The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

CAP. IIII.

That Iesus and the very name of Christ from the beginning was both knowen and honored among the deuine Prophets, that Christ was both a King, an highpriest, and a Prophet.

THat the name both of Iesus and also of Christ among the holy prophets of old was honored, nowe is it time to declare. Moses first of all knowing the name of Christ to be of great re∣uerence & glorious, deliuering types of heauenly things, & pledges & mistical formes (ac∣cording vnto y^• commaundement prescribed, saying vnto him: See thou doe all thinges after the fashion that vvas shevved thee in the mount. Naming man (as he lawfully might) an highpriest of God, called the same Christ, and to this dignitie of highe priesthood althoughe by a certayne prerogatiue excelling all others among men, yet because of honor and glory he put to, the name of Christ. So then he deemed Christ to be a certayne deuine thyng. The same Moses also, when, being inspired with the holy Ghost he had wel forseene the name of Iesu, iudged the same worthy of singuler prerogatiue: for this name of Iesu appeared not manifest among men afore it was knowen by Moses, and this name he gaue to him first, and to him alone whom he knew very wel by tipe & figuratiue signe to receaue the vniuersal principality after his death. His successor ther∣fore, before that time called not Iesu, but otherwise to weete Ause: He called Iesu, the which name his parents had geuen him: therby attributing to that name singuler honor farr passing al prince∣ly scepters, because that the same Iesus Naue was to beare the figure of our Sauiour, & also alone after Moses to accomplish the figuratiue seruice committed vnto him, and thought worthy to be∣ginne the true and most sincere worship. Moses to these two men after him thus surpassing all people in vertue and honor, attributed for great honor the name of our sauiour Iesus Christ to the one as highe priest, to the other as principal ruler after him. After this y^• prophets playnely haue prophecied & namely of Christ, & of the peeuishe practise of the Iewishe people agaynst him, & of the calling of the Gentils by him. Ieremie thus sayde: The spirite before our face, Christ our Lorde, is taken in their nets, of vvhom vve speake before vnder the shadovve of his vvinges vve shalbe preserued aliue among the Heathen. Dauid also being amazed because of his name, expo∣stulateth the matter thus: VVhy (sayth he) haue the Gentiles raged, and the people imagined vayne thinges? The kinges of the earth stoode foorth, and the princes assembled together a∣gainst the Lorde and against his Christ. To these he addeth in the parson of Christ saying: The Lorde sayde vnto me thou art my sonne, this day haue I begotten thee. Aske of me and I shall geue thee the Heathen for thine inheritaunce, and the endes of the earthe for thy pos∣session, The name of Christ therefore among the Hebrewes hath not onely honored those that were adorned with the high priesthood, anointed with figuratiue oyle prepared for that purpose: but also princes whom the Prophets by the precept of God haue anoynted and made figuratiue Christs: because they figuratiuely resembled the deuine worde of God, and the regall and prince∣ly power of the onely and true Christ gouerning all thinges. And moreouer we haue learned cer∣taine of the Prophets typicalye by their anoynting to haue bene termed Christs. Al they had a re∣lation vnto the true Christ, the deuine and heauenly worde, the onely highpriest of all, the king of all creatures and the chiefe Prophet of the father ouer all other Prophets, the proofe hereof is playne: for none euer of all them that typicaly were anoynted, were they Princes, or Priests, or Prophets, haue purchased vnto them selues suche deuine power and vertue as our sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ sole and singuler hath shewed. None of all them howe famous so euer they were found, among their owne throughout many ages by reason of their dignitie and honor haue bestowed this benefit vpon their subiects, that by their imaginatiue appellation of Christ they should by name be consecrated Christians in deede. Neyther hath the honor of adoration bene ex∣hibited by the posteritie vnto any of them, neither after their death hath there bene any such affec∣tion, that for their sake any prepared them selues to dye for the maintenance of their honor, nei∣ther hath there bene any tumult among the Gentils throughout the worlde for any of them, the power of the shadow was not of such efficacy in them, as the presence of the verity by our sauiour declared, which resembled nether the forme or figure of any: nether linealy descended according vnto the fleshe from the Priests: neither was exalted by the might of men vnto his kingdome: nei∣ther

prophecied after the maner of the auncient Prophets: neither obtayned any preeminence or prerogatiue amonge the Iewes: yet for all this, Christ, being by the diuine spirite adorned with all these dignities though not in types yet in trueth it selfe, and enioyinge all the gyftes of those men (whereof mention is made) he hath bene more published and preached, and hath pow∣red vpon vs the perfect ornature of his moste reuerent and holy name, not turning henceforthe vnto types and shadowes such as serue him, but vnto the naked trueth, the heauenly life, and vn∣doubted doctrine of verity, his anoynting was not corporall, but spirituall, by participation of the vnbegotten dyetie of the father, the whiche thinge Esai declareth when as in the person of Christ he breaketh out into these wordes: The spirite of the Lorde vpon me, vvherefore he a∣noynted me to preache glad tydinges vnto the poore, he sent me to cure the contrite in hearte, to preache deliuerance vnto the captiues, and sight vnto the blinde. Not Esay alone but Dauid also touching the person of Christ lifteth vp his voyce and sayeth: Thy throne ô God lasteth for aye, the scepter of thy kingdome is a right scepter; thou hast loued righteousnes and hated ini∣quitie, vvherefore God, euen thy God hath anointed thee vvith the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy felovves, of the which the first verse termeth Christ, God, the seconde honoreth him with regall scepter, thence consequently passing vnto the rest he sheweth Christ to be anoynted not with oyle of corporal substance but of deuine, that is of gladnes, whereby he signifieth his prerogatiue and surpassing excellencie and difference seuering him from them, which with corporall and typicall oyle haue bene anoynted. And in an other place, Dauid declaring his dignitie sayeth: The Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde, sit thou on my right hand, vntil I make thine enemies thy footestole. And out of my vvombe before the day starre haue I begotten thee. The Lorde svvare, neither vvil it repent him, thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech. This Melchisedech in the sacred Scriptures is sayde to be the Priest of the most highe God, so consecrated and ordayned neither by any oyle prepared of man for that purpose, neither by succession of kindred attayning vnto the priesthoode as the maner was among the Hebrewes. Wherfore our Sauiour according vnto that order and not others (which receaued signes & shadowes) is published by performance of the othe, Christ and Priest. So that the history deliuereth him vnto vs nether corporally anoyn∣ted, among the Iewes, nether borne of the priestly tribe, but of God him self before the day starr, that is being in essence before the constitution of all worldly creatures, immortall possessinge a priesthoode that neuer perisheth by reason of age, but lasteth worlde without ende. Yet this is a greate and an apparent argument of his incorporeall and deuine power, that alone of all men that euer were, and now are, among all the wightes in the worlde, Christ is preached, confessed, testified, and euery where among the Grecians and Barbarians, mentioned by this name, and hi∣therto among all his adherentes honored as King, had in admiration aboue a Prophet, glorified as the true and the onely high Priest of God, surpassing all creatures, as the worde of God, con∣sisting in essence before all worldes, receauing honor and worship of the father & honored as God him selfe, and which of all other is most to be marueled at, that we which are dedicated vnto him honour him not with tongue onely, & garrulous talke of whispering wordes, but with the whole affection of the minde, so that willingly we preferre before our liues, the testimony of his trueth.

Notes

• Exod. 25.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in this place I suppose to be corrupted commonlye in the greeke it is red 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Hebrues call him Ie∣hoschua▪ ben Nun. ••. The sonne of Nun. Num. 11. and▪ 14. Deut. ••. Iosu. 24.
• The testi∣monies of the prophets touching Christ. ••am. 4. Psal. 2. Psal. 2.
• Kigs Priests and prophets among the Hebrevvs, because of their an∣••oynting evere called Christs. 〈…〉〈…〉 types & 〈…〉〈…〉 of Christ being 〈…〉〈…〉 King and Prophet.
• Esay. 61.
• Psal. 44.
• Psal. 110.
• Genes. 14 Heb. 4. 7.
• The offi of Christ proued •• consent the serui•• of the fa•• full Sain••