A treatise concerning the church Wherin it is shewed, by the signes, offices, and properties therof, that the Church of Rome (and consequently such particuler churches as liue in her communion) is the only true church of Christ. VVritten in Latin, by the Reuerend Father Iames Gordon Huntley of Scotland, Doctour of Diuinity, of the Society of Iesus. And translated into English by I.L. of the same Society. The third part of the second controuersy.

CHAP. IX. Of the Adoration of the Pope of Rome, & of the kissing of his feete. (Book 9)

AMongst other Crimes where∣with the Roman Church is char∣ged by our Aduersaries, one at which many take offence, is the adoration of the Pope, and the kissing of his feete. We will therefore in this Chapter say somewhat in iustification therof, for if it shall appeare that nothing is done therein which is not warranted by the written word, it will appeare how little reasō they haue to tearme that impious I∣dolatry, which is nothing els indeed but Religious piety.

2. Howbeit we are first to forwarne the Reader, to the end he be not deceaued by the name of Adoratiō, that Adoratiō in the holy Scripture hath two significations: in the one it appertayneth to God alone,* 1.1 in the other it may without any sinne at all, yea with great merit be giuen to men. And of adoration in both senses, are verified those wordes of the Scripture;* 1.2 they adored first God, and then the King. Many other places

of Scripture there are which approue this adoratiō of men, of which only we now treate. For this adoration only is exhi∣bited to the Pope, & not that other which belongeth only to God: and it is exhibited vnto him as the Vicar of Christ, wheras the other cannot be exhibited but to the true God himselfe. Now there are foure testi∣monies of holy Scripture which euident∣ly proue, that the adoration of the Pope, is not only lawfull, but also dutifull.

3. The first testimonie is, that which the Prophet Isay recordeth in these wordes:* 1.3 Thus saith our Lord, the labour of Egipt, & the mer∣chādize of Ethiopia, & the eminent men of the Sa∣beans shall come vnto thee, and they shalbe thine, they shall follow thee, they shall go with their handes manacled, or bound in chaines, and they shall adore thee, and make supplication vnto thee. It is ma∣nistest that the Prophet in this place spea∣keth not to Christ, but to the Church: for all the verbes and pronownes in the Heb∣rew text are of the feminine gender, and not of the masculine: besides, it appeareth euidently by all that goeth before these wordes, and all that followeth, that this promise was made to the Church of Christ. The Prophet therfore saith, that the labour & negotiatiō (that is the riches gotten to∣geather by labour and negotiation) of

Egipt, and Ethiopia, and the eminent per∣sons of the Sabeans (by whome are vnder∣stood the Princes of the Gentils) shall passe ouer to the Church, and they shalbe the Churches, and they shall walke after the Church in manicles (by which are signi∣fied Ecclesiasticall lawes) and that they shall adore the Church, and make suppli∣cation to her.

4. And it is to be obserued, that the Hebrew word in the last cōiugation, as it is vsed heere, and in a manner euery where el••, signifyeth to prostrate ones selfe before ano∣ther, not howsoeuer, but by way of adoration▪ as al that are skilfull in the Hebrew tongue know, in so much as the adoratiō done ō∣ly to God is often expressed by this word. This therefore is the true sense and mea∣ning of this place, they shall prostrate them∣selues before thee, thereby to exhibite adoration vn∣to thee: we haue therefore out of the Scri∣pture that the Church, and consequently the Ministeriall head thereof, not only may,* 1.4 but must be adored, vnlesse we will make God to falsify his promise. But the craft•• dealing of Caluin heere is to be dete∣cted, who to abuse the Reader leaueth out in his latin translation twice the Pro∣nowne Te, that this adoration may not seeme to be referred to the Church, but ey∣ther

to God, or to Christ; for he transla∣teth not, adorabunt te, & obsecrabunt te: but thus, adorabunt atque obsecrabunt: whereas in the Hebrew, the particle (te) is twice put in the feminine gender, so as this adora∣tion and obsecration must needes be refer∣red to the Church, and therefore those of Geneua durst not omit the same, ney∣ther in their French Bibles, nor in their cor∣rupt translation: which they call Vatablus, no nor Caluin himselfe in the former edi∣tion of his Commentaries vpon Isayas,* 1.5 which was set forth in French in the yeare 1552. but in his latter latin edi∣tion in the yeare 1559. (which he will needs haue accounted a new worke) be∣ing now become more wary, he twice omitteth that particle, and that not vn∣aduisedly, but of set purpose, as is manyfest by his former edition.

5. The second testimony is also in the same Prophet Isayas, in which much more clearly is declared the exceeding great honour which the Kinges and Princes of the earth shall doe vnto the Church: for thus God speaketh to the Church of Christ. Kinges shalbe th•••• nursing Fathers,* 1.6 and Queenesshalbe thy nurses: they shall adore thee with their faces bowed downe to the earth, and licke vp the dust of thy feete: Where not only is ex∣pressed

that humble adoration, by which one prostrateth himselfe before another bowing downe his face euē to the earth, but there is further added a new Metafor of imbracing and kissing of feete, put in practice by Christian Emperours, Kinges, and Princes, therby to honour the vicar of Christ, and in him the Church, or rather Christ him∣selfe: for whosoeuer with gredines and feruour, hasten to the imbracing and kis∣sing of the feete of any man, seeme as it were to licke, and thereby to wipe away the dust of his feete, for the Hebrew word signifyeth to wipe away in what manner so∣euer, as may be seene in the booke of Num∣bers the 22. Chap. and the 4. v. and the 3. of Kings Chap. 18. v. 38.

6. The Prophet Isay then in these wordes fortold that Kings and Queenes, that is Princes, men and women, should prostrat thēselues downe to the earth at the feet of the Church, so as by imbracing and kis∣sing therof they should seem to wipe away the very dust of the Churches feet: which prophecy hath byn fullfilled of old, and as we see, is still fulfilled in the Roman Church by the humble and Religious submission expressed by Christian Catholike Princes in the imbracing and kissing of the Bishop of Romes feet, the supreme head of the

Church on earth, which kind of Religious worship seeing it was so many ages agoe foretold by the Prophet, our Aduersaries had small reason to thinke the same so ab∣surd a thing, or so much estranged from Christian piety.

7. The third testimony is taken from the same Prophet, which no lesse manife∣stly doth shew vnto vs, that such an ado∣ration and kissing of the Churches feete was to be practised as hath byn sayd; for amongst many other thinges which he foretelleth, appertayning to the Maiesty & powerful authority of the Kingdome of Christ to come,* 1.7 he setteth downe this promise made by God to the Church, The sonnes of them that humbled and afflicted thee, shall come and bow vnto thee, and all they that de∣tracted from thee shall adore thy footsteeps, which in the Hebrew is much more cleare, where it is thus, they shall adore the bendings of thy feete, then the which nothing could be sayd more manifestly for the adoration of the Churches feete in her visible head; for the bēdings of the feete by the figure Synec∣doche signify the feet themselues, as may be seene in the third of Iosue and the 1••. v. For the bindings of the feete in that place are in the 15. v. following called feet, so the bendings of the hands themselues 1. Reg: 5. v. 4.

and 4. Reg. 9. c. v. 35. which wordes of the Prophet conuince Caluin, as shalbe sayd. We see then how the Prophet Isayas, not in one place only, but in many, for∣telleth this adoration as a thing very re∣markable, & which greatly setteth forth the honour and excellency of the Church of Christ.

8. The fourth testimony is to be seene in the Apocalyps, where S. Iohn testifi∣eth in expresse tearmes, that God made such a promise to the Angel, that is, to the Bishop of the Church of Philadelphia; Be∣hold, I will make them come and adore before thy feete,* 1.8 and they shall know that I haue loued thee, which is all one, as if he had said, I will make them come and adore th••y feete, for in the Scripture according to the Hebrew phrase, to adore before any thing▪ is to adore the thing,* 1.9 so Elcana and Anna his wife are said to haue adored before our Lord, when they adored our Lord him∣selfe, so S. Iohn in his Apocalyps writeth, that all Nations shall come and adore before God,* 1.10 that is, they shall adore God himselfe: lastly that which by S. Luke is expressed in these wordes,* 1.11 if thou shalt adore before me, S. Matthew expresseth thus, if falling downe thou shalt adore me.* 1.12 It is all one therfore in the Scripture, to adore before a thing,

and to adore the thing. Moreouer if God was willing and pleased that men should adore the feet of the Bishop of Philadelphia, much more gratefull and acceptable will it be to him, that Christians with a god∣ly affection should prostrate themselues at his feete who is the supreme Bishop of the whole Church, and by kissing of thē exhibite vnto him not only a Ciuill, but also a Religious adoration, adoring him in God, and for God,* 1.13 which is well expressed by God himselfe whē he saith, they shall know that I haue loued thee, so as this a∣doration must be admitted, or expresse Scriptures denied.

9. Neyther is this any whit diffe∣ring from the custome of the auncient Church, as our Aduersaries obiect, but rather very conformable and agreable therunto: for it is manifest that kissing of feete was exhibited of old,* 1.14 not only to the Bishop of Rome, but also to other holy personages. For thus writeth S. Hierome of blessed Epiphanius; Men and wo∣men of all ages did flock vnto him in great troupes, offering their little ones, kissing his ••eete &c. And S. Chrysostome vehemently exhorteth the people, to prostrate themselues at the feete of all Monkes in signe of honour and reue∣rence, Come, saith he, and touch the holy feet▪

for it is much more honorable to touch their feet, then to touch the head of others.

10. And that it was an auncient custome in the Roman Church, that such as came to salute the supreme Byshop should prostrate themselues and kisse his feere, is sufficiently proued by the hystory of S. Susanna recited by Baronius: and Ter∣tullian who liued a hundred yeares before Susanna,* 1.15 maketh also not ob••cure mention hereof: for describing the manner after which in his tyme penitents were wont to be receaued in the Roman Church, a∣mongst other thinges, he saith, that pe∣nitents were wont to fall downe to the Priests,* 1.16 and to kneele to the dearely belo∣ued of God: which is nothing els but kneeling downe to adore: and the same Tertullian els where saith,* 1.17 that they were wont to licke vp the footesteps of euery one that past: where he seemeth to allude to those wordes of the Prophet Isay, cited a little aboue,* 1.18 they shall licke vp the dust of thy feete,* 1.19 and adore the steppes of thy feete. Now if it be so that they licked the footestepes of all Christians, much more doubtlesse the footestepes of the supreme Byshop, who receaued them into the Church, and who at that tyme was called the blessed Pope, as the same Tertullian witnesseth.

11. Neyther doth this adoration de∣rogate any thing frō the honour of God or Christ, but rather much more illustrate and set it forth, for this honour is exhi∣bited to the Byshop of Rome, not for his owne holines or any other quality with which he is adorned as a priuate person, but only for that authority and spirituall power which he receaued from Christ, and which indeed properly appertayneth to God, and to Christ: and therefore in him, and by him, Christ, whose person he representeth is honored and adored, ac∣cording to those words of Tertullian.* 1.20 VVhen therefore, saith he, thou stretchest thy selfe forth to the knees of thy brethrē, thou layest hold on Christ and makest thy supplication to Christ. And this Caluin himselfe by the force of truth con∣fesseth, when he speaketh of the Adoratiō of the Church: for expounding those wordes of the Prophet Isay, they shall ador•• the stepes of thy seete, or as he translateth, they shall bow themselues downe to the plantes of thy feete, thus he writeth:* 1.21 Heere some man will aske whether this honour of which the Prophet speaketh, be not too much and greater then is to be exhibited to the Church? ••or to bow our selues down and prostrate our selues are signes of that honour which no man ought to admit. I answere, this ho∣nour is not exhibited to the mēbers, but to the head,

to wit Christ, who is adored in the Church, so Cal∣uin: which also those words of God in the Apocalyps manifestly ••eclare to be true: I will make them adore thee before thy feete, and they shall know that I haue loued thee, for therefore is this honour exhibited to the supreme Bishop, because God hath so ex∣alted the Roman Sea, and beene so liberall towards it, which is a signe of exceeding great loue. And heere hence it is, that the same veneration is exhibited to all Bishops of Rome, as well to the bad as to the good, for they are not honored, for their owne goodnes, but for the office which Christ bestowed vpon them. As also they are called holy,* 1.22 and most holy, not for their owne personall holynes, but for the ho∣lynes of Christ, whose person and place they susteine vpon earth, and for the holy∣nes of the office which they receaued frō God, euen as S. Paul called Feftus President of Iury; very good, not for any goodnes of his owne,* 1.23 for h•• was an Infidel and a wicked man, but in regard of his office, for so the Presidents of Prouinces were wont to be stiled, as well noteth Baronius.

12. Moreouer wheras in the Scripture feet signify, diuine mission, and vocation, which is most ample in the Bishop of Rome,* 1.24 no mer∣uaile if greater veneration be exhibited

to his ••eet: & it is to be obserued that the•• is a Crosse vpon his shoe, which all kisse, to giue vs to vnderstand that the honor is not ex••ibited to him but to Christ cruci∣fied, whom he representeth.

13. To conclude, heere hence is easily solued that which our Aduersaries obiect of S. Peters refusing to be adored by Corne∣lius the Centurion,* 1.25 for Cornelius adored not S. Peter in respect of Christ whose Vicar he was, but in respect of himselfe whom he took to be some God,* 1.26 as did the Licaonians thinke of Paul & Barnabas: so S. Hierome: or surely, they thought Peter to be more thē a mā,* 1.27 as manifestly appeareth by S. Peters an∣swere, Arise, for I also am a mā, & therfore Cor∣nelius was to be admonished & corrected: for adoration is eyther good or bad, ac∣cording to the cause or reason for which it is exhibited. Now the cause for which Catholikes exhibite the same to the Bishop of Rome is very good; to wit, the excellent power of Christ, or rather Christ himselfe gouer∣ning & ruling his Church in his Vicar,* 1.28 and therfore this adoration is good and gratefull to God, but the cause of Cornelius adoration was fond and false, and ther∣fore his adoration was naught and wor∣thily reprehended.

14. I know our Aduersaries often

obiect th•••• Pope Alexander the third did inso∣le••tly ••rample vnder his feete Frederike the Empe••o••r: ••ut ••his foolish fable is soundly and copiou••ly refuted by Baronius citing the testimonies of such as were present and haue committed to writing all that p••ssed, in which there was nothing vn∣usu••ll, but the Pope admitted from Frede∣rike the accustomed adoration. He that desireth more concerning the kissing of the Popes feet, may read Ioseph Stephanus who hath written a whole booke therof: it is sufficient for vs to haue briefly proued the same by many euident testimonies of holy Scripture.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Paral. vse. v. 28. Gen. 2. v. 7. Gen. 27. v. 28.
• * 1.2

  Gen. 49. v. 8.
• * 1.3

  Isaiae 45. v. 14.
• * 1.4

  Calu. com∣mēt. in Isa 45. v. 14. edit. ann. 1559. Gen. apud loan Crispinū.
• * 1.5

  Calu. in e∣pist. ad Reg. Augl. ante com∣mēt in Isai∣am edit. illius anni 155••.
• * 1.6

  Isa. 49. v. 23.
• * 1.7

  Isa. ••0. v. 14.
• * 1.8

  Apocal. ••. v. 9.
• * 1.9

  1. Reg. 1. v. 1••.
• * 1.10

  Apoc: 15. ••. 4.
• * 1.11

  Luc. 4. v. 7.
• * 1.12

  Matth. 4. ••. ••.
• * 1.13

  Apoc. ••. v. 9.
• * 1.14

  Hier. epi••t. 61. ad Pa∣ma••h. ••. 25. iuxt•• editione•••• Maria•••• Victori••. Chrysost▪ Hom. 14. in 1. Epist. ad Ti••••▪
• * 1.15

  ••aron. Tom. ••. ••n 294. 11. vl••.
• * 1.16

  Tertul. de paenitent. c. 9.
• * 1.17

  Tertul. de pudicit. c. 13.
• * 1.18

  Isaias 49. v. 23.
• * 1.19

  Isaias 60. v. 4.
• * 1.20

  Tertul. d•• paenitent. c. 10.
• * 1.21

  Calu. in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 60. Matth. v. 14.
• * 1.22

  Act. 28, v. 25.
• * 1.23

  Baron. Tō. 1. anno 58. ••••im•• 13.
• * 1.24

  Rom. 10. v. 15▪
• * 1.25

  Act. 10. v. 25. & 26.
• * 1.26

  Act. 10. v. 10.
• * 1.27

  Hieron. ad∣uers. Vigil. ep. 53. n. 12. iuxta edit. Mari∣ani victo∣rij.
• * 1.28

  Act. 16. v. 26.