CONFESSION OF FAITH, a formulary detailing the articles of faith held by any church. The most ancient of these are the Apostles', the Nicene, and Athanasian creeds (which see under their respective heads). As standards of the Romish Church may be reckoned the decrees and catechism of the Council of Trent, the creed of Pius IV. (promulgated 1564), and subordinately Bossuet's Exposition of the Catholic Faith. The recognised creed of the Greek Church is that drawn up by Mogila, metropolitan of Kiow, in 1642. In the Church of England, all candidates for ordination subscribe the 39 articles, and the 3 articles of the 36th canon relating to the supremacy of the king. The Book of Com-
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mon Prayer and the Homilies are also recognised expositions of the doctrines of this church. The confession of the Westminster Assembly, drawn up in 1643, was in 1690 ratified by act of parliament as the doctrinal standard of the Church of Scotland.