a denomination given to fruits, flowers, herbs, roots, &c., when boiled or prepared with sugar or honey, to dispose them to keep, and render them more agreeable to the taste.

CONFerva, in botany, a genus of the cryptogamia algae class, consisting of oblong, capillary filaments; without any joints. There are twenty-one species.

CONFESSION, in a legal sense, an acknowledgment of some truth, though in prejudice of the person that makes the declaration.

Confession; among divines, the verbal acknowledgement which a Christian makes of his sins.

Among the Jews it was a custom, on the annual feast of expiation, for the high-priest to make confession of sins to God in the name of the whole people: besides this general confession, the Jews were enjoined, if their sins were a breach of the first table of the law, to make confession of them to God; but violations offered the second table, were to be acknowledged to their brethren. The confessions of the primitive Christians CONFIANS were all voluntary, and not imposed on them by any laws of the church; yet private confession was not only allowed, but encouraged.

The Romish church requires confession not only as a duty, but has advanced it to the dignity of a sacrament: this confession is made to the priest, and is private and auricular; and the priest is not to reveal them under pain of the highest punishment.

Confession of faith, a list of the several articles of belief in any church.