8a.1 For who is ignorant of the books of Irenaeus and Melito and the rest, proclaiming Christ to be God and man? 8b.t Of Melito, Bishop of Sardis, Concerning the Laver

8b.1 «What gold, or silver, or bronze, or iron, when heated, is not baptized with water? some of them that they might be brightened in color, another that it might be tempered by the dipping. The whole earth is washed by rains and rivers, and having been washed, is well cultivated. Likewise also the Egyptian land, washed by the swelling river, increases the corn, and fills the ear of grain, and yields a hundredfold through a good washing. But indeed also the air itself is washed by the falling drops. Washed also is the many-hued iris, the mother of the rains, whenever she arches over the flowing streams, summoned by a water-drawing breath. But if you wish to see the heavenly things being baptized, be led now to the ocean, and there I will show you a new sight: a sea spread out, and a boundless ocean, and an infinite deep, and a measureless ocean, and pure water, the baptistery of the sun, and the illuminator of the stars, and the bath of the moon; but how they are washed mystically, learn faithfully from me. The sun, having opened the course of the day with fiery steeds, having become fire-like by the whirling of its course and kindled like a torch, and having burned through the middle zone of its course, so that, if it were seen up close, it would scorch the earth with ten radiating lightnings, abashed, it goes down into the ocean. Just as a bronze sphere, being full of fire within, flashing forth much light, is washed in cold water, sounding greatly, but being brightened by the gleam; but the fire within is not extinguished, but again flashes forth, having been rekindled; so indeed also the sun, fired like lightning, not ceasing at all, is washed in cold water, having an unslumbering fire; and having been washed with a mystical baptism, it greatly rejoices, having the water for nourishment; and being one and the same, it rises as a new sun for men, strengthened from the deep, purified from the washing; and having driven out the nocturnal darkness, it has begotten a bright day. And according to its course, the movement of the stars and of the moon naturally operate; for they are washed in the baptistery of the sun, like good disciples; for the stars with the moon pursue in the track of the sun, having a pure light. But if the sun with the stars and the moon is washed in the ocean, why is Christ also not washed in the Jordan? King of the heavens, and ruler of creation, the sun of the east, who appeared both to the dead in Hades and to mortals in the world, and this sun alone has risen from heaven.»

9.t Of the blessed Melito of Sardis ex opere incerto 9.1 «For as a ram was bound, he says concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, and «as

a lamb was shorn and as a sheep was led to slaughter and as a lamb» he was crucified, and he bore the wood on his shoulders, being led up to be slaughtered like Isaac by his father.

But Christ suffered, while Isaac did not suffer; for he was a type of the Christ who was to suffer. [But having become the type of Christ, he provided astonishment and fear to men. For it was a new mystery to behold, a son being led by his father up a mountain for slaughter, whom, having bound his feet, he placed upon the wood of the offering, preparing with haste the things for his slaughter. But Isaac is silent, fettered like a ram, not «opening his mouth», nor uttering a sound. For not fearing the sword nor terrified by the fire nor grieved at suffering, he patiently bore the type of the Lord. Therefore Isaac lay in the midst, his feet bound

8α.1 Τὰ γὰρ Εἰρηναίου τε καὶ Μελίτωνος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τίς ἀγνοεῖ βιβλία, θεὸν καὶ ἄνθρωπον καταγγέλλοντα τὸν χριστόν; 8β.τ Μελίτωνος ἐπισκόπου Σάρδεων Περὶ Λουτροῦ

8β.1 «Ποῖος δὲ χρυσός, ἢ ἄργυρος, ἢ χαλκός, ἢ σιδηρὸς πυρωθεὶς οὐ

βαπτίζεται ὕδατι; ὁ μὲν αὐτῶν ἵνα φαιδρυνθῇ διὰ τῆς χρόας, ὁ δὲ ἵνα τονωθῇ διὰ τῆς βαφῆς. Ἡ δὲ σύμπασα γῆ ὄμβροις καὶ ποταμοῖς λούεται, καὶ λουσαμένη καλῶς γεωργεῖται. Ὁμοίως καὶ ἡ Αἰγυπτιακὴ γῆ λουσαμένη ποταμῷ πληθύνοντι αὔξει μὲν τὸ λήϊον, πληροῖ δὲ τὸν στάχυν, ἑκατοντάχοα δὲ γεωργεῖ διὰ καλοῦ λουτροῦ. Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἀὴρ λούεται ταῖς τῶν ψεκάδων καταπομπαῖς. Λούεται καὶ ἡ τῶν ὄμβρων μήτηρ πολυανθὴς ἶρις, ὁπόταν κατὰ ῥευμάτων κυρτώσῃ ποταμούς, ὑδραγωγῷ πνεύματι προσκαλουμένη. Εἰ δὲ βούλῃ τὰ οὐράνια θεάσασθαι βαπτιζόμενα, ἐπάχθητι νῦν ἐπὶ τὸν ὠκεανόν, κἀκεῖ σοι δείξω θέαμα καινόν· πέλαγος ἀναπεπταμένον, καὶ θάλασσαν ἀόριστον, καὶ ἀπείρητον βυθόν, καὶ ἀμέτρητον ὠκεανόν, καὶ ὕδωρ καθαρόν, τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου βαπτιστήριον, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἄστρων λαμπτήριον, καὶ τὸ τῆς σελήνης λουτρόν· τὸ δὲ πῶς λούονται μυστικῶς, παρ' ἐμοῦ μάθε πιστῶς. Ἥλιος μὲν, διανοίξας τὸν τῆς ἡμέρας δρόμον πυρίνοις ἱππεύμασι, τῇ περιδινήσει τοῦ δρόμου πυροειδὴς γενόμενος καὶ ὡς λαμπὰς ἐξαφθείς, διακαύσας δὲ τὴν μέσην τοῦ δρόμου ζώνην, ὡς, ἂν πλησίον ὀφθῇ, δέκα ἀκτινοβόλοις ἀστραπαῖς καταφλέξαι τὴν γῆν, δυσωπούμενος κάτεισιν εἰς τὸν ὠκεανόν. Καθάπερ σφαῖρα χαλκῆ, πυρὸς ἔνδοθεν γέμουσα, πολὺ φῶς ἀπαστράπτουσα, λούεται ἐν ὕδατι ψυχρῷ, μέγα ἠχοῦσα, λαμπρυνομένη δὲ ἀπ' αὐγῆς· τὸ δὲ πῦρ ἔνδοθεν οὐ σβέννυται, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἀπαστράπτει ἀνακαυθέν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ ἥλιος, πεπυρωμένος ὡς ἀστραπή, ὅλως οὐ τελευτῶν λούεται ἐν ὕδατι ψυχρῷ, ἀκοίμητον ἔχων τὸ πῦρ· λουσάμενος δὲ βαπτίσματι μυστικῷ, σφόδρα εὐφραίνεται, τὸ ὕδωρ ἔχων τροφήν· εἷς δὲ καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ὤν, ὡς καινὸς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀνατέλλει ἥλιος, τετονωμένος ἐκ βυθοῦ, κεκαθαρμένος ἐκ λουτροῦ· τὸ δὲ νυκτερινὸν ἐξελάσας σκότος, λαμπρὰν ἐγέννησεν ἡμέραν. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν τούτου δρόμον, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἄστρων κίνησις καὶ ἡ τῆς σελήνης φύσει ἐνεργεῖ· λούονται γὰρ εἰς τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου βαπτιστήριον, ὡς καλοὶ μαθηταί· οἱ γὰρ ἀστέρες μετὰ τῆς σελήνης κατ' ἴχνος τοῦ ἡλίου διώκουσιν, καθαρὰν ἔχοντες αὐγήν. Εἰ δὲ ὁ ἥλιος σὺν ἄστροις καὶ σελήνῃ λούεται ἐν ὠκεανῷ, διὰ τί καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐν Ἰορδάνῃ οὐ λούεται; Βασιλεὺς οὐρανῶν, καὶ κτίσεως ἡγεμών, ἥλιος ἀνατολῆς, ὃς καὶ τοῖς ἐν ᾅδου νεκροῖς ἐφάνη καὶ τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ βροτοῖς, καὶ μόνος ἥλιος οὗτος ἀνέτειλεν ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ.»

9.τ Τοῦ μακαρίου Μελίτωνος Σάρδεων εχ οπερε ινξερτο 9.1 «Ὡς γὰρ κριὸς ἐδέθη, φησὶ περὶ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ «ὡς

ἀμνὸς ἐκάρη καὶ ὡς πρόβατον εἰς σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς» ἐσταυρώθη, καὶ ἐβάστασε τὸ ξύλον ἐπὶ τοῖς ὤμοις αὐτοῦ, ἀναγόμενος σφαγῆναι ὡς Ἰσαὰκ ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλὰ Χριστὸς ἔπαθεν, Ἰσαὰκ δὲ οὐκ ἔπαθεν· τύπος γὰρ ἦν τοῦ μέλλοντος πάσχειν Χριστοῦ. [ ̓Αλλὰ καὶ ὁ τύπος τοῦ Χριστοῦ γενόμενος ἔκπληξιν καὶ φόβον παρεῖχεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Ἦν γὰρ θεάσασθαι μυστήριον καινόν, υἱὸν ἀγόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπ' ὄρος εἰς σφαγήν, ὃν συμποδίσας ἔθηκεν ἐπὶ τὰ ξύλα τῆς καρπώσεως, ἑτοιμάζων μετὰ σπουδῆς τὰ πρὸς τὴν σφαγὴν αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰσαὰκ σιγᾷ, πεπεδημένος ὡς κριός, οὐκ «ἀνοίγων τὸ στόμα», οὐδὲ φθεγγόμενος φωνῇ. Τὸ γὰρ ξίφος οὐ φοβηθεὶς οὐδὲ τὸ πῦρ πτοηθεὶς οὐδὲ τὸ παθεῖν λυπηθεὶς ἐβάστασεν καρτερῶν τὸν τύπον τοῦ κυρίου. Ἦν οὖν ἐν μέσῳ προκείμενος Ἰσαὰκ πεποδισμένος