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and to dishonor the tradition of Peter, while those from Asia claimed to follow John the evangelist, this having been commonly resolved, each celebrating as they were accustomed, they were not separated from communion with each other. For they very rightly considered it foolish to be separated from one another on account of customs, while agreeing on the essentials of religion. 7.1.2 For it is not possible to find the same traditions alike in all things, even if they should be of the same opinion, in all the churches. For instance, the Scythians, though being many cities, all have one bishop; while in other nations bishops are consecrated even in villages, as I have known among the Arabians and Cyprians, 7.1.3 and among the Novatians and Montanists in Phrygia. Among the Romans, the deacons are even now not more than seven, in imitation of those ordained by the apostles, of whom Stephen was the first to be martyred; 7.1.4 but among others their number is indefinite. Again, in Rome they sing the alleluia once each year on the first day of the Paschal feast, so that for many Romans it is an oath to be deemed worthy 7.1.5 to both hear and sing this hymn. Neither the bishop nor anyone else teaches in church in this place, but among the Alexandrians, only the bishop of the city does. And they say that this custom, not having been in place previously, arose from when Arius, 7.1.6 being a presbyter, caused innovation while discoursing concerning the dogma. And that is also strange among these Alexandrians: for when the gospels are being read the bishop does not stand up; which I have neither known nor heard of among others. And this sacred book is read in this place only by the archdeacon, while among others by deacons, and in many churches only the priests, and on special days, bishops, as in Constantinople on the first day of the feast of the resurrection. 7.1.7 And as for the period called the forty days before this, in which the multitude fasts, some reckon it as six weeks, like the Illyrians and those in the west, and all of Libya and Egypt with the Palestinians, but others as seven, as in Constantinople and the surrounding nations as far as the Phoenicians, others fast for three weeks sporadically within the six or seven, and others for three consecutive weeks before the 7.1.8 feast, and others for two, as those who hold the opinions of Montanus. Moreover, regarding assembling for church, the time or manner is not the same among all. For instance, some assemble on the Sabbath as well as on the first day of the week, as in Constantinople and almost everywhere, but in Rome and Alexandria, no longer; but among the Egyptians in many cities and villages, contrary to the custom common to all, assembling towards evening on the Sabbath, having already eaten their midday meal, 7.1.9 they partake of the mysteries. And it is not possible to find all using the same prayers and psalmodies or readings at the same time. Thus, for example, I have known the so-called Apocalypse of Peter, although it was judged completely spurious by the ancients, to be read even now in certain churches of Palestine once each year on the day of preparation (Friday), on which all the people devoutly fast in commemoration of the Savior's passion. 7.1.10 But the one now circulating as the Apocalypse of Paul the apostle, which none of the ancients knows, very many of the monks praise. And during this reign some claim that this book was found. For they say that by a divine revelation in Tarsus of Cilicia, at the house of Paul, a marble chest 7.1.11 was found under the ground and the book was in it. But when I asked about this, a Cilician presbyter of the church in Tarsus said it was false; for he was of many years, and his grey hair showed the man; and he said he knew of no such thing having happened among them, and wondered if these things 7.1.12 were not fabricated by heretics. But so much for this. One might find many customs in cities and villages, which those brought up in them consider it neither pious nor tolerable to transgress out of reverence for those who handed them down from the beginning or for those who succeeded them. to have experienced this same thing

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καὶ Πέτρου τὴν παράδοσιν ἀτιμάζειν, οἱ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ᾿Ασίας ᾿Ιωάννῃ τῷ εὐαγγελιστῇ ἀκολουθεῖν ἰσχυρίζοντο, τοῦτο κοινῇ δόξαν, ἕκαστοι ὡς εἰώθεσαν ἑορτάζοντες τῆς πρὸς σφᾶς κοινωνίας οὐκ ἐχωρίσθησαν. εὔηθες γὰρ καὶ μάλα δικαίως ὑπέλαβον ἐθῶν ἕνεκα ἀλλήλων χωρίζεσθαι περὶ τὰ καίρια τῆς θρησκείας συμφω7.1.2 νοῦντες. οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὰς αὐτὰς παραδόσεις περὶ πάντα ὁμοίας, κἂν ὁμόδοξοι εἶεν, ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις εὑρεῖν ἔστι. ἀμέλει Σκύθαι πολλαὶ πόλεις ὄντες ἕνα πάντες ἐπίσκοπον ἔχουσιν· ἐν ἄλλοις δὲ ἔθνεσιν ἔστιν ὅπῃ καὶ ἐν κώμαις ἐπίσκοποι ἱερῶνται, ὡς παρὰ ᾿Αραβίοις καὶ Κυπρίοις ἔγνων 7.1.3 καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἐν Φρυγίαις Ναυατιανοῖς καὶ Μοντανισταῖς. διάκονοι δὲ παρὰ μὲν ῾Ρωμαίοις εἰσέτι νῦν οὐ πλείους εἰσὶν ἑπτὰ καθ' ὁμοιότητα τῶν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων χειροτονηθέντων, ὧν ἦν Στέφανος ὁ πρῶτος μαρτυρήσας· 7.1.4 παρὰ δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀδιάφορος ὁ τούτων ἀριθμός. πάλιν αὖ ἑκάστου ἔτους ἅπαξ ἐν ῾Ρώμῃ τὸ ἀλληλούια ψάλλουσι κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν τῆς πασχαλίας ἑορτῆς, ὡς πολλοῖς ῾Ρωμαίων ὅρκον εἶναι τοῦτον ἀξιωθῆναι 7.1.5 τὸν ὕμνον ἀκοῦσαί τε καὶ ψᾶλαι. οὔτε δὲ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος οὔτε ἄλλος τις ἐνθάδε ἐπ' ἐκκλησίας διδάσκει, παρὰ δὲ ᾿Αλεξανδρεῦσι μόνος ὁ τῆς πόλεως ἐπίσκοπος. φασὶ δὲ τοῦτο οὐ πρότερον εἰωθὸς ἐπιγενέσθαι ἀφ' οὗ ῎Αρειος 7.1.6 πρεσβύτερος ὢν περὶ τοῦ δόγματος διαλεγόμενος ἐνεωτέρισε. ξένον δὲ κἀκεῖνο παρὰ ᾿Αλεξανδρεῦσι τούτοις· ἀναγινωσκομένων γὰρ τῶν εὐαγγελίων οὐκ ἐπανίσταται ὁ ἐπίσκοπος· ὃ παρ' ἄλλοις οὔτε ἔγνων οὔτε ἀκήκοα. ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἱερὰν ἀναγινώσκει βίβλον ἐνθάδε μόνος ὁ ἀρχιδιάκονος, παρὰ δὲ ἄλλοις διάκονοι, ἐν πολλαῖς δὲ ἐκκλησίαις οἱ ἱερεῖς μόνοι, ἐν δὲ ἐπισήμοις ἡμέραις ἐπίσκοποι, ὡς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἡμέραν τῆς ἀναστασίμου ἑορτῆς. 7.1.7 Καὶ τὴν πρὸ ταύτης δὲ καλουμένην τεσσαρακοστήν, ἐν ᾗ νηστεύει τὸ πλῆθος, οἱ μὲν εἰς ἓξ ἑβδομάδας ἡμερῶν λογίζονται, ὡς οἱ ᾿Ιλλυριοὶ καὶ οἱ πρὸς δύσιν, Λιβύη τε πᾶσα καὶ Αἴγυπτος σὺν τοῖς Παλαιστίνοις, οἱ δὲ ἑπτά, ὡς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει καὶ τοῖς πέριξ ἔθνεσι μέχρι Φοινίκων, ἄλλοι δὲ τρεῖς σποράδην ἐν ταῖς ἓξ ἢ ἑπτὰ νηστεύουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἅμα τρεῖς πρὸ τῆς 7.1.8 ἑορτῆς συνάπτουσιν, οἱ δὲ δύο, ὡς οἱ τὰ Μοντανοῦ φρονοῦντες. οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ἐκκλησιάζειν οὐχ ὁ αὐτὸς παρὰ πᾶσι καιρὸς ἢ τρόπος. ἀμέλει οἱ μὲν καὶ τῷ σαββάτῳ ὁμοίως τῇ μιᾷ σαββάτου ἐκκλησιάζουσιν, ὡς ἐν Κωνσταντινουπόλει καὶ σχεδὸν πανταχῇ, ἐν ῾Ρώμῃ δὲ καὶ ᾿Αλεξανδρείᾳοὐκέτι· παρὰ δὲ Αἰγυπτίοις ἐν πολλαῖς πόλεσι καὶ κώμαις παρὰ τὸ κοινῇ πᾶσι νενομισμένον πρὸς ἑσπέραν τῷ σαββάτῳ συνιόντες, ἠριστηκότες ἤδη, 7.1. μυστηρίων μετέχουσι. καὶ εὐχαῖς δὲ καὶ ψαλμῳδίαις ταῖς αὐταῖς ἢ ἀναγνώσμασι κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν οὐ πάντας εὑρεῖν ἔστι κεχρημένους. οὕτω γοῦν τὴν καλουμένην ᾿Αποκάλυψιν Πέτρου, ὡς νόθον παντελῶς πρὸς τῶν ἀρχαίων δοκιμασθεῖσαν, ἔν τισιν ἐκκλησίαις τῆς Παλαιστίνης εἰσέτι νῦν ἅπαξ ἑκάστου ἔτους ἀναγινωσκομένην ἔγνων ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς παρασκευῆς, ἣν εὐλαβῶς ἅπας ὁ λαὸς νηστεύει ἐπὶ ἀναμνήσει τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους. 7.1.10 τὴν δὲ νῦν ὡς ᾿Αποκάλυψιν Παύλου τοῦ ἀποστόλου φερομένην, ἣν οὐδεὶς ἀρχαίων οἶδε, πλεῖστοι μοναχῶν ἐπαινοῦσιν. ἐπὶ ταύτης δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ἰσχυρίζονταί τινες ταύτην ηὑρῆσθαι τὴν βίβλον. λέγουσι γὰρ ἐκ θείας ἐπιφανείας ἐν Ταρσῷ τῆς Κιλικίας κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν Παύλου μαρμαρίνην λάρ7.1.11 νακα ὑπὸ γῆν εὑρεθῆναι καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τὴν βίβλον εἶναι. ἐρομένῳ δέ μοι περὶ τούτου ψεῦδος ἔφησεν εἶναι Κίλιξ πρεσβύτερος τῆς ἐν Ταρσῷ ἐκκλησίας· γεγονέναι μὲν γὰρ πολλῶν ἐτῶν καὶ ἡ πολιὰ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐδείκνυ· ἔλεγε δὲ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐπίστασθαι παρ' αὐτοῖς συμβάν, θαυμάζειν τε εἰ μὴ τάδε 7.1.12 πρὸς αἱρετικῶν ἀναπέπλασται. ἀλλὰ περὶ μὲν τούτου τάδε. πολλὰ δ' ἂν εὕροι τις ἔθη κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κώμας, ἅπερ αἰδοῖ τῶν ἐξ ἀρχῆς παραδεδωκότων ἢ τῶν τούτους διαδεξαμένων οὐχ ὅσιον οὐδὲ ἀνεκτὸν ἡγοῦνται παραβαίνειν οἱ τούτοις ἐντραφέντες. ταὐτὸν δὲ τοῦτο πεπονθέναι