It is not to be doubted, but that there was great diversity of Opinions (and some diversity of Practices) in things of inferior nature among Christians, and among Churches, even in the Primitive Church; The Jewish and Gentile Converts had not the same Opinions, nor were not of the same Judgment; Some differences there were among them, both in Opinion and Practice, as is obvious in the Scripture: And St. Paul allowed it, and communicated with them therein. And thus it was in the Ages subsequent to the Apostles, as Eusebius reports from the Letter of Ireneus to Victor Bishop of Rome, lib. 5. cap. 24. Victor had Excommunicated the Asiatic Churches, because they would not observe Easter after the Roman manner, for which Ireneus Bishop of Lyons in France reproves and admonishes him not to Excommunicate and Cut off whole Churches, for observing the Tradition of their Fathers; for they had always observed it on the fourteenth day of the Month, and would not change it, to comply ⟨p. 35⟩with the Roman Custom, who observed it on the Lord's Day. Ireneus tells Victor, That there was not only a Controversy about the Time of Observing Easter, but also about the Observation of the Fast that did precede it; some thinking themselves obliged to observe one, some two, some more, and some forty Days; and this variety was not a Novel Custom lately introduced, but had been such long before in the Times of their Progenitors and Predecessors; but this brake no Peace, though they differed about the Number of the Days of Fasting. [Greek or Hebrew], The diversity of the Fast did commend the Agreement of Faith. He adds that Hyginus, Anicetus, Pius, Zystus, and Telesphorus, which Ruled the Church of Rome before him, though they never observed Easter after the Custom of the Asiatics nor permitted it to be done in their Church, yet they kept Peace with those that came to them from other Churches where it was so observed; and gives instance in Polycarpus, who being at Rome in the time of Anicetus, was treated by him with Love and Honour, and permitted to consecrate the Eucharist in his Church: And if Bishops and Church-men, were as humble, pious, & peaceable as those two Bishops were, there might be the same Peace among them and their Churches, though they differed in some Customs, Practices, and Observations.
It is not to be doubted, but that there was great diversity of Opinions (and some diversity of Practices) in things of inferiour nature among Christians, and among Churches, even in the Primitive Church; The Jewish and Gentile Converts had not the same Opinions, nor were not of the same Judgment; Some differences there were among them, both in Opinion and Practice, as is obvious in the Scripture: And St. Paul allowed it, and communicated with them therein. And thus it was in the Ages subsequent to the Apostles, as Eusebius reports from the Letter of Ireneus to Victor Bishop of Rome, lib. 5. cap. 24. Victor had Excommunicated the Asiatick Churches, because they would not observe Easter after the Roman manner, for which Ireneus Bishop of Lyons in France reproves and admonishes him not to Excommunicate and Cut off whole Churches, for observing the Tradition of their Fathers; for they had alwaies observed it on the fourteenth day of the Month, and would not change it, to comply ⟨p. 35⟩with the Roman Custom, who observed it on the Lord's Day. Ireneus tells Victor, That there was not only a Controversie about the Time of Observing Easter, but also about the Observation of the Fast that did precede it; some thinking themselves obliged to observe one, some two, some more, and some forty Daies; and this variety was not a Novel Custom lately introduced, but had been such long before in the Times of their Progenitors and Predecessors; but this brake no Peace, though they differed about the Number of the Daies of Fasting. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, The diversity of the Fast did commend the Agreement of Faith. He adds that Hyginus, Anicetus, Pius, Zystus, and Telesphorus, which Ruled the Church of Rome before him, though they never observed Easter after the Custom of the Asiatiques nor permitted it to be done in their Church, yet they kept Peace with those that came to them from other Churches where it was so observed; and gives instance in Polycarpus, who being at Rome in the time of Anicetus, was treated by him with Love and Honour, and permitted to consecrate the Eucharist in his Church: And if Bishops and Church-men, were as humble, pious, & peaceable as those two Bishops were, there might be the same Peace among them and their Churches, though they differed in some Customs, Practices, and Observations.
