GREGORIUS OF NAZIANZUS, one of the fathers of the church, was born in the early part of the fourth century, at Arianzus, a village near the town of Nazianzus in Cappadocia, of which town his father was bishop. He studied first at Cresarea in Cappadocia, afterwards at Alexandria, and lastly at Athens, where he became the friend and com panion of Basilica, and where he also met Julian, afterwards emperor. At a subsequent period ho joined Basilius, who had retired to a soli tude in Pontus during the reign of Julian. [Basil.] When Basilius was made archbishop of Cwearea, he appointed his friend bishop of Zaeime, a place of which Gregorius gives a dismal account, and which he soon after left to join his father, and assist him in the administra tion of the church of Nazianzus. He there made himself known for his eloquence in the orations which be addressed to his father's flock. These compositions are remarkable for a certain poetical turn of imagery, and for their mild persuasive tone. Above all things he preaches peace and conciliation ; peace to the clergy agitated by the spirit of contro versy ; peace to the people of Nazianzus distracted by sedition ; peace to the Imperial governor who had come to chastisti the town, and whose wrath he endeavours to disarm by appealing to the God of mercy. In an age of sectarian intolerance he showed himself tolerant. He had suffered with his brethren from Arian persecution under the reign of Valens ; and after that emperor had taken by violence all the churches of Constantinople from the orthodox, or Nica3ans, the inhabitants, who had remained attached to that faith, looking about for a man of superior merit and of tried courage to be their bishop, applied to Gregoriva,who had left Nazianzus after his father's death and had retired into Isauria. Gregorine came to Constantinople and took the direction of a private chapel, which he named Anastasia, and whither his eloquence soon attracted a numerous congregation, to the great mortification of the Arians. Theodosius having assumed tho reins of government, and triumphed over his enemies, declared himself in favour of the orthodox communion, retook the churches which the Arians had seized, and came himself with soldiers to drive them from Santa Sophia, an act which Gregorius lays looked like the taking of a citadel by storm. Gregorius being now recognised as metropolitan, did not retaliate upon the Arians for their past persecutions, but endeavoured to reclaim them by mildness and persuasion. In the midst of the pomp of the im perial court he retained his former habits of simplicity and frugality. Ilia conduct soon drew upon him the dislike of the courtiers and of the fanatical zealots. Theodosius convoked a council of all the bishops of the East to regulate matters concerning the vacant or disputed sees which had been for many years in possession of the Arians. The council at first acknowledged Gregorius as archbishop, but soon after factions arose within the assembly, which disputed his title to the see, and stigmatised his charity towards the now persecuted Arians as lukewarmness in tho faith. Gregorius, averse to strife, offered his resignation, which the emperor readily accepted. Having assembled the people and the fathers of the council to the number of 150, iu the church of St. Sophia, he delivered his farewell sermon, which is a fine specimen of pulpit eloquence. After recapitulating the tenour of his past life, his trials, the proofs of attachment he had given to the ortho dox faith in the midst of dangers and persecution, he replies to the charge of not having avenged that persecution upon those who were now persecuted in their turn, by observing that to forego the oppor. tnnity of revenging ourselves upon a fallen enemy is the greatest of all triumphs. He then pleads guilty to the charge of not keeping up the splendour of his offico by a luxurious table and a magnificent retinue, saying that he was not aware that the ministers of the sanctuary were to vie In pomp with the consuls and commanders of armies. After
rebuking the ambition and rivalry of hla colleagues, which he compares to the factions of the circus, he terminates by taking an affectionate leave of all those around him, and of the places dear to his memory. This valedictory address is a touching specimen of the pathetic style, dignified and unmixed with querulousness. The orator salutes fot the last time the splendid temple In which he is speaking, and thee turns towards his humble but beloved chapel of Anastasia, to the choirs of virgins and matrons, of widows and orphans, so often gathered there to hear his voice ; and ho mentions the short-hand writers whc used to note down his words. He next bide "farewell to kings and their palaces, and to the courtiers and servants of kings, faithful, I trust, to your master, but for the most part faithless towards God farewell to the sovereign city, the friend of Christ, but yet open tc correction and repentance; farewell to the Eastern and Western world for whose sake I have striven, and for whose sake I am now slighted.' Ile concludes with recommending his flock to the guardian angels of pe ice, In hopes of hearing from the piece of his retirement that it is daily growing in wisdom and virtue. (S. Gregorii Nazianzen1,-' Opera, Billy's edition, 'Oratio' xxxii.) This oration was delivered in June 331, and a few days after Gregorith was on his way to his native Cappadocia. Arrived at Cmaarea hi delivered an Impressive funeral oration to the memory of his Mem lisunlium, who had died there some time before, in which he recals is mind their stndles at Athens, their long intimacy, and the events of their chequered lives (' Oratlo' xx., in Billy's edition) liter paying this last tribute to the memory of his friend he withdrew o his native Arianzus, where he spent the latter years of his life, far rom the turmoil of courts and councils, busy in the cultivation of its garden and in writing poetry, a favourite occupation with him from is youth. Gregorius died in 339. Moat of his poems are religious neditatione. Occasionally the poet attempts to dive into the myste ious destiny of man, and sometimes appears lost in uncertainty and loubt as to the object of human existence, but he recovers himself to lo homage to the Almighty wisdom whose secrets will become revealed n another sphere. The adept in the philosophy of ancient Greece is sere seen striving with the submissive Christian convert. St. Jerome and Suidas say that Gregorius wrote no less than 30,000 lines of poetry. 'art of his poems were published in the edition of his works by the Lbbe de Billy, Paris, 1609-11, which contains also his orations and [pieties ; twenty more poems, under the title of Carmine Cygnea,' vere afterwards published by J. Tollius in his Insignia Itinerarii talici,' 4to, Utrecht, 1696, and Muratori discovered, and published in ris Anecdote. Grteca,' Padua, 1709, a number of Gregorius's epigrams. )f his orations some few turn upon dogmas, especially on that of the Trinity, but most of them are upon morality. He is a soberer writer ,han his successor Chrysostom, and has more of the calm impressive ;locinence of conviction. He and his friend Basilius brought the natorical arts of ancient Greece into the service of Christian preach mg, and one of Gregory's greatest complaints against Julian is that ,hat emperor had forbidden Christians the study of Greek literature.
In his two orations against Juliao, he somewhat departs from his usual style, and assumes that of a powerful invective in reply to the pane orrice of Libanias, Eunapius, and other admirers of that emperor.
Jregorius of Nazianzus has been styled the Theologian of the Eastern Church ;' he might with as much truth be styled its most poetical writer. (Suidas v. Gregorius; Gregorii, 'Opera.' There are several lives of Gregorius; one of which is prefixed to the handsome editiou of his Orations' by the Benedictines of St. Maur, 2 vols. folio, Paris, 1778. The Abbe de Bellegarde published a French translation of Gregorius'a 'Orations,' 2 vols 8vo, Paris, 1693.)