Saints have been honored since the early church. Special veneration was first given just to martyrs, but was extended in the fourth century to include "confessors," those who suffered for their faith but not to the point of martyrdom. Bishops began to regulate the cults of various martyrs in their dioceses, although veneration of particular martyrs often extended beyond a single diocese or country. Early church councils also addressed the subject. An important early source on the veneration of martyrs is the Martyrdom of Polycarp (c. 135 AD), which explains