Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

They shall lick the dust of thy feet.] The Papists in like manner offer violence to this place, to establish the tyranny of their Idol: as if forsooth, Kings and Princes could not otherwise show themselves the true and lawful servants of God, unless in his stead they should fall down at the feet of their disguised head of the Church. This they account a testimony of great service done to God, when they will abase themselves to kiss his feet with great reverence. But first of all, if they will know what an opinion we ought to conceive of such an idolatrous and barbarous reverence, let them learn it from Saint Peter, ¹whose seat they brag to hold: for he would not suffer Cornelius the Centurion to do him such reverence: Act. 10.26. Let them also learn it from Saint Paul, ²what to do in this case, who rent his garments, and rejected this honour with great detestation: Act. 14.14. Is any thing more absurd then to say that the Son of God, in stead of ordaining a Minister of the Gospel, should consecrate a profane King,³ exercising a Persian-like pompous state, utterly insupportable? But let us remember that whilst the Church is a pilgrim in this world, that she may be humbled, and that she may be conformed to Christ her head, she is subject to the cross. And if her enemies give her any rest,⁴ yet you shall perceive that her chiefest glory and beauty consists in modesty. Whence it follows, that she is stripped of her ornaments, when she is decked with a profane arrogance.

They shall licke the dust of thy feete.] The Papists in like manner offer violence to this place, to establish the tyrannie of their Idoll: as if forsooth, Kings and Princes could not otherwise shew themselues the true and lawfull seruants of God, vnlesse in his stead they should fall downe at the feete of their disguised head of the Church. This they account a testimonie of great seruice done to God, when they will abase themselues to kisse his feete with great reuerence. But first of all, if they will know what an opinion we ought to conceiue of such an idolatrous and barbarous reuerence, let them learne it from Saint Peter,