Bellarmine · De Controversiis · On Councils · On the Authority of Councils, Book I
Chapter 4: The Twofold Division of Councils
Our translation, from the Latin of the Opera Omnia (Paris: Vivès, 1870–74), vol. II, De Conciliis (De Conciliorum Auctoritate), On Councils, Book I (of the controversy On Councils and the Church). The Latin source text is public domain; this English rendering is released with the site. Scripture quotations follow Bellarmine's Vulgate citations, rendered in Douay-Rheims wording where he quotes exactly. Click “Show the Latin” for the original (raw OCR of the scan; scanning errors remain — the scan itself is the authority).
There are four kinds of Councils: for some are general, some national, some provincial, and some diocesan. Of the first three members Augustine makes mention, Book 2 on Baptism against the Donatists, chapter 3, where he says that the Councils of provinces, or even greater ones such as those of regions, are amended by plenary Councils. Of the last member the fourth Council of Toledo makes mention, chapter 23.
General are those which the Bishops of the whole world can and ought to attend, unless they be lawfully hindered, and over which no one rightly presides but the supreme Pontiff, or another in his name; for thence they are called ecumenical, that is, Councils of the whole world.
National are those in which the Archbishops and Bishops of one kingdom or nation come together, over whom presides some Patriarch or Primate — such as are many Roman, Toledan, and African Councils; of which this is to be noted, that, although they be really distinct from the general and the provincial, yet they are sometimes called by the names of both. For they are often called Universal Councils, as is plain from the Roman Councils under Symmachus, where it is always said, “Symmachus presiding over the general Council” — and yet only the Bishops of Italy were present. So in the third Council of Toledo, chapter 18, it is said, “This holy and universal Synod commands” — and yet only the Bishops of Spain were present. The same is plain from the fourth Council of Carthage. These, then, are called general or universal because they are general in that kingdom, but not absolutely. And these same are called provincial by Gratian, distinction 3, canon Porro, because they are contained within certain provinces, and do not pertain to all Christians as the truly general ones do.
Provincial are those in which come together only the Bishops of one province, over whom presides the Archbishop or Metropolitan; and of this kind there are very many in the volumes of the Councils. Of these the Seventh Synod seems to speak, act 3, when it says that it embraces also the decisions of local Councils.
Diocesan are those in which come together only the Presbyters of one bishopric, and over them the Bishop presides; of which kind very few are extant, and not without reason, for they can scarcely be called Councils, since in them ordinarily there is no one who has jurisdiction, except the one Bishop who presides.
The other division of Councils likewise comprises four members: for some are approved by the Apostolic See and received by the universal Church; some altogether rejected; some partly approved, partly rejected; some neither approved nor rejected. Which last member has its place chiefly among the particular Councils.
Show the Latin (Vives edition, OCR)
CAFUT IV. Partio Conciliorum duplex. Sunt autem quatuor genera Conciliorum : quaedam enim sunt generalia , qua3dam na- tionalia, quaedam provincialia, et quaedam dioecesana. Membrorum trium primorum meminit Augustinus lib. II de Bapt. cont. Donatist. cap. 3. ubi dicit, Concilia provin¬ ciarum, vel etiam majora qualia sunt regio¬ num , emendari a Conciliis plenariis. Ultimi membri meminit Concilium Toletanum IV, cap. 23. Generalia dicuntur ea, quibus interesse possunt et debent Episcopi totius Orbis, nisi legitime impediantur, et quibus nemo recte praesidet, nisi summus Pontifex, aut alius ejus nomine : inde enim dicuntur cecumeni- ca, id est, Orbis terrae Concilia. Nationalia dicuntur, in quibus conveniunt Archiepiscopi, et Episcopi unius regni, vel nationis, quibus praeest aliquis Patriarcha, vel Primas, qualia sunt multa Concilia Ro¬ mana, Toletana, et Africana, de quibus illud notandum est, ea, licet sint revera dis¬ tincta a generalibus et provincialibus , ta- (1) Mattii. XVIII, 20. — (2) Act. XV, 28. men utrorumque nominibus interdum appel¬ lari. Vocantur enim saepe Concilia Universalia, ut patet ex Conciliis Romanis sub Symma¬ cho, ubi semper dicitur : « Symmachus Con¬ cilio generali Praesidens ; » et tamen ade¬ rant solum Episcopi Italiae. Sic in Concilio Toletano III , cap. 18. dicitur : « Praecipit haec sancta, et universalis Synodus; » et ta¬ men solum aderant Episcopi Hispaniae. Idem patet ex Concilio IV Carthaginiensi. Dicun¬ tur ergo ista generalia, sive universalia, quia sunt generalia in eo regno , non autem absolute. Dicuntur autem provincialia ista eadem a Gratiano dist. III. can. Porro; quia certis provinciis continentur, non autem ad omnes Christianos pertinent , sicut vere ge¬ neralia. Provincialia dicuntur, in quibus conve¬ niunt tantum Episcopi unius provinciae, qui¬ bus prseest Archiepiscopus , sive Metropoli¬ tanus ; et hujus generis sunt plurima in tomis Conciliorum. De his videtur loqui VII Syno¬ dus act. 3, cum ait, se amplecti etiam deci¬ siones localium Conciliorum. Dioecesana sunt, in quibus conveniunt tan¬ tum Presbyteri unius Episcopatus, et iis Episcopus prseest : cujus generis paucissima exstant, nec immerito; namjvix dici possunt Concilia, cum in eis ordinarie nullus sit, qui jurisdictionem habeat, prseter unum Episco¬ pum qui prseest. Altera partitio Conciliorum complectitur item quatuor membra : qusedam enim sunt ab Apostolica Sede approbata atque ab Ec¬ clesia universa recepta ; qusedam omnino reprobata ; qusedam partim approbata, par- tim reprobata; qusedam nec approbata, nec reprobata. Quod membrum postremum in Conciliis particularibus potissimum locum habet.