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| Concerning Melitius; the Excellent Directions made by the Holy Council in his Complications.
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Chapter
XXIV.—Concerning Melitius; the Excellent Directions
made by the Holy Council in his Complications.
After an investigation had been
made into the conduct of Melitius when in Egypt, the Synod sentenced
him to reside in Lycus,1135
| 1135Lycus (Lycopolis) is not named in the letter of the
Synod which says simply that he should reside in his own city. Soz.
took the fact from Athan. Apol. cont. Arian. 71, where Melitius,
in the brief to Alexander, calls himself bishop of Lycus. This is a
proof of our historian’s use of the same documents to amplify the
statements of Socrates.
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and to retain only the name of bishop; and prohibited him from
ordaining any one either in a city or a village. Those who had
previously been ordained by him, were permitted by this law, to remain
in communion and in the ministry, but were to be accounted secondary in
point of dignity to the clergy in church and parish.1136
| 1136Soc. i. 9, for text of the letter.
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When by death an appointment became vacant, they were allowed to
succeed to it, if deemed worthy, by the vote of the multitude, but in
this case, were to be ordained by the bishop of the Church of
Alexandria, for they were interdicted from exercising any power or
influence in elections. This regulation appeared just to the Synod,
for Melitius1137
| 1137The best text reads Melitius, not Meletius, so
Athanas. and Soc.; usually the books write Meletius and Meletians. We
follow the reading.
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and his followers had manifested great rashness and temerity in
administering ordination; so that it also deprived the ordinations
which differed from those of Peter of all consideration. He, when he
conducted the Alexandrian Church, fled on account of the persecution
then raging, but afterwards suffered martyrdom.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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