Confessant to Confirmation
Confessant
(Con*fess"ant) n. [F. confessant.] One who confesses to a priest. [Obs.] Bacon.
Confessary
(Con*fess"a*ry) n. [LL. confessarius.] One who makes a confession. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Confessedly
(Con*fess"ed*ly) adv. By confession; without denial. [Written also confessly.]
Confesser
(Con*fess"er) n. One who makes a confession.
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.
With a crafty madness keeps aloof,
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state.
Shak.
2. Acknowledgment of belief; profession of one's faith.
With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom. x. 10.
3. (Eccl.) The act of disclosing sins or faults to a priest in order to obtain sacramental absolution.
Auricular confession . . . or the private and special confession of sins to a priest for the purpose of
obtaining his absolution.
Hallam.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Confessional
(Con*fes"sion*al) n. [F. confessional.] The recess, seat, or inclosed place, where a
priest sits to hear confessions; often a small structure furnished with a seat for the priest and with a window
or aperture so that the penitent who is outside may whisper into the priest's ear without being seen by
him or heard by others.
Confessional
(Con*fes"sion*al), a. Pertaining to a confession of faith.
Confessional equality, equality before the law of persons confessing different creeds.
Confessionalism
(Con*fes"sion*al*ism) n. (Eccl.) An exaggerated estimate of the importance of giving
full assent to any particular formula of the Christian faith. Shaff.
Confessionalist
(Con*fes"sion*al*ist), n. A priest hearing, or sitting to hear, confession. [R.] Boucher
Confessionary
(Con*fes"sion*a*ry) n. [LL. confessionarium.] A confessional. [Obs.] Johnson.
Confessionary
(Con*fes"sion*a*ry), a. Pertaining to auricular confession; as, a confessionary litany.
Confessionist
(Con*fes"sion*ist), n. [Cf. F. confessioniste.] One professing a certain faith. Bp. Montagu.
