I read that he wrote this:
“Whoever considers the divine power will plainly perceive that it is able at length to restore by means of the aionion purgation and expiatory sufferings, those who have gone even to this extremity of wickedness.”
Is it true? Do you know in what book he said that statement?
Hi Sopho,
This quote was attributed to Gregory of Nyssa by John Wesley Hanson in his book: Aion-aionios - an Excursus on the Greek Work Rendered Everlasting, Eternal, Ect., in the holy Bible.
(see archive.org/stream/aionaioniosexcur00hans#page/154/mode/2up/search/Whoever).
John Hanson says that Gregory stated this in his treatise: Concerning Infants Who Have Died Prematurely; but I failed to find the quote.
(see sage.edu/faculty/salomd/nyssa/infants.html).
My guess is that Gregory did not make this quote, or, if he did, it is found in a completely different work. My electronic version of Gregory’s writings found no such quote, but that does not prove he did not write this; there are several different translations of Gregory that use different words not found in a search strings.
In short, I can rule out that Gregory’s book, De Infantibus, does not contain this quote, or even words to the effect. John Hanson, I suggest, made a mistake…, and everyone who quotes this from J.W. Hanson follows the same mistake.
Steve
In another page i found this.
GREGORY OF NYSSA (~370): “Whoever considers the divine power will plainly perceive that it isable at length to restore by means of the aionion purgation and expiatory sufferings, those whohave gone even to this extremity of wickedness.” "The soul which is united to sin must be set inthe fire, so that that which is unnatural and vile may be removed, consumed by the aionion fire.”(De an. Et Res. Ii. P. 658)
Yes…, this quote, I believe, comes from Gregory’s treatise on Psalms.