Now in their day no small controversy was stirred up, because all the parishes of Asia supposed, as from an older tradition, that they ought to keep the fourteenth day of the moon for the festival of the Saviour's Passover—the day on which the Jews had been commanded to slay the lamb—holding that in every case on this day, on whatever day of the week it might fall, they should make the conclusion of the fasts; whereas it was not the custom to keep the festival in this manner in the churches throughout all the rest of the world, which preserved, from apostolic tradition, the custom that has prevailed even to the present, namely, that it is not fitting to end the fasts on any other day than that of the resurrection of our Saviour.
Synods, then, and gatherings of bishops were held about this matter, and all with one mind, through letters, framed for the brethren everywhere an ecclesiastical decree: that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord from the dead should be celebrated on no other day than the Lord's Day, and that on this day alone we should keep the conclusions of the Paschal fasts.
There is still extant to this day a writing of those who were then convened in Palestine, over whom presided Theophilus, bishop of the parish in Caesarea, and Narcissus of the one in Jerusalem; and likewise another from those at Rome concerning the same question, indicating Victor as bishop; and one of the bishops in Pontus, over whom Palmas, as the most ancient, presided; and one of the parishes in Gaul, over which Irenaeus was bishop;
and moreover those of the parishes in Osrhoene and the cities there; and individually that of Bacchylus, bishop of the church of the Corinthians; and very many others as well, who, having expressed one and the same opinion and judgement, set down the same vote. And of these there was one definition, the one already indicated.