Not only respecting the day is the dispute,1 but also as to the manner itself of the fast. For some think that they ought to fast one day, others two, others even more, others forty; they measure their day by the hours of day and night. And such the diversity of those who observe it, a diversity taking place not now in our time, but long before, in the time of those who were before us, they who did less exactly (as it seems) govern, having handed down their own simple and private habit to the succeeding generation. And none the less both all these were at peace, and we are at peace one with another, and the diversity of the fast commends the concord of the faith.… And the elders before Soter, who were over the Church which you now rule, Anicetus I mean and Pius and Hyginus and Telesphorus and Xystus, did neither themselves observe nor committed to their successors. And no less were they who did not keep it at peace with those of the parishes in which it was kept, coming to them, albeit the observance was contrary to those who observe not, and never were any because of this put forth. Yea the elders themselves who were before you who themselves did not keep it used to send the Eucharist to those of the Parishes who observe it. And when the blessed Polycarp was staying at Rome in the time of Anicetus and they had little differences with one another on some other matters, straightway they made peace, not caring to wrangle on this head. For neither could Anicetus persuade Polycarp not to keep,2 in that with John the disciple of our Lord and the rest of the Apostles with whom he lived3, he had ever kept it, nor yet did Polycarp persuade Anicetus to observe it, who said that he ought to hold the custom of the Elders who were before him. And these things being so, they communicated with one another, and in the Church Anicetus yielded the Eucharist to Polycarp, out of reverence that is, and they departed in peace from one another, both those who observed and those who observed not having the peace of the whole Church.