, 1870-08-07
IESV AND HIS

whero archaeological decoration prevails, often
obs erve in the ornanontation the above cab
alistic letters. The lstter ars more conmou
than the former 1ha question IL constantly
satisfactorily answered. especis1ly in r.eard 10
the later, We will gi~e the sIue explauation Of
both monoEIanls.
In The eaSly pazt Of the fourth century, the
day before Constantine fought his celebrated
battle 1ith his sival, Maxentins, it is relk.ed
Of brilliant c1oss, with tbs following words
over il: En- ton TO niku e. Conquer in this" or
..Uuder this eieD, corqncr. Eusebius e1ys
That Tho Emperor himself assured hin Of the
truth OF The stosr- Tradition adds that ths
ssht following tue xiao1 ~ w,s Tspe.ptskd 70 51s
dre.na. il xss doubled 70 linn,
regarded the thing as established"
IN consequence thereof, after his victory
over Gaxentius. which gave him the empire
Of the Roman world, he directed the fnbaTuos,
tic celel rated imperial standard, to be made.
derivation Or meaning Of the word. arc mat
terr Which are lost foteyer+ No ono can shed
@ny light on the mysterious word. History
tells ut thas this great Christian standard, nn-
DER which ,coEstan:ine, gained his fu,
surs tE'unaphs; and which he g1ar.ed
was enld-plated lance, with transversc bar
near the top, from which depended silSen
launer, richly embroidered, and adorned With
precious stone. Above the bar was the s1erei
monogram Of Chtist--that is, the Greek Z
tCH} with the Greek r (N> uron it, the two
compreheuding the first two letters Of the
name Of Christ, and also involving cross.
TIE legend was - In hoc stgno ri,lcss," Latin
rendering Of the original Greek legend which
We have given above, and means, s'Undes this
sign thon shalt conquer" A medal Of Coz
stsnsinc Is still e1tant. hearing the l.bszum
and the Latin legend. The initial letters OF
it form the II =. eoustiuaes seen a1oous
the symbolic ornaments in or churches.
The history Of the Il s is quite different.
and it's origin ard meaning arc laas known in
fsct, though II is By aight 80 fsmilisr to
chu1eh-goeIe. But. by reference to rspcr
in Hures "Anc:ent Mysteries" By the former
c1.ratcr OF the manuscripts Of the King Of
10 The derivation Of these 1ettaEs, which are
frequently TO much misunderstood aud mis-
represented. 1t is somewhat difficult to elas,-
oratc the matter without the aid OF Greek
characters. Nevertheless We will endeavor to
Hasc the point in question plain, eventothose
We premise that the leading nan
usc1ip:s Of tho Now Testament
were written IN Greek capital lettsrs through
out, and taat whenever the name. JESOU3
{Jesus1 occurred, the eeribes wrote only tho
frst three letters. les, with 1 dash over the
1llNAiC !E4tC4 AZ p 4AA4A III AQlES&1ilQA. VIC
nay add that It wss a role with then asways tc
abEeyiatc Tcll-liuown words and names, which
increases the labors OF tho m3nuscrip.-rcader.
Now, the Greek capital Eta tu} is tho English
II. ard tlsus the u i simply IN abbravia.
tius ot The GEeeE 1EsoUs, - Z wonlA be
Of the English JESUS.
Subsequently tho Latin scribes, whenever,
in mailing ccpies Of Latin yes-ions Of the Tes.
tlmeut or Of other eccicsiaci1cal writings, thcy
bad oceAs!on to wrlte the name 1esur, u-ed tht
| old tbtreyiation, I II =, and, not knowing :!ie
Greek Character. and not understanding tia:
be II Was the Greek long +; but snpposins
that it wes really I.stin II, they so. to writ
\ rug the letters II s, thrs i!lua.S1t1ns thtsl
| own ignorance. Further, as the ages erco
darker. the scri1,es dela.c'1 tha. tho d4sh c-c,
tie middle atttcz at the E s, in the cid mau
useripts. was intended for the siS.i OF the Cross
aud tlnt the letter. themselves were tAe .ni
| tials Of Irs,.f tcn,inum s,lgator il Jesus. say
| iour Of mangini'). Tle=c al4nril crro,A bar.
bcea handed down ercn to the present day
| cid tLere arc many who arc 10 wise- than tit
ssfi'e. Of ,!ae lark ages wete IA .aeir day,
DGt tt1rc Is smother phase or the matter
Win 1SL2tiUs Loyo1a, 1slD, by per,niaaiou o
| tie rcpe, I,a.AleI tie Order u jesus. ;" in
waa vary appropriate for tna moucstam n of III.
society, he fell into the satla ni.t4k ~ tht
sc.:',ee, .nd Indeed enlarged il, for le aIoptet
! II {; uuler c1pas-tle letters bctn. tLe iui
tiala Of Ia loo sdlus {''In this n.
is sslxation")> The iaea was sus'
efatcd to Loyo1a evidently By tho e1ror o.
TIC ses;l es il regard TO the 1ssh. which thes
nistula for cross, their real ignorance ol
III S, a1sj also Of tie Il 5 Y Of tie labarum
which wa haso ahoya described. Ih1s tht
error was multiplied.
Sometimes tic Jesuit monogram is taada u!
an II with an i'll tho u,il.ils Of tliu former
extending above and ending in e c.oss, 1h
whole hiring en.Hin1l with Az s, sLuz {ozniA;
cou;,lctc calal;1tic monogram.
| In tho Elsedte tEes tie I Fl S obtained Goa
siderable importance from tIo vaiu suppo
eision that Il had come secret Significance, an
exercised mysterious influence against IL
powers OF darkness. After the rlsRue il
of Santa Croce. Subsequently IL was printe
upon cards, which were sold to ilIc Enpersti
tlors. Indeed. it waa put finally upon playing
can:e, to incsrase their sale.
TIE II xas stamped upon the large wafe
out Of Nhich The host Il consec1a:ed by the I.o
the exclamation - Mass!' OF - Dy the Mas !!
cnce very common. Opkela;s oath, '4Dy ~
Gi-.' is merrI; q vulgar corruption Of &c
I II S. in use at that tine. These letter
wsre to;attlmeH engraved on the hiit Of tn
euora, and thus increased the solpmnity o
LIS ewofl, or rather upon the crvs* wllcl
formed its handle. Il has ipen suggested :ha
lIa1nlets sword may Lasc lecu atlurnad wit
the HIS.
1:rr these celebrated letters arc ouly soel
now for the most part III the eylnbo1ie orna,ue.
tatiol, Of church Enthusiastically in tue col
oEed windows OF shout tbs cl,aucei. They af
pear in tie three modes ne lavo refs,red to
First, thero Is tho original I II s, tho lliatori
Authorization Of the nania Of Jesun; tecon1
the II S under cross, Or involved in mono
gram. whieh il the sign Of the t' Order Of j.
rus ;" aud. third. there u the II S, either i
Latin. Old Englieh, or German letter, whic
constitutes the 'perpetual triumph Of Ii
I cid Latin scribe OF the dark ages. We woul
suggest that the two latter he nsaudoue
iu flle decoration OF our c!lurrhoa, III
tllat the OLD and beautiful u s he restored.
-&N----
l T-ts. Pr0vvrSs uY annJlrd c1.cYt,3rsr