Council
an assembly met for dements of canons or eccleciastical laws. specially applies to an assembly of the ments of canons or eccleciastical laws. representatives of independent Churches, convened for deliberation and the enact- The four general or ecumenical councils recognized by all Churches are: 1, the which the doctrine concerning the Holy Ghost was decided; 3, that of Ephesus, dogma respecting the Son of God was settled; 2, that of Constantinople, 381, by which the doctrine concerning the Holy Ghost was decided; 3, that of Ephesus, 431; and 4, that of Chalcedon, 451; in which two last the doctrine of the union the principal Latin councils are that of of the divine and human nature in Christ Clermont (1096), in the reign of Urwas more precisely determined. Among ban II., in which the first crusade was held in 1414, which pronounced the conthe most numerous of all the councils, held in 1414, which pronounced the con- Jerome of Prague (1416) ; the Council of Basel, in 1431, which intended a reforma- tion, if not in the doctrines, yet in the Jerome of Prague (1416); the Council of Basel, in 1431, which intended a reformation, if not in the doctrines, yet in the constitution and discipline of the Church; and the Council of Trent, which began its session in 1545, and labored chiefly to confirm the doctrines of the Catholic Church against the Protestants. On Dec. 8, 1869, an œcumenical council, sum- moned by a bull of Pope Pius IX., assembled at Rome. This council adopted a dogmatic Decree or Constitutio de Fide, and a Constitutio de Ecclesia, the most dogmatic Decree or Constitutio de Fide, important article of which latter declares the infallibility of the Pope when speakand a Constitutio de Ecclesia, the most important article of which latter declares the ing ex cathedra.