the great founder and object of their religion,—calling them Christians, because the heathen inhabitants of Syria were not acquainted with the terms, "Nazarene" and "Galilean," which had been applied to the followers of Christ by the Jews, partly from the places where they first appeared, and partly in opprobium for their low provincial origin.
The name now first created by the Syrians to distinguish the sect, is remarkable,
because being derived from a Greek word, Christos, it has a Latin adjective termination,
Christianus, and is therefore incontestably shown to have been applied by the
Roman inhabitants of Antioch; for no Grecian would ever have been guilty of such
a barbarism, in the derivation of one word from another in his own language. The
proper Greek form of the derivation would have been Christicos, or Christenos, and
the substantive would have been, not Christianity, but Christicism, or Christenism,—a
word so awkward in sound, however, that it is very well for all Christendom,
that the Roman barbarism took the place of the pure Greek termination. And
since the Latin form of the first derivative has prevailed, and Christian thus been
made the name of "a believer in Christ," it is evident to any classical scholar, that
Christianity is the only proper form of the substantive secondarily derived. For
though the appending of a Latin termination upon a Greek word, as in the case of
Christianus, was unquestionably a blunder and a barbarism in the first place, it yet
can not compare, for absurdity, with the notion of deriving from this Latin form, the
substantive Christianismus, with a Greek termination foolishly pinned to a Latin one,—a
folly of which the French are nevertheless guilty. The error, of course, can not
now be corrected in that language; but those who stupidly copy the barbarism from
them, and try to introduce the monstrous word, ChristianISM, into English, deserve
the reprobation of every man of taste.
"Before this they were called 'disciples,' as in this place—'believers,' Acts v. 14—'men of the church,' Acts xii. 1—'men of the way,' Acts ix. 2—'the saints,' Acts ix. 13—'those that called on the name of Christ,' ver. 14—and by their enemies, Nazarenes and Galileans, and 'men of the sect;'—but now, by the conversion of so many heathens, both in Caesarea and Antioch, the believing Jews and Gentiles being made all one church, this new name was given them, as more expressive of their common relation to their Master, Christ. Whitby slightly alludes to the prophecy, Isa. lxv." (J. M. Williams's Notes on Pearson.)
While Saul was thus effectually laboring in Antioch, there
came down to that city, from Jerusalem, certain persons, indued
with the spirit of prophecy, among whom was one, named Agabus,
who, under the influence of inspiration, made known that
there would be a great famine throughout the world;—a prediction
which was verified by the actual occurrence of this calamity
in the days of Claudius Caesar, during whose reign,—as appears
on the impartial testimony of the historians of those times, both
Roman and Jewish,—the Roman empire suffered at different periods
in all its parts, from the capital to Jerusalem,—and at this
latter city, more especially, in the sixth year of Claudius, (A. D.
46,) as is testified by Josephus, who narrates very particularly
some circumstances connected with the prevalence of this famine
in Jerusalem. The disciples at Antioch, availing themselves of
this information, determined to send relief to their brethren in
Judea, before the famine should come on; and having contrib-
