Melito of Sardis

Peri tou pascha (On Pascha), and various fragments, especially an Apology (Defense) dedicated to Antoninus Caesar. My highest opinion of him is that Hippolytus of Rome quoted/cited Melito for explaining the dyophysis or two natures of Christ. However this saint held the Quartodeciman theory. His feast day is April 1. His most famous work is a homily on the Passover, which is a liturgical poem that serves as an early example of Christian preaching on the Paschal celebration. In it, he contrasts the divine and human natures of Christ and highlights the significance of the Paschal Mystery (Sacrament).

Another contemporary of this early 2nd century is Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus. However I tried in my website to limit contemporary writings to those that Apostolic Fathers and Church Fathers used or mentioned. And since Diognetus is not quoted by the early Church I don't think it's useful to a Christian. Nonetheless, it does clearly connect the "Logos" with Jesus Christ and calls the Son the "Creator." Interesting quote from Mathetes, "But you must not hope to learn the MYSTERY of their unique way of worshipping God from any mortal." Some of the Letter to Diognetus' contents are in opposition to the use of seasons for fasts and feasts which are more readily explained in Dionysius the Areopagite.

• Even since the 1st century there were already religious people who were directly or incidentally or indirectly reinterpreting, or misapplying, the knowledge of the Apostles and practices of the Presbyters. Most infamously are the Gnostic writings. Others include Antinomians, Simon Magus (Simonians), Bar-Jesus, Magicians, Hymenaeus and Alexander, Philetus, Diotrephes, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Epicureans, Ebionites, Cerinthus, Saturnilians, Carpocrats, Secundians, Marcosian, Valentinians, Basilideans, these are all either individuals, groups, or ideas that orthodox christians had to sift through and challenge or steer clear of.

By the 4th century the prophet Mani (Manichaeism) would represent a major world religion. I mention this as an example of how literature or people's writings can sound Christian or use christian terms yet not be connected to the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Melito was a bishop of the church in Sardis, and a successor. Mathetes is unidentified, as are usual heretics who were not connected to the Church but found their ideas worth writing about. This does not mean Anonymous Identity automatically necessitates false or erroneous apostolic teaching, it simply means I focus on those christians who are venerated on the church calendar, or wrote something so impactful to history (i.e. Eusebius of Caesarea) that it is worth retelling even if they are not commemorated by the Church. Sometimes saints taught and discipled christians who would later become heretics; other time heretics taught and dicipled christians who would later become saints. The safest thing to do is follow the guidance of a spiritual father. "Many are called, but few..."