СНАР. С.

GREGORY, BISHOP OF NYSSA IN CAPPADOCIA.

I. His time and history. II. His testimony to the scriptures. III. Select passages.

I. GREGORY, younger brother of Basil, was ordained bishop of Nyssa in Cappadocia in the latter part of the year 370, or in 371, or the beginning of 372. Being a zealous homoüsian, he felt the heavy hands of the Arian administration under Valens: and some time after his ordination was obliged to live in exile, in an unsettled condition, till, upon the death of Valens, he and others were restored to their sees by an edict of Gratian in 378. He is in Jerom's Catalogue; I place the chapter, which is short, below. He was alive in 394; the year of his death is not certainly known. I formerly made large extracts out of our Gregory's oration upon the life of Gregory Thaumaturgus, to which the reader is referred: I now proceed to take his testimony to the scriptures of the Old and the New Testament.

II. 1. He speaks of the five divisions of the book of Psalms.

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2. He takes notice of the ancient versions of the Old Testament, of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, beside that of the Seventy in one place he consults the Hebrew, 3. A greater than Solomon made use of him as an instrument, and by him speaks to us, first in the Proverbs, then in the Ecclesiastes, and after that in the philosophy of the Canticles now before us.' So speaks Gregory in the first of his fifteen homilies upon the book of Canticles: who

a Cav. H. L. T. i. p. 244.

Basil. c. xix.

b Vid. Benedictin. Vid. S.

Vid. Pagi ann. 369. n. xvii. Fabr. Bib. Gr. T. viii. p. 144. Tillem. Gr. Nyss. art. iii.

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a Vid. Cav. ib. p. 244. in Tillem. Mem. T. ix. S. Greg. de Nysse, art. iv. Gregorius Nyssenus episcopus, frater Basilii Cæsariensis, ante paucos annos mihi et Gregorio Nazianzeno contra Eunomium legit libros, qui et multa alia scripsisse et scribere dicitur. De. V. I. cap. 128.

f Vid. Pagi ann. 394. n. vi.

Vol. ii. p. 611-617. i In Hexaëm. T. i. * In Cant. hom. 9. T. i. p. 610. C.

In Psalm. Tr. 1. cap. ix. T. i. p. 287. D.

p. 7. B. p. 13. B. C.

* Ούτος οργανῳ τῳ Σολομωντι τετῳ χρησαμενος δι' εκείνε ήμιν διαλεγεται, πρότερον εν Παροιμίαις, είτα εν τη Εκκλησιαςη, και μετα ταυτα εν τη προκειμενη το Άσματος των Ασματων φιλοσοφια. κ. λ. In Cant. hom. 1. Τ. i. p. 475. D.

has also a preface to that book, and eight homilies upon the book of Ecclesiastes; and he here plainly shows us, what were generally esteemed by understanding christians the genuine writings of Solomon.

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4. I need not take any notice of quotations of the gospels. He gives the title of the great John to the evangelist, quoting the beginning of his first epistle, soon after he had quoted the beginning of his gospel.

5. The book of the Acts is very often quoted by him, and ascribed to Luke. Moreover he says, that Luke was as much a physician of souls, as of the body: from whence we can conclude, that he took the evangelist to be the same who is mentioned, Col. iv. 14.

6. Gregory quotes the epistle to the Ephesians with that title.

7. He often expressly quotes the epistle to the Hebrews, and as Paul's.

8. Gregory seldom quotes the book of the Revelation: yea, I think he sometimes declines to quote it, when there are fair occasions for so doing; however, he has expressly quoted it in one of his orations; and though he there calls it apocryphal, perhaps he needs not be supposed to intend to detract from it, for he calls it the evangelist John's.

9. There is a passages in Gregory's book against Apollinarius published by Laurence Zacagni, where it may be questioned, whether Gregory refers to Rev. i. 8, ort John viii. 25, according to a very uncommon reading indeed, but which seems to be that followed by the author of the Gothic version. For clearing this I put below" a part of the note of the learned Latin translator upon the place.

C.

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Όπερ δη και ὁ μεγας Ιωαννης πεποιηκεν. In Cant. hom. 13. T. i. p. 664. * Η φησιν εν αρχή το βιβλιο των Πράξεων ὁ Λεκας. κ.λ. In Christ. Resurr. Or. 2. T. iii. p. 415. C.

Ο τοινυν Αγκας, ὁ πλεον των ψυχών η των σωματων ιατρος, εγραψε το εν Xεpoi dinynμa. De Pœnit. in Luc. vii. 36, &c. T. ii. p. 165. D.

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Σαφέτερον δε TOIC EDEGIOS. Orat. in 1 Cor. xv. 28. T. ii. p. 15. C. Vid. et Catechet. Or. cap. 32. T. iii. p. 94. A. In Chr. Res. Or. i. T. 3. p. 396. C. et alibi. 4 Διο και Παυλος ̔Εβραίοις επιτελλων ελεγεν.

In Chr. Res. Or. ii. T. 3. p. 408. B. et passim.

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Ηκεσα τα ευαγγελιο Ιωαννα εν αποκρυφοις προς τες τοιέτες δι' αινιγματος λέγοντος-Ωφελον γαρ ησθα, φησι, ψυχρός, η ζετος. In suam Ordinat. Τ. ii. p. 44. A. -καθώς φησι πε της γραφης ὁ λογος· ότι εγω

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ειμι ή αρχη. Adv. Apoll. cap. 37. p. 219. Zacagn. Monum. Vet. Ideo dixerunt ei: Tu quis es? Et dixit eis Jesus: Principium, ceu quoque dico vobis.' Sacr. Evang. Vers. Goth. cum Interpret. Lat. Eric. Benzel. Oxon. 1750. Principium.] Legit ergo, quamvis nullo qui nunc superest codice MSS. consentiente, apxn, orɩ kai Xeyw vμiv. Nam religiosus interpres, si casum quartum invenisset, utique scripsisset.-Benzel. in loc.

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10. Titles and divisions, and marks of respect for the scriptures, are such as these: the sacred writers of the gospels; the divine gospels; apostles and prophets; oney and the same God speaks in the prophets, and the New Testament; Paul the herald or preacher of grace, the chief conductor of the church's marriage, and the mouth of Christ. I refer to another place very honourable to that apostle. He says, it is one of the Lord's commands, that we should study the scriptures. See John v. 39. He reckons it to the advantage of Ephrem the Syrian, that from early age he had been instructed in the sacred scriptures. I omit many other like things, not needful to be transcribed. He proves d what he advances by texts of scripture. Again, Where did Apollinarius learn, that the Spirit became incarnate? What scripture says this? We have not learned any such thing from the gospels: but that the Word became flesh, as the great apostle says.'

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III. I shall now take some select passages, partly relating to the scriptures, partly to other matters.

1. There are five orations of Gregory upon the Lord's prayer, but no notice taken of any doxology at the end.

2. Gregory says, thats in the most exact copies, St. Mark's gospel concluded with those words, ch. xvi. 8, "For they were afraid." But in some copies it was added, "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene;" and what follows: In which he says, there seemed to be some things different from

▾ Oi TWV Evayyeλswv iepoi ovyypapec. In Chr. Res. Or. ii. T. 3. p. 400. D. Encom. Ephr. Syr. T. 3. p. 595. B.

* Η των αποτολικών τε και προφητικων διδαγμάτων. De Occurs. Dom. T. 3. p. 446. D.

Δια τετο ηλθον αἱ των προφητων και αποςόλων σαλπιγγες. In Natal. Chr. T. 3. p. 340. A.

* Δεικνυσι

-ένα και τον αυτόν Θεόν τε και νομοθετην εν τε προφήταις και τη καινη διαθηκη λελαληκεναι. De Oc. Dom. Τ. 3. p. 460. Β.

* Ο ρητωρ της χάριτος, ὁ νυμφοςολος της εκκλησίας, το το Χρισε στομα. Vit. S. Ephr. T. 3. p. 596. C. In 1 Cor. xv. 28. T. 2. p. 6. B.

b Και τετο των δεσποτικών παραγγελματων ετι, το δειν ερευναν τας γραφας. In. Eccles. hom. i. T. i. p. 374. C. • Ο τραφεις μεν εκ πρώτης

ἡλικιας, και αυξηθεις εν τη των θείων μελετη γραφων, ποτισθεις δε τοις της χαριτος Aεvvadi OXETOI. K. λ. De Vit. S. Ephr. T. 3. p. 598. C.

d Και μυριας εσι περι τετε της άγιας γραφης παραθεσθαι φωνας. In Hexaëm. T. i. 14. D. Conf. ib. p. 28. D.

• Τις γραφη ταυτα λέγει;

-Ουχ έτως παρα των ευαγγελιων ηκέσαμεν. Ουχ έτως παρα της μεγάλης τε αποτολε φωνης εδιδαχθημεν αλλ' ότι μεν λογος σαρξ εγενετο. κ. λ. Adv. Apoll. cap. 10. ubi supr. p. 148.

T. i. p. 712-761.

6 Εν μεν τοις ακριβέσεροις αντιγράφοις το κατά Μάρκον ευαγγελιον, μέχρι το εφοβόντο γαρ, έχει το τέλος. Εν δε τισι προκειται και ταυτα. κ. λ. In Chr. Res. Or. ii. Τ. 3. p. 411. Β.

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the accounts given of our Lord's resurrection by the other evangelists. He therefore reconciles them, and compares together all the four evangelists, Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark. Which shows, there were no other authentic histories of Christ, except these four; and that there were no other, for which the church had any regard.

Mill says, thath Gregory Nyssen is the first, who has taken any notice of this various reading at the conclusion of St. Mark's gospel.

3. He says, there are three Marys mentioned as standing at the foot of the cross of Jesus, Mary our Lord's mother, Mary wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene, John xix. 25. For Mary mother of James, or mother of James and Joses, as mentioned by the other evangelists, be cannot but think to be the same with our Lord's mother; James and Joses he supposes to be the children of Joseph, whom he had by a former marriage. He moreover says, that James, called "the less," in Mark xv. 40, was not an apostle, being different from James the son of Alpheus, who was one of the twelve apostles.

4. That we might be satisfied Christ had a real body, and was not a man in appearance, the scriptures have recorded without reserve every thing peculiar to our nature, his eating, and drinking, and sleeping, weariness, refreshment by food, growing in bodily stature, and in wisdom. But he had no sickness, nor decays, as he had no sin.'

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5. He speaks of the advantage which redounds to us from Thomas's slowness to believe; we have thereby fuller assurance, he says, that Christ rose with the same body that bad died.

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6. Gregory" observes some things in St. John's gospel, as proofs of the reality of our Lord's resurrection, and that the body was not stolen out of the sepulchre. Says John, "Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes," ch. xix. 40. Which linen clothes were not taken away, but "were seen lying by John and Peter," ch. xx. 5, 6. But how should thieves have had time to pull off the linen bandages, [or wrappers,] which being spicy would cling to the body, and could not be pulled off but in some time, by

E codicibus istius ævi memorat primus jam (quod sciam) Gregorius Nyssenus nonnullos, in quibus evangelium Marci finitum erat ad capitis xvi. ver. 8. verba ista, poßvто yap. Prolegom. n. 812. k Ib. p. 413. B. C.

i Vid. ibid. p. 412. C. D. 413. A.

1 Ep. ad Eustath. &c. T. 3. p. 658. C. D.

- Και δια της εκεινε πολυπραγμονος απισίας και επαφης, ήμεις εις την πισιν ἐβεβαιώθημεν, εν φ σωματι πεπονθεν, εν αυτῷ και εγηγερθαι πιςεύσαντες τον Εμμανοηλ. κ. λ. Ibid. p. 204. C.

lb. p. 405.

persons who had leisure? Moreover, says he, how should thieves have leisure and assurance, to put " the napkin that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself," ver. 7. Here are no sigus of the horror or hurry of thieves.' Perhaps such observations as these may satisfy some people that the ancient christians had a small share of good sense.

7. There is a letter of Gregory to a friend concerning those who go to Jerusalem, or other places near it. Some P there are,' he says, 'who think it a branch of piety to go to Jerusalem, to see the places which the Lord had honoured with his presence, when in the body. But here, first, it may be well to look to the rule: and if the Lord has not commanded it, nor among the beatitudes pronounced them blessed that go to Jerusalem, it may be let alone.' He mentions divers inconveniences of this journey, and the temptations to which people are exposed therein. Besides, Christ is not now at Jerusalem; nor is there any reason to think the fulness of the Spirit so confined to Jerusalem, but that it may reach us at home. Moreover, he says, ⚫ that Jerusalem was then a very wicked place; and that there were better helps for piety in Cappadocia.' They who please may compare Gregory with Jerom, who seems little better affected to these pilgrimages than our author.

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8. He entirely disclaims the expectation of a voluptuous Millennium, the renewal of Jewish sacrifices, and a terrestrial Jerusalem adorned with precious stones.

9. There are in Gregory several passages, asserting freewill in strong terms; to which I refer.

• Πε γαρ σχολην ειχον οἱ κλεπται και τοιαύτην αδειαν, ώς και το της κεφαλης καλυμμα κατα ταξιν είλειν και τιθεναι χωρις ; Ibid. 405. C. D.

P T. iii. p. 651-658.

κανονα βλεπειν. p. 652. Α.

T. iv. p. 564.

q καλως αν εχοι προς τον Ad Paulin. ep. 49. [al. 13.]

s Ad Eust. et Ambr. T. iii. p. 658. C. D.

t De Hominis Opificio, cap. iv. T. 1. p. 526. E.

De Vitâ Mosis, p. 200.

C. D. 203. A. B. De Animâ, T. ii. p. 107. B. Catechet. Or. cap. 31. T. iii,

p. 91. et cap.

39. p.
105.