5/11/20
Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church (The Complete Eight Volumes in One). Amazon Kindle Edition, 2014.
Volume 2, Ante-Nicene Christianity A.D. 100-325, “Chapter 13. Ecclesiastical Literature of the Ante-Nicene Age, and Biographical Sketches of the Church Fathers.” sec. 159-204.
§ 177. Melito of Sardis.
Schaff places Melito as bishop of Sardis in the last quarter of the second century (Schaff 2014, loc. 21836). He was known to his contemporaries as a voluntary celibate who spent his time expecting the second coming of Christ. He had also written negatively about the Montanist view of prophecy. Schaff suggests that his known Quartadeciman stance may have resulted in the loss of some of his writings. Eusebius lists “no less than eighteen or twenty works from his pen,” giving a few extracts (Schaff 2014, loc. 21840). Schaff notes that an Apology under his name was discovered in 1843 and published in 1855. He does consider that it may be authentic (Schaff 2014, loc. 21850).
Melioto gives us the first list of Hebrew Scriptures compiled by a Christian. It does agree with the Protestant canonical list (Schaff 2014, loc. 21850).
Schaff finally summarizes some of the content of a Syriac fragment of Melito “which contains a remarkable christological creed, an eloquent expansion of the Regula Fidei” (Schaff 2014, loc. 21861). This shows Jesus as the creator, patriarch, and otherwise the one who has guided all God’s people through all history.