guage of Andrew and the woman of Samaria, who spake in Syriac; Christ, the interpretation of St John, who wrote his p. 44. Τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὄνομα πρώτον Μωϋσέα τοῖς χριομένοις ἐπιθεῖναι, says Euseb. Dem. Evang. 1. iv. c. 15. [Compare Euseb. Hist. 1. 3.] • Quoniam Græci veteres χρίεσθαι dicebant ungi, quod nunc ἀλείφεσθαι ob hanc rationem nos eum Christum nuncupamus, id est, unctum, qui Hebraice Messias dicitur.' Lactan. de ver. Sap. [Div. Inst.] l. iv. c. 7. So the Latins generally Christus a Chrismate: and without question Χριστός is from κέχρισται. Yet I conceive the first signification of this word among the Greeks hath not been hitherto sufficiently discovered. The first of the ancients in whom I meet with the word Χριστός is Eschylus the tragedian, and in him I find it had another sense than now we take it in; for in his language • that is not χριστόν which is anointed, but that with which it is anointed, so that it signifieth not the subject of unction, but the ointment as diffused in the subject. The place is this in his Prometheus Vinctus, ν. 499. Οὐκ ἦν ἀλέξημ ̓ οὐδέν, οὔτε βρώσιμον, Prometheus shews himself to be the inventor of the art of physic, that before him therefore there was no medicine, neither to be taken internally by eating or by drinking, nor externally by way of inunction, as the Scholiast very well expounds it: Οὐκ ἦν οὐδὲν βοήθημα θεραπείας οὐδὲ διὰ βρώσεως προσφερόμενον (which is οὔτε βρώσιμον in Æschylus) οὔτε δὲ δὲ ἐπιχρίσεως ἔξωθεν, (which is οὐ χριστὸν) οὐδὲ διὰ πόσεως (τοῦτο δὲ δηλοῖ τὸ πιστόν). Το Eustathius: Τρεῖς φαρμάκων ἰδέαι παρ' Ομήρῳ· ἐπίπαστα, ὡς νῦν ἐπὶ Μενελάου, περ ἤπια φάρμακα εἰδὼς πάσσεν ὁ Μαχάων· καὶ χριστά, οἷον τοὺς χρίεσθαι· καὶ πιστὰ κατὰ τὸν Αἰσχύλον, τουτέστι, ποτὰ ἢ πότιμα. Ad Il. Δ. 218. As therefore from πίω πίσω, πιστον, 50 from χρίω χρίσω, χριστόν. And as πιστόν is not that which receiveth drink, but that drink which is received, not quod potat, but quod potabile est : 80 χριστόν is not that which receiveth oil, but that which is received by inunction. So the Scholiast upon Aristophanes, Plut. v. 717. Τῶν φαρμάκων τὰ μέν ἐστι καταπλαστά, τὰ δὲ χριστά, τὰ δὲ ποτά. Αnd the Scholiast of Theocritus: Ιστέον, ὅτι τῶν φαρμάκων τὰ μέν εἰσι χριστά, ἤγουν, ἅπερ χριόμεθα εἰς θεραπείαν· τὰ δὲ ποτά, ἤγουν, ἅπερ πίνομεν· τὰ δὲ ἐπίπαστα, ἤγουν, ἅπερ ἐπιπάττομεν. Idyl. xi. 1. So that χριστόν in his judgment is the same with ἔγχριστον in Theocritus. Idyl. xi. 1. Οὐδὲν ποττὸν ἔρωτα πεφύκει φάρμακον ἄλλο, Νικία, οὔτ ̓ ἔγχριστον, ἐμὶν δοκεῖ, οὔτ ̓ ἐπίπαστον, Η ταὶ Πιερίδες In the same sense with Eschylus did Euripides use χριστὸν φάρμακον in Hippolyto, v. 516. Πότερα δὲ χριστὸν ἢ ποτὸν τὸ φάρμακον ; and not only those ancient poets, but even the later orators; as Dien Chrysostomus: Πολὺ γὰρ χεῖρον καὶ διεφ θαρμένου σώματος καὶ νοσοῦντος ψυχὴ διεφθαρμένη, μὰ Δία, οὐχ ὑπὸ φαρμάκων χριστῶν ἢ ποτῶν. Orat. 78. [p. 431.] And the LXX. have used it in this sense, as when the Hebrew speaks of πάντα την oleum unctionis, they translate it τοῦ ἐπικεχυμένου ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ ἐλαίου τοῦ χριστοῦ. Lev. xxi. 10. and again ver. 12. πηνη την ὅτι τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαιον τὸ χριστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπ ̓ αὐτῷ. Oleum unctionis then is ἔλαιον χριστόν, which in Exodus xxix. 7, and xxxv. 15, and xl. 9. the same translators, correspondent to the Hebrew phrase, call ἔλαιον χρίσματος, and more frequently ἔλαιον χρίσεως. The place of Sophocles is something doubtful, Trachin. v. 660. *Οθεν μόλοι πανίμερος Τᾶς πειθοῦς παγχρίστῳ Συγκραθείς, ἐπὶ προφάνσει θηρός for though the Scholiast take it in the ordinary sense, παγχρίστῳ] λείπει τῷ 80 Gospel in the Greek, as the most general language in those days; and the signification of them both is, the Anointed. St Paul and the rest of the apostles, writing in that language, used the Greek name, which the Latins did retain, calling him constantly Christus; and we in English have retained the same, as universally naming him Christ. Nor is this yet the full interpretation of the word, which is to be understood not simply according to the action only, but as it involveth the design in the custom of anointing. For in the Law whatsoever was anointed was thereby set apart, as ordained to some special use or office: and therefore under the notion of unction we must understand that promotion and ordination. Jacob poured oil upon the top of a pillar, Gen. xxvill and that anointing was the consecration of it. Moses anointed the tabernacle and all the vessels, and this anointing was their dedication. Hence the priest that is anointed signifieth, Lev. Iv. 3. πέπλῳ, ἤγουν τῷ χρισθέντι πέπλῳ,· συγκεκραμένος καὶ ἁρμοσθεὶς τῇ πειθοῖ τοῦ θηρός· yet both τᾶς πειθούς before it, and συγκραθείς after, seem to incline to the former sense, and in the next Page ἀρτίχριστον is clearly attributed to the ointment, v. 685. Το φάρμακον τοῦτ ̓ ἀπυρον, ἀκτινός τ ̓ ἀεὶ Θέρμης άθικτον, ἐν μυχοῖς σώζειν ἐμέ, Εως νιν ἀρτίχριστον ἁρμόσαιμί που, from whence Deianira says presently, ν. 691. έχρισα—μαλλῷ. But though it appear from hence that the first use of the word χριστός among the Greeks was to signify the act or matter used in inunction, not the subject or person anointed: yet in the vulgar acception of the LXX. it was most constantly received for the person anointed, of the same validity with χρισθείς or κεχρισμένος (Suidas, χριστός, ὁ κεχρισμέ νος ἐν ἐλαίῳ*), as also with ήλειμμένος. For though Lactantius in the place fore-cited seem to think that word an improper version to the Hebrew n v 'Unde in quibusdam Græcis scripturis, quæ male de Hebraicis interpretatæ sunt, ἠλειμμένοs, id est, unguento curatus, scriptum invenitur, ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀλείφεσθαι : yet the LXX. have so translated it, Numb. iii. 3. οἱ ἱερεῖς οἱ ἠλειμ μένοι. And although Athenæus hath * This clause is omitted by Gaisford. 18. Expectation of the 41. in the phrase of Moses, the high-priest, because he was invested in that office at and by his unction. When therefore Jesus is called the Messias or Christ, and that so long after the anointing oil had ceased, it signified no less than a person set apart by God, anointed with most sacred oil, advanced to the highest office, of which all those employments under the Law, in the obtaining of which oil was used, were but types and shadows. And this may suffice for the signification of the word. That there was among the Jews an expectation of such a 81 Christ to come, is most evident. The woman of Samaria John iv. 25. could speak with confidence, I know that Messias cometh. And the unbelieving Jews, who will not acknowledge that he Luke iii. 15. is already come, expect him still. Thus we find all men musing in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ or not. When Jesus taught in the Temple, those which doubted John vil. 27. said, When Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is; those John vii. 31 which believed said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? Whether therefore they doubted, or whether they believed in Jesus, they all expected a Christ to come; and the greater their opinion was John vii 40, of him, the more they believed he was that Messias. Many of the people said, Of a truth this is the prophet: others said, This is the Christ. As soon as John began to baptize, the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask him, Who art thou that is, whether he were the Christ or no, as apJohn i. 20. peareth out of his answer, And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ. For as they asked him after, What then, art thou Elias? and he said, I am not: Art thou that prophet? and he answered, No: so without question their first demand was, Art thou the Christ1? and he answered, I am not: from whence it clearly appeareth that there was a general expectation among the Jews of a Messias to come; nor only so, but it was always counted amongst them an article of their faith, which all were obliged to believe who professed the Law of Moses, and whosoever denied that, was John i. 19. John L. 21. 1 So Nonnus hath expressed, what in the evangelist is to be understood: Μυστιπόλοι δ' ἐρέεινον ὁμήλυδες ὀξέϊ μύθῳ, Τίς σὺ πέλεις; μὴ Χριστὸς ἔφυς; Joh. c. i. v. 65. Auctor Sepher Ikkarim [Joseph Albo] 1. iv. c. ult. Maimon. Tract. de Regibus. c. 11.* *This is simply the 14th book of the pin: with Maimonides the belief in a Messiah is one of the 13 essential articles of faith (Ikkarim), but Joseph Albo, though urging the doctrine, will not include it in his three Ikkarim. See 1. iv. c. 42, and cf. 1. i. c. 23. ɔaka 18) ביאת המשיח עיקר). thereby interpreted to deny the Law and the Prophets. Wherefore it will be worth our inquiry to look into the grounds upon which they built that expectation. 18. vii. 37. It is most certain that the Messias was promised by God both before and under the law. God said unto Abraham, In Gen. xxi. 12 Isaac shall thy seed be called; and we know that was a promise of a Messias to come, because St Paul hath taught us, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. Gal. ii. 16. He saith not, unto seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. The Lord said unto Moses, I will raise Deut. xviii. them up a prophet from among their brethren like unto thee. Acts ii. 22; And St Peter hath sufficiently satisfied us, that this prophet promised to Moses is Jesus the Christ. Many are the prophe- Acts ii. 20. cies which concern him, many the promises which are made of him but yet some of them very obscure; others, though plainer, yet have relation only to the person, not to the notion or the word Messias. Wheresoever he is spoken of as the Anointed, it may well be first understood of some other person; except one place in Daniel, where Messiah is foretold to Dan, ix. 26. be cut off and yet even there the Greek translation hath not the Messiah, but the Unction. It may therefore seem something strange, how so universal an expectation of a Redeemer under the name of the Messias should be spread through the church of the Jews. But if we consider that in the space of seventy years of the Babylonish captivity the ordinary Jews had lost the exact understanding of the old Hebrew language before spoken in Judæa, and therefore when the Scriptures were read unto them, they found it necessary to interpret them to the people in the Chaldee language, which they had lately learned: as when Ezra the Scribe brought the book of the law of Moses before the congregation, the Levites are said to have caused the people to understand the Law, because they read in the Neh. viil. 8. book, in the Law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. Which constant interpretation begat at last a Chaldee translation of the Old Testament to be read every sabbath in the synagogues: and that being not exactly made word for word with the Hebrew, but with a liberty of a brief exposition by the way, took in, together with the text, the general opinion of the learned Jews. 82 By which means it came to pass that not only the doctrine, but the name also, of the Messias was very frequent and familiar with them. Insomuch that even in the Chaldee paraphrase now extant, there is express mention of the Messias in above seventy places, beside that of Daniel. The Jews then, informed by the plain words of Daniel', instructed by a constant interpretation of the Law and the Prophets read in their synagogues every sabbath-day, relying upon the infallible predictions and promises of God, did all unanimously expect out of their own nation, of the tribe of Judah, of the family of David, a Messias or a Christ, to come. Now this being granted, as it cannot be denied, our next consideration is of the time in which this promise was to be fulfilled which we shall demonstrate out of the Scriptures to be passed, and consequently that the promised Messias is already come. The prediction of Jacob on his death-bed is Gen. xlix. 10. clear and pregnant, The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. But the sceptre is departed from Judah, neither is there one lawgiver left between his feet. Therefore Shiloh, that is, the Messias, is already come. That the Jewish government hath totally failed, is not without the greatest folly to be denied: and therefore that Shiloh is already come, except we should deny the truth of divine predictions, must be granted. There remains then nothing to be proved, but that by Shiloh is to be understood the Messias: which is sufficiently manifest both. from the consent of the ancient Jews, and from the description immediately added to the name. For all the old paraphrasts call him expressly the Messias, and the words which Gen. xlix. 10. follow, unto him shall the gathering of the people be, speak no |