Chapter 12 The Eleventh Star or Splendour of the Crown of Power of the MOTHER OF GOD
She is the Queen of all Creation
Continuing our translation of the 1845 reprint of Fr François Poiré’s Triple Crown of the Mother of God (1643 French edition).
 |
| Notre Dame des Grâces, Cotignac (Poggi, 2020) |
Since kingship is the pinnacle of Power and the very high point of Greatness, it deserves its place amongst the principal great splendours of the power of the MOTHER OF GOD. I hope this title will provide powerful reasons to honour her more and more. In order to ensure, however, that our discussion is not lacking in clarity, we need first of all to consider the kingship of her Son.
§ 1. Temporal Prince : seventh title of the King of glory incarnate
1 Anyone who, along with the Doctors we have cited above, recognises Solomon as one of the principal types prefiguring the Messiah, will have to agree that one of the greatest things they both share is kingship. This is so truly the case that in the Sacred Scriptures we find the throne of David is often promised to the Messiah, as when the prophet Isaiah speaks of Him as follows[1]: He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom; to establish it and strengthen it with judgment and with justice, from henceforth and for ever. Another example is when the Angel says of the Son he mentioned to the Holy Virgin that the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever[2]. There are other examples elsewhere in the Scriptures. Perhaps this is the reason why in the first book of Paralipomenon[3] the throne of Solomon is called the throne of the Lord. Indeed, Saint Jerome[4], Saint Augustine[5], Saint Eucher[6], Rupert[7] and several other Doctors[8] observe in this regard that the Holy Spirit, having begun to speak of the kingdom of Solomon no more nor less than as a figure, swiftly takes flight and continues with the kingdom of the prefigured Messiah. This we can see in the divine Epithalamium of Psalm 44 which has for its dedication the words : For the Beloved. It is not my intention to give the same limits to the temporal kingdom of the Saviour as to Solomon’s, but rather to show that just as He raised and ennobled the flesh He took from David in an indescribable manner, joining it to His divinity, in the same way He elevated his throne higher than heaven, extending its dominion far beyond the boundaries of Solomon’s kingdom.
Footnotes
[1] Isaiah ix. 7.
[2] Luke i. 32.
[3] And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father, and he pleased all: and all Israel obeyed him. I Paralip. xxix. 23.
[4] Epist. 133 ad Fabiolam, in c. 11 Danielis ; initio Eccles. ; in Psal. 44 et 71, etc.
[5] Lib. XVII civ., c. 28.
[6] Initio III Reg.
[7] III Reg. 1.
[8] Abulensis, Vatablus, Franciscus Lucas, Montanus, etc.
[9] Pro dilecto: For the Beloved. “Viz., Our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Haydock commentary).
2 At this point it should be noted that several Doctors may be found, principally amongst the moderns[1], who have denied outright that the Saviour can be called a temporal King. They believe that Sacred Scripture and the Fathers provide support for this view, even though many find no difficulty in the concept. With a view to dealing with this difference of opinion, I am going to presuppose, in the first place, that a temporal Kingdom is no more than a sovereignty which has the right to establish civil and political laws, to determine differences in these domains, to publish edicts for the good government of subjects, having a degree of dominion over their goods and their persons, appointing magistrates and officers, and other things like this which are like so many rays emanating from the crowns of the Sovereigns.
I am going to presuppose, in the second place, that if by kingship is understood a purely human power, having the same nature as that of worldly princes, which having been acquired by some human title (whether by succession, by election or by conquest) is constrained and limited in its rights, in its duration and in its extent, then these Doctors have very good reason to say that the Redeemer of the world was not a temporal King. The extreme poverty He endured, not only in the use but also in the possession of perishable goods, is proof of this truth. It would be difficult to say, moreover, by what title He had a power such as this, and to explain clearly why He would not have left this to His deputy who is the Sovereign Pontiff.
We need to understand, however, that there is a different sort of Kingship which we might call a Power of Excellence, for it belongs to an order which is higher than that I have just been describing. It is a power which is infinite in its duration, unchangeable in its rights, with no limits to its dominion, without any restriction concerning its subjects and which is recognised in heaven and on earth. It cannot be obtained through any human means but comes directly from on high. We would be mistaken, or so it seems to me, in denying this kingship to the Saviour of men, particularly as this view has the support of so many learned Doctors[2]. If the Holy Fathers seem to be saying something to the contrary, then what they say must be understood in the first sense of kingship as we explained above.
Footnotes
[1] Abulensis, q. 3, in c. 20 Matth.; Maldonatus, in c. 27 Matth.; Bellarm., lib. V de Rom. Pont., c. 4 ; Valent., III p., disp. 1, q. 22, p. 6 ; Pererius, lib. VIII in Dan., sub finem ; Viegas, in c. 12 Apoc., etc.
[2] D. Antonin., III p., tit. III, c. 2 ; Almainus, de Potest. Eccl., c. 4 ; Turrecrem., lib.. IV Summæ, c. 116 ; Navar., de Judic., nota 3, nº 8 ; Molina, t. I de Inst., tract. II, disp. 87 ; Suar., t. I, III p., d. 48, sect. 2 ; Vasq., in III p., disp. 87 ; Salazar., in c. 8 Prov., ibi : Per me Reges regnant ; Mendoza, in I Reg., c. 2, nº 10, an. 15, circa lect. 3, etc.
3 If the same Word Incarnate, who is the oracle of Truth and who knows better than any other the extent of His domain and the limits of His jurisdiction, declares in absolute terms and without any limitation[1] that all power has been given to Him on earth and in heaven, on what authority do we seek to control and set limits to His dominion? If the name of King, which is so often honoured in Scripture[2], refers to temporal power rather than spiritual authority, why without a most convincing reason should we give it a meaning which is foreign to its sense and restrict it to what is spiritual? If those chosen by the Holy Spirit to serve as types prefiguring the Saviour have borne these marks of temporal as well as spiritual power such as Melchisedech[3] and Moses, whom Philo[4] in his eloquent style calls King, Lawgiver, Pontiff and Prophet all at the same time, and whom St Gregory of Nazianzus[5] calls the Prince of Priests and the Priest of Priests, then what basis can we have for refusing this double quality to the Redeemer of the world? If the Eternal Father (who has shown such a loving desire to procure the glory of His Son) could confer this two-fold dignity – without prejudice to the office of Redeemer that He was to exercise and the humility that He was to profess – why would He not have done so?
Who would be so bold as to dispute this title with one
• whom the Father made heir general to all His estates[6];
• into whose hands He has given all things[7];
• to whom He has submitted all things[8];
• whom He has seated upon His royal throne[9];
• whom He has placed at His right hand, over the powers and the principalities[10];
• on whose head He has placed the crown of glory[11] and
• in whose hand He has put the sceptre, symbolising His power to issue laws to peoples and to rule all the nations of the earth[12]?
Why would we think of debating this question concerning the one who has written on His garment and on His thigh[13] (that is to say, His sacred humanity) these beautiful words of praise: King of Kings and Lord of Lords; who is the chief at the head of Angels, men and of all the powers of the earth[14]?
One day, after Officials of Caesar had asked St Peter whether their Master did not pay the tribute[15], Jesus asked His disciple: What is thy opinion, Simon? The kings of the earth, of whom do they receive tribute or custom? of their own children, or of strangers? Here He did not wish to represent Himself as a son of Caesar but rather as Son of God, for whom Caesar and all other kings are merely representatives. From this, He wished us to conclude that, not only was He under no obligation to pay the tribute but that He was Master of all, being the true Son of the Sovereign King.
Remember those times when we sometimes see Him performing actions, such as
• permitting the demons to enter into the Gadarene swine, and to hurl themselves into the sea[16];
• authorising His disciples to gather ears of wheat, to rub them in their hands and to eat the grain[17];
• cursing the fig tree, and making it wither[18];
• driving out those who were buying and selling in the temple, overturning their tables and their merchandise[19];
• causing the fish to be caught that contained within it the silver coin[20];
– do we not have very good reason to say He did not exercise these actions of sovereign authority without having the power to do so?
Footnotes
[1] All power is given to me in heaven and in earth. Matt. xxviii. 18.
[2] Psal. 2 ; Isai. 23 ; Zach. 9 ; Matth. 2 ; Act. 17 ; Apoc. 19. etc.
[3] For this Melchisedech was king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham. Hebr. vii. 1 et seq.
[4] Lib. III de ejus Vita, ad finem.
[5] Orat. 6 sub initium.
[6] In these days hath spoken to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things: Hebr. i. 1.
[7] Knowing that the Father had given him all things into his hands, and that he came from God, and goeth to God: John xiii. 3.
[8] Thou hast subjected all things under his feet: Ps. VIII. 8.
[9] Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: Ps. XLIV. 7.
[10] Above all principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. Eph. I. 21.
[11] Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour: Ps. VIII. 6.
[12] Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron: Ps. II. 9.
[13] And he hath on his garment, and on his thigh written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Apoc. xix. 16.
[14] Him, who is the head of all principality and power: Coloss. ii.10.
[15] Matt. xvii. 23-25.
[16] Matt. viii. 28-33.
[17] Matt. xii. 1-4.
[18] Matt. xxi. 18-21.
[19] Matt. xxi. 12-15.
[20] Matt. xvii. 26.
👑 👑 👑
SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.
The Virgin of Tenderness. >12th century.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
© Peter Bloor 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment