Confession is (1) general — made by a congregation; (2) auricular — private, to the priest's ear. Public confession of sins prevailed in the 4th century, and lasted longer in the West than in the East. Private confession is supposed to have been first appointed during the Decian persecution, from 249 to 251; but public confession in the East was first given up at Constantinople, owing to a scandal in 390. Theodulph, bishop of Orleans (835), ordered confession to be made once a year; and the rule was made absolute by the Council of Lateran (1215). It was usual to confess on the first Sunday in Lent. Tertullian, Origen, and St. Cyril are supposed to allude to private confession.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More