A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

MELITO.

MElito Bishop of Sardis in Asia, is one of those Fathers, who wrote the most concerning the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church; but there remains nothing of them at present but * 1.1 the Titles, and a few small Fragments produced by Eusebius in the Fourth Book of his History, chap. 26. The Titles are these; Two Books of the Feast of Easter, one of the Lives of the Prophets a 1.2 one of the Church, one of the Lords-Day, one concerning the Nature of Man, another of his Creation, one of the submission of the Senses unto Faith b 1.3, a Book concerning the Soul, the Body, and the Spirit, one of Baptism, another of Truth, another concerning the Generation of Jesus Christ, one of Prophecy, one of Hospitality, another entituled the Key, one of the Devil, another of the Apocalypse, one of God incarnate c 1.4, and a Collection taken out of the Holy Scriptures. Lastly, an Apology presented to Marcus Antoninus, whereof we have a fragment in Eusebius, wherein Melito intreats the Empe∣ror, that he would vouchsafe to examine the Accusations that were alledged against the Christians, and to cause the Persecution to cease by revoking the Edict that he had published against them: He represents to him, that the Christian Religion was so far from being destructive to the Roman Empire, that it was very much augmented since the propagation thereof; that this Religion was persecuted only by wicked Emperors, such as Nero and Domitian; that the Emperors Adrian and Antoninus had written several Letters in its behalf, and therefore he hoped to obtain of his Clemency and Generosity, the favour which he so earnestly requested. Eusebius also gives us another little Fragment out of the Book concerning Easter, to shew the time when this Author wrote, in which he mentions Sagaris Bishop of Laodicea, whom he affirms to have suffered Martyrdom, under Servilius Paulus the Pro-consul of Asia. As also another Fragment more considerable, which is the Preface to his Collections, wherein he gives us a Catalogue of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament, omitting those that are not included in the Canon of the Jews; these are the Books of Ecclesiasticus, Wisdom (for he calls the Book of the Proverbs by the Name of Wisdom) Judith, Esther, and the two Books of the Maccabees.

There is also another Fragment of Melito's preserv'd by the Author of the Chronicle commonly called the Alexandrian in Olympiad 236. wherein he says, that the Christians do not adore insensible Stones, but that they worship one God alone; who is before all things, and in all things, and Jesus Christ who is God and the Word before all Ages. It is not known from what Book this Fragment was taken; but it is probable, that it is in his Apology to the Emperor. Some other passages are likewise attributed to him, which are taken out of a Catena of the Greek Fathers upon Genesis, but they seem to me to be unworthy of this Author d 1.5; we find also in the Bibliotheca Patrum, ano∣ther Book under his Name Entituled, Of the Passage or Death of the Virgin Mary, which is inserted

by Pope Gelasius amongst the Apocryphal Writings, and rejected by Bede; But it is at present gene∣rally agreed, that this Book as not being cited by any of the ancient Writers, and containing many untruths and absurdities, is a counterfeit Work. Melito lived under the Reign of Marcus Antoninus, he presented his Apology in the Second year of this Emperor, that is to say, in the Year of our Lord 182. and died before the Pontificate of Victor, as appears from the Epistle of Polycrates to this Pope, wherein he mentions him, as already dead in these Words: Why should not I speak of Melito, whose Actions were regulated by the Motions of the Holy Ghost, who lyes enterr'd at Sardes, where he expects the Judgment and Resurrection? This shews that Melito was esteemed as a Prophet, that is to say, as a Man inspired by God, according to the Testimony of Tertullian produced by S. Jerom. If the same Tertullian had not assured us, that this Author wrote Elegantly and was a good Orator, it would be very difficult to give any Judgment concerning his Style, by that little of his Writings which is yet extant.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Melito.
• a 1.2

  A Book of the Lives of the Prophets.] Some reckon two Books on this Subject, but it is plain from the Greek Text of Eusebius, and the Authority of S. Jerom, that there was but one.
• b 1.3

  One of the Submission of the Senses unto Faith.] S. Jerom, and Ruffinus distinguish the Book of Faith, from that of the Senses, but it is more probable, that it was but one Book bearing the above-mentioned Ti∣tle, as being Composed against some Hereticks, who asserted that we ought to believe only according to our Senses.
• c 1.4

  Of God incarnate.] It is expressed in Greek. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of God incarnate, or invested with a Body. Others expound this passage after ano∣ther manner, imagining that he maintained that God was Corporeal; but this last is not the proper signifi∣cation of the Greek word. However, Origen, cited by Theodoret in Quest. 20. in Exodum, says that Melito wrote a Book 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that God was Corporeal, which answers to the other Interpre∣tation.
• d 1.5

  Unworthy of this Author.] One of these passa∣ges is produced by Halloixius, being a Comparison between Isaac and Jesus Christ, full of childish Noti∣ons and Expressions, that are more agreeable to the Modern, than the ancient Writers.