What is "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.

   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.

Faith \Faith\ (f[=a]th), n. [OE. feith, fayth, fay, OF. feid, feit, fei, F. foi, fr. L. fides; akin to fidere to trust, Gr. pei`qein to persuade. The ending th is perhaps due to the influence of such words as truth, health, wealth. See Bid, Bide, and cf. Confide, Defy, Fealty.]

1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting solely and implicitly on his authority and veracity; reliance on testimony.

2. The assent of the mind to the statement or proposition of another, on the ground of the manifest truth of what he utters; firm and earnest belief, on probable evidence of any kind, especially in regard to important moral truth.

   Faith, that is, fidelity, -- the fealty of the finite will and understanding to the reason.
   --Coleridge.

3. (Judeo-Christian Theol.)

   1. The belief in the historic truthfulness of the Scripture narrative, and the supernatural origin of its teachings, sometimes called historical and speculative faith.

   2. (Christian Theol.) The belief in the facts and truth of the Scriptures, with a practical love of them; especially, that confiding and affectionate belief in the person and work of Christ, which affects the character and life, and makes a man a true Christian, -- called a practical, evangelical, or saving faith.

      Without faith it is impossible to please him [God].
      --Heb. xi. 6.

      The faith of the gospel is that emotion of the mind which is called ``trust'' or ``confidence'' exercised toward the moral character of God, and particularly of the Savior.
      --Dr. T. Dwight.

      Faith is an affectionate, practical confidence in the testimony of God.
      --J. Hawes.

4. That which is believed on any subject, whether in science, politics, or religion; especially (Theol.), a system of religious belief of any kind; as, the Jewish or Mohammedan faith; the Christian faith; also, the creed or belief of a Christian society or church.

   Which to believe of her, Must be a faith that reason without miracle Could never plant in me.
   --Shak.

   Now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.
   --Gal. i. 23.

5. Fidelity to one's promises, or allegiance to duty, or to a person honored and beloved; loyalty.

   Children in whom is no faith.
   --Deut. xxvii. 20.

   Whose failing, while her faith to me remains, I should conceal.
   --Milton.

6. Word or honor pledged; promise given; fidelity; as, he violated his faith.

   For you alone I broke me faith with injured Palamon.
   --Dryden.

7. Credibility or truth. [R.]

   The faith of the foregoing narrative.
   --Mitford.

   Act of faith. See Auto-da-f['e].

   Breach of faith, Confession of faith, etc. See under Breach, Confession, etc.

   Faith cure, a method or practice of treating diseases by prayer and the exercise of faith in God.

   In good faith, with perfect sincerity.

The Confession of Faith of the Evangelical United Brethren Church is one of three established Doctrinal Standards of the United Methodist Church, along with the Articles of Religion and the Standard Sermons of John Wesley. The United Methodist Church adopted the Confession of Faith in 1968 when the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form the United Methodist Church. The Confession of Faith covers much of the same ground as the Articles of Religion, but it is shorter and the language is more contemporary. The Confession of Faith also contains an article on the Judgment and Future State (derived from the Augsburg Confession) which had not been present in the Methodist Articles of Religion.

(See Articles of Religion (Methodist) for the 25 Articles).

[Bibliographical Note: The text of the Confession of Faith is identical to that of its original in The Discipline of The Evangelical United Brethren Church (1963).]'''