bishop. Paulinus, however, was a prelate of Western origin and creation, and the Eastern bishops assembled at Constantinople declined to recognize him. In vain did Gregory urge, for the sake of peace, the retention of Paulinus in the see for the remainder of his life, already far advanced ; the Fathers of the council refused to listen to his advice, and resolved that Meletius should be succeeded by an Oriental priest. "It was in the East that Christ was born", was one of the arguments they put forward; and Gregory's retort, " Yes, and it was m the East that he was put to death", did not shake their decision. Flavian, a priest of Antioch, was elected to the vacant see; and Gregory, who relates that the only result of his appeal was " a cry like that of a flock of jackdaws ", while the younger members of the council "attacked him like a swarm of wasps", quitted the council, and left akso his official residence, close to the church of the Holy Apostles.

Gregory had now come to the conclusion that not only the opposition and disappointment which he had met with in the council, but also his continued state of ill-health, justified, and indeed necessitated, his resignation of the See of Constantinople, which he had held for only a few months. He appeared again before the council, intimated that he was ready to be another Jonas to pacify the troubled waves, and that all he desired was rest from his labours, and leisure to prepare for death. The Fathers made no protest against this announcement, which some among them