When Servilius Paulus was proconsul of Asia, at the time that Sagaris [3605] suffered martyrdom, there arose a great controversy at Laodicea concerning the time of the celebration of the Passover, which on that occasion had happened to fall at the proper season; [3606] and this treatise was then written. [3607]
[3603] The following Fragments of Melito are translated from the Greek, except No. IX., which is taken from the Latin.
[3604] In Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., iv. 26. [Melito wrote two books on the Paschal and one On the Lord's Day (ho peri kuriakes logos), according to Eusebius. But is this On the Lord's Day other than one of the books on the Paschal? It may be doubted. Routh refers us to Barnabas. See vol. i. cap. 15, note 7, p. 147, this series. See also Dionysius of Corinth, infra.]
[3605] He was bishop of Laodicea, and suffered martyrdom during the persecution under M. Aurelius Antonius.--Migne.
[3606] The churches of Asia Minor kept Easter on the fourteenth day from the new moon, whatever day of the week that might be; and hence were called Quartodecimans. Other churches, chiefly those of the West, kept it on the Sunday following the day of the Jewish passover. In the case here referred to, the 14th of the month occurred on the Sunday in question.
[3607] Migne, not so naturally, punctuates otherwise, and renders, "which had happened then to fall at the proper season, and on that occasion this treatise was written."
II.
From the Apology Addressed to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. [3608]
For the race of the pious is now persecuted in a way contrary to all precedent, being harassed by a new kind of edicts [3609] everywhere in Asia. For unblushing informers, and such as are greedy of other men's goods, taking occasion from the orders issued, carry on their robbery without any disguise, plundering of their property night and day those who are guilty of no wrong.
If these proceedings take place at thy bidding, [3610] well and good. [3611] For a just sovereign will never take unjust measures; and we, on our part, gladly accept the honour of such a death. This request only we present to thee, that thou wouldst first of all examine for thyself into the behaviour of these reputed agents of so much strife, and then come to a just decision as to whether they merit death and punishment, or deserve to live in safety and quiet. But if, on the contrary, it shall turn out that this measure, and this new sort of command, which it would be unbecoming to employ even against barbarian foemen, do not proceed from thee, then all the more do we entreat thee not to leave us thus exposed to the spoliation of the populace.
For the philosophy current with us flourished in the first instance among barbarians; [3612] and, when it afterwards sprang up among the nations under thy rule, during the distinguished reign of thy ancestor Augustus, it proved to be a blessing of most happy omen to thy empire. For from that time the Roman power has risen to greatness and splendour. To this power thou hast succeeded as the much desired [3613] possessor; and such shalt thou continue, together with thy son, [3614] if thou protect that philosophy which has grown up with thy empire, and which took its rise with Augustus; to which also thy more recent ancestors paid honour, along with the other religions prevailing in the empire. A very strong proof, moreover, that it was for good that the system we profess came to prevail at the same time that the empire of such happy commencement was established, is this--that ever since the reign of Augustus nothing untoward has happened; but, on the contrary, everything has contributed to the splendour and renown of the empire, in accordance with the devout wishes [3615] of all. Nero and Domitian alone of all the emperors, imposed upon by certain calumniators, have cared to bring any impeachment against our doctrines. They, too, are the source from which it has happened that the lying slanders on those who profess them have, in consequence of the senseless habit which prevails of taking things on hearsay, flowed down to our own times. [3616] But the course which they in their ignorance pursued was set aside by thy pious progenitors, who frequently and in many instances rebuked by their rescripts [3617] those who dared to set on foot any hostilities against them. It appears, for example, that thy grandfather Adrian wrote, among others, to Fundanus, the proconsul then in charge of the government of Asia. Thy father, too, when thou thyself wast associated with him [3618] in the administration of the empire, wrote to the cities, forbidding them to take any measures adverse to us: among the rest to the people of Larissa, and of Thessalonica, and of Athens, and, in short, to all the Greeks. And as regards thyself, seeing that thy sentiments respecting the Christians [3619] are not only the same as theirs, but even much more generous and wise, we are the more persuaded that thou wilt do all that we ask of thee.
[3608] In Eusebius, Hist. Eccl., l. c.
[3609] Migne thinks that by these are meant the orders given by magistrates of cities on their own authority, in distinction from those which issued from emperors or governors of provinces.
[3610] The reference must be to private letters: for in any of the leading cities of Asia a mandate of the emperor would have been made public before the proconsul proceeded to execute it.--Migne.
[3611] Esto kalos genomenon seems to be here used in the sense of kalos alone. The correctness of Migne's translation, recte atque ordine facta sunto, is open to doubt.
[3612] The Jews. Porphyry calls the doctrines of the Christians barbaron tolmema. See Euseb., Hist. Eccl., vi. 19.--Migne.
[3613] Euktaios.
[3614] Commodus, who hence appears to have been not yet associated with his father in the empire.--Migne.
[3615] Euchas.
[3616] 'Aph' hon kai to tes sukophantias alogo sunetheia peri tous toioutous rhuenai sumbebeke pseudos.
[3617] 'Engraphos.
[3618] The reading of Valesius, sou ta panta sundioikountos auto, is here adopted.
[3619] Peri touton.
III.
From the Same Apology. [3620]
We are not those who pay homage to stones, that are without sensation; but of the only God, who is before all and over all, and, moreover, we are worshippers of His Christ, who is veritably God the Word [3621] existing before all time.
[3620] In the Chronicon Alexandrinum.
[3621] Ontos Theou Logou.
IV.
From the Book of Extracts. [3622]
Melito to his brother Onesimus, greeting:--
As you have often, prompted by your regard for the word of God, expressed a wish to have some extracts made from the Law and the Prophets concerning the Saviour, and concerning our faith in general, and have desired, moreover, to obtain an accurate account of the Ancient Books, as regards their number and their arrangement, I have striven to the best of my ability to perform this task: well knowing your zeal for the faith, and your eagerness to become acquainted with the Word, and especially because I am assured that, through your yearning after God, you esteem these things beyond all things else, engaged as you are in a struggle for eternal salvation.
I accordingly proceeded to the East, and went to the very spot where the things in question were preached and took place; and, having made myself accurately acquainted with the books of the Old Testament, I have set them down below, and herewith send you the list. Their names are as follows:--
The five books of Moses--Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; Joshua, [3623] Judges, Ruth, the four books of Kings, the two of Chronicles, the book of the Psalms of David, the Proverbs of Solomon, also called the Book of Wisdom, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, Job, the books of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, of the twelve contained in a single book, Daniel, Ezekiel, Esdras. From these I have made my extracts, dividing them into six books.
[3622] In Eusebius, l. c.
[3623] 'Iesous Naue.
V.
From the Catena on Genesis. [3624]
In place of Isaac the just, a ram appeared for slaughter, in order that Isaac might be liberated from his bonds. The slaughter of this animal redeemed Isaac from death. In like manner, the Lord, being slain, saved us; being bound, He loosed us; being sacrificed, He redeemed us...
For the Lord was a lamb, like the ram which Abraham saw caught in the bush Sabec. [3625] But this bush represented the cross, and that place Jerusalem, and the lamb the Lord bound for slaughter.
For as a ram was He bound, says he concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, and as a lamb was He shorn, and as a sheep was He led to the slaughter, and as a lamb was He crucified; and He carried the cross [3626] on His shoulders when He was led up to the hill to be slain, as was Isaac by his father. But Christ suffered, and Isaac did not suffer: for he was but a type of Him who should suffer. Yet, even when serving only for a type of Christ, he smote men with astonishment and fear.
For a new mystery was presented to view,--a son led by his father to a mountain to be slain, whose feet he bound together, and laid him on the wood of the sacrifice, preparing with care [3627] whatever was necessary to his immolation. Isaac on his part is silent, bound like a ram, not opening his mouth, nor uttering a sound with his voice. For, not fearing the knife, nor quailing before the fire, nor troubled by the prospect of suffering, he sustained bravely the character of the type of the Lord. Accordingly there lies Isaac before us, with his feet bound like a ram, his father standing by, with the knife all bare in his hand, not shrinking from shedding the blood of his son.
[3624] From Melito of Sardis.
[3625] The Hebrew word svk thicket, is not found as a proper name.
[3626] To xulon.
[3627] Meta spoudes. Migne: Cum festinatione.
VI.
Two Scholia on Genesis XXII. 13. [3628]
The Syriac and the Hebrew use the word "suspended," [3629] as more clearly typifying the cross.
The word Sabek [3630] some have rendered remission, [3631] others upright, [3632] as if the meaning, agreeing with the popular belief, were--a goat walking erect up to a bush, and there standing erect caught by his horns, so as to be a plain type of the cross. For this reason it is not translated, because the single Hebrew word signifies in other languages [3633] many things. To those, however, who ask it is proper to give an answer, and to say that Sabek denotes lifted up.
[3628] In the edition of the LXX. published by Card. Caraffe, 1581.
[3629] kremamenos. The Hebrew is n'chz, the Syriac ***, both meaning simply "caught."
[3630] See note on the fragment just before.
[3631] aphesis.
[3632] orthios.
[3633] Lit. "when translated."
[3634] epermenos.
VII.
On the Nature of Christ. [3635]
For there is no need, to persons of intelligence, to attempt to prove, from the deeds of Christ subsequent to His baptism, that His soul and His body, His human nature [3636] like ours, were real, and no phantom of the imagination. For the deeds done by Christ after His baptism, and especially His miracles, gave indication and assurance to the world of the Deity hidden in His flesh. For, being at once both God and perfect man likewise, He gave us sure indications of His two natures: [3637] of His Deity, by His miracles during the three years that elapsed after His baptism; of His humanity, during the thirty similar periods which preceded His baptism, in which, by reason of His low estate [3638] as regards the flesh, He concealed the signs of His Deity, although He was the true God existing before all ages.
[3635] In Anastasius of Sinai, The Guide, ch. 13.
[3636] Or, according to Migne's punctuation, "His soul, and the body of His human nature." The words are, to alethes kai aphantaston tes psuches autou kai tou somatos tes kath' hemas anthropines phuseos.
[3637] Ousias. [Comp. note 13, infra.]
[3638] To ateles.
VIII.
From the Oration on Our Lord's Passion. [3639]
God has suffered from the right hand of Israel. [3640]
[3639] Anastasius, Guide, ch. 12.
[3640] [O Theos peponthen hupo dexias 'Israelitidos. Compare Tatian, vol. ii. p. 71, note 2; also Origen, vol. iv. p. 480, note 4, this series. And see Routh, R. S., i. p. 148. So "God put to death," p. 757, supra.]
IX. [3641]
Head of the Lord--His simple Divinity; because He is the Beginning and Creator of all things: in Daniel. [3642]
The white hair of the Lord, because He is "the Ancient of Days:" as above.
The eyes of the Lord--the Divine inspection: because He sees all things. Like that in the apostle: For all things are naked and open in His eyes." [3643]
The eyelids of the Lord--hidden spiritual mysteries in the Divine precepts. In the Psalm: "His eyelids question, that is prove, the children of men." [3644]