STORY

(Lat. consistorium, said to have been the private councillors of the Roman emperors.) An a embly of ecclesiastical persons; also certain spiritual courts are so called which are holden by the bishops in each diocese. At Rome the consistory denotes the judicial court constituted by the college of cardinals. The representative body of the reformed church in France is styled Consistory; a title and a embly originated by Calvin. There is now, or should be, according to law, a consistory for every GOOO Protestant souls, consisting of the pastor or pastors, and from 6 to 12 elders. The consistory names the pastor. There are now 88 refoi-med [s. 286]