JERUSALEM, COUNCILS OF. I. The first Christian council (Acts xv.), held about 47 A.D., to consider questions raised imtbe church of Antioch concerning the obligation of Gentile Christians to observe the Jewish law. By the decision of the council it was declared to be necessary for such Christians to abstain from (1) meats which had been offered to idols; (2) blood and strangled things; (3) fornieation. This council seems to have comprised only one church, that in Jerusalem, though this church may have embraced several local congregations in that city, organized, as a church in common. II. In 335 a council, formed a the bishops who had assembled at the consecration of the church of the Holy Sepulcher, restored Arius to fellowship and allowed him to return to Alexandria. III. In 349 Maximus of Jerusalem and 60 other bishops, on the return of Athanasius to Alexandria, revoked the decree against him and drew up a letter to his church. IV. In 309 a council held in consequence of a letter from Theophilus of Alex
andria on the decree passed against the Origenists assented to it, and resolved not to have fellowship with any who denied the equality of the Son with the Father. V. In 453. on Juvenal's restoration by the emperor Marcian to the see of Jerusalem. VI. In 5:?3 the acts of the fifth ecumenical council of Constantinople were received by all the bishops of Palestine except Alexander of Abilene, who was consequently deposed. VII. An important council held in Jerusalem was that of 1672. It was convened by Dositheus, patriarch of Jerusalem, and wars composed of more than 60 bishops and other officers in his diocese. Its object was to oppose Calvinism which had been introduced into the east by Cyrillus Lucaris. Its measures led to its being charged with favoring Rornanism, and occasioned considerable trouble in the church.