th its oars extended. When a military
yoke is erected there is a sign of a cross, and, in like manner, when
one with hands stretched forth devoutly addresses his God. _Thus, there
seems to be some reason in nature for it, and some reference to it in
your own system of religion_." The monogram [symbol: Chi-Rho], composed
of the initial Greek capitals [Greek: Chi] and [Greek: Rho] of the name
[Greek: christos], was in use among the heathen long before our era. It
is to be found on coins of the Ptolemies. Aringhus, "Roma Subterranea,"
ii. p. 567.
[318:1] Tertullian maintains ("Ad Jud." c. xi.) that the _mark_
mentioned Ezekiel ix. 4 was the letter T, or the sign of the cross. See
a Dissertation on this subject by Vitringa, "Observationes Sacrae," lib.
ii. c. 15. See also Origen. "In Ezechielem," Opera, tom. iii. p. 424,
and Cyprian to Demetrianus, Sec. 12. It would appear that the worshippers
of Apollo used to mark themselves on the forehead with the letters
[Greek: CHI ETA]. See Kitto's "Cyclopaedia of Bib. Lit." art. FOREHEAD.
[318:2] Tertullian, "De Corona." c. 3. By the Romans, crosses were
erected in conspicuous places to intimidate offenders, just in the same
way as the drop is now exhibited in the front of a jail. It is not
improbable that some of these crosses were afterwards worshipped by the
Christians! Aringhi mentions a stone, to be seen in his own time in the
Vatican, which was treated with the same absurd reverence. On this stone
many of the early Christians were said to have suffered martyrdom,
probably by decapitation; but it was afterwards held "in very great
honour" at Rome, and regarded as "a sacred thing!" "Roma Subterranea,'"
i. 219.
[319:1] Minucius Felix, "Octavius," c. 24. There is a similar passage in
Tertullian, "Apol." c. 12.
[319:2] Clemens Alexandrinus, "Paedagog." iii. Opera, pp. 246, 247.
[319:3] Clemens Alexandrinus, "Stromat." v. Opera, p. 559.
[320:1] Canon 30. The comment of the Roman Catholic Dupin upon this
canon is worthy of note. "To me," says he, "it seems better to
understand it in the plainest sense, and to confess that the Fathers of
this Council did not approve the use of images, no more than that of wax
candles lighted in full daylight."--_History of Ecclesiastical Writers,
Fourth Century_.
[320:2] Tertullian, "De Pudicitia," c. 7. But all were not so
scrupulous, for Tertullian elsewhere complains that the image-makers
were chosen to church offices. "De Idololatri
|