The suruey of popery vvherein the reader may cleerely behold, not onely the originall and daily incrementes of papistrie, with an euident confutation of the same; but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension, contained in the first and second part thereof: and throughout the third part poperie is turned vp-side downe.

The answere.

I answere, that God cannot by his absolute power, make Christes body to be in diuers places at once: not because there is any defect in God, who is omnipotent; but because contra∣diction is implied in the thing which should be done. Which point I haue prooued euidently, in the 12. preamble of my Booke of Motiues. For the reasons there alleadged are effec∣tuall, if they be applied to this purpose. In like maner I say, that two bodies cannot be in one place at once; because to haue parts without parts and to occupie place, is of the formall and intrinsecall conceit of euery organicall and quantitatiue bodie, such as Christes true body is. Whereupon S. Augustine said truely and learnedly, that if occupation or spaces of places be taken away from bodies, they shall lose their essence, and be no bodies at all. So then, the entrance of Christ into the house when the doors were shut, and also his comming out of the se∣pulchre, when the stone was vnrolled away; neither doth nor can prooue, that two bodies were in one place at once, but that the doore and the stone gaue place for the time to Christes mightie power; like as the red Sea gaue place to the Israe∣lites, and they passed through the middest thereof. And as S. Peters chaines gaue place to his handes; and as the Iron gate opened to him of it owne accord. Furthermore, if Christes bo∣die can be in ten thousand places at once, as the papistes impu∣dently auouch; it must also follow, that it may be in infinite pla∣ces at once, which is the heresie of the Vbiquitaries.

For after this maner did S. Hierome reason against Iohn the Bishop of Hierusalem, when hee laboured to prooue that our bodies may liue without meate after the resurrection. If a man may liue fourty daies without meate, saith S. Hierome, as Moses and Elias did by the power of God; then doubtles may he liue eternally, by the same power of God. In fine, this veri∣tie is made euident, by that argument, which Gods angel made to Mary Magdalen, and the other Mary comming to see the sepulchre. And because the argument is of force to confound all papistes in the world, if it be well vrged; I will alledge the argument as it is in the originall, and then make effectuall

application thereof. These are the expresse wordes of the holy Euangelist Saint Matthew: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Hee is not heere, for he is risen, as he saide. Where I ob∣serue first, the assertion simplie in it selfe. Secondly, the cause and reason of the same assertion. The assertion is this; Christ is not in the sepulchre: the reason heereof is this; be∣cause Christ is risen. Nowe then, since Christ cannot be in the Sepulchre because he is risen; it followeth of necessitie, that either the angel of God inspired with Gods holy spirite, made a very foolish and friuolous argument, (which to affirme, is void of all christianitie) or els, that Christes body cannot be in two places at once; which is that, that I intend to proue. For if it were not as I say, the women might haue replied effectu∣ally against the angel thus; albeit Christ be risen as you say: yet may he be in the sepulchre also; because his body may be in two places at once: but the angel reputing it a thing cleere and euident, that Christes body could not be in two places at one & the selfe same time, concluded directly and forcibly as hee thought, Christes absence in the sepulchre, bicause he was ri∣sen againe. See the 3. part, 10. chapter, 4. conclusion, and 3. paragraphe.

Notes

• August. ad Dar∣danum. Epist. 57.
• Exod. 14. ver. 21. Psal. 136. ver. 13. and 14. Act. 12. v. 7.10.
• Hier. ad Pam∣mach. to. 5. p. 80
• Math. 21. v. 1.6.
• A flat demon∣stration against poperie.