In addition to
Roman Catholic and
Orthodox Christian uses, the symbol also appears in the seal of the
Church of Christ, Scientist, where it is surrounded by the words "Heal the Sick, Cleanse the
Lepers, Raise the Dead, Cast Out
Demons", from the
Gospel of Matthew, 10:8. The symbol is also associated with
Freemasonry, specifically the
Knight Templar degree of the
York Rite of Freemasonry. The symbol is also known as "Knight Templars Blood-Red Passion Cross and Crown". The cross and crown symbol is often surrounded by the phrase "
In Hoc Signo Vinces", which is
Latin for "By this sign thou shalt conquer". This is a reference to the story of
Constantine, who reportedly had a vision of a
Chi Rho symbol, and a voice saying "By this sign thou shalt conquer". The symbol was used particularly by the
Bible Student movement. The symbol was also featured in the early publications and memorabilia of the
International Bible Students Association. First appearing on the cover of the January 1881 issue of ''
Zion's Watch Tower,'' the cross and crown were surrounded by a
wreath of laurel leaves, and the symbol was also used on
lapel pins,
buttons (metal and
celluloid) and
pendants of various designs. However, not all of its uses by the I.B.S.A. included the wreath of laurel leaves. Although
Charles Taze Russell's gravesite is marked by a
pyramid memorial erected by the
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society with an illustration of the Cross and Crown symbol, the Watchtower Society later discontinued using the cross and crown some years after, viewing it as a "
pagan symbol" – their doctrine for some time since is that Jesus was executed
not on a cross but on an upright stake. The Cross and Crown symbol is also the key emblem of the
Royal Black Institution (a sister organisation of the
Orange Order), a Protestant fraternity, with structural and symbolic similarities to
Freemasonry. The Cross and Crown symbol was also used by the
Rexist Party. The Cross and Crown symbol also appears on the cover of the 1998 book,
The Power of the Cross, by
Tim Lahaye.
Lutheran composer
J.S. Bach's cantata
Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen, BWV 12 (1714) contains an aria "Kreuz und Krone sind verbunden, Kampf und Kleinod sind vereint" ("cross and crown are bound together, conflict and jewel are united") which has been connected with Luther's rendering of 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. ==References==