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.

[ 1] I say first, that god can do much more then mans reason can conceiue, because the dulnesse of mans vnderstanding, is not a∣ble to penetrate the bottomelesse deepenesse of his heauenly

wisedome, & power diuine. I say secondly, that it is one thing [ 2] to speake of things which God can do; another thing to speake of those things that he wil do. For we are assured by his reuea∣led will, that as God can do al things which he wil;* 1.1 so are there many things which he cānot do, or rather which he wil not do, because they cannot indeed be done. And these things are of 2. sorts: the one sort containeth imperfection, the other implieth cōtradiction. In respect of y^e former, he cannot do these things. First, he cannot make another God: secondly, he cannot make [ 1 2] himself corruptible: thirdly, he cannot sin. In respect of the lat∣ter, [ 3] he cānot do these things. First, god cānot make time past, [ 1] not to be past: secōdly, God cannot make a blind mā remaining [ 2] blind, to haue his sight: thirdly, God can not make a dead man [ 3] remaining dead, to haue his life. Neuerthelesse most true it is, that the want of doing these and the like things▪ doth not argue any defect in god who is omnipotent, but imperfection or con∣tradiction in the things that should be done. I say thirdly, that Christs body was not in the same place with the wood;* 1.2 which [ 3] thing is proued at large in the chaper of Christs resurrection; peruse mine answere there, and all obscuritie will surcease.

I say fourthly, that the stone gaue place to Christs body, and that done returned againe to the former place;* 1.3 like as Peters [ 4] chaines fel off from his hands, as the red sea gaue place to the Israelites, and as the iron gate opened by it owne accord.

I say fiftly, that touching the passage of the Camel, many things may be said: First,* 1.4 that by the word (Camel) is vnder∣stoode [ 5] a cable rope, and not a beast; because the Greeke word is indifferent to them both. Secondly, that it is but a prouerbe [ 1] or phrase of speech, signifing how hardly rich men enter into [ 2] heauen. Thirdly, that God can dilate the eie of a needle so, as a [ 3] Camel may passe through the same, and that without preiu∣dice to the naturall quantitie of his body. See the third Para∣graph in the end.

I say sixtly, that Christs body came not out of his mothers [ 6] wombe, the clausure being whole & not stirred. For first,* 1.5 Christ was presented to the Lorde according to the lawe, as the holy gospel doth record: yet the law required such presentation on∣ly of them, which opened their mothers wombe. Secondly,

Tertull. testifieth this opening of the blessed virgins wombe. These are his wordes:* 1.6 Haec vulua est, propter quam & de a∣lijs scriptum est: Omne masculinum adaperiens vuluam sanctū vocabitur domino. Quis vere sanctus, quam Dei filius? Quis proprie vuluam adaperuit quam quiclausam patefecit: Caeterū omnibus nuptiae patefaciunt. Itaque magis patefacta est quia magis erat clausa. Sequitur: cum apostolus non ex virgine sed ex muliere editum filium Dei pronuntiauit, agnouit adapertae vuluae nuptialem passionem. Thi•• is the wombe, for which it is written of others: euery manchild that openeth the womb, shall be called holy to the Lord. Who is truely holy, but the Sonne of God? who properly opened the wombe, but he that opened it when it was shut? but marriages open it to all: ther∣fore it was more opened, because it was more shut. When the Apostle saith,* 1.7 not that Christ was borne of a virgin, but of a woman; he acknowledged the nuptiall passion of an opened wombe.* 1.8 Thirdly, Saint Hierome hath these words: Solu•• e∣nim Christus clausas portas vuluae virginalis aperuit quae tamen clausae iugiter permanserunt. Haec est porta orientalis clausa, per quam solus pontifex ingreditur & egreditur, & nihilomi∣nus semper clausa est. For Christ only opened the gates of the virgins wombe,* 1.9 that were shut, which for all that were shutte continually. This is the east gate which is shut vp, through which the Bishoppe goeth in and out, and for al that it is euer shut.* 1.10 Fourthly, Origen hath these words: Quemcunque enim de vtero effusum marem dixeris, non sic aperit vuluam matris suae, vt Dominus Iesus: quia omnium mulierum non partus in∣fantis, sed v••ri coitus vuluam reserat: matris vero dominico tempore vulua reserata est, quo & partus editus. For what man childe soeuer thou shalt name, that is borne of a wombe; he doeth not so open the matrice of his mother, as doeth our Lorde Iesus. For in all women, not the birth of the child, but the copulation of the man openeth the wombe. Yet the wombe of the mother of our Lord was opened euen then when the childe was borne. Fiftly, S. Ambrose hath these expresse and plaine wordes: Non enim virilis coitus vuluae virginalis secreta reserauit,* 1.11 sed immaculatum semen inuiolabili vtero spiritus sanctus infudit. Sequitur: Hic ergo solus aperuit

sibi vuluam. Nec mirum; hic enim dixerat ad prophetam: priusquam te formarem in vtero, noui te, & in vulua matris sanctificaui te: qui ergo vuluam sanctificauit alienam, vt nas∣ceretur propheta, hic est qui aperuit matris suae vuluam, vt im∣maculatus exiret. For the copulation of man opened not the se∣crets of the virgins wombe, but the holy ghost poured the im∣maculate seede into the inuiolable wombe. He therfore opened the wombe to himselfe alone. And it is no maruell; for he said to the prophet: before I formed thee in the wombe,* 1.12 I knew thee, and in thy mothers womb I sanctified thee. He therefore that sanctified the wombe of another for the birth of his pro∣phet, is the very same that opened the wombe of his mother, that he might come forth immaculate.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Things vndo••ble by power diuine
• * 1.2

  Tertio principa∣liter.
• * 1.3

  Act. 12 7. Exod. 14.32. Act. 12.10.
• * 1.4

  Vide Theoph. in hunc locum▪
• * 1.5

  Luc. 2.23. exod. 13.2. num. 8.10
• * 1.6

  Terull. libr. de carn. Christ in sin.
• * 1.7

  Gal. 4.4.
• * 1.8

  Hieron. libr. 2. adu. Pelag. prope initium.
• * 1.9

  Vide Ezech. cap. 44.2.3.
• * 1.10

  Origen. hom. 14. in Luc. prop. sin.
• * 1.11

  Ambros. li. 2. cap. 2. in Lucam.
• * 1.12

  Ierem. 1.••.