Miraculous Stories About The Cross Collected.

MIRACULOUS STORIES ABOUT THE CROSS COLLECTED .

BY BKO . JACOB NORTON . rPHE Rev . E . C . Brewer , in his Dictionary of "Phrase -i- anil Fables" says , " Tho cross is said to havo been made of four sorts of wood , viz ., palm , cedar , olive and cypress , to signify tho four quarters of the globe . " ( p 197 ) . Again ,

Constantine ' s Cross . In Latin , rincis in hoc ; in English , By this conquer . It is said that Constantine , on his march to Rome , saw a luminous cross in the sky , with the motto here given . In the

nitflit , bef'iio tho bntclo of Saxa Rubra a vision appeared to him in his sleep , commanding him to inscribe them [ tho cross and motto ] on tho shields of his soldiers . He obeyed the voice of the vision , aud prevailed . The monogram is x Pioroc ( Christ ) .

Theological controversialists usually argue that when a miracle is narrated by a contemporary historian it must , therefore , bo accepted as an undoubted fact . But here is a miracle vouched for by Bishop Eusebius , the " father of ecclesiastical history , " who was well acquainted with

Constantine ; and his story of the cross of Constantine was repeated hy his immediate successors as an undoubted fact , but for all that no man of common sense , except Masonic degree cravers , or may be some pious clergyman , will now venture to say that thero is any truth whatever in the said miracle . Mr . Brewer further says : —

This [ the Constnntine story ] may be called a standing miracle in legendary history ; for , besides Andrew ' s cross and tho Dannebrog or red cross of Denmark , we have the cross which appeared to Don Alonzo before tbe battle of Ourique in 1139 , when tho Moors wore totally routed , with incredible slaughter . As Alonzo was

drawing up his men the fignre of a cross appeared in tbe eastern sky , and Christ , suspended on the cross , promised the Christian king complete victory . This legend is commemorated by the device assumed by Alou' / . o iu a field of argent fwe escutcheons azure in the form of a cross , each escutcheon being charged with five bezants , in memory of the five wouuds of Christ . ( Ibid , p 182 ) .

Now hero is a story , related not only by a contemporary , but by an eyewitness . Evagrus , an ecclesiastical writer of tho sixth century , says : — Now that I havo arrived at this point of my narrative , I will relate n prodigy which occurred ot Pamea , aud is worthy of a placo

in the present history . When tho sons of Abamians were informed that Antioch had been burnt , they besought tho before mentioned Thomas to bring forth and display tho saving and life-giving wood of the cro .-s .... In performance of which request Thomas brings forth tbo life-giving wood

announcing stated days for us display , that nil the neighbouring peoplo might havo an opportunity to assemble and enjoy the salvation thence proceeding . Accordingly , my parents visited it , together with the rest , accompanied by myself , nt that time a school boy . When , therefore , we

requested permission to adorn and kiss tho precious cross . Thomas , lifting up both bis hands , displayed tho wood which blotted out the ancient curse , making an entire circuit of tbe sanctuary , aa was ens . tomary in the early days of adoration . As Thomas moved from place

to placo thero followed him a large body of fire , blazing but not consuming , so that tlio wholo spot where he etood to display the precious cross seemed to bo in flames , and this took place , not onco or twice , but often . ( Theodore's Eccl . Hist ., Borm ' s edition , p 405-G ) .

In Massachusetts , the cross figures as a Masonic symbol . Thus : crosses may be seen outside of the Boston Masonic Temple as well as inside of the Lodge-rooms , and even on the Masonic certificate is engraved a figure holding up a cross . To the book marks on the Bibles lying on Masonic

altars , crosses are appended . Knight Templars , which are here acknowledged as a true Masonic body , are of course covered all over with crosses . In the ceremony of the Rose Croix , which is also Masonic , a picture of the crucifixion may be seen hanging from the wall . Besides

which we have here an Order called the Red Cross of Constantine , and any number of other cross Masonic degrees . It is therefore surprising that Andrew ' s cross , the Dennebrog cross , the cross of Pamea , and the cross of Alonzo have never ( as far as I know ) been utilised for

Masonic purposes . My English readers may perhaps suppose that no one in these enlightened times could believe in such stuff . If so , I beg to assure them they are mistaken ; for I am satisfied that when Masons have acquired an appetite for high degrees , the appetite becomes

insatiable , and they can never have enough of Masonic degrees . Outside of Masonry , some of them at least , are quite rational , but inside of the Masonic Temple they can be made to believe in any absurdity . Thus , in twenty years , several new humbugs have been palmed off here as Masonic degrees , such as the Red Oross of Constantine , the

Miraculous Stories About The Cross Collected.

Mystic Shrine , & c , & c , which were received as ancient Masonic degrees . But the craving for more degrees was such that more than a hundred Masonic high-degreers have obtained from the "Great Council of tho Order of Improved Red Men" a charter for a Wigwam , called

" Hobomoc Tribe , " which Wigwam is to be composed exclusively of Masonic high-degreers . The " Great Chief Registrar " of the Tribe is a Scotch Site thirly-thirder , and so is the chief officer , called the Sachem , and probably so aro the two Saganors , the Prophet and the other officers .

The ceremony represents the Indian War-path , is performed by shouting , stamping , jumping , yelling , with awful fierce looks . The second degree , called tho degree of Pocahontas , represents the Tribe smoking the pipe of peace . Then it is all chivalric Indian knightly courtesy . Yes , a

hundred or moro high degree Masons have consented to partake of such Indian pranks in Boston . It is therefore evident that if the several legends about the cross above given had been turned into Masonic degrees , that thousands

of high degree Masons would now have been Knights of St . Andrew , and of Dannebrog , and of Alonzo , and of Pamea , and of any number of knighthoods , if offered to them for love or money .

Eusebius , as already said , was the inventor of the Cross of Constantine legend . Tho said legend received numerous improvements from succeeding ecclesiastical historians . Thus each successive historian claimed to know something which his predecessor did not know ; and such was the

case with a sequel to the said story , viz , that of discovering the true Cross , by Helena , the mother of Constantine . Cyril , of Jerusalem , first referred to the finding of the cross , more than twenty years after tho supposed event , "in which ( says Wm . Smith , in his Dictionary of Christian

Antiquities , Vol . I . p 504 ) he does not allude to tho narrative in the form given by subsequent writers ; he yet says that fragments cut off from the cross were spread over the whole world . " But later on " he alludes to the finding of

the cross in a letter written to Coustantius , the son of Constantine , on the occasion of a luminous cross appearing in tho sky over Jerusalem . W . Smith adds , that "From tho beginning of the 5 th century .... all ecclesiastical writers take the truth of the narrative in its main form for

granted , though sundry variations of detail occur . " Mr . Toulmin Smith , in his English Quilds , pp 224 , 225 , gives a bettor story about the said cross than I have found in all preceding writers . He says : — The story of finding the holy cross , or " rood , " was so popular in

the middle ages , and gave name , in England , to so many guilds , that it will make the subject better understood if I add here , an outline of that story . Some of the guilds mado it part of their business to

Rive a representation in pageant . ( See Beverly , before pnge 148 ) . I have sketched the following outline from a long poem , in tho English of tbe old Anglo-Saxon times , which is reprinted in the last part ( 15 ) of the publications of the Elfric Society .

Mr . T . Smith then goes on to say : — The Legend of St . Elene ( Helen ) , and the finding of the Holy Rood . Two hundred and thirty-three years after Christ's birth , and six after Constantine became Caosar of Rome , the Huns came down in

mighty force against the Romans . Constantine was nflnghted ; but in a dream , the likeness of the holy rood was shown to him , by one who told him that , with this for a beacon , he should overcome his foes . Then he bad a rood tree made , and borne as bis standard before the Roman host , and tbe foe was smitten down . Constantine

asked his wise men what this rood tree meant , but they could not tell him . Some , however , who had been baptised , told him the meaning of the Cross . Thereupon be was himself baptised ; and he besought his mother , Elene , to go into Jewry , and seek for the true holy rood .

She went forth , with many followers , and at length reached Jerusalem . She called together the Elders of the Hebrews , and spoke to them reproachfully . They did not understand what she meant , till one , Judas , told them that he was sure she wanted to find the holy rood , but be charged them not to let her know where it was

hidden . Thereupon , the elders refused to tell anything to Elene ; and she , filled with holy wrath , threatened to burn them all up with fire . In this fearful strait , they gave up Jndas to her . She besought him to tell what be knew . He would not ; so she had him bound , and cast into a clay pit . and left him there to starve .

When Jndas had borne this Christian kindness for seven days , his courage was worn out , and ho said he wonld tell the troth . Then he was released , and he led the woy to tho hill of the Crucifixion . He prayed for a mark by which ho might bo sure of the exact spot whero the holy rood lay ; nod straightway there arose np a smoke

from the earth . Gladly did Judas then dig ; and , after digging twenty feet deep , he fonnd three crosses . These were taken to Elfne : but she wished to know which of the three crosses was the

true holy rood itself . Judas did uot kuow , and all waited for a sign from heaven , to make known the truth . This was at length vouchsafed , by tho raising np to life of a young man , who was being carried for burial , ancl wbo , ufier being touched in vain by tho