of secret confession) without any [ployed as means of persecureference to church censures, was tion. On the other hand, the never claimed for many ages after advocates for them observe, that Christ. all arts and sciences have been

Notwithstanding, however, pri- reduced to a system; and why vate auricular confession is not of should not the truths of relidivine authority, yet, as one ob-gion, which are of greater imserves, there are many cases portance? That a compendious wherein men under the guilt and view of the chief and most necestrouble of their sins can neither |sary points of the christian reliappease their own minds, nor suf-gion, which lie scattered up and ficiently direct themselves with- down in the scripture, must be out recourse to some pious and useful to inform the mind, as well prudent guide: in these cases men also to hold forth to the world certainly do very well, and many what are in general the sentiments times prevent a great deal of of such a particular church or trouble and perplexity to them-churches; they tend to discover selves by a timely discovery of the common friends of the same their condition to some faithful faith to one another, and to unite minister; and to this purpose a them; that the scriptures seem to general confession is for the most authorise and countenance them; part sufficient; and where there such as the moral law, the Lord's is occasion for a more particular prayer, the form of doctrine mendiscovery, there is no need of rak-tioned by Paul, Rom. vi, 17; and ing into the particular circum-again, "the form of sound words," stances of men's sins to give that in 2d Tim. i, 13, &c. ; that their advice which is necessary for the becoming the occasion of hypoease and comfort of the penitent." crisy is no fault of the articles, See ABSOLUTION; Watts on Pray-but of those who subscribe them; Tillotson's Ser. ser. 160, that persecution has been rais161; Smith's Errors of the Churched more by the turbulent temof Rome. pers of men than from the nature CONFESSION OF FAITH, of confessions. Some think that a list of the several articles of the all articles and confessions of belief of any church. Objections faith should be expressed in the have been formed against all bare words of scripture; but it is creeds or confessions of faith, as replied, that this would destroy all it is said they infringe christian exposition and interpretation of liberty, supersede the scriptures, scripture; that it would have a exclude such as ought not to tendency to make the ministry of be excluded, and admit such the word useless; in a great meaas ought not to be admitted; sure cramp all religious converare often too particular and long;sation; and that the sentiments of are liable to be abused; tempt one man could not be distinguishmen to hypocrisy; preclude im-ed from another in some points provement; and have been em-of importance. Some of the most

er ;

noted confessions are, the 39 ar-|| Confessor is also a priest in the ticles, and the constitutions and Romish church, who has a power canons of the church of England; to hear sinners in the sacrament the Westminster Assembly's Con-of penance, and to give them abfession of Faith; the Savoy Con-solution. The confessors of the fession, or a declaration of the faith kings of France, from the time of and order owned and practised in Henry IV, have been constantly the congregational churches in Jesuits; before him, the DominiEngland. See also Corpus et Syn-cans and Cordeliers shared the tagma confessionum fidei, quæ in office between them. The condiversis regnis et nationibus eccle-fessors of the house of Austria siarum nomine, fuerunt authentice have also ordinarily been Dominiedita, which exhibits a body of cans and Cordeliers, but the latter numerous confessions. See like emperors have all taken Jesuits. wise, An Harmony of the Confes- CONFIRMATION, the act sions of Faith of the Christian and of establishing any thing or perReformed Churches; Watts's Ra-son.-1. Divine confirmation is a tional Foundation of a Christian work of the Spirit of God, strengthChurch, qu. 8; Graham on Esta-ening, comforting, and establishblishments, p. 265, &c. ing believers in faith and obedi

CONFESSOR, a christian who ence, 1st Pet. v, 10. 1st Cor. i, has made a solemn and resolute 8.-2. Ecclesiastical confirmation profession of the faith, and has en-is a rite whereby a person, arrived dured torments in its defence. to years of discretion, underA mere saint is called a confessor, takes the performance of every to distinguish him from the roll of part of the baptismal vow made for dignified saints, such as apostles, him by his godfathers and godmomartyrs, &c. In ecclesiastical his-thers."

tory, the word confessor is some- In the primitive church it was times used for martyr; in after done immediately after baptism, if times it was confined to those the bishop happened to be prewho, after having been tormented sent at the solemnity. Throughout by the tyrants, were permitted to the East it still accompanies baplive and die in peace; and at last tism; but the Romanists make it it was also used for those who, a distinct independent sacrament. after having lived a good life, died Seven years is the stated time for under an opinion of sanctity. Ac-confirmation; however, they are cording to St. Cyprian, he who sometimes confirmed before and presented himself to torture, or sometimes after that age. The pereven to martyrdom, without be-son to be confirmed has a godfather ing called to it, was not called and godmother appointed him, as a confessor, but a professor; and in baptism. In the church of Engif any out of want of courage aban-land, the age of the persons to be doned his country, and became confirmed is not fixed. Clarke's Esa voluntary exile for the sake of say on Confirmation; Wood on ditthe faith, he was called ex terris. to; Howe's Episcopacy, p. 167,174. VOL. I.

CONFLAGRATION GE-ly declared how this burning shall NERAL, a term used to de-be kindled, nor how it shall end; note that grand period or catas-which has given occasion to varitrophe of our world, when the ous conjectures about it, which see face of nature is to be chang-below.

ed by fire, as formerly it was by The ancient Pythagoreans, Platonists, Epicureans, and Stoics,

water.

1. Scripture assures us in the appear to have had a notion of the general, that this earth in its pre-conflagration; though whence they sent form will not be perpetual, should derive it, unless from the but shall come to an end.-2. It sacred books, is difficult to confarther tells us, that this dissolu-ceive; except, perhaps, from the tion of the world shall be by a ge-Phoenicians, who themselves had neral conflagration, in which all it from the Jews. Mention of the things upon the face of the earth conflagration is made in the books shall be destroyed, by which the of the Sibyls, Sophocles, Hystasatmosphere shall also be sensibly pes, Ovid, Lucan, &c. Dr. Burnet, affected, as in such a case it ne-after J. Tachard and others, recessarily must be, 2d Pet. iii, 5-7, lates that the Siamese believe that 10, 12, where, from the connexion the earth will at last be parched up of the words, the opposition be- with heat; the mountains melted tween the conflagration and the down, the earth's whole surface deluge, as well as the most lite-reduced to a level, and then conral and apparent import of the sumed with fire. And the Bramins phrases themselves, it is plain they of Siam do not only hold that the cannot, as Dr. Hammond strange-world shall be destroyed by fire, ly supposes, refer to the desola-but also that a new earth shall be tion brought on Judea when de-made out of the cinders of the stroyed by the Romans, but must old.

refer to the dissolution of the whole Divines ordinarily account for earth.-3. The scripture repre- the conflagration metaphysically, sents this great burning as a cir-and will have it take its rise from cumstance nearly connected with a miracle, as a fire from heaven. the day of judgment, 2 Pet. iii, Philosophers contend for its be7, compared with 2d Thess. i, 7, ing produced from natural causes, 8. Heb. x, 27. 1 Cor. iii, 12, 13; and will have it effected accordand it is probable there may be an ing to the laws of mechanics. allusion to this in several passages Some think an eruption of the of the Old Testament, such as Ps. central fire sufficient for the purxi, 6. Ps. 1, 3. Ps. xcvii, 3. Isa. pose; and add, that this may be xxxiv, 4. 8-10. Isa. Ixvi, 15. Dan. occasioned several ways, viz. eivii, 9, 10. Mal. iv, 1. Zeph. iii, ther by having its intension in8. Deut. xxxii, 22, to which many creased, which again may be efparallel expressions might be ad- fected either by being driven inded, from the canonical and apo-to less space by the encroachments cryphal books.-4. It is not express-of the superficial cold, or by an in

crease of the inflammability of the earth, and likewise the atmosfuel whereon it is fed; or by hav-phere, will then be so restored, ing the resistance of the imprison-as to resemble what it originally ing earth weakened, which may was in the paradisaical state; and happen either from the diminution consequently to render it a more of its matter, by the consumption desirable abode for human creaof its central parts, or by weaken-tures than it at present is: and ing the cohesion of the constitu- they urge for this purpose the folent parts of the mass by the excess lowing texts, viz. 2d Pet. iii, 13. of the defect of moisture. Others (compare Is. lxv, 17. lxvi, 22.) look for the cause of the con- Matt. xix, 28, 29. (compare flagration in the atmosphere, and Mark x, 29, 30. Luke xviii, 29, suppose that some of the meteors 30.) Ps. cii, 25, 26. Acts iii, 21. there engendered in unusual quan- 1st Cor. vii, 31. Rom. viii, 21.tities, and exploded with unusual 3. They agree in supposing, that vehemence, from the concurrence in this new state of things there of various circumstances may ef- will be no sea, Rev. xxi, 1.—4. fect it without seeking any far- They suppose that the earth, thus ther. Lastly, others have re-beautified and improved, shall be course to a still more effectual inhabited by those who shall inand flaming machine, and con- herit the first resurrection, and clude the world is to undergo its shall here enjoy a very considerconflagration from the near ap-able degree of happiness, though proach of a comet in its return not equal to that which is to sucfrom the sun. ceed the general judgment; which

Various opinions are also en-judgment shall according to them, tertained as to the renovation of open when those thousand years the earth after the conflagration.-are expired, mentioned in Rev. xx, 1. Some suppose that the earth 4, &c. 1st Thess. iv, 17, compare will not be entirely consumed, but ver. 15, which passage is thought that the matter of which it consists by some to contain an insinuation will be fixed, purified, and refined, that Paul expected to be alive at which they say will be the natural the appearance of Christ, which consequence of the action of fire must imply an expectation of being upon it; though it is hard to thus raised from the dead besay what such a purification can fore it: but it is answered that do towards fitting it for its in- the expression we that are alive tended purpose, for it is certain amay only signify, "that of us that mass of crystal or glass would very are so," speaking of all christians ill answer the following parts as one body, 1st Cor. xv, 49-52. of this hypothesis.-2. They Dr. Hartley declared it as his suppose that from these mate- opinion, that the millenium will rials thus refined, as from a se-consist of a thousand prophetical cond chaos, there will by the years where each day is a year, power of God arise a new crea-i. e. 360000; pleading that this is tion; and then the face of the the language used in other parts

of the Revelation. But it seems formed; but that this event was an invincible objection against this accomplished by creating a mishypothesis, which places the mil- understanding and variance among lennium after the conflagration, the builders, without any immethat the saints inhabiting the earth diate influence on their language; after the first resurrection are re-and that a distinction is to be presented as distressed by the in-made between confounding a lanvasion of some wicked enemies, guage and forming new ones. Rev. xx, 7-9. Ezekiel xxxviii, Others account for this event by xxxix. See MILLENNIUM. the privation of all language, and After all, little can be said with by supposing that mankind were certainty as to this subject. It is under a necessity of associating probable that the earth will sur-together, and of imposing new vive its fiery trial, and become the names on things by common coneverlasting abode of righteousness, sent. Some, again, ascribe the as part of the holy empire of God; confusion to such an indistinct re. but, seeing the language used in membrance of the original lan. scripture, and especially in the guage which they spoke before, as book of Revelation, is often to made them speak it very differentbe considered as figurative ra- ly: but the most common opinion ther than literal, it becomes us to is, that God caused the builders be cautious in our conclusions. actually to forget their former Burnet's Theory of the Earth; language, and each family to Whitby on the Millennium; Hartley speak a new tongue; whence orion Man, vol. ii, p. 400; Fleming ginated the various languages at on the first Resurrection; Ray's present in the world. It is, howthree Discourses; Whiston's Theo-ever, but of little consequence to ry of the Earth; and article Dis- know precisely how this was efSOLUTION in this Work. fected, as the scriptures are si

CONFUSION OF TONGUES, lent as to the manner of it; and a memorable event which hap-after all that can be said, it is but pened in the one hundred and conjecture still. There are some first year, according to the He-ruths, however, we may learn brew chronology, and the four from this part of sacred writ.hundred and first year by the Sa- 1. It teaches us God's sovereignmaritan, after the flood, at the ty and power, by which he can overthrow of Babel, Gen. xi. easily blast the greatest attempts Until this period there had been of men to aggrandize themselves, but one common language, which Gen. xi, 7, 8.-2. God's justice formed a bond of union that pre-in punishing of those who, in vented the separation of mankind idolizing their own fame, forget into distinct nations. Writers him to whom praise is due, 4 ver. have differed much as to the nature-3. God's wisdom in overruling of this confusion, and the manner evil for good; for by this confuin which it was effected. Some sion he facilitated the dispersion think that no new languages were of mankind, in order to execute