In the 1500s, the Church experienced a great split known as the Reformation, pitting brother against brother and kingdom against kingdom in pursuit of power and truth. The cross Protestants adopted is notably plain, making it easily recreated and widely recognized across the world simply as the Christian symbol. During the reign of Queen Mary I, often remembered as "Bloody Mary," 287 Protestant Christians were executed for their faith and their defiance of Rome. Two of the most notable were Bishops Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, who reportedly sang hymns to God in their final moments. As the flames rose, Latimer is said to have called out to Ridley: "We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." The "Protestant cross" is not entirely accurate as a label as there is no single symbol that represents the whole of Protestantism. But the plainness noted above, the absence of body or excess, reflects a theology shared across nearly every Protestant tradition: Christ is no longer on the cross. Death has been conquered, once and for all. There was no continual sacrifice, only the one moment on the cross, and the one moment in the tomb. Both are now empty. "It is finished." John 19:30
