The Papists did not so: for besides that they had a great number of counterfeit Saints in their Calendar, whose names were not written in the book of life; some of them traitors, and others as ill, or worse than they upon their festival days, they caused to be read out of Legenda aurea, that is, their Legend of lies, a story of their lives, full of all virtues, and miracles that they wrought, some in their life, some after their death, whereof most were feigned, and some of them most absurd. And thus they made them to be Gods upon the earth, not making mention of any fault of their's at any time, especially so great as these that we have heard of in St. Thomas, St. Paul, and the rest.

Whereby it came to pass, partly by the observation of those days, and partly by hearing what was then reported of them out of their stories, that the common people were brought into a superstitious admiration of them, and had no hope by imitating their virtues to be like them: but rather did worship them by means of the strange and incredible things that they heard of them. And so there was no comfort from them for poor sinners, but only for their merits and mediation: for they

did not speak of their infirmities and falls. But we see, how the Scriptures set out the true Saints of God after another manner; not only in their miracles and virtues, but in their greatest corruptions and sins; that we knowing what they were of themselves, and what they are by the mercy of God, and the grace of Christ, the poorest sinners might be comforted in themselves by the one, and give thanks to God for the other. Seeing that there is no sin in themselves, which they have not seen pardoned and cured in some of the Saints or other: nor any grace wanting to themselves, which by that experience of God's goodness which they have seen in others, they might not hope for in themselves in some measure.

BUT I come to the principal thing in this text, which is the great infirmity and wonderful unbelief that was in the Apostle St. Thomas, declared in these words of his own, that when the rest of the Disciples had told him, that they had seen the Lord, he answered them, Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put mine hand into his side, I will not believe it.

The circumstance of time, and many occurrences going before this, do aggravate the greatness of his unbelief. For this was done the eighth day after Christ's resurrection: then he did shew himself unto Thomas, as it is said, (ver. 26) Eight days after his Disciples were again within, and Thomas with them, then came Jesus, when the doors were shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you : after he said to Thomas, Put thy finger here, and see mine hands: and put forth thine hand, and put it into my side, and be not faithless, but faithful. In the mean season he had appeared unto Mary Magdalen at the sepulchre the first day of his resurrection early in the morning, and she knew him for he called her Mary, and she answered, Rabboni, that is to say, Master (ver. 17), at what time she was willed to go tell the Disciples, that he was risen: and she did so and also shewed them, what other words he had spoken unto her but none of them did believe her: as St. Mark saith (Mark c. 16, v. 11). Thus at the first hearing of it, Thomas was incredulous, as well as the rest. And the same day toward the evening, he appeared unto two other as they were in the way to Emmaus, and they

returned presently, and told the Disciples of it, but they did not believe them neither (ver. 13).

The same night therefore he appeared unto the eleven, as they sate together, and cast in their teeth their unbelief, and hardness of heart, because they believed not them, who had now twice told them, that they had seen him, being risen again (ver. 14). And because their unbelief was so great at that time, to put them out of all doubt for the time to come, he shewed them his hands, and his side that was pierced, and the print of the nails in the one, and of the spear in the other, and bad them look on them, that they might know that it was he indeed, as St. John the Evangelist doth report it (John c. 20, v. 20).

At this time Thomas was not present among them. The Lord of his infinite wisdom and goodness thus disposing of it, for the further good both of Thomas, and of all the rest, and of the whole Church: that by this means there might be a new confirmation of his resurrection, by a second and more sensible apparition, when they should not only see again the print of the nails in his hands, but for Thomas also to put his finger into them. But in the mean

while, all the rest tell him, what they had seen, namely, not only Christ in some form, but so certainly that he spake unto them, and shewed them his hands and his feet, and the print of the nails in them, so that they could not possibly be deceived in so clear a matter: yet for all this he not only not giveth credit unto some one of them severally, but not unto all of them jointly, being so many, and so credible witnesses: and further, is so wilful and obstinate, and so addicted to his own senses and feeling, that he tells them plainly, that unless he himself see the print of the nails in his hands, and may put his finger into them; and the print of the spear in his side, and may put his hand into that, he will never believe it.

This is a marvellous thing, and may seem justly to be wondered at, that he being an Apostle, and one that had been conversant with our Saviour Christ a long time, and had heard his doctrine, and seen his miracles, yea, had preached salvation in his name with the rest; and had heard Christ often say, that he must be put to death, and the third day rise again; that though he did generally believe in him, yet he was not persuaded particularly of