iJ- a o

t>

.V

HISTORY OF THE CROSS

THE PAGAN ORIGIN,

IDOLATROUS ADOPTION AND WORSHIP,

THE IMAGE.

T t *

HENRY DANA WARD, M.A.,

LONDON:JAMKS NISBET & CO., 21 BERNERS STREET.

rniLADELPHIA:CLAXTON, nr.MSEN, .t n AFFELFINGEIl.

810 AND 821 MAHKET STREET.1871.

(rriNTF-n nv iiai.lantvne and comi'anEDINDURCIt AND LONDON

PREFACE.

In the Churches, especially of America, a flood-tide ofritualiBm now threatens to overwhelm the gospel, such asin the fourth century deluged the primitive Churches with

relics of martyrs, monkish legends, lying wonders, pagancustoms, and " the invention of the cross." The eye istaken with a curious pantomime, carried on by variousactors. Any parade with banners and sweet voices throughthe streets, or into the churches, is sure to attract a crowd.

Excited by the mysterious movement, the rising generation

are fired to see, to fall in, and to form a part of the brave

show, dressed in colours, or white robes, with banners andstandard-bearers for the admiration of the beholders. Thesign and image of tlie cross is now, as of old, in the fore-front of the pagan assault upon the simplicity of the faith

of God in Christ, Tlierefore it is timely to present to thepublic a history, showing the pagan origin of the image,with its entrance among Cliristiaus, and its final adoptionin the Church Catholic and Universal.Not a few of my young readers have seen the account oi i

Constantine's vision of the cross, illustrated with the image,

and signed. In hoc tincks. All such will feel the indigna-

tion of the author, when, in riper years, he saw and leiu-ned

that this image is a bold forgery, a pagan counterfeit of theemblem on Constantine's banner, if that may be called acounterfeit which, without the least likeness of a single

ir riiEFAOE.

fontiirc, tnkcs the iidine, and the place, and the office ofanother.

The monogram of Clirist (Sk) w^^ tlie sign on the banner

of Constantine and of his imperial successors, which theimage now pretends to occupy. Tlie image sujiplantedthe monogram after the dinsolution of the Roman empire,A.D. 476. Tlie monogram now is no longer seen, butobscurely ; while the image reigns supreme on spire andpulpit, on book and person, from the jialace to the hamlet,and from the holy places to the jilaccs of public amusement.This sign of idolatry and of ancient barbarism is elevatedin honour, ond is worn for admiration, by a Catholic mul-titude, thinking that, with the apostle, tlipy glory " in thecross of our Lord .Tesus Christ, by wliom the world iscrucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. vi. 14).Yet not for crucifying self to the world do both young andold ornament their person with the glitter of an image.The cross of Christ is death to the glory of this world, butliving unto God in view of the glory to come. To showvalour for the image is easy, while the image-bearers maybe very cowards in the cam]) of Israel.

Let no one imagine for a moment that this work aims ablow at the cross of Christ. On the contrary, it sets forthChrist's suffering for others' guilt, now veiled and hid bythe image. It vindicates the power of the cross of Christ

unto eternal life, now foiled by the image. It exalts theglory of the cross and its innocent Sufferer, now debasedby the image ; and it aims to magnify the riches of the graceof Christ's cross, now turned to vanity by the image. Thecross of Christ can neither be seen, nor handled, nor loved ; itis the potiently borne agony ofbody and soul here, in view ofthe joy promised hereafter. Its undying love and inexpres-sible glory in the Lord are now stifled by the mistaken

l|:

'I I PREFACK. V

reverence and love of the image, which, like all images, is

called and taken for the invisible reality it pretends to

represent. Our sole object is to put away the images, in

order that the death of Christ to this world, and His coming

again in glory, may appear. The gracious Lord bless tlioeffort to all who love His name and patiently wait forChrist's appearing ; who answered the high priest, inpresence of the Sanhedrim, " Thou bast said (I am the

Christ) : ,nevertheie8s, I say unto you, Hereafter shall yc see

the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and

coming in the clouds Of heaven " (Matt. xxvi. 04).

1^

CONTENTS.

t^

)

INTRODDCTION, ......TUB OODNCIL Of TUENT OH TBB U8E OF IMAdES

CHAPTER I.THE 8CUIITDKE WORDS FOR THE CROSS DEFINKDTUE BRAZEN SERPENT '

DIPFEBENT MODMS OF IMPALINUTUB SION OF TA^fMUZ

^

lUAOEB AND LIKENESSES IN UOLV WORSHIP ADO.MINADLEA GRAND MISTAKE .....VARIOUS FORMS OK THE CROSS .

.

CHAPTEK U.BARNABASHIS EPISTLE, MYBTERT OF THREE LETTEEaHIS PEAYINO U0SE3, AND POWER OF THE SION OF THE CROSSNTCODEMUSHIS TESTIMONI TO THE POWER OF THE SION IN HADESJ08TIH MARTYR ADOPTS THE VIEWS OF BARNABASMARCOS MlfrOTIUB FELIX HALF ADMrTS THE UIAOC WOBSBIPTERTULLIAN ABSENTS TO THE SAME THINOWOOD IS WOOD, WHETHER WORSHIPPED FOB THE OBOSS OB FOB OEBESCYPRIAN, HIS CROSS IS XTHE SION OF OHRI.STOBEOORT THADMATDROnS, OR THE WONDER WORKERFABLE OF Helena's invention of the cross

.

CYRIL, THE KEEPER AND OBOWER OF THE WOODHIS OLOBTINa IN THE GROWTH OF TH WOOD, AD POWEB OF THE 8I0NHISLOP'S "TWO BABTLONS'' ......

CHAPTER III.A SOirUABT OF THE TESTIMONY

. . . , .

THE LATIJI 0BO33 COKFBOKTED WITH THAT OF COHStiNTIMI

PAGE

I

IS

II

17

21

21

22

24

26

23

80

32

S3

35

87

88

41

43

44

48

52

St

\

CONTENTS.

CONSTANTINKS VISION ....

JULIAK'b TEaTIMONT TO X tOR CHRIST .UEDAU, COINS, AND LABARUU OF CONHTANTINKni8 DREAM

HIS FINAI, VICTORY OVER LICINIU8 .'

CHAPTER IV.THE CATAOOHD.H .....TBI ORASUAL OHANQE OF THE BION OF OlIRISt X INTO THOW MAT OnS LORD REOARD THE IMAOE tTHE LATIN ......niS HARK

ITS 00NIC80TI0N WITn riHAU nCTRIDOTIOM

FAOR

67

SO

60

68

es

69

78

74

80

83

84

INTEODUCTION.

Above forty years ago, passing by the open door of tlioCatholic church then standing in Ann Street, New York,and seeing its interior draped in black on the morning ofGood Friday, I took a proffered seat near the chancel, tobehold the scenes never before nor since witnessed. Themovements, the prayers in Latin, the smoking incen.se, themelodies, the candles, the bowings, and the chancel perform-ances, were closely observed without being well understood.But the sermon whii^h followed waH in plain Saxon, glorifyingthe wood of the cross, which the jireacher snid " ought to beworshipped." I was 8uq)ri8cd, for the Latins deny theirworship of idols; and I, charitably believing it, was aston-ished at the preacher's language in presence of the throngedhouse. It seemed to me unguarded, and rashly to place aweapon in their enemy's hands. The preacher proceeded,however, in full earnest, to show and to urge the reason-ableness, and to enforce the duty, of worshipping the noodof the cross !

First, Because it was miraculously preserved, and foundwith the crosses of the two thieve.'*, after having lain buriedin the earth for three hundred years nearly.

Secoridly, Because when found, it was distinguished fromthe crosses of the two thieves by the miracles it wrought,VhUe the crosses of the thieves wrought none. (The fatherof this quite overreached himself by finding the crosses ofthe two thieves.)

Thirdly, Because the wood of the true cross multiplieditself for distribution over the whole world without diminu-tion or loss of the original wood.

Z INTltODUCTION.

Tliis emjihatic nml Imjicnl prcnching was next practicallyillustrated befcire all eyes. For the preacher, officiating

clergy, and clerks within the chancel, first approachedsingly in succession, with ))()wed head, toward a crucifixplaced on high for the purpose, and, on bended knee, withdowncast eyes, every one adored, silently prayed, and,rising from his knees to retire, kissed the feet of theimage \ - This finished, the crucifix was removed to thochancel-rail before the middle aisle, and the congregationwere invited to apjjroach by the two side aisles, to worshipthe cross, and to retire by the centre aisle, which, in largenumbers, they did, devoutly approaching, bowing, droppingon their knees, rising, kissing the image on the feet, andreverently retiring. Yet earnest men positively deny thatsuch things are done ; or, admitting the facts, deny thatthis is image-worship I Even the great Council of Trentteaches " That the images of Christ, of the Virgin Motherof Qod, and of the other saints, ought to be had andretained especially in the churches, and that due reverenceand honour ought to be paid to them ; not because it isbelieved that any divinity or power resides in them, on

account of which they ought to be wor8hii)pcd ; or becauseanything ought to be sought of them ; or because any con-fidence ought to be attached to them, such as was forrnerly

done by the heathen, who jnit their trust in idols; butbecause the honour paid to them is paid over to the pro-totypes whom these images rejiresent. So that, throughthe images which we kiss, and before which wo un-cover and prostrate ourselves, we worship Clirist, and we

venerate tho saiuts whose likeness these wear" (Scks. 25,

sec. 2.)This testimony of the Great Council conflicts with tho

Second Commandment, and with the uniform testimony of theScriptures against likenesses in worship, and also conflicts

INTRODUCTION. 3

with the scene in the Ann Street church, and with commonsense. Good Bishop Imbert of Gascony, in a iniblic as-sembly eighteen years after the Council of Trent, criedaloud, "Worship Christ; not tlie wood I " "No, flicwood" the assembly replied ; and the wood had it ; forthe Archbishop of Bordeaux arraigned, tried, condemned,and silenced Imbert for his error. Israel sacrificeil, fenstd,danced before the golden calf, and shouted, " These bo thygods, Israel, which have brought thee up out of the landof Egypt 1" They knew there was no divinity or powerin the golden image but tliey worshipped before it inhonour of the invisible God whose presence the idol wasmade to represent. All the lieathen confess that theiridols are only types of the divinities which tliey represent,while the deities themselves dwell in heaven. They think,Iiowever, in common with our brethren of Trent, that theimages, pictures, and altars before which they worship witlisacrifices, incense, prayers, and praise, are objects ofhumble reverence, and that the image is especially dear tothe invisible spirit represented, whether a demon or a saint;and th(jjr worship it accordingly. Tims the image of thecross is stealthily seizing on the reverence and love of Pro-testants, to a degree neither suspected nor dreamed of bythe admirers and exalters of the symbol, leavingonly a hand-breadth between their honouring of the image and in-comingidolatry. For the whole world regards the batiner and thelmageof any person, people, or cause it represents with a portionof the reverence and love due to the cause, to the nation,or to (he person represented, whether it be our country, ourparty principles, our visible or invisible friend,whetherit bo the Virgin or Jupiter, tlie kingdom or the republic,the Roman or the Protestnnt Church, our ancestor or ourbrother. And that man who repudiates the image, ordespises the banner, deeply wounds the heart of its be-

INTKODUCnoN.

licvors nnd followers. Jliiiiy ;irc in training to venerate

and to love the image of the cross who do not yet worshipit with incense and klKsoa : to whom it is an offence, not-withstanding, for any one to raise a serious question of

the propriety and innocence of exalting and honouring the

image in onr churches and on our persons 1 Nevertheless,the Scriptures forbid the followers of Jesus to venerate,

among our holy things, any material image or fanciedlikeness, made by the hands of man, to represent theinvisible Person or things of tlie Godhead ; and humanityforbids our loving and reverencing an image of that suf-fering in view of which the Lord Jesus sweat, " as it weregreat drojis of blood falling down to the ground," whilepraying in agony that this cup might pass from Him. AndBoeing many brethren and personal friends of divers deno-minations are unconsciously filling into the fashion of

glorying in this image, it is time to show that Christ'scross is no image, but a reality. It was no ornament of

His person, but an overwhelming burden on His shoulder,and on His beating heart, crushing out the fountain of life,and pouring His blood upon the earth. To Him it was nobrilliant spectacle, but it was loathed in His soul, togetherwith our sins, wliich He bore in His own body on the tree.Whereas the image, which is a lying vanity, changes thewhole character of Christ's cross into an ornament of theflesh, wreathed with flowers, or suspended in shining array

from the neck of beauty, or lifted up to point a church spire,to adorn a pulpit, channel wall, or font; or emblazoned onnational banners in divers forms and colours. It is a life-less, senseless, and yet deceitful vanity. " It suggestsnothing of sacrifice and self-denial ; notliing of conflict withthe forces of evil ; nothing of the painful and lingeringdeath of sinful passions in the natural heart." On the con-trary, it is the banner of Papal tyranny, nnd the sign of

INTRODUCTION. ^

this woMs conversion into a blissM kingdom of millennial

or of eternal life and glory I

It is time to confront this iniagc? of paganinvention and

of antichristian adoption with the realityof Christ's

cross It is time to comprehend the differencebetween

death to the love of the power and glory ofthis world, and

nn image set up on high to display the pomp andfashion of

the world. It is time to learn the mortalenmity between

the cross of Christ's blood shed on the groundof this evil

world, and " the glory cross" borne with singingin solemn

procession, and placed for reverence and admiration"upon

the super-altar 1 " It is time to understandthe vast dif-

ference between Jesus nailed as a criminalthrough His

hands and His feet " to the accursed tree," anda gaudy like-

ness of that fell instrument of His tortureunto death. Our

heart is stirred at beholding honestProtestants on every

side taken with this dumb idol, and led for onemoment to

think that, by adorning their person, theirhouse,, or the

house of God with this image, they please theFather ot

Spirits, and magnify the name of Hisonly-begotten bon,

oiu- Lord Jesus Christ. The wearer of abriUiant, taking

, up his stauros, and following afterChrist I The bearer of

a shining cross in gold, or pearl, orprecious stones, a fol-

lower of Jesus, whose murderers compelleda man passing

by to bear His stavros for Him, faint andexhausted, to

Calvary I The wearer of this ima>,o neverfaints under the

burden. A glittering cross is oftener borne in pride of cir-

cumstance than in poverty of spirit and inheaviness of

heart. It is put on in the love ofadmiration and m rever-

ence of the imaffe; and not for humiliationand renuncia-

tion of the pomp and glory of this world.It is worne fr.r

distinction, in gold and embroidery, incarved and gilt

images, in prints and in flowers ; and liftedup in proces-

sions ^ith musics with, trumpets, and withvoices saying,

' 6 INTRODUCTION.

" Behold the cross I the Saviour's cross ! the cross whichdelivered us from the condemnation of sin, and from the

' bondage of death 1 the cross of our salvation I "

This modern show is like that of Israel before the goldencalf; not meant to provoke, but to honour the invisibleGod, their Redeemer. However well intended, it misrepre-

I sents the incompreheiiHil)lo glory of " the offering of thebody of Jesus Christ once for nil" (Ileb. x. 10), no lessthan the molten calf misrepresented the God who redeemedIsrael from the bondage of Egypt ; and this idol iu themodern Church, no less than that idol in the ancientCliurch, serves him who "was a murderer from the be-ginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is notruth in him. When he spenketh a lie, he speaketh 9f hisown ; for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John viii. 44).

GAENISHINQ THE TOMDS OF THE UlGnTEOUS.

Tlie Churches of the Gentiles have no higher guarantyagainst apostasy than tlie Cluirch of Jerusalem had. Moseswarned Israel of their departure from the faith and worshipof God, and their consequent dispersion and reproach in alllands ; both which events have long since come to pass,notwithstanding the ceaseless confidence of that people intheir election to subdue and govern the nations of thisworld, while they were being carried away captive toBabylon first, and again to Rome, in their dispersion tothis day. Moses dealt very plainly with Israel, and so didall the Lord's prophets ; but the people hardened theirliearts. The Lord Jesus dealt very plainly with their blindguides, who sat in Moses's seat, and taught their traditionsfor the commandments of God. But tlicy refused to listen,and they stirred up the multitude to cry " Crucify Him,crucify Hiin." Our Lord reproved them openly to theirface, saying, " Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypo-

',

INTRODUCTION. 7

crites I for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men

;

for ye neither go in yourselves, neither sufTer ye them that

are entering to go in 1 Woe unto you, scribes and Phari-sees, hypocrites I for ye devour widows' houses, and for n

pretence make long prayers ; ye compass sea and land tomake one proselyte 1 Fools and blind guides, which say,Whosoever shall swear by the temple or the altar, it i:!'!'IV nil

ti'u:i'*!!:

I 1 i It|

!.ii!i'! ' n

iH.iiit

II 'H'l

;irl;!li:iI !

ti' hI

I'll,,''

;'i.v; '1f'ii'

It:

'.,'

i';i,;:'^'i'l, (J

( !i

;i,

Y.< 'iiit:

: