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A Conference held in Northumberland, in 664.
THE chief occasion of this Conference, related by Beda, l. 3. c. 25. of his History, was the Dispute about Easterday. Colman maintained the Practice of the Britains, and Wil∣fride * 1.1 that of the R•…•…. King 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was present at it. Wilfride founded his Practice upon the universal Custom of the Church, which kept Easter on the same Day, excepting the Picts and the Britains. Colman would have defended their Practice by the Authority of S. John. But Wilfride shewed him, that he did not agree with this Apostle, who kept Easter without staying for the Sunday; which they did not follow, seeing they staid till the Sunday next after the fourteenth Moon. That they did not agree with S. Peter neither, for this Holy Apostle kept Easter between the 15th and the 21st Moon, whereas they would keep it from the 14th to the 20th. so that they did sometimes begin this Feast at the end of the thirteenth Moon. Colman alledged, for his Defence, the Authority of Anatolius, Columba and the Ancients of his Country. Wilfride answered, That they did not agree with Anatolius, who made use of the Cycle of nineteen Years, which they were strangers to, because that Author's Opinion was not that Easter was necessarily to be kept before the 21st Moon, but that he had mistaken the fourteenth Moon for the fifteenth, and the twentieth for the twenty first. As to Columba and his Successors, he would not condemn them; that he was persuaded they might be excu∣sed for their Simplicity, in a Time when no Body was able to instruct them: But, as for them, they could have no Excuse, if they refused the Instructions given them. However, that Columba's Authority was not to be preferred before S. Peter's, to whom Christ gave the Keys of the Church, and said, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.
The King struck with these last Words, ask'd Colman if it was true, that Christ said so to S. Peter? Column having confessed it was true, the King said; That, seeing S. Peter was the Door-keeper of Heaven, he would not contradict him, but would obey his Statutes.
This Decision was approved by the Company: Colman and his Men withdrew, refusing to yield to the Practice of the Romans, about the keeping of Easter and the Tonsure, about which there was also a Contest: Men take such delight in Disputes about small Things.