Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/535

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

SACRAMENTO 511 Subsequently sacramentum in the Latin church and (jLvariipiov in the Greek were restricted to certain rites or ordinances divinely institu- ted for imparting to the recipient an invisi- ble grace in conformity with the visible cere- mony. Both these churches believe that there are seven such sacraments, viz. : baptism, con- firmation, penance, the eucharist, extreme unc- tion, order or ordination, and matrimony. Bap- tism, confirmation, and order can only be re- ceived once, and are considered to impress on the soul an indelible seal or character. Bap- tism and penance are called "the sacraments of the dead," because ordained by Christ to restore the soul dead by sin to the life of sanctifying grace. Baptism is validly con- ferred on infants without the exercise of rea- son ; but its worthy reception by the adult re- quires faith in the redeeming merits of Christ and compunction for past offences. The five other sacraments are called "sacraments of the living," because the first requisite condi- tion for their worthy reception is, that the soul of the recipient should be in a state of sanctifying grace. In the church of England many distinguished theologians, especially in recent times, have inclined to the opinion that there are in the Christian church two primary and five secondary sacraments. The major- ity, however, with Protestants generally, be- lieve in but two sacraments, baptism and the Lord's supper, on the ground that the New Testament mentions only these two as having been instituted by Christ. The "Apology" for the Lutheran confession of Augsburg men- tions also penance or " absolution " as a true sacrament; but this was afterward omitted from the list of the sacraments, and confession was retained by the Lutheran churches as a mere ecclesiastical institution. The sacrament of ordination has also found advocates among modern High Lutherans. A violent contro- versy about what constitutes the substance of each sacrament was carried on between the Lutherans and the Reformed churches in the 16th century. As to the efficacy or operation of the sacraments, a wide difference of opinion has existed between Protestant and Roman Catholic theologians, arising in a great measure from the widely different meaning applied by the disputants to the term "faith," and to other interior dispositions required of the re- cipient of the sacraments. The Friends re- gard the rites of baptism and the Lord's sup- per as Jewish customs which ceased to be ob- ligatory after the apostolic age. The Dunkers, Mennonites, Winebrennarians, and others, con- sider the "washing of feet" and the Lord's supper as coordinate and of equal obligation. SACRAMENTO, a river of California, draining with the San Joaquin the central valley of the state. It rises on the southern slope of Mt. Shasta, in lat. 41 25' N., and runs principally S. 870 m. to its mouth in Suisun bay, which communicates through San Pablo and San Francisco bays and the Golden Gate with the 717 VOL. xiv. 33 Pacific ocean. It is navigable to Sacramen- to, about 80 m. from Suisun bay, by vessels drawing 3 ft. of water, and to Tehama, 180 m. further, by steamboats drawing 15 in. The chief tributaries are the Pitt, Feather, and American rivers, all coming in from the east- ward. Pitt river is longer and larger than the Sacramento at the junction, and is named on some of the maps, but not in common usage, the Upper Sacramento. It rises in the N. E. corner of the state, and in wet seasons is the outlet of Goose lake, the basin of which extends into Oregon. SACRAMENTO, a central county of California, bounded N. by the American river, S. by the Calaveras and San Joaquin, and W. by the Sacramento, and intersected by the Mokelumne and Cosumnes rivers; area, 1,026 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 26,830, of whom 3,596 were Chinese. It has a diversified .surface, nearly level in the west and hilly toward the east, and the soil is generally fertile. The E. portion contains de- posits of gold. It is traversed by the Central Pacific and other railroads. The chief produc- tions in 1870 were 126,135 bushels of wheat, 62,280 of Indian corn, 589,513 of barley, 72,- 055 of Irish and 148,920 of sweet potatoes, 74,797 gallons of wine, 515,218 Ibs. of wool, 319,500 of hops, 439,835 of butter, 88,050 of cheese, and 21,827 tons of hay. There were 9,462 horses, 9,050 milch cows, 13,149 other cattle, 113,304 sheep, and 14,749 swine; 2 manufactories of bags, 4 of boots and shoes, 6 of brick, 5 of carriages and wagons, 10 of men's clothing, 4 of confectionery, 4 of coop- erage, 5 of furniture, 2 of gas, 5 of malt liquors, 3 of machinery, 2 of engines and boilers, 10 of saddlery and harness, 2 of sash, doors, and blinds, 5 of tin, copper, and sheet-iron ware, 1 of woollen goods, and 3 flouring mills. Capi- tal, Sacramento. SACRAMENTO, a city and the capital of Cali- fornia, county seat of Sacramento co., the sec- ond city in the state in population and impor- tance, 83 m. by the California Pacific railroad and 189 m. by the Central Pacific railroad E. N. E. of San Francisco; lat. 38 33' N., Ion. 121 20' W.; pop. in 1850, 6,820; in 1860, 13,785; in 1870, 16,283, of whom 6,202 were foreign- ers, including 1,370 Chinese; in 1875, locally estimated at 24,000, of whom 2,000 were Chi- nese. It is situated in an extensive plain on the E. bank of the Sacramelito river, here spanned by a fine bridge, immediately S. of the mouth of the American river, and is one of the handsomest cities W. of the Rocky mountains. The streets are wide and straight, and cross each other at right angles. Those running E. and "W. are named by the letters of the alpha- bet; those crossing them N. and S. are num- bered. The shops and stores are mostly of brick, the dwellings mostly of wood and sur- rounded by gardens. Shade trees are abundant. The streets in the business portion are paved with Nicolson pavement and cobblestones. The city is supplied with gas, and water is pumped