The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

CAP. XXV.* 1.1

Of Melito byshop of Sardis in Asia, and his workes.

ABoute this time Melito byshop of Sardis, and Apollinarius byshop of Hierapolis florished,* 1.2 who both wrote vnto the Emperour of Rome then raygning, seuerall bookes, and Apo∣logies, in the behalfe of our faith: whereof these of Melito his doinges, came to our handes 2. bookes of Easter. of Politicke conuersation, and the Prophets. of the church. of the sundaye. of the nature of man. of the molde of man. of the obedience of fayth of the senses. Moreouer: of the body, and soule. also of our regeneration, or nevvbirth. of the trueth▪ of the faith, and the na∣tiuitie of Christ. likewise a booke of his: of prophecie. of the soule, & body▪ of hospitalitie. And a booke intitled: a key an other: of the deuell. an other: of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn, and of God incarnate. last of all a booke dedicated vnto Antoninus. In his booke of Easter he declareth the time when he wrote it, begining thus: In the time of Seruilius Paulus proconsul of Asia, vvhat time Sagaris suffred martyrdome, and the great sturre vvas moued at Laodicea, tourchinge the* 1.3 Sabaoth, vvhich then by reason of the time fell out, these thinges vvere vvrytten of this booke Clemens Alexandrinus made mention, in a seuerall tracte which he wrote of Easter, and purpose∣ly (as he testifieth himselfe) by occasion of Melito his booke. In his Apology vnto the Emperour he reporteth the thinges practised against the Christians, wryting thus: The godly people gre∣ned, by reason of nevve edictes, published throughout Asia and before neuer practised: novve suffer persecution. for impudent Sycophantes, & greedy gapers after other mens goods, hauing gotten occasion through those proclamations: openly robb and spoile, day and night, such as committee no trespasse at all. And after a fewe lynes he sayth: If this be done through your pro∣curemēt, let it stand for good. for the Emperour that is iuste, neuer putteth in practise any vniust thing, & vve vvillingly vvill beare avvay the honor of this death, yet this onely vve hūbly craue of your highnes, that you (after notice and tryall had of the authors of this contention) doe iustly geue sentence, vvhether they are vvorthy of death & punishment, or of lif and quietnesse. but if this be not your maiesties pleasure, and the nevve edicte proceed not from your povver and authoritie, (vvhich vvere not seemely to be sett forthe agaynst barbarian enemies) the ra∣ther vve pray you, that you despise vs not, vvhich are greued and oppressed, vvith this common

and shamefull spoyle. Agayne to these he addeth: The philosophie novve in aestimation amon∣gest* 1.4 vs, first florished among the Barbarians. for vvhen as it florished vnder the great dominion of Augustus, your forefather of famous memorie, it fell out to be a most fortunate successe vnto your empire. For thence forvvardes vnto this daye, the Romaine empire increased and enlarged it selfe vvith greate glorie, vvhose successor novve you are, greatly beloued: and haue bene long vvished for: and vvilbe together vvith your sonne continually prayed for. retaine therefore this religion, vvhich encreased vvith the empire, vvhich began vvith Augustus, vvhich vvas reueren∣ced of your auncetors, before all other religions. This vvas a greate argument of a good begin∣ning, for since that our doctrine florished together vvith the happie beginning empire: no mis∣fortune befell vnto it from the raygne of Augustus vnto this daye: but of the contrary all prospe∣rous, and gloriouse, and gladsome, as euery man vvished him selfe. Onely of all others Nero, & Domitian, through the persvvasion of certaine enuious, & dispitefull persons: vvere disposed to bring our doctrine into hatred. From vvhome this sclaunder of flattering persons, raised against the Christians sprong vp, after a brutishe maner or custome. but your godly auncetors corrected their blinde ignorance, and rebuked oftentimes by their epistles, their sundry rashe enterprises. Of vvhich number Adrianus your graundefather, is knovven to haue vvritten both vnto Funda∣nus Proconsul, and President of Asia, and to manie others. And your father (yours, I saye, in that you gouerned all thinges together vvith him) vvrote vnto the cities in our behalfe, and vnto the Larissaeans, Thessalonians, Athenians, and to all the Grecians: that they should innouate nothing, nether practise any thing preiudiciall vnto the Christians. but of you vve are fully persvvaded to obtaine our humble petitions, in that your opinion, and sentence is correspondent vnto that of your predecessors, yea and that more gracious, and farre more religious. Thus as ye reade, he wrote in the aforesayde booke. And in his Proeme to his annotations of the olde Testamente, he reciteth the cataloge of the bookes of the olde Testament, then certeine & canonicall (the whiche necessarilie we haue annexed) writinge thus: Meliton vnto the brother Onesimus sendeth gree∣ting:* 1.5 VVhereas oftentimes (you beinge inflamed vvith earnest zeale tovvardes our doctrine) haue requested of me, to select certaine annotations out of the lavve and prophets, concerning our Sauiour, and our vvhole religion: and againe to certifie you of the summe of the bookes, contained in the olde testament, according vnto their number, and order of placinge: novve at length I (beinge mindefull heretofore also of your petitions) haue bene carefull to performe that you looke for, knovving your endeuer, your care and industrie in setting forth the doctrine of faith, marching forvvards vvith loue tovvards God, and care of euerlasting saluation, vvhich you preferre before all other thinges. VVhen that I traueled into the east and vvas there, vvhere these thinges vvere both preached and put in practise: I compiled into order the bookes of the olde testament, suche as vvere vvell knovven, and sent them vnto you, vvhose names are these: The fiue bookes of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leuiticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium. Then Iesus Naue, the Iudges, the booke of Ruth, foure bookes of kinges, tvvo of Cronicles, the Psalmes of Dauid, the Prouerbes of Solomon, the booke of VVisdome, Ecclesiastes, the Canticles, Iob, Esay, and Ieremie the Prophets. on booke of the tvvelue prophets, Daniel, Ezechiel, Esdras. vpon the vvhich vve haue vvritten six bookes of commentaries. Thus farre Meliton.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Cap. 26. after the greeke.
• * 1.2

  Melito and the cataloge of his bookes
• * 1.3

  Melito in his booke of Ea∣ster. Sagaris mar∣tyred. Apece of the Apologie of Melito vnto the Empe∣rour.
• * 1.4

  Christian re∣ligion began to be made manifest in the time of Augustus, for then Christ was borne.
• * 1.5

  Melito wri∣teth vnto O∣nesimus of the canonical Scripture of the olde te∣stament.