CONFESSOR, Confession. In the language of the Church, the name of Confessors is given to those who have confessed the name of Jesus Christ before Judges, or have undergone some punishment for defending the Faith. If they died under their Torments, they were called Martyrs. Jesus Christ says, he will confess those before his heavenly Father, who shall have confessed him generously before Men; Mat. x. 32. 1 Tim. vi. 12. 1 Tim. vi. 13.and S. Paul commends Timothy for having confessed a good Confession; that is to say, for having, at the hazard of his Life, given a glorious Testimony to the Truth. The same Apostle says, that Jesus Christ witnessed a good Confession before Pontius Pilate.
Lev. xvi. 6.We find two sorts of Confessions in the Old Testament; the Confession of Praises, and the Confession of Sins. Nothing is more common in Scripture, than these words, Confitemini Domino; confitebor Domino, &c. that is to say, Praise the Lord, I will praise the Lord. Confession of Sins too both in publick and private, was in use among the Israelites. They confessed their Sins to God and the Priests. In the Ceremony of the solemn Expiation, the High Priest confessed in general his own Sins, the Sins of other Ministers of the Temple, and those of Ib. xvi. 21.all the People; and upon all other occasions, when any Israelite came to offer a Sacrifice for Sin, he put his hands upon the head of the Victim, and confessed his faults. There are some Interpreters, who believe, that it Levit. iv. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.was not sufficient for him to declare himself in general a Sinner; but that he was to confess in particular the Sin for which he offered this Sacrifice. We are assured, that the Jews still at this day make a private Confession of their Sins upon the day of solemn Expiation, by them termed Cippur.