man in this world, how singular so euer he be (Christ onely excepted) but some blemishe or other ioyneth himselfe withall, whereof more perchaunce shall be sayd when we come to Cyprian.

And now to returne agayne to the order of bishops of Rome intermitted: after Eleutherius afore mentioned, next in the bishoprike of Rome succeded Victor,Marginalia Victor Byshop of Rome. who as Platina sayth, died quietly in the dayes of Seuerus. But Damasus Supplementum, Lib. 8. and such as folow the common Chronicles, affirme that he died a Martyr,Marginalia Victor reported of some to dye a Martyr. after he had sitten x. or as some say xij. yeares. This Victor was a great styrrer (as partly before is signified) in the controuersie and contention of Easterday. For the which he would haue proceded in excommunication against the churches of Asia, had not Irenæus then bishop of Lions, with the counsaile of other his brethren there assēbled, repressed his intended violence. As touching that cōtrouersie of Easter in those dais of the primitiue Church, the originall thereof was this, as Eusebius, Socrates, Platina, and other record. First, certain it is, that the Apostles onely being intentiueand attendaunt to the doctrine of saluation, gaue no heed nor regard to the obseruation of dayes & times, neither bound the Church to any ceremonies and rites, except those things necessary mentioned in the Actes of the Apostles, as strangled and bloud, which was ordayned then of the holy Ghost, notwithout a most vrgent and necessary cause, touched partly in þ^e history before.Marginalia The cause discussed why the holy Ghost forbad bloud and strangled in the primitiue Church. For when the murdering and bloud of Infants was commonly obiected by the Heathen persecutors agaynst the Christians, they had no other argumēt to help thēselues, nor to refell the aduersarie, but only their own law; by the which they were commaūded to abstaine not onely from all mens bloud, but also from the bloud of all cōmon beastes. And therefore that law seemeth by the holy Ghost to be geuen, & also to the same end & continued in the Church, so long as the cause, that is the persecutions of the Heathen Gentiles continued. Beside these we read of no other ceremonies or rites, which the Apostles greatly regarded, but left such things free to the libertie of Christians, euery man to vse therein his own discretion, for the vsing or not vsing thereof. Whereupon, as concerning all the ceremoniall obseruations of dayes, tymes, places, meates, drinks, vestures, and such other, of all these things neither was the diuersitie among men greatly noted, nor any vniformitie greatly required. In so much, that Irenæus writing to Victor of the tradition of dayes, and of fastings, and of the diuersitie of these things then vsed among þ^e primitiue fathers, saith:Marginalia Ex Euseb. lib. 5. Cap. 26. The doctrine of Christian libertie in outward vsages. Nihilo tamen minus omnes llli pacem inter se retinuerunt, & retinemus etiamnū; & ieiunij dissonantia, fidei concordiam commendat, &c.  

That is, Notwithstanding all this varietie, all they kept peace among themselues, & yet we keepe it still; and this difference of fasting among vs, commendeth more the concord of faith. And so long did the doctrine of Christian libertie remaine whole & sounde in the Church till the tyme of Victor, which was about the yeare of our Lord, 200.Marginalia Anno. 200. Although the diuersitie of these vsages, began something before also in the dayes of Pius and Anicetus, about the yere of oue Lord, 163. to be misliked: yet restraint hereof was not so much vrged before, as in þ^e time of Victor. And yet neither did the violēce of Victor take such place, but that the doctrine of Christian libertie was defended and maintained by meanes of Irenæus and other, and so continued in the Church till after the Councell of Nice. And thus much concerning the doctrine of Christian libertie of the differences of rites and ceremonies.

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Now to returne to Victor agayne, to shew what diuersitie there was in obseruing the day of Easter, and how it came, thus is the story: First, in the tyme of Pius and Anicetus, an. 163 the questiō of Easter day began first to be moued; at what tyme Pius, by the reuelation of Hermes, decreed the obseruatiō of that day to be chaunged from the wonted maner of the 14. day of the moone in the first moneth, vnto the next Sonday after. After him came Anicetus, Soter, and Eleutherius Bishops of Rome, which also determined the same. Agaynst these stode Melito Bishop of Sardis, Polycarpus, and as some thinke, Egesippus, with other learned men of Asia Which Polycarpus being sent by the brethren of Asia, came to Rome as is aforesayd, to cōferre with Anicetus in that matter: wherin when they could not agree after long debating, yet notwithstanding, they did both cōmunicate together with reuerēce, & departed in peace.Marginalia Ex Euseb. Lib. 4. Cap 26. Polycarpus and Anicetus disagreeing in controuersie, yet agreed in charitie. And so the celebration of Easter day remained Adiaphoron, as a thing indifferent in the Church, till the time of Victor. Who folowing after Anicetus and hys fellowes, and chiefly stirring in this matter, endeuoured by all meanes and might, to draw, or rather subdue the Churches of Asia vnto hys opinion, thinking moreouer to excommunicate all those Byshops and churches of Asia, as heretickes and schisma-tickes, which disagreed from the Romaine order, had not Irenæus otherwise restrayned him from that doyng, as is a foresayd, whiche was about the yeare of our Lord. 191. in the reigne of Commodus.Marginalia Vniformitie in ceremonies not to be required as a thing necessary. Thus then began the vniformitie of keeping that holy day to be first required, as a thing necessary; & all they accompted as heretickes and schismatickes, which dissented from þ^e Bishop & traditiō of Rome.

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With Victor stoode Theophilus Byshop of Cesarea, Narcissus of Hierusalem, Irenæus of Lyons, Palmas of Pontus, Banchillus of Corinthe, the Byshop of Oliroena, and other moe. All which condescended to haue the celebration of Easter vpon the Sonday, because they would differ frō the Iewes in all things, as neare as they might, and partly because the resurrection of the Lord fell on the same day.

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On the contrary side diuers Byshop were in Asia, of whom the principall was Policrates Byshop of Ephesus;Marginalia Polycrates Byshop of Ephesus. who being assembled with a great multitude of Bishops and brethren of those parties, by the common assent of the rest, wrote agayne to Victor, and to the Church of Rome, declaring, that they had euer from the beginning obserued that day, according to the rule of Scripture vnchaunged, neither adding nor altering any thing frō the same. Alledging moreouer for them the examples of the Apostles and holy fathers their predecessours, as Phillip the Apostle with hys three daughters at Hierapolis Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist at Ephesus, Polycarpus at Smyrna Thraseas at Eumenia, Byshoppe and Martyr, lykewise of Sagaris at Laodicæa Bushop and Mattyr, Holy Papyrius, and Melito at Sardis. Beside these bishops also of his own kindred, and his owne aunceters, to the number of seuen which all were bishops before him,Marginalia Byshop in those dayes maryed. & he the eight now after them. All which obserued (saith he) the solemnitie of the same, after the same wise and sort as we do now.

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Marginalia Victor excommunicating the Churches of Asia.

Victor being not a litle mooued herewith, by letters agayne denounceth against them (more bold vpon authoritie, then wise in his commission) violent excommunicatiō, Albeit by the wise handlyng of Irenæus, and other learned men, that matter was staid, and Victor otherwise perswaded. What the perswasiōs of Irenæus were, partly may appeare in Euseb. Lib. 5. cap. 26. the summe whereof tendeth to this effect:Marginalia Irenæus to Victor. That the variance and difference of ceremonies is no straunge matter in the Church of Christ, when as this varietie is not onely in the day of Easter, but also in the maner of fasting, & in diuers other vsages among the christians. For some fast one day, some two days, some other fast moe. Other there be, which counting xl. houres, both day & night, take that for a ful dayes fast. And this so diuers fashion of fasting in the church of Christ, began not onely in this our tyme, but was before among our foreelders. And yet notwithstāding they with all this diuersity, were in vnitie among themselues, and so be we, neyther doth this difference of ceremonies any thing hinder, but rather commendeth the concorde of fayth.Marginalia Diuersitie commendeth the concorde of fayth. And bringeth forth the examples of the fathers of Telesphorus, Pius, Anicetus, Soter, Eleutherius, and such other, who neither obserued the same vsage themselues, neither prescribed it to others; and yet notwithstanding kept christian charitie with such as came to cōmunicate with them, not obseruing the same forme of things which they obserued, as well appeared by Polycarpus and Anicetus, which although they agreed not in one vniforme custome of rites, yet refused not to cōmunicate together, the one geuing reuerence vnto the other. Thus the controuersie being taken vp betwene Irenæus & Victor, remained free to the time of Nicene Councell. Hæc ex Iren. Eusebius. And thus much cōcerning the controuersie of that matter, and concerning the doings of Victor.

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After Victor, succeeded in the sea of Rome Zephyrinus, in the dayes of the foresayd Seuerus, about the yeare of our Lord. 203.Marginalia Zephyrinus Byshop of Rome. To this Zephyrinus be ascribed two Epistles, in the first Tome of the Councels. But as I haue sayd before of the decretall Epistles of other Romaine Bishops: so I say and verily suppose of this, that neither the countenāce of the stile, nor the matter therin contained, nor the condition of the tyme, doth otherwise giue to thinke of these letters, but that they be verily bastard letters,Marginalia The Epistle and ordinaunces of Zephyrinus suspected to be counterfet. not written by these fathers, nor in these tymes; but craftily and wickedly pact in by some, which to set vp þ^e primacie of Rome, haue most pestilently abused the authoritie of these holy & auncieut fathers, to deceaue the simple Church. For who is so rude, but that in considering onely the state of those terrible tymes, may easily vnderstand except affectiō blind him, beside a nomber of other probable coniectures to lead him, that the poore persecuted bishops in that time, would haue bene glad to haue any safe couert to put their heades in: so far was it of, that they had any lust or laisure, thē to seeke for any Primacie or Patriarkeship, or to driue all other churches to appeale to the sea of Rome, or to exempt

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