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But the bishops of Asia, led by Polycrates, decided to hold to the
old custom handed down to them. He himself, in a letter which he
addressed to Victor and the church of Rome, set forth in the
following words the tradition which had come down to him: "We observe
the exact day; neither adding, nor taking away. For in Asia also
great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the day of
the Lord's coming, when he shall come with glory from heaven, and
shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the
twelve apostles, who fell asleep in Hierapolis; and his two aged
virgin daughters, and another daughter, who lived in the Holy Spirit
and now rests at Ephesus; and, moreover, John, who was both a
witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and,
being a priest, wore the sacerdotal plate. He fell asleep at
Ephesus. And Polycarp in Smyrna, who was a bishop and martyr; and
Thraseas, bishop and martyr from Eumenia, who fell asleep in
Smyrna. Why need I mention the bishop and martyr Sagaris who fell
asleep in Laodicea, or the blessed Papirius, or Melito, the
Eunuch who lived altogether in the Holy Spirit, and who lies in
Sardis, awaiting the episcopate from heaven, when he shall rise from
the dead ? All these observed the fourteenth day of the passover
according to the Gospel, deviating in no respect, but following the
rule of faith. And I also, Polycrates, the least of you all, do
according to the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have
closely followed. For seven of my relatives were bishops; and I am
the eighth. And my relatives always observed the day when the people
put away the leaven. I, therefore, brethren, who have lived
sixty-five years in the Lord, and have met with the brethren
throughout the world, and have gone through every Holy Scripture, am
not affrighted by terrifying words. For those greater than I have
said ' We ought to obey God rather than man.' " He then writes of
all the bishops who were present with him and thought as he did. His
words are as follows: "I could mention the bishops who were present,
whom I summoned at your desire; whose names, should I write them,
would constitute a great multitude. And they, beholding my
littleness, gave their consent to the letter, knowing that I did not
bear my gray hairs in vain, but had always governed my life by the
Lord Jesus." Thereupon Victor, who presided over the church at
Rome, immediately attempted to cut off from the common unity the
parishes of all Asia, with the churches that agreed with them, as
heterodox; and he wrote letters and declared all the brethren there
wholly excommunicate. But this did not please all the bishops. And
they besought him to consider the things of peace, and of neighborly
unity and love. Words of theirs are extant, sharply rebuking
Victor. Among them was Irenaeus, who, sending letters in the name
of the brethren in Gaul over whom he presided, maintained that the
mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be observed only on the
Lord's day. He fittingly admonishes Victor that he should not cut
off whole churches of God which observed the tradition of an ancient
custom and after many other words he proceeds as follows:
"For the controversy is not only concerning the day, but also
concerning the very manner of the fast. For some think that they
should fast one day, others two, yet others more; some, moreover,
count their day as consisting of forty hours day and night. And this
variety in its observance has not originated in our time; but long
before in that of our ancestors. It is likely that they did not hold
to strict accuracy, and thus formed a custom for their posterity
according to their own simplicity and peculiar mode. Yet all of these
lived none the less in peace, and we also live in peace with one
another; and the disagreement in regard to the fast confirms the
agreement in the faith."
He adds to this the following account, which I may properly insert:
"Among these were the presbyters before Soter, who presided over the
church which thou now rulest. We mean Anicetus, and Plus, and
Hyginus, and Telesphorus, and Xystus. They neither observed it
themselves, nor did they permit those after them to do so. And yet
though not observing it, they were none the less at peace with those
who came to them from the parishes in which it was observed; although
this observance was more opposed to those who did not observe it. But
none were ever cast out on account of this form; but the presbyters
before thee who did not observe it, sent the eucharist to those of
other parishes who observed it. And when the blessed Polycarp was at
Rome in the time of Anicetus, and they disagreed a little about
certain other things, they immediately made peace with one another,
not caring to quarrel over this matter. For neither could Anicetus
persuade Polycarp not to observe what he had always observed with John
the disciple of our Lord, and the other apostles with whom he had
associated; neither could Polycarp persuade Anicetus to observe it as
he said that he ought to follow the customs of the presbyters that had
preceded him.
But though matters were in this shape, they communed together, and
Anicetus conceded the administration of the eucharist in the church to
Polycarp, manifestly as a mark of respect. And they parted from each
other in peace, both those who observed, and those who did not,
maintaining the peace of the whole church."
Thus Irenaeus, who truly was well named, became a peacemaker in this
matter, exhorting and negotiating in this way in behalf of the peace of
the churches. And he conferred by letter about this mooted question,
not only with Victor, but also with most of the other rulers of the
churches.
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