admission of member* of the choir and tabid their names for the weekly course on waxen tablets. He corrected and had (barge of the choir books. In Eng- land when he ruled the choir he wore a rochet, camel or cantor's cope, ring, and gloves, and carried a staff; and the rectors followed him in soutanes (often of red color), surplices, and copes. He installed canons al Exeter, at Fork the dean and dignitaries, and at Lich- field the bishop and dignitaries. lie attended l be bishop on (he left hand, as the dean walked on the prelate's right hand. At Paris be exercised jurisdic- tion over all the schools and teachers in the city and respondents in the universities. In French cathedrals, upon high festivals be presides over l be choir at the lectern, and carries a baton of silver as the ensign of his dignity. At, Rodez, Puy-en-Velay, and Brionde he. like the other canons, wears a mflre at, high mass, and al, Cologne was known as chorepiscopus. At Charms during Blaster week all the capitular clergy go to the font, with Ihe subchaiitcr preceding the junior canons, carrying white wands, in allusion to the white robes of the baptized. At Rouen the chanter carries a while wand in certain processions, and no one without his leave could open a song-school in the city. In England his stall faces ihe (lean, being on ihe north-west. In
foreign cathedrals he occupied either the same position
I to the dean. The Greek precentor al Christ- mas wore while, and the singers violet. The exarch was the imperial protospaltcs. The dignity of preci li- ter was founded al Amiens in 1219; at Rouen in 1110; at Exeter, Salisbury. Vork. Lincoln, in the 11th cen- tury; at Chichester, Wells. Lichfield, Hereford, in the ll'lli; and al St. Paul's in the 13th century. The pre- centor was required to be always resident, and usually held a prebend with his dignity. The Clugniac pre- centor was called armarilM because be was also libra- rian, the treasurer being aprocrisiaruts. The Bingers of the primitive < lharch wen- regarded as a minor order
by p'pe Innocent III. by the Council of Laodicea (3G0), and by that of Trullo. When the service of son- was intrusted to lay persons in course of time, the title of chanter ^a- preserved in cathedral chapters and colle- giate churches as that of a capitular dignitary, having precedency, rights, and duties.
In modern times the name is applied to those who, in non-ritualistic churches, lead the congregation in singing. This office, lately revived, appears, from Bing- ham's Antiquities, to be of a very early dale: the pre- centor, or phonascus (q. v.), as he was called in the early Church, either leading the congregation, or Bing- ing one part of the verse, the oiher pari being sun^ by the congregation in response. See Music. In the med- iaeval churches the precentor was one of the officers be- longing to the old religious houses, whose office was af- terwards continued in collegiate and cathedral churches in the capacity above firsl n ferred to. In Scotland the duties of the precentor have been greatly curtailed. He seems to have succeeded to the r^uhr (q.v.) of earlier limes. Il was the habit of the precentor to repair to church about half an hour before the minister came, and read lo the people several passages of Scripture. When the minister entered the precentor gave out a psalm and led the singing. After the beginning of last century he ceased by degrees either to read the Scriptures or pre- scribe the psalm. But his desk is still, from its original use, called by the old people the lectern — that is. read- ing-desk.- Walcott, Sacred [rchceolooy, s. v.; Hook. Eccles. Diet. e. v.; Eadie, Eccles. Diet. s. v. Sec Desk; Lectern; Sin., lxi.; Worship.
Precept is a direction, command, or rule enjoined by a superior. Religious precepts are divided into moral and positive The precepts of religion, says Sau- rin, are as essential as the doctrines; and religion will as certainly sink if the morality be subvened, as if the theology be undermined. The doctrines are only pro- posed to us as the ground of our duty. A moral precept derives its force from iis intrinsic litness: a positive pre- cept from the authority which enjoins it. .Moral pre- cepts are commanded because they are right; positive are right because commanded. The duty of honoring our parents and of observing the Sabbath are instances, respectively, of each kind of precept. See Law.
Preceptories (or Coramanderiesi an estates
or benelices anciently possessed by the Knight Tem- plars. On these lands they creeled churches for relig- ious service and convenient houses for habitation, and placed some of their fraternity, under Ihe government of one of those more eminent Templars who had been by the grand-master created preceptores fempli, to take care of the lands and rents in that neighborhood. All the preceptories of a province were subject to a provin- cial superior, called Grand Preceptor; and there were
three of these who held rank above all the rest the grand preceptors of Jerusalem, Tripoli.?, and Antiocb. <>tber houses of ihe order were usually called com- mandt ties.
Precepts, the Six Hundred and Thirtj i x. or 7*:r; :,-~r\ In the preface to his Jad Hachezaha
(fol. 2, col. 2), Moses Maimonides (q.V.) w riles thus: ••The number of Ihe precepts of the law is 613, of which