sign of the cross in baptism?

[cupotea]

I'm reading John Brown's book on English Puritanism, he mentions:

as equal reverence was due to every part of Scripture and to all the revealed names of God, there is no reason why the people should stand at the reading of the gospel, or bow at the name of Jesus; that at the Communion it was as lawful to sit as to kneel or stand; that the sign of the cross in baptism is superstitious; that it is papistical to forbid marriages at certain times of the year;

What is "the sign of the cross in baptism ", could someone elaborate?

Thanks!

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

The sign of the cross is a hand motion meant to symbolize the four points of the cross by touching four points of the body (forehead, stomach, left shoulder, right shoulder) in the shape of a cross. It is a practice commonly found in liturgical churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Lutheran Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches, and often accompanies the sacraments of communion and baptism. I would link to the Wikipedia article on the subject but it is a picture purporting to represent Christ.

 

[cupotea]

Thank you so much!

 

[JohnOwen007]

The sign of the cross is a hand motion meant to symbolize the four points of the cross by touching four points of the body (forehead, stomach, left shoulder, right shoulder) in the shape of a cross. It is a practice commonly found in liturgical churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Lutheran Church and Eastern Orthodox Churches, and often accompanies the sacraments of communion and baptism. I would link to the Wikipedia article on the subject but it is a picture purporting to represent Christ.

Well actually that's not how the sign of the cross has been done in infant baptism in the Anglican tradition. The minister simply makes a cross sign on the child's forehead (doesn't tip different parts of the body).

The Elizabethan Puritans objected to this, the use of the wedding ring in marriage, the surplice, and kneeling at communion. These practises in some parts of the Anlglican communion have been abolished, and in other parts have been embellished.

John Brown's description of Anglican ritual is a little muddled. What has happened in the Anglican tradition is that all sorts of extra elements have been introduced over time (especially as a result of the Oxford movement in the 19th century) that are not a part of the Anglican formularies. For example, bowing at the name of Jesus is a novelty Archbishop William Laud introduced that has no place in the Anglican confessions.

Every blessing.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Well actually that's not how the sign of the cross has been done in infant baptism in the Anglican tradition. The minister simply makes a cross sign on the child's forehead (doesn't tip different parts of the body).

Right, there are variations on the theme, and it also depends on whether it is the "celebrant" or the laity who is performing the action, and in Orthodoxy there are more variations on how it is done, but the gist is that the hand motions represent the cross. It is also not confined to sacramental use but is encouraged in many situations. This is from an Anglican Church in Canada:

The Sign of the Cross

People new to the parish, or those who visit us notice the custom of making the sign of the cross and they want to know:
Where does it come from?
What does it mean?
How do I do it?
When do I do it?

Let me begin with a story from my childhood where I grew up in a traditional Anglican Church, not High and crazy, or Low and lazy as they say, but Broad and hazy. There was good music with a men and boys choir, but church was pretty simple with very little ritual, until the high church curate arrived. He introduced such innovations as chanting the service and wearing vestments. We choir boys all thought he was very close to God.

It was Father Davidson who taught us to make the sign of the cross. It was new and exciting to us, impressionable as we were. It seemed a very religious, pious thing to do. It was subversive in a way, because it set us apart from the older members of the church. As part of our training in the new ways we were given little devotional books to follow the service. These came from England and described a church I had never known before. There in print was a description of all the customs and traditions I have come to know and love in my later years. I will always thank the priest for introducing them to me.

Where Does the Custom Come From?

We know that the Romans used the cross to execute common people and that Jesus died on the cross. The cross, therefore, quickly became the sign of the new religion that followed Christ. In the catacombs of ancient Rome, the burial places of Christian people, you can still see the graffiti written on the walls - symbols of Christ and the saints, and always the cross, the first symbol for the Lord himself. To look at the cross was to identify closely with the same Jesus who died on the cross. It was not a far step to begin to use the cross as a form of blessing. So in the Church, people came to identify with Jesus who died on the cross when they prayed and came to worship, especially when they made the sign of the cross.

What Does It Mean?

We sign the cross on a person's head when they are baptized in token that they will not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified. The cross sets us apart. It proclaims our identity as the people of God and members of Christ's Church. We continue to make the sign of the cross on our bodies, as if to say: I am a Christian and I am for Christ. It also reminds us how close we are to Jesus, that through this powerful sign, he dwells in us and we in him.

How Do I Do It?

It depends on what tradition you belong to - whether you belong to the Western or Eastern Church. Generally , in both the West and the East, the right hand is used, but the direction of movement is different. The shape of the cross is still the same. In the Western Church, you touch the forehead, the heart, the left shoulder, then the right. (Some Anglicans will come back to the centre, an extra flourish that is not necessary, but some like to do it). We touch our head that we may think of Jesus, we touch our heart, that we may always love him, we touch our shoulders, that we may remember our call to carry his message into the world. I was taught that the cross is simply a big "I" that is crossed out by a vertical stroke. To make the sign of the cross is to forget oneself and to focus on the holiness of God.

When Do I Do It?

Whenever it feels right. There are traditional times - at the beginning and ending of the day, when we pray, when we receive a blessing, when we are in peril. In the service books in our pews, you will notice that a cross is often placed by the text, for example, at the end of the Creed or Gloria. These are the traditional places for making the sign of the cross. It is not that you have to do this particular devotion, but it can be helpful and edifying as we seek to be closer to God in our worship.

We glory in the cross, according to the Apostle Paul, because it is God's power at work. Through the cross, joy has come to the whole world. This we always remember as we make and pray this holy sign.

And this is from an Episcopal Church in Ohio (another source that violates the second commandment):

The Cross and Christianity
St. Paul writes, "Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ"(Gal 6:14). For St. Paul the Cross is one of the two hinges of our faith, the other is the Resurrection. In fact, the Resurrection is only possible after we have been crucified "to the world" and the world to us.

This idea is at the heart of Christian belief; that Resurrection is the reward or goal, but the Cross is the means. The road to God and eternal life leads through the Cross.

How to make the Sign of the Cross
Making the sign of the Cross is a feature of worship throughout Christendom, although its form varies from East to West. It can be made over other people and objects, or self-administered. In the Western Church, including the Anglican Catholic Church, it is usually made with the right hand.

You begin by:
1. touching the forehead,
2. bringing the hand down to the "heart",
3. touching the left shoulder and then bringing the hand across the chest to the right shoulder. In one fluid action you will trace the sign of the Cross upon yourself.

When to make the sign of the Cross
The sign of the Cross can be made at almost any time. It is more usually made either in response to it being traced over us, in blessing by a priest, or at particularly significant points in worship and prayer.

During the Eucharist
There are nine points within the Eucharist or Mass at which the sign of the Cross is commonly made upon oneself. They are:
1. At the words, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen."
2. At the words of Absolution or forgiveness of sins, after the General Confession.
3. At the beginning of the Gospel reading.*
4. At the end of the prayer for the dead in the intercessions.
5. (During the Prayer of Consecration) When the Consecrated Host is raised, and
6. When the Chalice is raised.
7. At Holy Communion
- before receiving the Host, and
8. - before receiving the Chalice.
9. When the priest pronounces the final blessing.

(* The way of making the sign of the Cross at the beginning of the Gospel differs slightly from the usual way. It is made with the thumb of the right hand, and consists of three Crosses in one. A small Cross is traced on the forehead, and then on the lips, before the hand is moved to the breast. This reminds us that we are redeemed in all our parts: mind, spirit and body. When we hear the Gospel we pray that we should understand it with our minds, speak it with our lips and believe it in our hearts.)

Other Times
It will be noticed that numbers 1, 2, 4 and 9 also occur frequently during Morning and Evening Prayer, in the Occasional Offices, and in private prayer. It is equally appropriate to make the sign of the Cross at those times and at the beginning of the Gospel Canticles: Benedictus (Blessed be the Lord God of Israel), Magnificat (My soul doth magnify the Lord), and Nunc Dimittis (Lord now lettest thy servant depart in peace).

St. James' Church has a small dish or bowl of "Holy Water" (called a stoup) near the entrance. It is good practice when entering or leaving a church to dip a finger in and make the sign of the Cross with water. This will remind you of your Baptism and Confirmation in which you were signed with the sign of the Cross.

The Cross as 'Sign'
The symbol of the Cross is common to Christians of all traditions, and has been since the beginning of Christian history. It is to be seen in art, in and on our churches, and as ornaments on our bodies. All of this is appropriate for Christians, because the sign of the Cross constantly reminds us of what Christ did for us all.

When we make the sign of the Cross, we are reminding ourselves that what Christ did on the Cross 'He did for me' personally!

In making the sign of the Cross, we "glory in the Cross of Christ", and we 'take up our Cross.' When we 'take up our Cross' we must be prepared to say to God 'not what I will, but your will be done.' 'Not I, but thou!'

The Cross as 'Prayer'
Very often when we make the sign of the Cross, we do it to accompany another prayer. For example, we make the sign of the Cross when we say the words, "In the name of the Father ...etc." In this case, the three points of the Cross may remind us of the Trinity. Making the sign of the Cross is also a prayer itself; a prayer without words.

It is fitting that when we come together in worship, we should worship with all our being. We are to worship with our minds, our souls, and also our bodies, for our bodies are the "Temple of the Holy Spirit." Making the sign of the Cross is nothing less than worshipping with our bodies, for what is more fitting for the body than movement and gesture?

When we use words to pray, we are using only one form of language. The body has its own language also, in which making the sign of the Cross is an eloquent expression. One small gesture can speak volumes of words.

For another view of the sign of the cross, see Kevin Reed, Biblical Worship, Chap. 4:

The Sign of the Cross
It is appropriate for us to offer a few comments on the placement of crosses in edifices of worship. When we speak of the cross, or crosses, we are referring to the visible symbol called a cross, not the sufferings of the Saviour. When the apostle Paul exclaimed, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14), he uttered a precious truth. But the apostle's expression is obviously a synecdoche, by which he exalts the saving work of Christ. Paul's statement has no reference to visible symbols, known among us as crosses.

The direct adoration or worship of crosses is plainly forbidden by the scriptures, in the first and second commandments, which prohibit worshipping anyone or anything besides the Lord. Historically, Protestants condemned the adoration of crosses; for example, the Scottish Confession of 1580 specifically lists the "worshipping of images, relics and crosses," among the deplorable practices of "the Roman Antichrist." (This condemnation was extended to the superstitious gesture of "crossing," which is also employed within Romish rites and ceremonies.)

Most Protestants still acknowledge that the direct worship of crosses is sinful. But a dispute results when many professing Protestants defend the use of the cross as a symbol.

Now, what is a symbol? It is a visible representation of something. If they say that the cross is a symbol of deity, then they again violate the second commandment, which prohibits making or using representations of the Lord (Cf. Deut. 4:15-16; Acts 17:29). Of course, most Protestants would not claim that the cross is a representation of God. Therefore, cross-keepers must explain it as a symbol of something else; so they shift the argument to say that a cross is a symbol of redemption, or of the work of Christ.

In this situation, the cross now becomes a man-made rival to the sacraments. As we have noted, baptism and the Lord's Supper serve as visible signs and seals of Christ's redemptive work; the sacraments are a visible word to testify of redemption. "For as oft as ye eat this bread, and drink of this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come" (1 Cor. 11:26).

Cross-keepers implicitly impugn the wisdom of Christ by supplementing the sacraments with the cross as an accessory sign. It is an inescapable implication, that the cross, employed as a symbol or as an aid to devotion, partakes of a sacramental characteristic as a sign.

Some will claim that the posting of a cross in a home, or on a church building, is an incidental thing, much as the arrangement of chairs, carpet, and wallpaper. But such incidental elements of decor do not possess the symbolic character of the cross. Cross-keepers must contend with the undeniable fact that the placement of a cross within an edifice of worship is not a merely indifferent aspect of architectural design. The only incidentals in a place of worship are those "circumstances concerning the worship of God, and the government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the word, which are always to be observed. "[10]

One must also consider the evil associations of the cross. The cross, as a symbol or gesture, is not found in the scriptures. For centuries, the cross has been * and continues to be * a prominent implement of Popish worship and superstition. No sane man can deny these facts. Since the cross has no biblical warrant for its use, why should it have any place among those who worship "in spirit and in truth"? (John 4:23-24). The people of God have been commanded to purge from their midst the implements of corrupt worship used by false religions (Deut. 12:2-3, 30-31).

Moreover, even if the cross had possessed a noble origin, the superstition now linked with it would argue for its abolition. Consider the example of Hezekiah in reference to the brazen serpent. The brazen serpent was originally constructed at God's command, yet it was destroyed when it became a snare to the people of God (2 Kings 18:4). How much more quickly, then, should we discard a man-made symbol which continues to be an ensign of the Roman Antichrist?

In summary, there is no scriptural warrant to designate the cross as a symbol (or gesture) to adorn the assemblies of God's people. Until cross-keepers can produce such a warrant, the use of crosses stands condemned on this basis alone, since the regulative principle of worship forbids all human additions to God's appointed rites and symbols in worship. Further, the superstition fostered by crosses demands that they be purged from among the people of God.

 

[JohnOwen007]

This is from an Anglican Church in Canada:

[...]

And this is from an Episcopal Church in Ohio (another source that violates the second commandment):

[...]

Both these denominations are excellent examples of desertion from the Anglican formularies (39 Articles and BCP). They are kinda like using the PCUSA as an example of reformed theology--not very good!

As you are probably well aware, the Anglican Communion is on the brink of schism, and the provinces behind the problems are America and Canada.