GENERAL CONFESSION: The name given to a public and general confession of sins made by the clergyman for the congregation, to distinguish it from auricular and private confession. It is of South German origin and goes back probably to the time of Charlemagne. It was spoken in German after the sermon (also in German) and was followed by the absolution and confession of faith and the Lord's Prayer. The earliest testimony to the usage dates from the ninth century; then there are a number of confessional prayers of this sort of the eleventh and twelfth centuries (cf. Hauck, KD, ii. 255, 729). The priest or deacon pronounced the confession, the people repeated it silently kneeling, and then the priest gave the absolution. The forms vary, but in time a certain formula seems to have developed. The first person singular was used, thus corresponding to private confession.

The Reformation found the general confession in common use, and the question whether it should be retained occasioned some controversy. It was solved differently in different places. In South and West Germany under influence of the Re formed Churches it was put at the beginning of the service,-a custom which had medieval precedent. Zwingli retained it in Zurich after the sermon. Calvin adopted for Geneva a custom already estab lished in Strasburg of beginning service with a general confession repeated kneeling and using it at the daily "morning prayer." At present it is little used. [The Anglican service has a general confession said by the minister and congregation at morning and evening prayer and the communion service.] See Confession of Sins.

(P. Drews.)

In Roman Catholic theology and practise the term "general confession"is used to designate a confession in which the penitent makes a review, confessing the sins of his entire life even though they have already been declared in previous confessions. This is obligatory whenever the foregoing confessions either through insincerity or for any other reason have been invalid; otherwise it is a matter of counsel or spiritual direction. The name is also applied, though less strictly, to confessions which cover a given period, say a few years, by way of recapitulation, as distinguished from the ordinary weekly or monthly confession in which sins previously declared are not repeated.

(J. F. Driscoll.)

Bibliography: R. Cruel, Geschichte der deutschen Predigl, pp. 220-221, Detmar, 1879: G. Itietachel, in Monateechrill /iir Gottesdienat and kirehdiehe Kun84 i (1896-97) 396 sqq.; idem, Gloesen au der Ordnung des Hauptpottesdien stes, pp. 31 sqq., Leipsic, 1898; idem, Lehrbuch der Litur gi&, i. 369 sqq., 429 sqq., Berlin, 1898; E. C. Achelis, Lehrbuch der praktiechen Theologie, i. 389 sqq., Leipsic, 1898; and literature under ComISoN PaAYzR, Boox oF.