Page 52 - BV7

Irenaeus continued: "For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to observe it [the
Passover] because he had always observed it with John the disciple of our Lord, and the rest of the
apostles, with whom he associated; and neither did Polycarp persuade Anicetus to observe it, who
said that he was bound to follow the customs of the presbyters before him" (Eusebius' Ecclesiasti-
cal History, book V, chapter 24, quoted in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1, p. 244).

Counterfeit Vision

Shortly after Polycarp left, there appeared an amazing letter -- said by many scholars to
have been a deliberate forgery. This letter states: "Pope Pius, who lived about 147, had made a
decree, That the annual solemnity of the Pasch [Pasch is the Greek word for Passover] should be
kept on the Lord's day [Sunday] and in confirmation of this he pretended, that Hermes [Hermas],
his brother, who was then an eminent teacher among them, had received instruction from an angel,
who commanded that all men should keep the Pasch on the Lord's day" (Joseph Bingham, Antiqui-
ties of the Christian Church, pp. 1148-1149).

Of this same hoax, we read in Apostolic Fathers, by James Donaldson, page 324: "One of
the letters forged in the name of Pius, where one Hermas [Hermes] is mentioned as the author; and
it is stated that in his book a commandment was given through an angel to observe the Passover on
a Sunday."

If this letter was a deliberate forgery, it was invented after Polycarp's time in an effort to
lend weight to the custom of Anicetus, bishop of Rome, who maintained the Sunday observance of
the Eucharist or Passover. If it was not a forgery, then Pius himself was the author of this deceptive
letter. (Pius died just prior to the visit of Polycarp to Rome.)

Constantine -- the Man of Power

Constantine then convoked the first general council of the Christian-professing world. The
Council of Nicaea decided, under his authority, that Easter must be celebrated on Sunday and that
the Passover must be forbidden!

Without regard to these decisions, many continued faithful. For this reason Constantine is-
sued an edict declaring: "We have directed, accordingly, that you be deprived of all houses in
which you are accustomed to hold your assemblies ... public or private" (Life of Constantine,
book III).

Easter Still Observed on Different Sundays

Though everyone was now forced to observe Easter or flee the urban areas of the Roman
Empire, the churches were still divided over the exact Sunday for Easter. Here is how confusing
matters became:

"But notwithstanding any endeavors that could be used then, or afterwards, there remained
great differences in the church about it for many ages. For the churches of Great Britain and

52