1 It is worthy of remark that the Virgin is introduced into
all these fragments in a manner quite foreign to the period
at which Melito lived.
7 Eusebius himself sets him down in his Chronicle as
flourishing in the eleventh year of Marcus, or a.d. 171, a
year later than he dates Melito.
the miracle of the "Thundering Legion," which is said to have occurred during the war of Marcus Antoninus against the Marcomanni in a.d. 174.(1) The date of his writings may, therefore, with moderation be fixed between a.d. 177—180.(2)
Eusebius and others mention various works composed by him,(3) none of which, however, are extant; and we have only to deal with two brief fragments in connection with the Paschal controversy, which are ascribed to Apollinaris in the Paschal Chronicle of Alexandria. This controversy, as to the day upon which the Christian Passover should be celebrated, broke out about a.d. 170, and long continued to divide the Church.(4) In the preface to the Paschal Chronicle, a work of the seventh century, the unknown chronicler says: "Now even Apollinaris, the most holy Bishop of Hiera-polis, in Asia, who lived near apostolic times, taught the like things in his work on the Passover, saying thus: 'There are some, however, who through ignorance raise contentions regarding these matters in a way which
1 Eusebius, H. E., v. 5; Mosheim, Inst. Hist. Ecclee., Book
i. cent. ii. part. i. ch. i. § 9. Apollinaris states that in
consequence of this miracle, the Emperor had bestowed upon
the Legion the name of the "Thundering Legion." We cannot
here discuss this subject, but the whole story illustrates
the rapidity with which a fiction is magnified into truth by
religious zeal, and is surrounded by false circumstantial
evidence. Cf. Tertullian, Apol. 5, ad Scapulam, 4; Dion
Cassius, lib. 55; Scaliyer, Animadv. in Euseb., p. 223 f.;
cf. Donaldson, Hist. Chr. Lit. and Doctr., iii. p. 241 f.
should be pardoned, for ignorance does not admit of accusation, but requires instruction. And they say that the Lord, together with his disciples, ate the sheep [———] on the 14th Nisan, but himself suffered on the great day of unleavened bread. And they state [———] that Matthew says precisely what they have understood; hence their understanding of it is at variance with the law, and according to them the Gospels seem to contradict each other.'"(1) The last sentence is interpreted as pointing out that the first synoptic Gospel is supposed to be at variance with our fourth Gospel. This fragment is claimed by Teschendorf(2) and others as evidence of the general acceptance at that time both of the Synoptics and the fourth Gospel. Canon Westcott, with obvious exaggeration, says: "The Gospels are evidently quoted as books certainly known and recognized; their authority is placed on the same footing as the Old Testament.:(3) The Gospels are referred to merely for the settlement of the historical fact as to the day on which the last Passover had been eaten, a narrative of which they contained.
There are, however, very grave reasons for doubting the authenticity of the two fragments ascribed to
Apollinaris, and we must mention that these doubts are much less those of German critics, who, on the whole, either do not raise the question at all, or hastily dispose of it, than doubts entertained by orthodox Apologists, who see little ground for accepting them as genuine.(1) Eusebius, who gives a catalogue of the works of Apol-linaris which had reached him,(2) was evidently not acquainted with any writing of his on the Passover. It is argued, however, that "there is not any sufficient ground for doubting the genuineness of these fragments 'On Easter,' in the fact that Eusebius mentions no such book by Apollinaris."(3) It is quite true that Eusebius does not pretend to give a complete list of these works, but merely says that there are many preserved by many, and that he mentions those with which he had met.(4) At the same time, entering with great interest, as he does, into the Paschal Controversy, and acquainted with the principal writings on the subject,(5) it would indeed have been strange had he not met with the work itself, or at least with some notice of it in the works of others. Eusebius gives an account of the writings of Melito and Apollinaris together. He was acquainted with the work of Melito on the Passover, and quotes it,(6) and it is extremely improbable that he could have been ignorant of a treatise by his distinguished contemporary