Council of Jerusalem (1672), also known as the Decrees of the Synod of Jerusalem, or Confession of Dositheus, was a Pan-Orthodox Synod convened and presided over by Patriarch Dositheus, and attended by several bishops. Dositheus convened the council upon the event of the concecration of a new basilica in Bethleham, thus the council is sometimes called the Synod of Bethleham. The Council of Jerusalem is the most important in the modern history of the Orthodox Church and may be compared to the Council of Trent. It may be considered as though it were the Tenth Ecumenical Council, yet it is not accepted by all Orthodox.
The Council issued a new Defense of Eastern Orthodoxy directed chiefly against the Calvinism of C. Lucaris' alleged Confessio, declaring the Confessio to be a forgery. It endorsed the answers given by Patriarch Jeremias II to M. Crusius, and sanctioned the Confession of Peter Mogila. It consists of Six Chapters and the Confession of Dositheus. The acts of this council are later signed by all five patriarchates, including that of Russia, thereby making its decisions equivalent to that of a Pan-Orthodox Council.
The Confession of Dositheus contains 18 decrees: (1) single procession of the Spirit; (2) Scripture not of private, but ecclesiastical interpretation; (3) double election is conditioned on man's use of his free will; (4) creation; (5) providence; (6) sin, with Christ and Mary exempt; (7) incarnation, death, resurrection, ascension, and judgment of Christ; (8) work of Christ - He is the only Mediator, but Mary, saints, and angels bring petitions to Him; (9) faith, which works by love, alone saves; (10) Cath. and Apostolic Ch. contains all believers, and bps. are necessary; (11) mems. of the ch. are those who hold the faith of Christ, apostles, and holy syns.; (12) the Cath. Ch. cannot err or be deceived; (13) man justified by faith and works; (14) in the fall man did not lose his intellectual and moral nature or free will; (15) 7 sacraments; (16) necessity and effect of Baptism; (17) Eucharist both a sacrament and a sacrifice; (18) souls of dead are either at rest or in torment (those dying in penitence but without satisfaction go to Hades, whence they may be delivered by prayers of priests, alms, unbloody sacrifice of the mass).
Some Orthodox Christians object that the language used in the council to denounce the Calvinist heresy is overly Roman Catholic in tone. Particuraly in it's use of the idea of Original Sin. Among other things they point out the following apparent discrepencies:
- The necesity for babies to be baptized to be cleansed from Original Sin.
- It mentions "seven" Sacraments, though Im not sure if this was ever disputed.
- It mentioned "transubstantiation" by name, including "accidents" and "substance" as well as Eucharistic Adoration.
- It mentions what is clearly purgatory, though it doesnt use the term.
- It mentions ONLY the Deutero-Canonical books which the Catholic Church accepts.
In his Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, Fr. Michael Pomazansky makes use of the decrees of this council as well as the Confession of Peter Mogila.