National Synods Provincial and national synods have, by immemorial practice of the Roman Catholic Church, the right of condemning heresies and errors, and of correcting abuses of all kinds in particular churches. Paul of Samosata, Photinus, Sabellius, Arius, Eustathius, Apollinaris, the Donatists, Pelagians, etc., were all condemned in particular councils in the first instance. The particular councils of Arles, Orange, Carthage, Toledo, Gangra, etc., pronounced judgments in controversies of faith; not to speak of more recent de cisions of the same kind. The objection of Bossuet, who found fault with the principle of the English Reformation, viz., that every national Church was a complete body in itself, and might examine and reform errors and corruptions in doctrine and worship, falls therefore to the ground, in view of the practice of his own Church. See Bossuet, Variations; Fleury, list. 1:157, s. 37; Palmer, On the Chzurch, 1:417; Walcott, Sacred Archaeol. s.v.; Aschbach, Kirchen-Lexikon, s.v. National Synoden. SEE SYNODS. (J.N.P.)
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More