Editorial note — Chapter VIII · OF CONSECRATIONS AND UNCTIONS

[Footnote 503: 'For Christ is named of chrism, and meaneth the Anointed One. For it was commanded the Jews to make a holy unguent for such as were called unto the priesthood or the kingdom: and as now the vestment of purple is unto kings the mark of kingly power, so upon these did the unction with sacred unguent bestow the name and kingly power: and hence were they called Christi, from chrism, which is unction. For chrisma in Greek is unctio in Latin. And this unction did aptly give this name unto our Lord, because He was anointed of the Father by the Spirit, as is said in the Acts of the Apostles, "Against Thy Holy Child Jesus, Whom Thou hast anointed, were they gathered together": not, that is, with visible oil, but with the gift of grace, which is denoted by the visible oil.' S. Isidore of Seville, Orig. vii, 2. See also Orig. vii, 4, and De Off. Ecc. i, 1.] [Footnote 504: 'Christians be named from Christ, and Christ from chrism, being anointed. For He was anointed by God from the beginning "with the oil of gladness above His fellows." In the Old Testament priests and kings be called Christs (or Anointed), because they were anointed with a temporal unction. As it is written, "Touch not my Christs" (i.e. mine anointed). Wherefore, Christ is not a peculiar name of our Saviour, but is a common appellation of dignity. But the name Jesus is peculiar to the person of our Saviour alone, and was given Him, as the Evangelist doth testify by the angel, Gabriel, at the Conception, and by men at His Circumcision.'—Durand. loco cit. This will explain the reason, to many persons so puzzling, why it is only to the name of Jesus that our Church, after the Apostle, commands due obeisance to be made: and will reprove the erroneous, though pious, zeal which makes so many of the poor even now bow at the other names of our Blessed Lord.]