The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, Gregory of Nyssa – Theodoret
The Life of Gregory Nissen, who flourished Anno Christi 480.
GRegory was sirnamed Nissenus from the City whereof he was Bishop;His parentage. He was born in Cappadocia in the fourth age after Christ. His Fathers name was Basil, his Mothers Emmelia: His Brothers names were Basil Bishop of Caesarea, and Peter Bishop of Sebastia. He had a Sister called Macrina. From his childhood he was much affected with the study of Rhetorick, His learning.wherein he grew as famous as any of the ancient Fathers. He affected not that solitary life which his Brother Basil did, but imployed himself in instructing others. First he was a Professor in a School of Rhetorick: Afterwards he became a Reader of Divinity in the Church: Yet after a while returning to his Rhetorick School again, he was reduced to his former work of reading Divinity by Gregory Nazianzen, Suidas saith, that he was Vir insignis, omni que Doctrina exuberans; A famous man abounding with all manner of Learning: Neither was he less signal for his Piety and Holiness of Life, as Nicephorus testifies.He is made Bishop. For his great worth he was preferred to the Bishoprick of Nyssa, a chief City in Cappadocia.
He was banished by the Arian Emperour Valence, He is banished.and from the seventh to the fifteenth year of his Reign, he wandred up and down; yet still went to such places where the necessity of the Church required his presence,His zeal to do good. and where he might do most good; In which godly imployment he was much encouraged by Gregory Nazianzen. He lived under Constantius, Julian, Jovian, Valentinian, and Valence, Gratian, and Theodosius the Great: and in his time, together with Gregory Nazianzen, was President in the Universal Council of Constontiple against the Macedonian Hereticks, Anno Christi 492. When Hierom wrote his Catalogue of Illustrious men, he was alive; but the year of his death is not expressed by any Author. He was admired for his Eloquence, and one calleth him pervigilem Antistitem, the faithful and vigilant Prelate:Scriptures. He used to read the Scriptures with all diligence, reverence and strictness, having a special regard to the genuine sense of them: He was a strong opposer of Eunomius his Heresie: By the Oecumenical Council of Constantinople he was appointed as a man most fit to visit the Churches planted in Arabia.
After the decease of his brother Basil he finished his Commentaries which he had left imperfect upon the Six Days Works. His works.He also preached at Constantinople a Funeral Sermon upon the death of Miletius Bishop of Antioch. He wrote an admirable book against Eunomius, and another no less famous of the Creation of Man, besides many Excellent Sermons which he made: But the Treatise Of the Soul, which he wrote to his sister Macrina, deserves the praise of Learned men in all succeeding Ages. Many things are fathered upon him: but judicious Scultetus owneth only these; Exegetica Scripta in Ecclesiasten. In Cantica Canticorum. In Psalmos. De Occursu Domini. De Deo & Trinitate. De Creatione. De Providentia. De Christo foreign. De Baptismo, De cultus Dei in genere. De cultu Dei in specie. viz. De Peregrinatione ad loca sancta: De Oratione. De Pauperum Amore. De Beatitudinibus, De Fornicatione fugienda. De iis qui aegrè ferunt reprehensiones. De iis qui temerè alios damnant. De Vsurariis, Funebres Orationes sive de morte piorum, De Resurrectione mortuorum. De Theologia Vniversa in Oratione Catechetica magna.
He compared the Vsurer to a man giving water to one in a Burning-Feaver,His sayings. which doth him no good,Usury. but a great deal of mischief: so the Vsurer, though he seem for the present to relieve his brothers want, yet afterwards he doth greatly torment him: He gave this Character of an Vsurer, He loves no labour but a sedentary life: the Pen is his plough: Parchment his Field: Ink his Seed: Time is the Rain to ripen his greedy Desires: his Sickle is calling in of Forfeitures; his House the Barn where he winnows the Fortunes of his Clients: He follows his Debtors as Eagles and Vultures do Armies, to Prey upon the dead Corps: And again, Men come to Vsurers as Birds to an heap of Corn; they desire the Corn, but are destroyed in the Nets: And again, There is no excuse for hard-heartedness; for where can a rich man cast his eyes but he may behold objects of his charity? &c. He dyed under Valentinian and Valence.
The Life of Theodoret, who flourished Anno Christi 420.
THeodoret Bishop of Cyrus was born at Antioch of Noble and Religious Parents:His parentage. His Mother before she had him was much grieved in minde, because she was barren, and without hope of issue to inherit their large possessions, whereupon she with her husband resolved to bequeath all their Revenues to the maintenance of Poor Christians:His birth. Yet at last God was pleased to answer her requests, giving her a son which she named Theodoret, The gift of God: He proved of great acuteness, and in a short time profited so in Piety, and in Letters, that he was made a Bishop whilest he was yet a young man:His learning. and shortly after he set forth that excellent work which he called The History of the Lovers of God: His zeal against Heresie.He was a great opposer of Hereticks, and wrote much against them, and reduced many round about him that were Marcionites, even to the hazard of his life:His charity. He was wondrous charitable, visiting and refreshing the bowels of the poor: He was a careful imitator of Chrysostom, whom he always proposed as a worthy pattern for his stile in his writings: and by this means he proved very fluent and eloquent, which his learned Works do plainly declare: His Commentaries upon the Scriptures are very excellent,His works. wherein he resolved many of the hardest questions in the Old Testament. He shewed much learning in his Divine Treatise Of Gods Providence: He very strongly opened and confuted the fond conceits of abundance of Hereticks: as of Simon Magus, Menander, Basilides, Carpocrates, &c. A Synod being appointed at Ephesus to stop the Heresie of Nestorius, and Cyril coming first thither, (not knowing that the Bishops of Syria were coming also) he of himself condemned Nestorius, which afterward caused much contention, especially between Theodoret and Cyril: Theodisius his wisdom.But Theodosius junior calling them together to Constantinople, by his eare and wisdom healed this breach, and Theodoret and Cyril were wondrous loving each to other ever after. In that famous Council of Chalcedon, wherein were above six hundred Bishops, he was stiled by their unanimous consent, Catholicus & Orthodoxus Ecclesiae Pastor, & Doctor sincerus. A Catholick and Orthodox Pastor of the Church, and a sincere Teacher of the Truth. Gennadius testifieth of his writings that they were strengthened with impregnable and undeniable Arguments, by which with Reasons and Testimonies of Scripture, he proves and confirms that Christ was truly incarnate of the Virgin Mary. Bellarmine stiles him Viram plane doctissimum, An absolute learned man. He wrote an Ecclesiastical History which is of great use to the Church: He dyed in the reign of Theodosius junior, His death.being not very old; but rather spent with labors and studies then with age.
He used to say,His saying. That the delights of the Soul are to know her Maker, to consider his Works, and to know her own Estate.
His Works were printed in two Tomes,His works. at Collen Anno Christi 1617. Which besides his Ecclesiastical History, contain Expositions upon many portions both of the Old and New Testament.