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

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