[ad. mod.L. ubīquitas (cf. F. ubiquité (17th c.), Sp. ubicuidad, Pg. ubiquidade), f. L. ubīque everywhere: see -ITY.]
1. Theol. The omnipresence of Christ or of his body, as maintained by the Ubiquitarians.
1579. Fulke, Heskins’ Parl., 173. If we found as good authoritie for the vbiquitie, or pluralitie of placing of his body as we finde for the feeding vs thereby into eternall life.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxvii. § 10. Out of which vbiquitie of his body they gather the presence thereof with that sanctified bread and wine.
a. 1617. Bayne, On Eph. (1618), 388. We see Vbiquity and all real Presence … ouerthrowne.
1624. Bedell, Lett., ii. 48. One side fetches arguments against vbiquitie from these places, and thereupon saith, the question is about these Articles.
1674. Hickman, Quinquart. Hist. (ed. 2), 131. It seems, if men be never so violent for Ubiquity,… if they be but against Predestination, they shall pass for … Melancthonians.
1798. Hey, Lect. Div., IV. IV. xxviii. § 10. 325. Luther … supported it [sc. consubstantiation], by what was called Ubiquity: by affirming, that the Son of God was every where, ubiquie.
1839. Hallam, Hist. Lit., II. ii. § 23. After the death of Melanchthon, a controversy, relating to the ubiquity, as it was called, of Christ’s body, proceeded with much heat.
1882–3. Schaff, Encycl. Relig. Knowl., III. 2414. Ubiquity is the doctrine … of the omnipresence of the humanity, and more especially of the body, of Christ.
2. The capacity of being everywhere or in all places at the same time: a. In general use.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. liii. § 4. In the one there is attributed to God … death, whereof diuine nature is not capable; in the other vbiquitie vnto Man, which humane nature admitteth not.
1604. R. Cawdrey, Table Alph., Vbiquitie, presence of a person in all places.
1625. Earl Carlisle, in Fortescue Papers (Camden), 214. I could wishe … that you would borrow so muche of ubiquity as that your persone could be in the several places where your sufficiensy is so necessary.
1655. Cleveland, Gen. Poems, etc. (1677), 142. Knowing that no place in the Nation is so remote, as not to share in the Ubiquity of your Care.
1713. Clarke, Several Letters (1716), 16. The Reason why you do not apprehend Ubiquity to be necessarily connected with Self-Existence.
a. 1721. Prior, On Coronation, i. Giving Poets to partake (Like those Deities they make) Of infinite Ubiquity.
1796. Coleridge, Destiny of Nations, 45. One all-conscious Spirit, which informs With absolute ubiquity of thought … All his involved Monads.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., xvi. The attention and activity which Quentin bestowed … had in it something that gave him the appearance of ubiquity.
1838. Prescott, Ferd. & Is. (1846), I. x. 427. Their vigilant adversary, who seemed now in their eyes to possess the powers of ubiquity.
1864. Bowen, Logic, xiii. 422. It is admitted that this doctrine of the ubiquity of the mind to the body is incomprehensible.
b. As an attribute of God.
Variously taken as synonymous with, or as distinct from, omnipresence.
1607. J. Davies, Summa Totalis, E 2. For, so they must by his Immensitie, Which is the cause of his Vbiquity.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., ii. 36. It is an acknowledgement of one of the incommunicable Excellencies of God, viz. his Ubiquity.
1704. Swift, T. Tub, viii. This God, though endued with Ubiquity, was yet supposed to possess one peculiar Habitation.
1748. Hartley, Observ. Man, II. i. 34. By God’s Omnipresence, or Ubiquity, we must be understood to mean that his Power and Knowlege extend to all Places.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr., VII. vi. (1864), IV. 167. The impartial ubiquity of God, the equable omnipresence of the Redeemer and the Holy Spirit throughout the whole universe.
1885. Lyman Abbott, in Chr. World Pulpit, XXVIII. 179. Most Christians do not believe in the omnipresence of God; they only believe in His ubiquity.
c. Law. (See quots.)
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. vii. 260. A consequence of this prerogative is the legal ubiquity of the king. His majesty, in the eye of the law, is always present in all his courts, though he cannot personally distribute justice…. From this ubiquity it follows, that the king can never be nonsuit.
1841. in Peters, Rep. Supr. Crt. U.S., XV. 6. The United States, in their sovereign capacity, have no particular place of domicile but possess, in contemplation of law, an ubiquity throughout the Union.
† 3. Locality, region. Obs.–1
1633. B. Jonson, Love’s Welcome, Wks. (1640), 275. A solemne Wight As you should meet In any street, in that Ubiquitie.
