Christian cross

==Instrument of Jesus' execution==
{{Further|Instrument of Jesus' crucifixion|Descriptions in antiquity of the execution cross|Crux simplex|Tau cross}}

[[John Pearson (bishop)|John Pearson, Bishop of Chester]] ({{c.|1660}}) wrote in his commentary on the [[Apostles' Creed]] that the Greek word {{transliteration|grc|[[stauros]]}} originally signified "a straight standing Stake, Pale, or Palisador", but that, "when other transverse or prominent parts were added in a perfect Cross, it retained still the Original Name", and he declared: "The Form then of the Cross on which our Saviour suffered was not a simple, but a compounded, Figure, according to the Custom of the ''Romans'', by whose Procurator he was condemned to die. In which there was not only a straight and erected piece of Wood fixed in the Earth, but also a transverse Beam fastened unto that towards the top thereof".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xigOAAAAQAAJ&dq=procurator&pg=PA203|title=An exposition of the [Apostles' Creed]|first=John Pearson (bp of|last=Chester.)|date=January 5, 1715|via=Google Books}}</ref>

Frederick Elwothy claims that for the few centuries, the emblem of Christ was a headless T-shaped [[Tau cross]] rather than a Latin cross.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Evil Eye|last=Elworthy|first=Frederick|publisher=Julian Press, Inc.|year=1958|location=New York|pages=103–4}}</ref>