The Penn's Grove record., 1917-07-06
FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1917
The Sign of The Cross

EEAAAN "
The ancient Egyptians stuck a stick III
the mud of the river Nile and made a
cross or tied another stick to denote the
rise and fall I the tide. Tie cross was
found in the ruins of Troy which exist
ed 400 b. c. On the cross criminals
were put to death in the most toRtaous
manner by the Jews as well as by tes
Pagans. See Deuteronomy 21312-2I.
Not only criminals but political enemies
and slaves were crucified. The slaves
were not only black but white enemies
taken in battle. In the victory of the
Romans over the victory of a slave in
surrection under Spartacus 5000 were
made to die on crosses. Every master
had a cross at hand on which to punish
refractory slaves. one of which was &C.
pasionally ~cruciied to terrorize the 9TH
erS.
After the death of Jesus the Christ
ON the cross of the common slave and
criminal. between two thieves. the cross
became the symbol of Christianity, the
followers of the spiritual God of the
Jews. The circle is the symbol of the
sun worshipperS. The crescent. the
sign of the new moon. was accepted by
the moon wo%rshippers, and was accept
Ell as lut tliDitln VI II ul lHh I'm
pire. the worshieers of MahommeRd.
The pagan tribes of Northern EuC-
ope were sun worshippers and believed
in human sacrifices te appease the wraA
of their gods. There are sun worship
pers in some parts of Europe to-day. Sut
human sacrifice has been prohibited by
law. In the museum in Berlin there arc
representative idols of the old pagea
MI I'll - AAn .,n
is represented with his face like the
sun, holding a burning wheel with both
hands on his breast, signifying his curse
around the world. The Anglo-Saxons
honored the sun god in our word Sum
day. Also the idol of the moon in our
word Monday.
Wooden from which comes Wednesday
was the valiant prince among Saxons,
whose image was prayed to for victory.
Thor, whence comes Thursday, is seated
in a bed with twelve stars over his
head, holding a scepter IN his hand.
Friends, commonly called Quakers. two
hundred and fifty years ago. decided that
honors should not be given the pagan gods
by continuing to call the days of the week
for them, so they call the days by numbers
Sunday being First day. the day on which
Jesus, the Christ, arose from the dead.
The principles of the Turkish follow
ers of Mohammed believe that an enemy
killed in battle added to the glory of
the victor in heaven.
The same pagan spirit pervades the
Germans and Turks to-day, notwith-
standing the Kaiser may have the sign
of "a cross on his imperial arms and the
words God is with US" as his sign. 1t
is the spirit of Thor and Wooden. He
should adopt the sign e'om his museum
in Berlin.
After the death of Jesus an the GROSS
the cross became the badge of the
Christians, a badge of honor. After
Constantine saw the sign of the cross
in the sky in 312 and became a Christ
ian he adopted the emblem of the cross
as a badge of citizenship and his motto
was BY this sign We conquer"
The MOhammedans in the earliest
centuries of the Christian era stopped
the pilgrimaa Sc of the Christians to
Jerusalem, the holy land. The Christ
ian nations started a crusade against
the Turks, but were driven back further
into Europe under the blood thirsty doe
trine of the followers of the crescent.
There We're twelve crusades by the
Christians in which millions of lives
were lost.
The cross was the emblem of the
Christian crusaders. 1t was worn on
the right shoulder. The sign of the
cross was made in heraldry into hun
dreds of combinations.
The Latin cross, the form of the sne
on which the Saviour died you viii sec
ON the Italian flag in the middle of a
shield. The old Egyptian and Jewish
cross did not eXtend above the cross
bar.
The cross with two arms on the
ground is called the cross of st. Andrew.
1t n declared hat Christ's disciple An
drew was c~rucified on one similar. st.
Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland.
This cross is also called the cross of st.
George, the patron saint of England also
st. Patrick, the saint of Ireland. One is
white, the others red. They are seen on
the British flag.
The Maltese cross is the shape of the
one used for the badge of the Epworth
League of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
The Greek cross is the form of the one
used by the Red Cross Society. The
principles, unity and neutrality, unfver-
sal service TO humanity, to all who need
assistance in distress, but especially b.
our own household of faith.
Since the Israelites left Egypt the wal
to further the doctrine and principles OF
the Mosaic code and the Sermon Oh the
Mount has been going on and we are ca
gagged in the last great war.
The stars in the American flag take
in the universe beyond the moon, cres-
cent beyond the sun. 1t takes in the
universal spirit and will rule over the
scepter of Thor, the German God of
thunder.
The Red Cross is the symbol of right
eousness and service. While there are
many differences of opinions as to meth
DDS of worship and service TO do good,
the Red Cross movement is so broad that
all can find some way to do their bit,
even though it be small. Every little
helps.