A ‘Belfast Telegraph’ article (29/8/24) bore the headline:
‘Sign of the Cross should no longer be regarded as a purely Catholic gesture’
I do not have access to the article for I am not willing to pay to read drivel and balderdash! This article is but another example of the stupid ‘scribblers’ the ‘Belfast Telegraph’ is prepared to pay to pour out thoroughgoing nonsense to deceive and promote the errors of Romanism. The writer on this occasion is John Laverty.
The ‘sign of the cross’ was never the practice of true believers. Rather it was the invention of those ‘church fathers’ who ushered the professing church into ever-deepening apostasy from the latter part of the second century AD onward until the blessed awakening and return to primitive first century Bible Christianity in the days of the Protestant Reformation in the sixteenth century. Of course, the error continued within the confines of Romanism and the apostatising, so-called Protestant denominations which are involved in the ecumenical movement!
Here is what one such false shepherd said on the matter as put forth in the defence of this practice by Rome.
“Basil (ca. 329 – 79 A.D) said that the Apostles ‘taught us to mark with the sign of the cross those who put their hope in the Lord, that is, those who presented themselves for baptism. Initially the Sign of the Cross was made with the thumb, usually on the forehead but sometimes on the lips and chest.’ ”
What ‘old Basil’ did NOT say was, JUST WHERE IN THE WRITINGS OF THE APOSTLES THIS WAS TAUGHT BY THEM!
Let us observe some truths about this heathen practice.
1. Making the sign of the of the cross is an essential part of popery’s religion.
We can also see here how important it is to them, in fact, as I understand it, ‘crossing’ takes place some fifty-one times in the Mass at the beginning and end prayers. That surely suggests that prayers would be incomplete and therefore would not be answered without a crossing of oneself!
What the sign of the cross is claimed to be is the person’s way of asking God to bless them, or more accurately, they are blessing themselves by making the sign of the cross.
No ‘crossing’, no blessing!
According to a book on the catechism of the Catholic Church, making the sign of the cross is a prayer for deliverance from their enemies. It is said, according to Saint Teresa, the most powerful weapon in gaining the victory over Satan is the sign of the cross because he (Satan) has no power over the cross and over other objects onto which the sign of the cross has been traced.
The perversions, the abominations, the abuse of children that has taken place within the system that revolves around ‘crossing’ oneself is answer enough to this baseless claim!
2. There is not the least reference to such a gesture or motion in the Saviour’s instruction about prayer!
On the famous ‘sermon on the mount’, the Lord Jesus taught about prayer.
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him,” Matthew 6:5-8.
Amidst this very detailed instruction regarding prayer there is not the slightest mention of the gesture that Rome teaches its people that prayer is incomplete without – ‘crossing themselves’!
Again, the Saviour responded to a request made by the disciples regarding prayer.
“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil,” Luke 11:1-4.
Here we have what is commonly called ‘the Lord’s prayer’. Of course, it may be termed that because He it is Who gave this prayer to His disciples. In reality it is ‘the disciple’s prayer’. It is a pattern for all prayer, touching upon those matters about which we constantly need the Lord’s grace and help.
BUT please note again that there is no mention of ‘crossing’ ourselves which Romanism would have all believe is the will of God!
3. There is likewise no mention whatever of ‘crossing’ ourselves in the instructions of the apostles.
It ought to be sufficient to consider the epistles of Peter on this matter. Surely if ‘crossing’ is taught by the apostles we will find such instructions from the one Romanists claim (falsely) was the first ‘pope’!
Peter mentions prayer only once. “But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer,” 1 Peter 4:7. The absence of any reference to ‘crossing’ oneself is obvious!
4. Rome’s attempts to present a scriptural basis for ‘crossing’ themselves betrays their essential irreverence toward and abuse of Holy Scripture.
Rome commonly points to one particular reference in Scripture to justify this pagan practice. It is found in the last book of the Bible.
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel,” Revelation 7:1-4.
Please notice some simple truths about these verses.
- There is no mention of the ‘sign of the cross’!
- It is specially stated that it is members of ‘all the tribes of the children of Israel ‘who are those ‘sealed’!
- The time of this ‘sealing’ is indicated in two places.
The chapter begins with the words: “And after these things . . .”
verse 1. That is a reference to the last verses of the previous chapter. There we read:
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 6:12-17.
The context of the ‘sealing’ indicates that it takes place at the end of this age, an event in the future! How can a one off, undefined act, which has yet to happen to a large number of Jewish men, be an authority for the centuries-old act of ‘crossing oneself’ by millions of non-Jewish men, women and children ?
Again, consider verses 13-17 of chapter 7.
“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
One of the ‘elders’ whom John the apostle has been allowed to see and communicate with in heaven, asks a question in verse 13. “What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?”
He then gives an answer for John is unable to do so. “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
The mention of the ‘great tribulation’ sets a time for these events. The Lord Jesus mentioned the ‘great tribulation’ in Matthew 24.
Consider what He said.
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. . . . . Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,” Matthew 24:21-22, 29-31.
The ‘great tribulation’ will take place just prior to the return of Christ in glory. It is in that time sequence that the sealing in their foreheads of the 144,000 Israelites will take place. The Greek word translated ‘sealed’ is first used in Matthew 27:66. “So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.”
It was part of the process used by the Jewish authorities to prevent the disciples removing Christ from the tomb into which He was laid.
Since when did the ‘sign of the cross’ protect anyone! I am sure that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness and those of their ilk ‘crossed’ themselves many times but it did not ‘protect’ them from leading and being involved in the horrific terrorist murder campaign of the IRA in Ulster!
The whole practice is all so much superstitious ‘popish hogwash’!
Some may feel that I am too harsh in my criticism of the doctrines of Rome.
In response I ask any who feel this way to consider the terminology used by journalists, members of Parliament, judges and magistrates regarding those criminals guilty of murder, of abuse of children, women and the aged!
Above all consider the Word of the Saviour when addressing the religious fraudsters of His day.
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” “Woe unto you, ye blind guides.” “Ye fools and blind.” “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” “Ye blind guides.”
There are more such condemnatory epithets used by the Saviour of the deceivers of His day, but that will suffice.
What of the language of the apostle Paul?
“And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand,” Acts 13:6-11.
Dear reader, it is an evil thing to steal the possessions of another. It is a horrendous crime to take a life or to corrupt and violate the innocent BUT such atrocious outrages become almost insignificant before the evil of deceiving a person to the damning of their souls for ever in hellfire!
THAT IS ROME’S CRIME!
On one occasion the great Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote this:
“Reader, do you believe that men like yourself have priestly power? Do you think that they can regenerate infants by sprinkling them, and turn bread and wine into the very body and blood of Jesus Christ? Do you think that a bishop can bestow the Holy Ghost, and that a parish clergyman can forgive sins ? If so, your head can be seen in the picture peeping out from the cowl of the fox. You are the victim of crafty deceivers. Your soul will be their prey in life and in death. They cajole you with soft words, fine vestments, loud pretensions, and cunning smiles, but they will conduct you down to the chambers of death, and lead you to the gates of hell.
Silly goose, may grace make thee wise!”
That is the outcome of trusting in the follies of Rome!
It ‘will conduct you down to the chambers of death, and lead you to the gates of hell’.
The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ makes no mention of the trappings and trimmings, the frills and fancies of Romanism and like religious perversions, all born of the depraved imaginings of men.
Listen to Christ’s own words.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil,” John 3:16-19.
Heed the instructions of one of His chief servants.
“And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house,” Acts 16:26-34.
What is it they both underscore? BELIEVETH, BELIEVE — in other words FAITH!
That is a simple trust in Christ. In His death as the substitute for sinful men. On Calvary He died as a sacrifice to pay the debt of sins incurred by our breaking God’s Law. We make that great payment our means of settling our debt of sin by embracing Christ in the arms of faith!
Heed the words of the great Wesleyan hymn and note the contrast between them and the complex paraphernalia of Romanism and other like religious deceptions.
1 And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Amazing love! how can it be
That Thou, my God,
should die for me!
2 ‘Tis mystery all! Th’Immortal dies!
Who can explore His strange design?
In vain the firstborn seraph tries
To sound the depths of love divine!
‘Tis mercy all! let earth adore,
Let angel minds inquire no more.
3 He left His Father’s throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race;
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free;
For, O my God, it found out me.
4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.
5 No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Rev Ivan Foster (Rtd)