Chapter I — What adoration is; its division, and the precept, are explained

I. Adoration, taken generally, is an act by which someone subjects himself to another in testimony of that other's excellence. The chief reason of adoration is the excellence, or dignity, of the person adored. There are, then, as many adorations as there are kinds of dignity. There are, moreover, two dignities: one uncreated, the other created. Adoration, then, is divided, first, into that which is owed to uncreated majesty, or to God, and is called latria; and into that which is shown to creatures on account of the excellence of the supernatural order participated from God, of grace, of sanctity, of beatitude, by which the Saints and the blessed spirits are honored; and this is called dulia. But because the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ the Lord, is wonderfully eminent above all the Saints, and heavenly spirits, she is therefore adored with a peculiar worship, which is called hyperdulia — that is, above the worship of dulia to be shown to the Saints, and below the worship of latria owed to God.

II. Adoration, again, is distinguished into internal and external. The former is an interior act by which the spirit subjects itself to God, as the supreme founder of all things. By this reasoning, Angels, and blessed souls, adore God. This bursts forth outwardly, and manifests itself by external signs, such as the bowing of the head, the prostration of the body, kisses, genuflections, and similar signs of this kind. Internal adoration can exist without external; the reverse cannot. Indeed, exterior adoration, destitute of interior, is not adoration, but flattery, feigning, and mockery. We are bound to show both to God, as St. Thomas excellently teaches (II-II, q. 84, art. 2): "Since man is composed of a twofold nature, namely intellectual and sensible, we offer God a twofold adoration: namely, a spiritual one, which consists in the interior devotion of the mind; and a corporeal one, which consists in the exterior humiliation of the body. And because, in all acts of latria, that which is exterior is referred to that which is interior, as to what is principal, therefore the exterior adoration itself is done for the sake of the interior, so that, namely, by the perceptible humility which we show corporeally, our affection may be excited to subject itself to God: since it is connatural to us that we proceed through sensible things to intelligible ones."

III. Adoration is divided, third, into absolute and relative. Absolute, say the theologians of Salamanca, with other more recent writers (tract. 21, ch. 1, punct. 1, n. 3), is that which is shown to creatures who are, of themselves, capable of excellence, and sanctity. Only rational creatures, however, are capable of this dignity, and sanctity; and therefore to them alone is absolute adoration owed. This description, according to the common mind of Theologians, can hold a sound sense; but, so that the calumny with which the heterodox reproach us may be entirely removed, it must be said that all religious worship regards God, is resolved into God, and rests, and finds quiet, in God. Wherefore, if we wish to speak exactly, only the adoration shown to God is absolute in every respect; but the worship which we offer to the Saints is referred to God as to the true and first principle: for we honor the Saints on account of God, on account of the dignity, grace, and sanctity intimately conjoined with, and participated from, God. Wherefore the worship of these always expresses a reference to God. It is called by Theologians, however, absolute adoration shown to the Saints, in relation to images, and relics, which, being inanimate things, are destitute of intimate excellence; and the worship which is offered to them regards the persons whom they represent: for this reason the worship shown to them is relative.

IV. Adoration which is shown to creatures on account of natural gifts and dignities is customarily called reverence, and can be made by the same external signs by which God is worshipped. For external bodily actions are indifferent, and can be employed both for worshipping God, and for honoring men. By genuflection, by prostration of the body, God is adored; and yet by these same signs Judith, seeing Holofernes, adored him, prostrating herself upon the ground (ch. 10). By genuflection too we adore Supreme Pontiffs. We stretch out our hands to heaven, so that we may adore God: "I spread out my hands to the Lord my God" (Esdras 1:9); and the Royal Prophet says: "The lifting up of my hands as evening sacrifice." And yet we also use this sign to implore men's aid. The striking of the breast is likewise, of itself, indifferent; although, according to common use, it is more properly determined for obtaining pardon of sins from God, nothing nonetheless prevents us from using the same sign to appease a man whom we have offended, and to ask forgiveness for the offense inflicted. But this sign pertains more to the virtue of penance than to that of religion. Private external adoration, then, unless it is made divine by the intention of the one adoring, depends on that intention, unless some peculiar law, use, or custom has already destined it to divine worship. Hence it is that, while private persons perform such external actions publicly, it does not suffice for them to have a good intention; but the circumstances of place, time, persons, and custom must be observed. Of all these kinds of external actions, the most excellent, and which is owed to God alone, is sacrifice, by which God is proper to himself owed.

V. Question I. Is there a divine and natural precept of worshipping God by both internal and external acts? Response: The affirmative conclusion is certain, of faith. That there is a divine precept is established from several texts of Scripture, chiefly from Exodus 20, and Deuteronomy 5: "I am the Lord thy God.... Thou shalt not have strange gods before me. Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing." This commandment is affirmative, insofar as it prescribes worship; and negative, insofar as it forbids the worship of other gods. It is more congruently expressed in negative words, because man, by natural instinct, is so borne toward the worship of God, that he needs rather the rein of prohibition, to restrain him lest he slip into superstition, than to be urged by goads, that he might adore his Creator. That this precept, moreover, is natural, is likewise clear. For what is more implanted in us by nature than to venerate him from whom we have received all things? Since, moreover, we have received a twofold nature from God, spiritual and corporeal, it follows that he ought to be worshipped by us with the acts of both natures, or by internal adoration, or by internal and external mixed together. All of which are more certain than to need proof.

VI. Question II. When does this precept, of itself, oblige? Response: This precept, insofar as it is negative, obliges always, and for always, as do all negative precepts, which forbid actions evil by their own nature; but, insofar as it is affirmative, it obliges at fixed times. Certain more recent Probabilist writers — Fr. Thomas Tamburini (Bk. II, on the Decalogue, ch. 4, §2, n. 4), Fagundez (Bk. I, on the Decalogue, ch. 32), Bassaeus (Bk. III, on the Decalogue, ch. 5, dub. 2), and others whom Roccaberti, whom Leander cites, teach that this precept, of itself, at no time imposes adoration directly, and per se; but only presupposes it. This lax opinion is not worthwhile to expound in words; I will only say that it betrays laxity, and horror. The common opinion of Theologians teaches that this precept, of itself, and directly, imposes adoration. At what time, and how often it must be exercised, see what has been said concerning the acts of faith, hope, and charity: for the reasoning of both precepts is the same. For we have been brought into the light for this reason: that we might worship our God by faith, hope, charity, and acts of religion; and thus our moral, and Christian, life ought to live by these actions. We ought, then, to repeat these offices of religion with such frequency as suffices to nourish and foster our moral and Christian life. Besides the natural and divine precept, there is likewise given an ecclesiastical mandate, on feast days, by which we are bidden to worship God with all our resources. For all feasts regard this worship of God, and all the faithful, on these days, together with the Priest, offer sacrifice to God.

VII. Question III. Is there a determined place in which God must be worshipped? Response: If the discourse concerns a place prescribed by natural or divine right, it is certain that no place is designated; but, since God is present everywhere, we can, and ought to, adore him everywhere. The Church, however, God himself so prescribing, has erected temples, in which sacrifices, and the solemn rites of divine worship, might be celebrated. The Angelic Doctor adduces three congruent reasons, by which he establishes the fitting and becoming institution of temples (II-II, q. 84, art. 3, ad 2): "A determined place is chosen for praying, not on account of God who is adored, as though he were enclosed in a place, but on account of the ones adoring; and this for a threefold reason. First, indeed, on account of a special consecration of the place, from which those praying conceive special devotion, so that they may be better heard, as is clear from the adoration of Solomon (3 Kings 8). Second, on account of the sacred mysteries, and other signs of sanctity which are contained there. Third, on account of the concourse of many adoring, from which prayer is made more likely to be heard." He adds, in the same place, ad 3: "It is more fitting for us to adore God with the temple's face turned toward the east, both on account of Christ, who is the light of the world, and is called the East; and on account of paradise, established in the east — as though, wishing to return to paradise, we, while we pray, turn ourselves in that direction."