Page:Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus, 1842.djvu/59

27 Moses subsequently  delivered  to  be  observed  in  types  and  symbols, because  such  things  as  these  do  not  belong  to  Christians. But they obviously  knew  the  Christ  of  God,  as  he  appeared  to  Abraham, communed  with  Isaac,  spoke  to  Jacob;  and  that  he  communed with  Moses  and  the  prophets  after  him,  has  already  been shown.

Hence you  will  find,  also,  these  pious  persons  honoured  with the name  of  Christ,  as  in  the  following  expression:  "  Touch  not my  anointed  ones  (my  Christs,)  and  do  my  prophets  no  harm." Whence we  should  plainly  suppose,  that  the  first  and  most  ancient religion  known,  that  of  those  pious  men  that  were  connected with  Abraham,  is  the  very  religion  lately  announced  to  all  in the  doctrines  of  Christ. Abraham is  said  to  have  received  the command of  circumcision,  and  yet  long  before  this,  was  proved  to have  received  the  testimony  of  righteousness  through  faith. " Abraham,"  the  Scriptures  say,  "  believed,  and  it  was  imputed unto  him  for  righteousness." And, indeed,  the  divine  communication was  given  to  him  from  God,  who  appeared  to  him  when he bore  this  character  before  circumcision. And this  was Christ himself,  the  word  of  God  announcing  that  all  who  should come in  future  times  should  be  justified  in  a  similar  way;  saying, ^* and  in  thee  shall  be  blessed  all  the  nations  of  the  earth."  And again,  "  when  he  shall  become  a  great  and  mighty  nation,  in  him all the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed."  We  may  obviously understand  this  by  its  fulfilment  in  us;  for  he  indeed  was  justified by  his  faith  in  Christ,  the  word  of  God  that  appeared  to  him;  and having  renounced  the  superstition  of  his  fathers  and  the  former errors  of  his  life,  confessed  the  one  supreme  God,  and  served  him by  deeds  of  virtue,  and  not  by  the  service  subsequently  enjoined in  the  law  of  Moses.

To him,  then,  being  such,  it  was  declared  that  all  the  tribes and all  the  nations  of  the  earth  should  be  blessed  in  him. But the course  of  piety  which  was  pursued  by  Abraham,  has  appeared thus far  cultivated  only  by  Christians,  and  that  too  by  works more efficacious  than  words. What, then,  should  prevent  us henceforth  from  acknowledging  that  there  is  one  and  the  same principle of  life  and  conduct,  the  same  course  of  piety  common