THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
directed also " An Orthodox Christian Discourse " (Vilna, 1596) and " The Orthodox Doctrine " (1769). Meletius influenced the confessional struggles in Poland by a number of dogmatic epistles, one to King Sigismund III. of Poland, one to Bishop Hypatius Potei of Vladimir and Brest, and a number of letters which were published by Nikodemos Metaxas, "On the Primacy of the Pope, in a Series of Letters " (Constantinople, 1627). Against the Jews he wrote, " Apology of the Christian Religion, Addressed to the Jews " (Greek and Slavonic, Lemberg, 1593) [in catalogue of British Museum, ascribed to another Meletius]. The important part which he took in the synod of 1593 in Constantinople shows that he was active also for the development and expansion of his church. (Philipp Meyer.)
Bibliography: The scattered references are collected in P. Meyer, Die theologische Litteratur der griechischen Kirche im 16. Jahrhundert, pp. 53-54, Leipsic, 1899.
MELETIUS SYRIGUS: Greek theologian; b. at Candia 1586; d. at Galata, a suburb of Constantinople, 1664. He studied in Padua and became monk in a monastery of Crete whence he was soon expelled on account of his attacks on the Catholics. After a short stay in Alexandria he turned in 1630 to Constantinople where he received a position as teacher of theology. He was a pronounced opponent of Cyril Lucar (q.v.). In 1642 he cooperated at the synod of Jassy in drawing up the orthodox creed and wrote its Greek translation. In 1644 he was banished from Constantinople by Patriarch Parthenios the Elder, because he had hindered the circulation of the translation of the Bible into modern Greek by Maximos Kalliupolites. Only after the death of Parthenios in 1651 could he safely remain in Constantinople. The only one of his works which has been published is the " Refutation of the Calvinistic Articles and Questions of Cyril Lucar " (Bucharest, 1690). (Philipp Meyer.)
Bibliography: E. Legrand, Bibliographie hellenique, ii. 470-472, Paris, 1894; E. a Schelstrate, Acta orientalis ecclesim contra Lutheri hceresim, i. 393 sqq., Rome, 1739.
MELITO: Bishop of Sardis. He flourished in the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-180). Of his numerous works in most cases only the titles are known from a list of Eusebius probably copied from a collection in the library of Csesarea. The list is as follows (NPNF, i. 203 sqq.) : two books " On the Passover "; "On the Conduct of Life and the Prophets"; "On the Church"; "On the Lord's Day "; " On the Faith of Man ";" On [his] Creation "; "On the Obedience of Faith"; "On the Senses"; "On Soul and Body"; "On Baptism"; "On Truth "; " On Faith "; " On the Birth of Christ "; " On Prophecy"; " On Hospitality"; " The Key"; " On the Devil"; " On the Apocalypse of John"; " On the Corporeality of God "; " Apology to Antoninus "; " Selections "; and perhaps a work " On the Suffering of Christ." There are extant only remnants of the " Selections," of the " Apology," and the works " On Baptism " and " On the Passover." The Greek fragments edited by Anastasius Sinaita are quoted under titles not mentioned by Eusebius. There are also some Syriac fragments which undoubtedly go back to indirect Greek
tradition, for probably the Syriac Church never possessed his works complete. Of the works falsely ascribed to him may be mentioned the Syriac Apology, which can not be identical with the Apology mentioned by Eusebius, for the sentences quoted from it are not found in the other, but most probably, as Noldeke has explained, was a Syriac original work. Under the name of Melito, Pitra published a Latin " Key to the Scripture " which he considered a compilation from the " Key " of Melito; but Steitz and others have proved its spuriousness. From the scantiness of the material it is impossible to estimate justly Melito's importance for the history of church and doctrine. The titles of his works show that he took an interest in the dogmatical questions of his time and participated in the Paschal controversies which preceded the great schism over Easter. He was probably interested in Montanism, as appears from titles like " On the Conduct of Life and the Prophets," " On the Church," or " On Prophecy," yet he can not be called a Montanist (A. Schwegler, Montanismus, p. 223, Anm. 5, Tubingen, 1841); for the manner in which Tertullian wrote of him is against such an assumption. His attitude in this matter can be understood if he is compared with Irenseus, whom he resembled also in other ways. His moral strictness, which made him a celibate, and his high regard for prophecy and spiritual matters explain his close relation to Montanism, and still more make clear its spread; for his asceticism showed the universality of the thoughts that it emphasized. In his Christology Melito laid stress on the distinction of both natures. His separating the Apocrypha from the canonical books shows that his theological education surpassed the ordinary standard. A great many surmises have been made in regard to his doctrine of God in connection with his work " On the Corporeality of God," but he probably expressed there the same realism that was represented by Tertullian. (Erwin Preuschen.)
Bibliography: The fragments are collected in M. J. Routh, Reliquice sacrce, i. 115 sqq., Oxford, 1846; J. C. T. Otto, Corpus apologetarum Christianorum, ix. 410 sqq., Jena, 1872; and W. Cureton, Spicilegium Syriacum, London, 1855. An Eng. transl. is found in ANF, viii. 750-762. The earlier literature, named in ANF, Bibliography, pp. 110-111, is in the main antiquated. Consult: Harnack, Litteratur, i. 246-255, ii. 1, pp. 358 sqq., 517 sqq., 522 sqq., ii. 2 passim; DCB, iii. 894-900 (important); A. Ehrhardt, in Strassburger theologische Studien, i., Supplement (1900), 258 sqq.; Kriiger, History, pp. 123-129.
MELIUS, PETER: Hungarian Reformer and author; b. at Horhi 1515; d. at Debreczin (116 m. e. of Budapest) Dec. 15, 1572. His name is a Hellenization of his Hungarian family name Juhasz. After three years at the University of Wittenberg (1555-58), he returned as pastor to Debreczin, where he labored till his death. After 1557, only the Lutherans had legally enjoyed religious freedom; but two years later Melius, with his two colleagues, took the first opposing steps in a pastoral conference, clearly stating Calvin's view in a short Orthodoxa sententia de ccena Domini. The Transylvanian Lutherans, led by Matthias Hebler, Superintendent of Szeben, both opposed the Reformed party and excluded it from their church. The Reformed joined Melius, who now composed 1562)