s, we
would inform him that such is not the case. The earliest artists of the
crucifixion represent the Christian Saviour as _young and beardless_,
always without the crown of thorns, alive, and erect, apparently elate;
no signs of bodily suffering are there.[203:6]

On page 151, plate 181, of Jameson's "History of Our Lord in Art" (vol.
ii.), he is represented standing on a foot-rest on the cross, alive, and
eyes open. Again, on page 330, plate 253, he is represented standing
"with body upright and arms extended straight, with _no nails_, _no
wounds_, _no crown of thorns_--frequently clothed, and with a regal
crown--a God, young and beautiful, hanging, as it were, without
compulsion or pain."

On page 167, plate 188, are to be seen "the thieves _bound_ to their
_cross (which is simply an upright beam, without cross-bars)_, with the
figure of the Lord _standing_ between them." He is not bound nor nailed
to a cross; no cross is there. He is simply standing erect in the form
of a cross. This is a representation of what is styled, "_Early
crucifixion with thieves_." On page 173, plate 190, we have a
representation of the crucifixion, in which Jesus and the thieves are
represented crucified on the Egyptian _tau_ (see Fig. No. 12). The
thieves are _tied_, but the man-god is _nailed_ to the cross. A similar
representation may be seen on page 189, plate 198.

On page 155, plate 183, there is a representation of what is called
"Virgin and St. John at foot of _cross_," but this _cross_ is simply _an
upright beam_ (as Fig. No. 13). There are no cross-bars attached. On
page 167, plate 188, the thieves are _tied_ to an upright beam (as Fig.
13), and Jesus stands between them, _with arms extended in the form of a
cross_, as the Hindoo Crishna is to be seen in Fig. No. 8. On page 157,
plate 185, Jesus is represented crucified on the Egyptian cross (as No.
12).

Some ancient crucifixes represent the Christian Saviour crucified on a
cross similar in form to the Roman figure which stands for the number
_ten_ (see Fig. No. 14). Thus we see that there was no uniformity in
representing the "cross of Christ," among the early Christians; even the
cross which Constantine put on his "Labarum," or sacred banner, was
nothing more than the monogram of the Pagan god Osiris (Fig. No.
15),[204:1] as we shall see in a subsequent chapter.

[Illustration: No. 12, No. 13, No. 14, No. 15]

The dogma of the _vicarious atonement_ has met with no suc