Synods of the Roman Catholic Church, possessing legislative
power in matters pertaining to doctrine and discipline. The
Apostles' synod at Jerusalem (Acts xv.) is regarded as the
oldest example of such an assembly. Besides the general
(ecumenical) councils, of which the Catholic Church recognizes
twenty, there are nationaland provincial councils and diocesan
synods. The decisions of these lesser synods were naturally
authoritative only within their own particular districts; but as
they were sometimes recognized by other provincial synods, or
even by a general council, they acquired a more or less general
validity. Many of the Church councils have concerned themselves
with the Jews, with the object of removing Judaizing
institutions and teachings from among Christians, destroying any
influence which Jews might exercise upon Christians, preventing,
on the one hand, the return to Judaism of baptized Jews, and
devising, on the other, means to convert Jews to Christianity.
It is characteristic of the decisions of