Philip Schaff

“ Moreover I also, Polycrates, who am the least of you all, in accordance with the tradition of my relatives, some of whom I have succeeded—seven of my relatives were bishops, and I am the eighth, and my relatives always observed the day when the people put away [15] the leaven—I myself, brethren, I say, who am sixty-five years old in the Lord, and have fallen in with the brethren in all parts of the world, and have read through all Holy Scripture, am not frightened at the things which are said to terrify us. ”

“ Our author belonged to a family in which he was the eighth Christian bishop; and he presided over the church of Ephesus, in which the traditions of St. John were yet fresh in men’s minds at the date of his birth. He had doubtless known Polycarp, and Irenæus also. He seems to have presided over a synod of Asiatic bishops (a.d. 196) which came together to consider this matter of the Paschal feast. It is surely noteworthy that nobody doubted that it was kept by a Christian and Apostolic ordinance. So St. Paul argues from its Christian observance, in his rebuke of the Corinthians. ”

“ Great confusions adhere to this name.] ↑ Δύο θυγατέρες αὐτοῦ γεγηρακυῖαι παρθένοι.↑ Πολιτευσαμένη. [Phil. iii. 20, Greek.] ↑ Πέταλον. [Probably the ornament of the high priest; Exod. xxviii. 35, 36.] ↑ [i.e., spiritually; embracing a chaste celibacy in deference to Christ. Matt. xix. 12.] ”