Volume 3: 1771 Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica!
Sacrament
Sacrament, signifies, in general, a sign of a thing sacred and holy; and is defined to be an outward and visible sign of a spiritual grace. Thus there are two objects in a sacrament, the one the object of the senses, and the other the object of faith. Protestants admit only of two sacraments, baptism and the eucharist or Lord's supper; but the Roman-catholics own seven, viz. baptism, confirmation, the eucharist, penance, extreme unction, ordination, and marriage.
The Romanists, however, by way of eminence, call the eucharist the holy sacrament. Thus to expose the holy sacrament, is to lay the consecrated host on the altar to be adored. The procession of the holy sacrament, is that in which this host is carried about the church, or about a town.