The sign of the cross in the early church

Signing oneself and others with the cross, and its use and power. Part of Worship.

First Apology 55Justin Martyr · ca. 150–155 · The demons never imitated the cross, whose shape appears everywhere: in sails, plows, tools, the human body, and Rome's own standards.
Dialogue with Trypho 90.4Justin Martyr · ca. 155–160 · Moses' outstretched hands in the battle against Amalek formed the sign of the cross.
Dialogue with Trypho 90.5Justin Martyr · ca. 155–160 · It was the sign of the cross and the name of Jesus, not the posture of prayer, that won the battle.
Octavius 29.5Minucius Felix · ca. 197–250 · Pagans worship rulers as gods, but Christians do not worship crosses.
Octavius 29.7Minucius Felix · ca. 197–250 · Roman military standards and trophies are themselves shaped like crosses.
Octavius 29.8Minucius Felix · ca. 197–250 · The shape of the cross is found in nature, in ships, and in the posture of prayer.
To His Wife 2.5Tertullian · ca. 200–206 · Even a tolerant pagan husband knows and can exploit his wife's Christian practices, such as signing herself with the cross, night prayer, and taking the reserved Eucharist.
Apostolic Tradition 42Hippolytus of Rome · early third century · The sign of the cross, made in faith, puts the devil to flight, as the blood of the paschal lamb protected Israel.
Against Marcion 3.22Tertullian · 207/208 (third edition, completed later) · The apostles' mission, their break with the synagogue, their persecution, the sign of the cross on believers' foreheads, and the church's pure sacrifice of praise were all foretold by the Creator's prophets.
On the Resurrection of the Flesh 8Tertullian · ca. 208–212 · In the Christian life the flesh is washed, anointed, signed, receives the laying on of hands and the body and blood of Christ, fasts, keeps chastity, and suffers martyrdom, so it shares in salvation.
On the Crown 3Tertullian · 211 · Many church practices rest on tradition and custom rather than written Scripture: the baptismal renunciation, triple immersion, milk and honey, the dawn Eucharist, offerings for the dead, not kneeling on Sundays and at Eastertide, and the sign of the cross.
On the Computation of Easter 10Anonymous · 243 · Abraham's story prefigures Christ: Isaac carrying the wood, and Abraham's 318 servants, whose number signifies the cross (T = 300) and the name of Jesus (ιη = 18).
Commentary on Matthew, Latin Series 48Origen · ca. 244–249 (Latin translation, 4th–5th century) · On the literal sense, Origen reports views of how the heavenly lights will fail at the end, whether by fire or by exhaustion, and of the sign of the cross appearing in heaven, with parallels from Isaiah, Joel, and Zechariah.
To Quirinus 2.21Cyprian of Carthage · ca. 248–250 (book 3 perhaps later) · The horns in God's hands, the government on the child's shoulders, and Moses' outstretched arms against Amalek are read as figures of the power of the cross.
Martyrdom of Conon 6Anonymous · ca. 250 · Conon is made to run before the chariot with nailed feet and dies praying; a short summary of his martyrdom follows.
To Demetrian 22Cyprian of Carthage · 252–253 · The day of judgment is coming, when only those reborn and marked with Christ's sign will escape, as Ezekiel's sign on the forehead and the Passover blood foreshadowed.
To Fortunatus 8Cyprian of Carthage · 253 or 257 · Only perseverance to the end wins the crown, as Moses' raised hands, a figure of the cross, won the victory over Amalek only while they stayed lifted.
Canons of Hippolytus, canon 29Anonymous · 4th century · The consecrated elements are to be guarded from falling or contamination, silence kept within the veil, psalms sung after communion, the altar dust thrown into the baptistery, and the forehead signed with the cross like the Passover blood.
Church History 8.7.4Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · A youth under twenty stood with arms outstretched in the form of a cross, praying calmly, while bears and leopards were held back from him.
Church History 9.9.10Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 300–325 · Unmoved by praise, Constantine had his statue in Rome hold the cross and ordered an inscription.
Divine Institutes 4.26.36Lactantius · ca. 303–311 · His outstretched arms embraced the world; believers would bear the sign of the cross on their foreheads.
Divine Institutes 4.26.39Lactantius · ca. 303–311 · Christ is the spotless lamb; the sign of the cross on the forehead saves.
Divine Institutes 4.27.4Lactantius · ca. 303–311 · Christian attendants with the sign of the cross disrupted sacrifices.
Epitome of the Divine Institutes 46.6Lactantius · ca. 314–320 · The sign of the cross drives out demons.
Epitome of the Divine Institutes 46.7Lactantius · ca. 314–320 · Demons are cast out by Christ's name and the sign of the cross.
On the Deaths of the Persecutors 10.2Lactantius · ca. 314–315 · Christian attendants made the sign of the cross, and the diviners could not read the entrails.
On the Deaths of the Persecutors 44.5Lactantius · ca. 314–315 · In a dream Constantine was told to mark Christ's sign on his soldiers' shields.
Demonstration of the Gospel 6.25.4Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 314–324 · The gathering of all nations in Christ's name, and the sign of the cross used as a seal, fulfill Isaiah's prophecy.
On the Incarnation 27.1Athanasius of Alexandria · ca. 318–325 · Christians' contempt for death, which they trample by the sign of the cross and faith, proves that death is defeated.
On the Incarnation 47.2Athanasius of Alexandria · ca. 318–325 · The sign of the cross drives away the demons' illusions.
On the Incarnation 48.3Athanasius of Alexandria · ca. 318–325 · The sign of the cross and the name of Christ put demons, oracles, and magic to flight.
Tricennial Oration (In Praise of Constantine) 9.8Eusebius of Caesarea · 335–336 · Against persecutors who trusted in many gods Constantine set the saving sign of the cross, won the victory, and raised it as a trophy in Rome.
Life of Constantine 3.2.1Eusebius of Caesarea · ca. 337–339 · Constantine openly confessed Christ, signing himself with the cross and glorying in it.
Catechetical Lecture 4.14Cyril of Jerusalem · ca. 350 · Christ ascended, and the worldwide power of the cross proves it; believers should seal themselves with the sign of the cross in every action.
Catechetical Lecture 12.10Cyril of Jerusalem · ca. 350 · Christ gives the nations the sign of the cross as a royal seal on the forehead; his descent from heaven was hidden from men.
Catechetical Lecture 13.2Cyril of Jerusalem · ca. 350 · Because the one who died was the Son of God, his death redeemed the whole world; the sign of the cross puts demons to flight, and prophets and Pilate bear witness to his sinlessness.
Catechetical Lecture 13.22Cyril of Jerusalem · ca. 350 · On Golgotha itself the hearers should never tire of the cross, but defend it, make its sign, and confess it as the angels did.
Catechetical Lecture 13.34Cyril of Jerusalem · ca. 350 · Believers should make the sign of the cross in all things, answer Jews, pagans and Docetists, and build their faith on the cross, which a host of witnesses would confirm against any who deny it.
Life of Antony 13Athanasius of Alexandria · ca. 357–360 · Visitors outside Antony’s fort heard demons raging within, but Antony told them to seal themselves with the cross and was found singing Psalm 68.
Life of Antony 23Athanasius of Alexandria · ca. 357–360 · When evil thoughts fail, the demons try terrifying apparitions and false prophecies, which vanish before faith and the sign of the cross.
Life of Antony 35Athanasius of Alexandria · ca. 357–360 · Demons flee the sign of the cross; visions of holy angels come quietly, bring joy and peace, and take away fear, as with Zechariah, the women at the tomb, and the shepherds.
Life of Antony 80Athanasius of Alexandria · ca. 357–360 · Antony challenged the philosophers to heal the demon-possessed by their arguments or magic; when they could not, he healed them with the sign of the cross, giving the credit to Christ.
Oration 4.54Gregory of Nazianzus · ca. 362–383 · The cross appeared in Julian's sacrificial entrails; in an underground rite the sign of the cross put the demons to flight, but his mystagogue led him on.
Oration 18.30Gregory of Nazianzus · ca. 362–383 · Gregory tells how his mother, dying from inability to eat, recovered after dreaming that he fed her with blessed bread.
Homilies 18.8Basil of Caesarea · ca. 363-378 · Gordius urges the crowd to confess Christ, since death is inevitable and martyrdom rare; he signs himself with the cross, is beheaded, and his memory remains ever fresh.
Letter 22.37Jerome · ca. 370–419 · Jerome sets out the hours of prayer, the sign of the cross, and warnings against judging others and against fasting with an angry heart.
Letter 108.28Jerome · ca. 370–419 · Paula died peacefully, repeating verses of the Psalms, saying in Greek that all was calm, and signing her lips with the cross, surrounded by bishops, clergy, and monks.
Letter 130.9Jerome · ca. 370–419 · Jerome urges Demetrias to guard her heart with the sign of the cross; penance is the plank after shipwreck, but a virgin should keep the ship whole.
Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 30.7.7Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · The woman, a Christian, signed herself with the cross.
Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 30.8.9Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · The sign of Christ protected the woman and the magic failed.
Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 30.12.6Epiphanius of Salamis · 374-377 · Josephus blessed water with the sign of the cross before the crowd.
Life of Macrina, part 8Gregory of Nyssa · ca. 380 · Macrina ends her prayer asking for a shining angel and forgiveness, signs herself with the cross, dies at the lamp-lighting, and the virgins break into lament for their mother and teacher.
Eleven Tractates 6.108Priscillian · ca. 380–385 · The blood on the doorposts signifies the senses of the body signed with the cross, so that the body becomes God's house.
On the Life of Moses 371Gregory of Nyssa · ca. 385–395 · The victory over Amalek is won by God himself through Joshua, a type of Jesus, the true successor of Moses; Moses’ raised hands are the spiritual understanding of the law, held up by the priesthood, and form the sign of the cross; so strengthened, the soul is led to the mountain of the knowledge of God.
Exposition of Psalm 118 6.33.3Ambrose · ca. 386-397 · The martyr shows the sign of the cross and preaches, sheltered by Christ’s body.
Exposition of Psalm 118 13.6.2Ambrose · ca. 386-397 · Christians consecrate themselves by the sign of the cross and the confession of Christ’s death.
Homilies on Matthew 54.4John Chrysostom · ca. 390 · Christ calls Peter Satan for opposing the passion, which is fitting to him; Chrysostom urges Christians never to be ashamed of the cross, present in baptism, Eucharist and ordination, to sign themselves with it in faith, since it routs demons and will shine at Christ’s coming.
Life of Hilarion 40Jerome · ca. 390–392 · In the great earthquake and tidal wave after Julian's death, Hilarion holds back the sea at Epidaurus with the sign of the cross.
Sermon 32.16Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Those who bear the sign of the cross on their foreheads must imitate Christ’s humility; desire and fear give place to the devil when they are for temporal things, but to God’s word when they are for eternal things.
Sermon 88.8Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Christ has so honored the cross that Christian rulers abolished crucifixion and even kings bear the cross on their foreheads; his miracles and patience call us to faith.
Sermon 107.7Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Christians bear Christ’s sign on the forehead, but it must also be in the heart, like those marked by Ezekiel’s angel who grieved over the sins done among them and were spared.
Sermon 160.5Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Christ called the sons of Zebedee from the seats of glory to the cup of his passion; Christians boast in the cross and bear its sign on the forehead, the seat of shame.
Sermon 160.6Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Circumcision, a hidden sign foreshadowing Christ (the stone knife, the eighth day), gives way to the open sign of the cross on the forehead, as the veil over the Old Testament is removed in Christ.
Sermon 302.3Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · We are Christians not for temporal goods, which good and bad share alike, but for eternal ones; the cross marked on our foreheads recalls Christ, who prayed for those who killed him.
Sermon 317.5Augustine of Hippo · ca. 391-430 · Like the Lord, who denounced the Pharisees yet prayed for his crucifiers, Stephen rebuked his hearers harshly but loved them, praying for them as they stoned him and falling asleep in peace.
On Christian Doctrine 2.41Augustine of Hippo · Books 1–3 ca. 396–397; completed 426–427 · The student must remember that knowledge puffs up while love builds up; the Passover hyssop signifies humility, and the cross's dimensions describe the Christian life.
Life of Saint Martin 12Sulpicius Severus · ca. 396–397 · Mistaking a pagan funeral for an idolatrous procession, Martin halts the bearers with the sign of the cross, then releases them.
On Catechizing the Uninstructed 20Augustine of Hippo · ca. 399–405 · The narration continues with the exodus as a figure of baptism, the Passover lamb as a figure of Christ's passion, the law written by the finger of God, and the earthly Jerusalem and King David as figures of the heavenly city and Christ.
Tractates on the Gospel of John 3.2Augustine of Hippo · ca. 406–420 · Christians bear the cross, the sign of Christ's humility; the law given through Moses showed sin and made the proud sick, so that they might confess their sickness and seek the physician, Christ.
Tractates on the Gospel of John 53.13Augustine of Hippo · ca. 406–420 · The rulers who believed but feared to confess loved human glory; the cross signed on the forehead teaches believers not to be ashamed of Christ.
Tractates on the Gospel of John 118.5Augustine of Hippo · ca. 406–420 · Things done by evil men can signify good, as the cross does: its four dimensions figure love, perseverance, hope, and grace, and its sign is used in all the sacraments.
Seven Books of History against the Pagans 7.35.15Orosius · ca. 417–418 · Theodosius advances under the sign of the cross.
Carmina 3.60–89Orientius of Auch · 5th-6th century(?) · The cross is Christ's trophy; its four arms signify his rule over the world, its shape the hands of one praying, and its Greek letters, the rho, the iota, alpha and omega, Christ himself; blood and water from his side signify martyrdom and baptism.
Carmina 5.147–176Orientius of Auch · 5th-6th century(?) · The last names of Christ, Eye, Prophet, Angel, Arm, Agios, Emmanuel, Lord Sabaoth, lead into a prayer to the crucified Christ for mercy and protection under the sign of the cross.
Carmina 5.177–179Orientius of Auch · 5th-6th century(?) · The prayer ends asking that the cross protect the house, and that the tower, once stained with sacrilegious blood, now shine with the sign of the cross.
The Conferences 8.18John Cassian · ca. 426–429 · Two philosophers sent ever stronger demons against Antony by magic, but the sign of the cross and prayer repelled them all, proving the power of the Christian profession.
The Conferences 15.4John Cassian · ca. 426–429 · Abba Abraham the Simple restored a nursing mother’s milk with a cup of water signed with the cross.
Part 1, chapter 40Quodvultdeus of Carthage · ca. 445-450 · Moses’ outstretched hands that defeated Amalek figure the cross, by which believers overcome every hostile power; this closes the first part, the time before the law.
Part 3, chapter 34Quodvultdeus of Carthage · ca. 445-450 · The Psalms on the death of the saints are fulfilled in the martyrs Christ sent as sheep among wolves; the ten persecutions and a recent Persian persecution, with a sign of crosses in battle, show the Church’s growth through martyrdom.