352 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



tinue underftood, and concluded with thefe words, " That 

 as the king thought himfelf obhged to fulfil thofe promifes 

 of fubmitting himfelf to the fee of Rome which his prede- 

 ceffors had made, the time was now come in which he 

 Iliould do that, if fuch was his pleafure. Thefe lall words 

 of the orator feem not to have fatisfied the zeal of Socinios. 

 He interrupted Melca Chriftos by faying, that it was not 

 now, but a long time fince, that he had fubmitted to the 

 church of Rome, as true fucceflbr of St Peter ; and the pre- 

 fent occafion was only a confirmation of what he had for- 

 merly profeiTed." 



The patriarch anfwered by a few words, prudently and 

 fenfibly, I fuppofc to fave time, feeing that, ihort or long, 

 his difcourfe would not be underflood. But proceeding to 

 fa(5ls, he opened a new teftament, while Socinios, upon his 

 knees, took the following oath : " We, fultan Segued, em- 

 peror of Ethiopia, do believe and confefs that St Peter, prince 

 of the apoftles, was conftituted, by Chrift our Lord, head of 

 the whole Chriftian church, and that he gave him the prin- 

 cipality and dominion over the whole world, by faying to 

 - him, Tou are Peter ^ and upon this rock zvill I hu'ild my church ; aiid I 

 •will give you the keys of tJje kingdom of heaven. And again when 

 he faid, Keep my fieep. Alfo we believe and confefs, that 

 the pope of Rome, lawfully eleded, is the true fuccef- 

 for of St Peter the apofHe, jn government ; that he holdeth 

 the fame power, dignity, and primacy, in the whole Chrif- 

 tian church : and to the holy father Urban VIII. of that name, 

 by the mercy of God, pope, and our lord, and to his fuccef- 

 ibr in the government of the church, we do promife, offer, 

 and fwear true obedience, and fubjed, with humility at his 

 feet, our perfon and empire ; fo help us God and thefe holy 



gofpels 



