222 Mr. Aftle's Olfervations on Stone Pillars, of the church of England as by law eftablifhed, it is ufed in baptifm to this day. Much has been written by the fathers of the church on the de- vout ufe of this fymbol of chriftianity ; they relate many extraor- dinary particulars concerning this iign, which demonftrates the great veneration they had for it [c]. The fign of the crofs is faid by the writers on this fubjecl; to be the diftinguifhing badge of chriftians ; the martyrs declared their faith by it before their perfecutors ; and when a chriftian was aiked his religion, it was ufual for him to anfwer by this fign, rather than by words. In fhort, it was univerfally held by the profefibrs of chriilianity to be the moft facrcd of all fymbols. By this they fig- nified their affent to their decrees, laws, and ordinances ; and in conveyances of property from the feventh to the end of the eleventh century, and occafionally to the middle of the twelfth, it was ftiled " Signum fanffijjime cruets, "uexillum fanttifjime cruets, &c. Our Saxon anceftors invariably confirmed their charters, and moft folemn acls, by the fign of the crofs, not only becaufe many of them could not write, but becaufe this fign was deemed the moft facred of all others ; and that an a6l or deed confirmed by it could not be infringed, without incurring the higheft difpleafure of the Divine Being ; they even fuppofed that an inftrument, confirmed by the fign of the crofs, was binding on all mankind ; for the Saxons in their charters generally thundered the moft dreadful ana- themas againft thofe who mould infringe them ; even the wit- iiefles ufed it as the moft facred afleveration which they could give of the truth of their teftimony. [r] See a Work on the Moveable Featls, Fafts, and other Annual Ohfervances of the Catholic Church, by the late Rev. Alban Butler, Prefident of the Englifli Col- lege at St. Omer's, wherein much reading is difplayed on this fubjecl:. London, 1774, 8vo- p. 372. XXI. Qbfer-
