CROSS
51B
CROSS
(John zz, 25, 27, etc ; Zech. xii, 10; Pia. xzii, 16; comp. TertulL ado. Mare, iii, 19, etc. ; Sept. upv^av ; although the Jewe maintain that in the latter text ^-IK3, *' like a lion/* ia the true reading ; Sixt. Se- nensia, Bibl. Scmet, viii, 5, p. 640). It is, howeyer, ex- tremely probable that both methods were need at once (see Lucan, vi, 647 sq. ; and Hilary, De Trin. x). We may add that in the crucifixion (as it is sometimes called, TertuU. adv. Metre, i, 1; comp. ManiL de An^ drom. y) of Prometheus, .fischylus, besides the nails, speaks of a girth (jjunrxaXurrijp^ Prom, 79). When either method was used alone, the tying was consid- ered more painful (as we find in the Martyrologies), since it was a more tedious suffering (dmtimu cm- dolus).
It is doubtful whether three or four nails were em- ployed. The passage in Plautus (Mott, ii, 1, 13) is, as Lipsius {De Cmce^ ii, 9) shows, indecisive. Nonnus speaks of the two feet (^/ioirXocscc) being fkstened with me naU (o^vyt r^J/*^), and Gregory Naz. (<fe Christ, pat.) «ils the cross " three - nailed" (J^vXov TplmiXov) ; hence on gold and silver crosses the nails were represented by one ruby or carbuncle at each ex- tremity (Mrs. Jameson, /. c). In the ** invention" of the cross, Socrates {Hiei, Bv. i, 17) only mentions the hand-nails; and that only two were found has been argued fh>m the rd /ilv, rd di QuBtesid ot ro^ fuv) in Theodoret {ffisL Ev. i, 17). RonUsh writers, however, generally follow Gregory of Tours (de Glor. Mart, vi) in maintaining four, which may indeed be implied by the plural in Cyprian (die Passione), who also mentions three more, used to ludl on the title. Cyprian is a very good authority, because he had often been a wit- ness of executions. (See below.)
Besides the copious monograph of Upsins(De Oruce, Antwerp, 1596 ; Amst. 1670 ; Brunsw. 1640), there are works by Salmasius (de Cruce^ Epp. 5); Kippingius (de Cmce til Crudartis^ Brem. 1671) ; Bosius (de Cruoe triumphante et ghriosdj Antw. 1617) ; Gretser (de Cruce Christi) ; and Bartholinus (ffspomnemata de Cruce) ; very much may also be gleaned firom the learned notes of l.ishop Pearson (0»» the Creed, art. iv).— Kitto, Sj v. ; Smith, s. V. See Cbucifixion.
IV. 7%e Cross as a Symbol. — The word cross was early used in Roman literature to represent any tor- ture, pain, or misfortune, or anything causing pain or misfortune. Christ adopted this use of the word when he says (of course before his crucifixion had taken place, or was foreseen by his followers) that they must be willing to take up their cross and follow him (Matt, xvi, 24), meaning that they must be willing to endure such sufferings as the service of God may bring. After the death and resurrection of Christ, the cross is spoken of, especially in the epistles of Paul, as the representative of Christ's whole sufferings from his birth to his death (Eph. ii, 16; Heb. xii, 2), and for the whole doctrines of the Gospel (1 Cor. i, 18; GaL vi, 14). The opposers of the Gospel are spoken of as enemies of the cross (Phil, iii, 18). As a symbol of Christianity, its doctrines, and its duties, the cross has become a fiimiliar figure of speech in the expres- sion of experimental Christianity, in the preaching of Christian ministers, and in the hymns and songs of Christian poets. Very early in the history of the Church it became tiie custom for Christians to make the sign of the cross. See Cross, sign of. That the early Christians had a high regard for the cross is shown by the replies that Tertullian and Octavius made to the pagans who charged Christians with wor- shipping the cross. It is not easy, however, to fix the date at which Christians commenced to have material representations of the cross. There exist no earlier preserved examples than some rings of stone, with the cross engraviad on them, the style of which seems to indicate that they were made before the time of Constantino. The martyr Procopius and a Christian