Acknowledged writings.

 A declaration of faith.

 Part i.—acknowledged writings.

 Elucidation.

 A metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes.

 A metaphrase of the book of ecclesiastes.

 Chapter ii.

 Chapter iii.

 Chapter iv.

 Chapter v.

 Chapter vi.

 Chapter vii.

 Chapter viii.

 Chapter ix.

 Chapter x.

 Chapter xi.

 Chapter xii.

 Canonical epistle.

 Canonical epistle.

 Canon ii.

 Canon iii.

 Canon iv.

 Canon v.

 Canon vi.

 Canon vii.

 Canon viii.

 Canon ix.

 Canon x.

 Canon xi.

 Elucidations.

 The oration and panegyric addressed to origen.

 The oration and panegyric addressed to origen.

 Argument ii.—he essays to speak of the well-nigh divine endowments of origen in his presence, into whose hands he avows himself to have been led in a

 Argument iii.—he is stimulated to speak of him by the longing of a grateful mind. to the utmost of his ability he thinks he ought to thank him. from g

 Argument iv.—the son alone knows how to praise the father worthily. in christ and by christ our thanksgivings ought to be rendered to the father. greg

 Argument v.—here gregory interweaves the narrative of his former life. his birth of heathen parents is stated. in the fourteenth year of his age he lo

 Argument vi.—the arts by which origen studies to keep gregory and his brother athenodorus with him, although it was almost against their will and the

 Argument vii.—the wonderful skill with which origen prepares gregory and athenodorus for philosophy. the intellect of each is exercised first in logic

 Argument viii.—then in due succession he instructs them in physics, geometry, and astronomy.

 Argument ix.—but he imbues their minds, above all, with ethical science and he does not confine himself to discoursing on the virtues in word, but he

 Argument x.—hence the mere word-sages are confuted, who say and yet act not.

 Argument xi.—origen is the first and the only one that exhorts gregory to add to his acquirements the study of philosophy, and offers him in a certain

 Argument xii.—gregory disallows any attainment of the virtues on his part. piety is both the beginning and the end, and thus it is the parent of all t

 Argument xiii.—the method which origen used in his theological and metaphysical instructions. he commends the study of all writers, the atheistic alon

 Argument xiv.—whence the contentions of philosophers have sprung. against those who catch at everything that meets them, and give it credence, and cli

 Argument xv.—the case of divine matters. only god and his prophets are to be heard in these. the prophets and their auditors are acted on by the same

 Argument xvi.—gregory laments his departure under a threefold comparison likening it to adam’s departure out of paradise. to the prodigal son’s aband

 Argument xvii.—gregory consoles himself.

 Argument xviii.— peroration, and apology for the oration.

 Argument xix.—apostrophe to origen, and therewith the leave-taking, and the urgent utterance of prayer.

 Elucidations.

Elucidation.

The story of the “Revelation” is of little consequence, though, if this were Gregory’s genuine work, it would be easy to account for it as originating in a beautiful dream. But it is very doubtful whether it be a genuine work; and, to my mind, it is most fairly treated by Lardner, to whose elaborate chapter concerning Gregory every scholar must refer.20 Credibility, vol. ii. p. 635. Gallandi, Biblioth. Vet. Patr., iii. 387. Dr. Burton, in his edition of Bishop Bull’s works,21 Vol. v. p. 423. [The wise benevolence of our author is more apparent than his critical skill. No book more likely to puzzle a pagan inquirer than this: so the metaphrase gives it meaning and consistency; but, over and over again, not Solomon’s meaning, I am persuaded.] almost overrules that learned prelate’s inclination to think it genuine, in the following words: “Hanc formulam minime esse Gregorii authenticam…multis haud spernendis argumentis demonstrat Lardner.” Lardner thinks it a fabrication of the fourth century.

Cave’s learned judgment is more favourable; and he gives the text22 Cave, Lives of the Fathers, vol. i. p. 402, ed. Oxford, 1840. τὰ πνεύματα, for which some propose ῥεύματα, streams, as the ἄνεμοι are mentioned in their own place immediately. from Gregory of Nyssa, which he translates as follows: “There is one God, the Father of the living Word and of the subsisting Wisdom and Power, and of Him who is His Eternal Image, the perfect begetter of Him that is perfect, the Father of the only-begotten Son. There is one Lord, the only Son of the only Father, God of God, the character and image of the Godhead, the powerful Word, the comprehensive Wisdom, by which all things were made, and the Power that gave being to the whole creation, the true Son of the true Father, the Invisible of the Invisible, the Incorruptible of the Incorruptible, the Immortal of the Immortal, and the Eternal of Him that is Eternal. There is one Holy Ghost, having its subsistence of God, which appeared through the Son to mankind, the perfect Image of the perfect Son, the Life-giving Life, the holy Fountain, the Sanctity, and the Author of sanctification, by whom God the Father is made manifest, who is over all, and in all; and God the Son, who is through all. A perfect Trinity, which neither in glory, eternity, or dominion is divided, or departed from itself.”