- Confession of faith
- Confession Con*fes"sion, n. [F. confession, L. confessio.]
1. Acknowledgment; avowal, especially in a matter pertaining
to one's self; the admission of a debt, obligation, or
crime.
[1913 Webster]
With a crafty madness keeps aloof, When we would bring him on to some confession Of his true state. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
2. Acknowledgment of belief; profession of one's faith. [1913 Webster]
With the mouth confession is made unto salvation. --Rom. x. 10. [1913 Webster]
3. (Eccl.) The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest in order to obtain sacramental absolution. [1913 Webster]
Auricular confession . . . or the private and special confession of sins to a priest for the purpose of obtaining his absolution. --Hallam. [1913 Webster]
4. A formulary in which the articles of faith are comprised; a creed to be assented to or signed, as a preliminary to admission to membership of a church; a confession of faith. [1913 Webster]
5. (Law) An admission by a party to whom an act is imputed, in relation to such act. A judicial confession settles the issue to which it applies; an extrajudical confession may be explained or rebutted. --Wharton. [1913 Webster]
{Confession and avoidance} (Law), a mode of pleading in which the party confesses the facts as stated by his adversary, but alleges some new matter by way of avoiding the legal effect claimed for them. --Mozley & W. [1913 Webster]
{Confession of faith}, a formulary containing the articles of faith; a creed.
{General confession}, the confession of sins made by a number of persons in common, as in public prayer.
{Westminster Confession}. See {Westminster Assembly}, under {Assembly}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
