y not half the time. Many of St. Augustine's
might be preached in eight minutes. They always concluded their
sermons, as we do now, with a doxology to the Holy Trinity. The
preacher usually sat, and the people stood.

The sermon in the Church of England is enjoined after the Nicene
Creed, according to ancient custom; but nowhere else. (See
_Preaching_.)

SERVICE. In technical language those stated parts of the Liturgy
which are set to music; but the term is also used of the whole of
Public Worship.

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. That Sunday which is, in round numbers, _sixty_
days before Easter.

SEXTON. From _Sacristan_. The name is now generally given to the
person who digs the graves, &c.

SHAKERS. A party of enthusiasts who left England for America in
1774. They affected to consider themselves as forming the only
true Church, and their preachers as possessed of the Apostolic
gift. They disowned Baptism and the Eucharist.

Their leader was Anna Lees, whom they believed to be the woman
mentioned in the Apocalypse (Rev. xii. 1, 2).

SHROVE TUESDAY. The day before Ash Wednesday, so called in the
Church of England from the old Saxon word _shrive_, _shrif_,
_shrove_, which means to _confess_; it being our duty to confess
our sins to God on that day in order to receive the Holy Communion,
and thereby qualify ourselves for a more holy observance of Lent.
Before the Reformation Auricular Confession was compulsorily made
to a priest, and Absolution was sought.

SICK, COMMUNION OF, _see_ Communion of Sick.

SICK, VISITATION OF. A duty entailed upon the Christian minister
by Canon 76, and by the rubric before the Office for the Visitation
of the Sick. This Office, with the exception of the Exhortations,
is chiefly taken from the Sarum Use (which see). The Service has
little changed since 1549, except by the addition in 1662 of the
final Commendation, and of the four beautiful collects appended to
the service. The Salutation is in obedience to our Lord's command
(Luke x. 5). The Versicles are the same as those in the Marriage
Service, except the prayer for deliverance from the enemy, which
is taken from Ps. lxxxix. 22, 23. After two Collects come two very
beautiful and practical exhortations, which are followed by an
examination in the faith of the sick person. Next comes the
provision for Confession and Absolution, which is similar to that
in the first exhortation at Holy Communion, as to private confession
and special Absol