Page:Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus, 1842.djvu/55

23 Nor was  the  name  of  Christ  among  the  Hebrews,  given  solely as an  honour  to  those  that  were  dignified  with  the  priesthood,  in consequence  of  their  being  anointed  with  oil  prepared  for  the  purpose, as  a  sacred  symbol;  the  same  was  done  also  to  the  kings, whom the  prophets,  after  anointing  them  under  a  divine  impulse, constituted certain  typical  Christs,  as  they  themselves  also  were, the shadows  of  the  royal  and  princely  sovereignty  of  the  only  and true Christ,  of  that  divine  word  which  holds  sovereignty  over  all. Moreover, we  are  also  told  respecting  the  prophets,  that  some were typical  Christs,  by  reason  of  their  unction;  so  that  all  these have a  reference  to  the  true  Christ,  the  divine  and  heavenly  word, the only  high  priest  of  all  men,  the  only  king  of  all  creation,  and the Father's  only  supreme  Prophet  of  the  prophets. The proof  of this  is  evident,  from  the  fact  that  none  of  those  anciently  anointed, whether priests,  kings,  or  prophets,  obtained  such  power  with  divine excellence  as  our  Saviour  and  Lord  Jesus,  the  only  and  true Christ, has  exhibited. For these,  although  illustrious  among  their countrymen in  dignity  and  honour,  and  for  a  long  series  of  generations, never  called  their  subjects  after  themselves  by  a  similar  epithet. Christians, and  neither  was  there  ever  divine  honour  paid  to any  of  these  from  their  subjects ;  nor  even  after  their  death,  was there ever  so  strong  a  disposition  in  any,  as  to  be  prepared  to  die for the  honoured  individual. And never  was  there  so  great  a  commotion among  the  nations  of  the  earth,  respecting  any  one  then existing, since  the  mere  force  of  the  type  could  not  act  with  such efficacy among  them,  as  the  exhibition  of  the  reality  by  our  Saviour. Though He  received  no  badges  and  emblems  of  priesthood from  any ;  though  he  did  not  even  derive  his  earthly  origin from a  sacerdotal  race,  nor  was  raised  to  empire  under  the  escort of guards ;  nor  installed  a  prophet,  like  those  of  old ;  nor  obtained a peculiar,  or  even  any  dignity  among  the  Jews,  yet  notwithstanding  all  this,  he  was  adorned  by  the  Father  with  all  these,  not merely typical  honours,  but  with  the  reality  itself  Although  He did  not  obtain  then  the  same  honours  with  those  mentioned  above, yet he  is  called  Christ  by  a  far  superior  claim ;  and  as  he  is  the only, and  the  true  Christ  of  God,  he  has  filled  the  whole  world with a  name  really  august  and  sacred,  the  name  of  Christians. To