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 GREGORY

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GREGORY

fence of St. Basil against that heretic, and also of the Nicene Creed against Arianism ; this work is of capital importance in the history of the Arian controversy. He also wrote two works against Apollinaris of Laodi- cea, in refutation of the false doctrines of that writer, viz. that the body of Christ descended from heaven, and that in Christ, the Divine Word acted as the rational soul. Among the works of Gregory are cer- tain "Opuscula" on the Trinity addres.sed to Abla- bius, the tribune Simplicius, and Eustathius of Sebaste. He wrote also against Arius and Sabellius, and against the Macedonians, who denied the Uivin- ityof the Holy Spirit; the latterwork he never finished. In the " De anima et resurrect ione" we have a dialogue between Gregory and his deceased sister, Macrina; it treats of death, resurrection, and our last end. He defends human liberty against the fatalism of the astrologers in a work "On Fate", and in his treatise "On Children", dedicated to Hieros, Prefect of Cap- padocia, he undertook to explain why Providence permits the premature death of children.

Ascetical. — He wrote also on Christian life and con- duct, e. g. "On the meaning of the Christian name or profession", addressed to Harraonius, and "On Per- fection and what manner of man the Christian should be", dedicated to the monk Olympius. For the monks, he wrote a work on the Divine purpose in creation. His admirable book "On Virginity", written about 370, was composed to strengthen in all who read it the desire for a life of perfect virtue.

Sermons and Hnmilies. — Gregory wrote also many sermons and homilies, some of which we have already mentioned; others of importance are his panegyric on St. Basil, and his sermons on the Divinity of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Correspondence. — ^A few of his letters (twenty-six) have survived; two of them offer a peculiar interest owing to the severity of his strictures on contemporary pilgrimages to Jerusalem.

For a discussion of his peculiar doctrine concerning the general restoration (Apocatastasis) to divine favour of all sinful creatures at the end of time, i. e. the temporary nature of the pains of hell, see Barden- hewer, tr. Shahan, " Patrology" (St. Louis, 1908), 302-4, and Michaud, "Revue Internationale de Th^ologie" (1902), .37-52, also the articles Apocatas- TASis and Mivakt. The theory of interpolation of the writings of Gregory and of Origen, sustained among others by Vincenzi (below), seems, in this respect at lea.st, both useless and gratuitous (Bardenhewer).

The writings of Gregory are best collected in P. (?., XLIV- XLVI. There is no critical edition as yet, though one was begun by Forbes and Oehler (Burntisland, ISoo, 61); of another edition planned by Oehler, only one volume appeared (Halle, 1865). The best of the earlier editions is that of Fronto Ducj;C3 (Paris, 161.5). Cf. Vincenzi. In Gregnrii Nysseni et Origenis ncripta et dnctrinnm nova recensio, etc. (Rome, 1864- 69): Bauer, Die Troslreden des Grefforios von Nyssa t>i ihrem Verhaltniss zur nntiken Rhetorik (Marburg, 1892); Bouedron, Doctrines^ philosnphiquc.s dc Saint Gregoire de Nysse (Nantes, 1861); Koch, Da.s mt/Nli-Nche Schaucn beim hi. Gr. v. Nyssa in Theol. QuartnlxchrijI (IS98), LXXX, 397-420; Diekamp, Die Gotteslehre de.-< hi. Grcqnr von Nys.^a: ein Beitrag zur DogmeU' gesch. der palri.sfi.trhen Zeit (Miinster, 1897); Weiss, Die Erzie- hungslehre der Kappadozier (Freiburg. 1903); Hilt, Sti. Gre- gorii epiicnpi Ny-'^.'^eni doclrina de angelis exposita (Freiburg. 1860); Krampf, Der Urzustand des Menschen nach der Lekre des hi. Gregor von Nyssa. eine dogmatVich-patrUtische Studie (Wiirzburg, 1889); Reiche. Die kunstlerhchen Elemente in der Welt und Lebens-Anschauuno ^f.s Gregor von Xyssa (Jena, 1897); on the large Cnteche.sis (\6yo<; Karq\riTiK6^ 6 ^c'ya?). generally known as Oratio Cateche-tica, see Srawley in Journal of Theol. Studie.': (1902). Ill, 421-S. also his new edition of the Oratio (Cambridge. 1903). For an English version of several works of Gregory see Library of Nicene and Post-Xirene Fathers, second series (New York. 1893). II. v; and for a Ger- man version of some works, Hayd in the A'TOlp(f7IeTi3iW!ortejt der Kirchenviiter (1874).

H. Leclercq.

Gregory of Rimini, an ,\ugustinian theologian; b. at Rimini, Italy, in the second half of the thirteenth century; d. at Vienna. 13.5S. After completing his studies, he became professor and subsequently rector

of the Augustinian seminary in his native city. But it was not long before he was called to Paris to take a professorship at the Sorbonne, where he achieved great distinction as a teacher. He was one of the chief leaders of the Nominalists in the controversy over the nature of " univensals", and his disciples con- ferred most respectful titles on him, such as Doctor aciilus, Lucerna splendens, and especially Doctor au- thenticus. Many people even called him "beatus" not only out of esteem for his remarkable erudition, but for his heroic and virtuous qualities. As a theo- logian he belonged naturally to the older Augustinian school founded by the Augustinian ^gidius of Co- lonna, commonly known as the Schola Mqidiann. In some respects, however, his views diverged from those of the founder of the school. For, while the latter's views on the disposition of sinners towards grace by no means coincide with the opinions of St. Augustine, and are far more nearly akin to Semipelagianism, Gregory on tlie other hand was a most pertinacious champion of the teachings of this saint, and had no hesitation in opposing the general teaching of the Scholastics with respect to the need for grace in fallen man and the punishment of original sin, even though the JSgidian school followed in general St. Thomas. These views of Gregory found many zealous supporters again in the seventeenth century, Cardinal Noris in particular defending them vigorously. Gregory's opponents delighted to call him the "Infantium Tortor" (Tor- mentor of children), because he held, in opposition to the other Scholastics, the severe and extreme views concerning the fate of children who died unbaptized. In 1357 he succeeded the equally famous Thomas of Strasburg as General of the Augustinian Hermits, but flied the next year at Vienna. Of his writings, the "Commentaries" on the "Books of the Sentences" have appeared in print (Lectura in primum et secun- dum librum Sententiaruni, Paris, 1482, 1487; Milan, 1494; Valcntia, 1500; Venice, 151S); also a treatise on the prohibition of usury (De usuris, Rimini, 1.522, 1622). Commentaries on the Epistles of St. James and St. Paul are also attributed to him. Hurter. Xomenclalor (1906), II, 620 sq.

Patricius Schlager.

Gregory of Tours, Saint, b. in 538 or 539 at Ar-

verni, the modern Clermont-Ferrand; d. at Tours, 17 Nov., in 593 or 594. He was descended from a distin- guished Gallo-Roman family, and was closely related to the most illustrious houses of Gaul. He was origi- nally called Georgius Florentius, but in memory of his maternal great-grandfather, Gregory, Bishop of Lan- gres, took later on the name of Gregory. At an early age he lost his father, and went to live with an uncle, Gallus, Bishop of Clermont, under whom he was edu- cated after the manner of all ecclesiastics in his day. An imcxpected recovery from a serious illness turneil his mind towards the service of the Church. Gallus died in 554, and Gregory's mother went to live with her friends in Burgundy, leaving her son at Clermont in the care of Avitus, a priest, later Bishop of Clermont (517-594). Avitus directed his pupil towards the study of the Scriptures. According to Gregory, rheto- ric and profane literature were sadly neglected in his case, an omission that he ever after earnestly regret- ted. In his writings he complains of his ignorance of the laws of grammar, of confounding the genders, em- ploying the wrong cases, not understanding the correct use of prepositions, and the s^-ntax of phrases, self- reproaches that need not be taken too seriously. Gre- gory knew grammar and literature as well as any man of his time ; it is a mere affectation on his part when he poses as ill-instructed; perhaps he hoped thereby to win praise for his learning. Euphronius, Bishop of Tours, died in 57.'?, and was succeeded by Gregory, Sigebert I being then King of .\ustrasia and Auvergne (561-576). Charibert's death (567) had made him