"know how much against my inclination you placed me in this A. D. 381. "See." The Emperor commended this speech, and all that were present gave applauses to it, and Gregory obtained the leave he desired. (p. 774. v. The public reason which the Bishops gave for their consenting so easily to this dismission, was the disturbance which Gregory's election had caused, and his bodily infirmities: but the secret reason was, the jealousy which they conceived of his learning and eloquence; and the severity of his morals, which condemned their pride and luxury. Some even of the Catholics were offended that he [p. 243. D. (p. 870. so openly preached the Divinity of the Holy Ghost. But carm. xxx. there were many who could not bear to see him so forsaken; v. 17.)] and as soon as they found that this resolution was taken, they stopped their ears, struck their hands against each other, and fled from the assembly, that they might not be grieved Ibid. p.30.c. with seeing another in his See. In order to comfort them, as 1912.) well as his people and Clergy, he spoke the famous discourse, which is his farewell, in the great church of Constantinople, Orat. 32. p. before the Bishops of the Council. He therein gives them an (Orat. 42. account of his conduct, he represents the deplorable state in c. 2. tom. i. which he found that Church, and the flourishing condition in which he leaves it: he shews the Doctrine which he taught, by a brief exposition of the mystery of the Trinity; in which, p. 519. D. to put an end to all disputes, he makes use of the Person, as equivalent to subsistence', when they are well explained. He protests that he governed terestedly, and desires no other recompense but liberty to P. 520. D. retire; taking notice of the reproaches thrown upon him, and how far his conduct was from pleasing the world. concludes with taking leave of his Church, of his dear Anastasia in particular, of his throne, his Clergy, his people, p. 527. B. the Emperor, the Court, and of all the world. St. Gregory's will is still remaining, bearing date the last Appendix, gie. The Church of the Resurrection of Catholicism, at first, a private house, in which St. Gregory taught during the life-time of Demophilus ; afterwards, consecrated by him. The date of St. Gregory's will is more probably May 31, A. D. 381. It was drawn up probably at Constanti word 500. tom. i. p. 748.) (cap. 15.) both ['póσwπον. ὑπό disin- oras.] στασις.] (cap. 16.) p. 525. A. He (c.22.p.764. A.) nople, while he was still Bishop. The (c. 26.p.776. C.) tom.i.(tom. ii. p. 201.) A. D. 381. day of December in this year 381. He therein takes the title of Bishop of Constantinople, and it is probable that he retained it even after giving up the See, as is still the custom. This will is made with all the formality of the Roman laws; it appoints Gregory his freedman, a Deacon and Monk, his heir, on condition that he should return it all to the Church of Nazianzus by the law of fidei commissum3. St. Gregory says, that in this he only followed the will of his parents, who had promised all their estate to the poor; and that he had already given it up to them under the management of three administrators, viz. Marcellus a Deacon and Monk, Gregory whom he makes his heir, and Eustathius a Monk, who had likewise been his slave. He confirms their liberty to all such as he had freed, and reserves to them their substance. He leaves some particular legacies to Gregory his heir, and the Monk Eustathius. He reserves to a virgin named Russiana, the pension which he allowed her for her subsistence, with the choice of an house; and gives her two female slaves, whom she should choose, to live with her all her life; he gives her power to free them, if she did not, they were to belong to the Church of Nazianzus. He gives their liberty to two slaves, one of whom was his notary Theodosius, and afterwards gives a legacy to another notary; these persons were those who wrote for him in short-hand. He excuses himself to Alypiana, whom he styles his dear daughter, for leaving her nothing; but declares that he made no account of Eugenia and Nonna, because their conduct was blameworthy. These three were his nieces, and it was necessary to mention them, and to take notice why he did not make them his heirs, that they might not dispute his will. This is what was called disinheriting with elogium. He styles Alypiana his daughter, and Meletius, who married her, his son-in-law, i Fidei commissum, i. e. of trust, by which law the legal heir was required to transfer the property according to the testator's desire. Sigon. de Judic. 1. 4. (ap. Græv. ii. p. 686.) See too F. H. de Mag. Rom. i. (ibid. p. 877.) The three nieces of St. Gregory, were the children of his sister Gorgonia and Alypius. The name of Alypiana's husband was not Meletius, but Nicobulus. Ep. xii. (clv.) tom. ii. p. 13. F. The word translated by Fleury, son-in-law, may mean any kind of relation. Meletius was probably the husband of Nonna or Eugenia. 1 Elogium, i. e. a reason in writing attached to any document, as a will, &c. The two following instances together resemble the case in the text. Cic. Cluent. c. 48; Declam. 325, ascribed to Quintil. probably because he had adopted her; for it is otherwise A. D. 381. certain that he always observed a state of continence". This will is signed by seven witnesses, the first of whom is Amphilochius, and the last Cledonius, a Priest of Iconium. The rest are Bishops of the same province"; which makes it probable that he made it in Asia at his return, on occasion perhaps of some Council. Ordination rius. Soz. vii. 7.8. St. Gregory's surrender of his Bishopric having been V. accepted by the Council, the question was, who should succeed of Nectahim. The Emperor recommended it to the Bishops to consider very carefully who was the most worthy; and they were divided about the choice. There was at that time at Constantinople an old man named Nectarius, who was very Theod. v.8. venerable for his dignity, his age, and graceful appearance. He was born at Tarsus in Cilicia of a patrician family, and bore the office of Prætor. His virtues, particularly his gentleness, procured him the admiration of every body; but he was not yet baptized. Being ready to set out in order to return into his own country, he went to visit Diodorus Bishop of Tarsus, to know if he had any business to be done at home, and to take his letters. Diodorus was then considering with himself upon the choice of the Bishop of Constantinople. When he considered Nectarius' white hair, his majestic countenance, and the gentleness of his disposition, it made him think him worthy to fill that place, and he stopped at m Bishop Beveridge asserts that St. Gregory was married to Theosebia, (Not. in Canon V. Apostol. p. 18.) He is followed by Muratori (Anecd. Græc. p. 131. ad Epigr. 132). The Benedictine Editors of St. Gregory defend his virginity in their preface to his works. The former opinion seems to disprove the authenticity of Epig. 132, which, on the contrary, seems to be authentic from Epist. 95. (197). The same Epistle contains expressions hardly reconcileable with Bishop Beveridge's opinion; while both the Epig. and the Epist. rather countenance the idea that Theosebia was the wife of St. Gregory Nyssen, as she is called yokefellow, (see Philip. iv. 3). This title might however be applied to Theosebia, supposing her, as is probable, the sister of St. Gregory Nyssen and St. Basil. A strong negative argument against St. Gregory's being married is supplied n of the same Diocese (viz. Asia); • Diodorus and Flavian, while yet laymen, resisted the Arians Aëtius a Deacon, and Leontius the Bishop, at Antioch, when that city was left without Catholic Pastors. They assembled the Faithful at the Martyrs' tombs, and afterwards in the churches, exhorting them to hold fast the faith, and introducing or reviving for their encouragement, the Antiphonal mode of singing the Psalter. Theod. 2. 24. (cf. Philost. 3. 13.) A. D. 381. this thought. He then carried him to the Bishop of Antioch, that is to Flavian; gave him an account of his merit, and desired him to consider seriously of it. A great many very considerable men being proposed as fit for this place, this thought of Diodorus occasioned Flavian to smile. However he sent for Nectarius, and desired him to defer his departure for some time. Soon after the Emperor ordered the Bishops to write down upon a piece of paper the names of those persons whom they thought worthy of the See of Constantinople reserving it to himself to choose one of them. Each of them drew up his memorial, and the Bishop of Antioch having set down those whom he was inclined to, added Nectarius' name at the end, to please Diodorus. The Emperor having read these names, stopped at that of Nectarius; and continued thoughtful for some time, keeping his finger fixed upon the last line; then beginning again he read over all the names, and made choice of Nectarius. Every body was surprised; they asked who this Nectarius was, of what quality and country; and when they were informed that he was not so much as baptized, they were much more surprised at the Emperor's choice. They imagined that Diodorus himself was mistaken, that Nectarius' age made him think that he had been baptized, and that he would not otherwise have proposed him for the Episcopal office. Be that as it will, this accident was looked upon as having something divine in it: for when the Emperor was informed that he had not been baptized, he persisted in his choice, notwithstanding the opposition of several Bishops. At length they all yielded to the Prince's will, and the Socr. v. 8. inclination of the people, who likewise desired Nectarius: he was baptized, and whilst he still wore the white habit of a neophyte he was declared Bishop of Constantinople with the Domnusap. general consent of the whole Council. The two Gregories, of Nazianzus and Nyssa, are particularly taken notice of as Bonif. Ep. promoting this election with Diodorus of Tarsus. Theodosius ad Episc. sent deputies from his court with certain Bishops, to desire a iv. Conc. p. formal letter? from the Pope in confirmation of this choice of Facund.lib. viii. c. 5. p. 339. Maced.tom. 1708. D. Nectarius. P See Coustant. Ep. xv. Bonif. I. § 6. p. 1043. A. This letter was written A. D. 422. Nothing is said of this rians. Legation by previous ecclesiastical histoThe Synodical Letter (A. D. 382.) of the Council of Constantinople Nectarius was instructed in the duties of the Episcopal A. D. 381. function by Cyriacus Bishop of Adana in Cilicia, having Soz. vii. 10. desired Diodorus his Metropolitan to let him continue some time with him. He detained several other Cilicians with him; and amongst the rest Martyrius his physician, who had been the partner of the irregularities of his youth. Nectarius would have ordained him Deacon, but Martyrius would not suffer him; assuring him that he was unworthy of it, and taking Nectarius himself to witness to the dissoluteness of his past life. "And I," said Nectarius, "who am now a Bishop, "have I not led a life even more disorderly than yours, and "have you not often assisted me in my irregularities?" "But you,” replied Martyrius, "have just been purified by "Baptism, and have moreover received the Sacerdotal gift; "so that I see no difference between you and new-born "children; on the contrary I have received Baptism long "since, and yet have continued to live as before." Thus he continued resolute in refusing to be ordained. The VI. of Constan St. Meletius first presided at the Council of Constantinople; after his death St. Gregory Nazianzen; after he gave up his freed Bishopric, Timotheus of Alexandria, and at last Nectarius. It tinople. is difficult to settle at what particular time, and under what president the Acts of the Council passed; but it is certain that therein was made a Decree concerning the Faith, and certain Canons relating to Discipline. The Emperor Theo- See ch. I. dosius hoped to reunite the Macedonians to the Catholic Church, and with this view he had admitted their Bishops into the Council, being thirty-six in number, of whom Socr. v. 8. Eleusius of Cyzicus was chief. The Emperor and the Soz. vii. 7. Catholic Bishops represented to them that they had sent a deputation to Pope Liberius under the direction of Eustathius [Socr.iv.12] Bishop of Sebaste; and that for some time they had voluntarily communicated with the Catholics, without making any distinction; that they therefore did not do well in overthrowing the faith which they had approved, and leaving the good part which they had chosen. But the Macedonians announces the appointment of Nectarius to the Pope, and other Bishops assembled at Rome, Theod. 5. 9. Coustant suggests that Pope Damasus might have delayed answering this Epistle, |