ric in the Church of England is the
well-known "_Ornaments Rubric_" (which see.) The Rubrics dealing
with the position of the Priest at Holy Communion are examined in
the articles on _Communion_ and _Eastward Position_.

RURAL DEAN. As each Province is divided into Dioceses, and each
Diocese into Archdeaconries, so each Archdeaconry is divided into
Rural Deaneries, consisting of a certain number of Parishes. Over
this Rural Deanery some beneficed clergyman, usually appointed by
the Bishop, presides. In the Diocese of Exeter the clergy elect
their own Rural Deans. His duties are to call together the clergy
in his Deanery at certain times for the discussion of ecclesiastical
matters. These meetings are called Ruri-decanal Chapters. It is
also the duty of the Rural Dean to see that the churches in his
Deanery are in fit order for public worship, and supplied with
those things by law required. He is to report any immorality or
crime among the clergy of his Deanery.

The office of Rural Dean is an ancient office of the Church, and
is mentioned as early as the time of Edward the Confessor.

SABAOTH. A Hebrew word meaning _hosts_ or _armies_. _Jehovah
Sabaoth_ is the Lord of Hosts. "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of
Sabaoth."

SABBATH. _Rest_. The seventh day of the week, commanded in the
Decalogue to be kept holy, and still observed by the Jews. The
Christian Sabbath is kept on the first day of the week. (See
_Sunday_ and _Lord's Day_.)

SACERDOTALISM. The spirit or character of the priestly class or
priesthood; devotion to priestly interests. From Latin _Sacerdos_,
one given to sacred things.

SACRAMENT. Latin, _sacramentum_, an _oath_ or _promise_ ratified
by a sacred or religious ceremony; thus the oath taken by soldiers
in classical times was called _sacramentum_. In the early Church
the word "sacrament" was used to express the promises made by
Christians in Holy Baptism. Then it came to be used of the
ceremony itself, and thence to signify any religious ordinance.
In this extended sense the Church of England acknowledges other
rites to be sacraments beside Baptism and the Eucharist; thus in
the Homily on Swearing we find, "By the like holy promise the
_sacrament of matrimony_ knitteth man and wife in perpetual love,"
&c. So the catechism does not limit the number of sacraments to
two, but says, "Two only, as _generally necessary to salvation_."
Thus in the Church of England we distinguish Baptism and the
Eucharist